Jesus was a king on a donkey

JESUS WAS A KING ON A DONKEY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Zechariah 9:9 New InternationalVersion(NIV)
The Coming of Zion’s King
Rejoicegreatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
BIBLEHUR RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Ideal King
Zechariah 9:9

W. Forsyth
I. BEAUTIFUL VISION. Poets in rapt moments have had glimpses of the
highest (Psalm45:72). The character, the life and work of a true King, have
passedbefore them as things fair to see. But where is the reality? "Find me
the true king or able man, and he has a Divine right over me" (Carlyle).
II. PASSIONATE LONGING. The heart yearns for what is best. The need
presses. Circumstances now and againarise that intensify the feeling and the
cry. There is so much to be done - evils to remove, wrongs to be redressed,
rights and liberties to be secured. Oh for the coming of the true King! "What
he tells us to do must be preciselywisest, fittest, that we can anywhere or
anyhow learn, the thing which it will in all ways behove us, with right loyal
thankfulness and nothing doubting, to do. Our doing and life were then, so far
as government would regulate them, wellregulated" (Carlyle).
III. IMMORTAL HOPE. There have been kings, good, bad, and indifferent.
Some began well, but did little. The best have come far short of the highest
standard. The true King "not yet." Still hope. Faith in the possibilities of
human nature; above all, faith in the promise of God.
"Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good....
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The largerheart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land.
Ring in the Christ that is to be." F.

Biblical Illustrator
Thy King cometh unto thee; He is just and having salvation
Zechariah 9:9, 10
Palm Sunday
H. H. Gower.
This prophecy was generallyrecognisedby the Jews as referring to the
Messiah. Firstof all, prophecy spoke only of Messiah's glory. It was not until
the era of the Captivity that we find Christ spokenof as the Man afflicted and
stricken, the Hind pursued by the buffaloes and dogs, the King lowly, and
riding upon an ass. When the prophet declaredthat Messiahshould come
riding upon an ass, it was takenas an indication that He should be a prophet-
King. In the Talmud it is said for this reasonthat to dream of an ass is to
dream of the coming of salvation. To the Gentiles this, like other features of
our Lord's work, was a constantsubject of mockery. The PersianKing,
Sapor, promised the rabbis that when their Messiahcame who should ride
upon an ass, he would send Him a horse. It was a common scoffamong the
Mohammedans that whereas Mohammedwas "the rider upon a camel,"

Christ was "thatrider upon an ass." Christonly entered Jerusalemriding on
an ass, to bring before us a necessaryillustration of His characterand office.
1. Though He was King of kings, yet He is the Lowly One. The Hebrew word
expresses the condition of a man who has been brought low by affliction and
sorrow, possessing in himself the fruit of this sorrow in lowliness and
submission of mind. In this sense the word is used of Moses, the "meekestof
men." Messiahis "strickenand afflicted." Our Lord applies this characterto
Himself, "I am meek and lowly in heart." And this trait must especially
distinguish all who follow Him into His kingdom.
2. Lowliness not only expressedthe characterofthe King, but the character
also of the kingship. The victory of Messiahis to be over the very things which
are esteemedmighty in the world. As in nature, the brute force of the beastis
conquered by the skill of man, and the forces ofmatter overcome by the
powerof mind, so in the kingdom of Christ all powers of body and mind are
subdued to the powerof the Spirit which is made perfect in human weakness.
All through the history of Israel, God's hand had thus been made manifest in
the casting down of strongholds. When, therefore, Jerusalemrejectedthe
Messiah, she became like the fallen powers which were before her, a powerof
this world, aiming at success by the world's methods, looking forward to the
world's splendour, and receiving the world's downfall for her reward. She
knew not the day of her visitation. Let us not indulge only in pity for the fallen
city which opposeditself so madly to the kingdom of Christ. The world —
even the Christian world — is very far from this subjection to the kingdom of
Christ. When we see how faintly Christian principles as yet influence the
policies of nations, our impatient spirit is filled with dismay. We are ready to
believe that Christianity has gained extensionat the costof intension, that
men have been made Christians at the costof Christianity, and that it had
been better if the conversionof Europe had been slowerrather than speedier.
If it be so, what remedy is there so effective and so apposite as the intension of
Christian claims upon ourselves, individually and now, the realisationnow of
the severe claimwhich Christianity makes upon the will and the life of eachof
us? A country is conquered by the capitulation of one castle afteranother;
even so Christ's kingdom comes by the yielding up of individual hearts. What
a glorious triumph we canmake for Christ in our hearts today! With hearts

