Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Yahweh will go out and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
- KJV Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
- ESV Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
- NKJV Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.
- NASB Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.
- NLT Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Then the LORD Himself will go out and fight against those nations as a warrior. It matters because deliverance comes not from human strength but from God personally entering the battle.
Overview
At the crisis point, Yahweh goes forth to war against the gathered nations, fighting 'as when he fought in the day of battle'—recalling His past acts of deliverance like the Red Sea. The turning point is God's own intervention, not human resources. This anticipates the return of Christ, the divine Warrior who finally overthrows all His and His people's enemies (Rev. 19:11-16).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Zech 12:9So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
- Joel 3:9–17Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
- Zeph 3:19Behold, at that time, I will deal with all who afflict you. I will save the lame and gather the scattered; and I will appoint praise and fame for the disgraced throughout the earth.
- Zech 2:8–9For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
- 2 Chr 20:15And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.
- Dan 2:44–45In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.
- Joel 3:2I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.
- Exod 15:1–6Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
- Rev 6:4–17Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.
- Zech 12:2–6“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem.
- Isa 63:1–6Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.”
- Isa 66:15–16For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
- Zech 10:4–5The cornerstone will come from Judah, the tent peg from him, as well as the battle bow and every ruler together.
- Josh 10:42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
- Dan 2:34–35As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.
- Hag 2:21–22“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth:
- Rev 8:7–13Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.
- Zech 9:14–15Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Branch who is both priest and king, the shepherd struck and the flock scattered, the king coming humble on a donkey, the one they pierced, the fountain opened for sin — Zechariah is dense with Christ.
How Zechariah 14:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.