Zechariah 14:13 (WEB)

Passage

It will happen in that day, that a great panic from Yahweh will be among them; and they will lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor.

Nearby Context

Zechariah 14:11 Men will dwell therein, and there will be no more curse; but Jerusalem will dwell safely.

Zechariah 14:12 This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.

Zechariah 14:13 It will happen in that day, that a great panic from Yahweh will be among them; and they will lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor.

Zechariah 14:14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered together: gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.

Zechariah 14:15 So will be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the donkey, and of all the animals that will be in those camps, as that plague.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "happen", "great", "panic", "yahweh", "hold", "everyone", "hand", and "neighbor". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "happen" and "great", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "This will be the plague with which..." into verse 14's "Judah also will fight at Jerusalem and...", so "happen" and "great" 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 "happen" and "great" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.