bowed down in lowliestsense ofsin, emptied of all self-trust, filled with the
sense ofGod's love and pass on for the world, we shall be ready then to
receive the lowly King, and to be made partakers ofthe kingly spirit.
(H. H. Gower.)
The ideal monarch of the world
Homilist.
I. Here is a monarch, the ADVENT OF WHOM IS A MATTER FOR
RAPTUROUS JOY. "Rejoicegreatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter
of Jerusalem." Christ's advent to the world was announcedby the gladsome
music of angelic choirs. "Gloryto God in the highest," etc. Why rejoice at His
advent? BecauseHe will —
1. Promote all the rights of mankind.
2. Remove all the calamities ofmankind.
II. Here is a monarch the DIGNITY OF WHOM IS UNAPPROACHED.
"Thy King cometh unto thee." "Thy King." Thou hastnever yet had a true
king, and there is no other true king for thee: this is "thy" King.
1. The King who alone has the absolute right to rule thee. Thou art His, His
property. All thy force, vitality, faculty, belong to Him.
2. The King who alone canremove thy evils and promote thy rights.
III. Here is a monarch the CHARACTER OF WHOM IS
UNEXCEPTIONABLYGOOD.
1. He is righteous. "He is just." The little word "just" comprehends all
virtues. He who is just to himself, just to his Maker, just to the universe, is the
perfection of excellence,is all that Heaven requires.
2. He is humble. "Lowly, and riding upon an ass." Where there is not genuine
humility there is no true greatness;it is essentialto true majesty. Pride is the

offspring of littleness, it is the contemptible production of a contemptible
mind.
IV. Here is a monarch the MISSION OF WHOM IS TRANSCENDENTLY
BENEFICENT.
1. It is remedial. "Having salvation." Salvation!What a comprehensive word,
deliverance from all evil, restorationto all good. Any one can destroy; God
alone can restore.
2. It is specific. "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim," etc. He will put
an end to the "chariot," the "horse," the "battle bow," of war, and "speak
peace" to the nations. Peace!This is what the nations have always wanted.
War has been and still is the greatcurse of the nations.
V. Here is a monarch THE REIGN OF WHOM IS TO BE UNIVERSAL. The
language here employed was universally understood by the Jews as embracing
the whole world. He claims universal dominion, He deserves it, and will one
day have it. Learn —
1. The infinite goodness ofGod in offering the world such a King.
2. The amazing folly and wickedness ofman in not accepting this Divine offer.
(Homilist.)
The personaland officialcharacterof Messiah
Ralph Wardlaw, D. D.
I. ROYAL DIGNITY. "Thy king cometh unto thee." The designationis
emphatic. "Thy king," as if they had never had another. That royalty was to
pertain to the coming Messiahmight be shown from many predictions. He
was to "sit" on the throne of David forever. His being a king was anything but
an objection to the Jews. Butthe kind of royalty was not at all to their minds.
His kingdom was not to be "ofthis world." Its throne was not to be in this
world. He was born of royal lineage — born a King; though, strictly speaking,
His mediatorial reign did not commence till, having finished His work on

earth, the Father said to Him, "Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thy
foes Thy footstool."
II. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF HIS CHARACTER AND
ADMINISTRATION. "He is just." The designationis to be understood as at
once personaland official: for, indeed, were there not the former, there could
be little reasonto count upon the latter. This attribute is frequently ascribed
to Him, as characterising Himself and His government. Jehovahcalls Him
"My righteous servant." His throne is founded in the very charter of
righteous ness. And His whole administration is conducted on the principles of
the purest and most unbending righteousness.
III. HIS SAVING GRACE AND POWER. "Having salvation." Salvationwas
the very object of His coming. "The Son of Man is come to save that which
was lost." The very design of His atonementwas to render salvationconsistent
with the claims of righteousness:so that Jehovahmight be "a just God and a
Saviour." When He had completedHis work, He was to "have salvation," not
only as being Himself delivered from death, but as possessing forbestowalon
mankind all the blessings of "salvation" — beginning in pardon and ending
in" life eternal."
IV. THE HUMILITY AND MEEKNESSOF HIS CHARACTER. "Lowly,
and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." This attribute of
characterdistinguished His entire course;all His intercourse with men —
with His friends, and with His enemies. Even His triumphs were lowly —
"riding upon an ass";and not one that had been trained for the use of royalty,
but, as would appear, a rough unbroken colt. Although the ass was not the
very mean and despisedanimal there that it is with us, yet comparatively it
was so. The horse was the animal used in war; and consequently, in the
triumphal processions ofkings and conquerors;and on such occasions,
arrayed in costlyand elegantcaparisons.
V. THE MODE AND MEANS OF THE EXTENSION OF THE KINGDOM
CORRESPOND WITHITS SPIRITUAL NATURE. "I will cut off," etc. This,
at the coming of the Messiah, was literally true respecting the civil and
military powerof the Jewishpeople. At the very time when they were looking

