Zechariah 12:9 (GNV)

Passage

And in that day will I seeke to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem.

Nearby Context

Zechariah 12:7 The Lord also shall preserue the tents of Iudah, as afore time: therefore the glorie of the house of Dauid shall not boast, nor the glorie of the inhabitants of Ierusalem against Iudah.

Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the Lord defende the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and he that is feeble among them, in that day shall be as Dauid: and the house of Dauid shall be as Gods house, and as the Angel of the Lord before them.

Zechariah 12:9 And in that day will I seeke to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem.

Zechariah 12:10 And I will powre vpon the house of Dauid, and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirite of grace and of compassion, and they shall looke vpon me, whom they haue pearced, and they shall lament for him, as one mourneth for his onely sonne, and be sorie for him as one is sorie for his first borne.

Zechariah 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Ierusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seeke", "destroy", "nations", "come", "against", and "ierusalem". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seeke" and "destroy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "In that day shall the Lord defende..." into verse 10's "And I will powre vpon the house...", so "seeke" and "destroy" 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 "seeke" and "destroy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.