Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought 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.
- BSB Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the 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 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 12:9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
- Joel 3:9–17Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
- Zeph 3:19Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
- Zech 2:8–9For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
- 2 Chr 20:15And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
- Dan 2:44–45And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
- Joel 3:2I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
- Exod 15:1–6Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
- Rev 6:4–17And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
- Zech 12:2–6Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
- Isa 63:1–6Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
- Isa 66:15–16For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
- Zech 10:4–5Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.
- Josh 10:42And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
- Dan 2:34–35Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
- Hag 2:21–22Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
- Rev 8:7–13The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
- Zech 9:14–15And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with 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
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