for a Messiahwho was to break the yoke from off their neck, establishtheir
temporal freedom and power, and lead them on to universal conquest, their
powerwas finally overthrown and destroyed, their temple and city laid in
ashes, and them selves scatteredabroadamong all nations. Yet the kingdom
of the Messiahgrew and prospered. This itself showedits true nature. It was
not, as the Jews anticipated, to be a Jewishkingdom. It was to have subjects
among all peoples. And these subjects were not to be gainedfor Him with the
swordof steel, but by the "Swordof the Spirit," which is the Word of God.
His kingdom consistedofall, wherever His truth spread, whom that truth
made free — spiritually free. All thus made free come under willing and
happy subjectionto His gracious sceptre. Forcenevermade one subject of the
King of Zion.
VI. ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS REIGN — "PEACE.""And
He shall speak peaceto the heathen." This is a feature of His reign frequently
celebrated. By His gospelHe speaks peace to sinners of mankind. There is no
exception.
VII. THE EXTENT OF HIS REIGN. The language employedhere was
universally understood by the Jews as embracing the whole world. In due
time, "the kingdom, of this world shall become the kingdom of our God and of
His Christ."
(Ralph Wardlaw, D. D.)
The Saviour King
W. L. Alexander, D. D.
To us who read this prophecy in the light of its fulfilment in the advent and
work and glory of Christ, all is plain and clear. Notso much by our Lord's
particular actin riding into Jerusalemon the occasion, and in the manner
describedby the evangelists, as by that which, by this act, was symbolisedand
indicated, namely, His advent to empire, His coming to getfor Himself a
kingdom, His appearing as the Saviour and King of His Church, and His
gathering to Himself a people from among the nations, has this prediction

been fulfilled. He came in poverty and humiliation to lay the foundation of His
kingdom in obedience and sacrifice. It was from the field of sorrow and of
suffering that He ascendedto the throne. The crowncame after the Cross;the
humiliation precededthe glory. All things have been put under His feet, all
powerand authority have been given Him in heaven and on earth, in the
universe He reigns supreme: But it is because He was "obedientunto death"
that He has been thus "highly exalted." His kingdom rests on His propitiatory
work;and it is in view of this, though then perhaps but dimly seen, that the
prophet here calls upon Zion to behold and hail her King. And now that He
hath ascendedto the throne of His glory, the "gladtidings of the kingdom"
are to be proclaimed to all nations. and men of every tongue and clime are to
be invited to behold their King, and submit to His righteous and benignant
sway.
(W. L. Alexander, D. D.)
The lowly King Messiah
T. V. Moore, D. D.
The theocracy, orChurch, is calledto rejoice because ofthe coming of her
King. The kingly office of the Messiah, whichwas conferredupon Him for the
accomplishmentof the work of redemption, is often alluded to as ground for
rejoicing. Here is given the characterofthe King, and the extent of His
kingdom.
1. He is "just." The righteousness referredto is not His priestly, but His
kingly righteousness, that rigorous justice of His reign in virtue of which no
goodshould be unrewarded, and no evil unpunished. In the unequal
allotments of the present, when the goodso often suffer, and the bad so often
escape, itis surely ground for rejoicing that the King, under whose rule this
dispensationis placed, is just, and will render to every man according to his
work.
2. He is "endowedwith salvation." The word employed is a difficult one. It is
usually takenin a secondarysense, as expressing notsimply the reception of a

