Zechariah 12:2 (GNV)

Passage

Beholde, I will make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson vnto all the people round about: and also with Iudah will he be, in ye siege against Ierusalem.

Nearby Context

Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the worde of the Lord vpon Israel, sayth the Lord, which spred the heauens, and layed the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirite of man within him.

Zechariah 12:2 Beholde, I will make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson vnto all the people round about: and also with Iudah will he be, in ye siege against Ierusalem.

Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heauie stone for all people: all that lift it vp, shall be torne, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Zechariah 12:4 In that day, sayeth the Lord, I will smite euery horse with astonishment, and his rider with madnesse, and I will open mine eyes vpon the house of Iudah, and will smite euery horse of the people with blindnesse.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beholde", "make", "ierusalem", "cuppe", "poyson", "vnto", "people", and "round". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beholde" and "make", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The burden of the worde of the..." into verse 3's "And in that day will I make...", so "beholde" and "make" belong inside that flow. In Zechariah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beholde" and "make" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.