salvation, but its possessionas a gift that was capable of being bestowedupon
others. The meaning then would be, that God was with Him, in spite of all His
lowliness, sustaining Him in the mighty work Be had undertaken, and that
this protectionwas bestowedupon Him not as an individual, but as a King, a
representative of His people, so that He would not only enjoy it Himself, but
possessthe power of bestowing it upon others. Hence, while His inflexible
justice might make us tremble in our sin, the fact that He was also endowed
with a free salvation, and a salvation which He could bestow as a kingly right,
would remove these fears, and enable us to rejoice in this coming King.
3. He was to be "lowly." If the usual sense ofthe Word be given, the Church
would be summoned to rejoice because ofthe humiliation of her King. And,
howeverincongruous such a ground of rejoicing may seem to be to men
generally, the heart that is crushed with penitence or grief will comprehend
the reasonofthis summons. Had this augustKing been as sorrowlessas He
was sinless, had He been a robed seraph, or a crowned monarch, the poor and
suffering could never have approachedHim with confidence, for He could not
have sympathised with them in their sorrows. Butwhen He comes to us as
One who canbe touched with the feeling of our infirmities, we welcome Him
with joy, and understand why we are calledto rejoice, because He comes to us
as the lowly King. Surely a suffering child of God can understand how blessed
a thing it is to have a Saviour King who has known Himself what it is to
suffer.
4. He was to be externally in poverty, "riding upon an ass, and upon a foal,
the sonof the asses."This is a prediction of poverty, for although in earlier
times kings rode on asses, afterthe time of Solomonthey were never so used,
horses having takentheir place. The employment of the horse in waralso
made the use of the ass an indication of peace as wellas of poverty. The exact
fulfilment of this prophecy in the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, was
merely a specific illustration of the generalprediction, not the entire object of
the prediction itself. Its range was much broader than this single event, and,
indeed, would have been substantially fulfilled had this event never occurred.
The specific fulfilment, however, rivets the prophecy more absolutelyto
Christ.

(T. V. Moore, D. D.)
How comes the King
JosephParker, D. D.
? — The Caesarsofthe world have come upon strong palfreys, prancing,
snorting; from their nostrils there has come fire, and their bits have been wet
with foam; how comes the King? — "lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon
a colt the foal of an ass." The more King for that! Some men need their own
furniture to setthem off; some persons would be nothing but for their
entourage:the things that are round about them seemto be so admirable that
surely they must be admirable them selves:— such the loose but most
generous reasoning ofsome men in some cases."Lowly" —"Iam meek and
lowly in heart." Why this colt, the foal of an ass? To rebuke the horses of
heathenism: — "The Lord will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the
horse from Jerusalem":they are signs of pomp, self-sufficiency, conscious
dignity, as who should say, we made ourselves, and we are the builders of the
greatBabylons of the earth. The Lord will not have it so with His Son, with
His Church, with His kingdom. Only meekness has aneternal province. It is
so always and everywhere, if you would but learn it. It is so at school. The boy
who is going to do everything with a wave of his hand will do nothing; the boy
who does not care anything about the examination until the night before it
comes off and then gathers himself togetherin tremendous impotence, comes
back the next night a sadderbut a wiserboy. It is so in business, it is so in the
pulpit, it is so along the whole line of human action: pretence means failure.
But there must not be mere meekness ofmanner; the tiger is sometimes
asleep. There is a spurious meekness;there are persons that have no voices at
all, and when they speak they are supposedto be so gentle and so modest and
so unassuming. Not they! It is for want of hoof, not want of will; they would
crush you if they could. This meekness is a quality of the soul, this is the very
bloom of greatness, this is the finest expressionof power. Meeknessis not
littleness, insignificance, incompetency;meekness is the rest that expressesthe
highest degree of velocity. "Riding upon an ass, and upon a coltthe foal of an

ass." All the rabbis have allegorisedthis ass with painful tediousness. Theyin
very deed have tried to read meanings into the words, but they were so
obviously incongruous that they never gotinto the words. Take it as a type of
your King's meekness, take it as an assurance that His kingdom is not of this
world. This world hates all meekness.Mammonnever listened to a prayer;
Mammon hates even read prayers; Mammon has a distaste for theological
conception;Mammon never sung a hymn or a psalm; Mammon never bowed
his knees in tender, holy adoration. The eyes of Mammon are greed, the hands
of Mammon are felons, the desire of Mammon is possession, thoughit may be
purchased with blood. This world, therefore, will not have true meekness,
gentleness, pitifulness;the world will have pomp and show and magnificence
and royalty, — one day its heart will sickenat the sight of its own idols. These
are the lines that have sudden endings. Truth encircles the universe: all lies,
howeverglibly told, suddenly disappear in the pit. Jesus Christthen comes to
setup a kingdom that is moral, subjective, spiritual; a kingdom that is
clement, redeeming, sympathetic; a kingdom that rests upon unseenbut
immovable bases. WhateverHe touches He elevates. Takethe principle, and
do not vex the mind or distract the piety with worthless detail: the principle is
this, that when Jesus Christ comes into the world He comes as no other king
ever came, that He may do a work which no other king ever dreamed.
(JosephParker, D. D.)
The coming of the King of Zion
Daniel Moore, M. A.
I. CONTEMPLATE MESSIAHIN HIS TITLE, AS A KING. There are many
senses in which we may contemplate Christ as a King.
1. He has all the ancestralhonours, titles, and high-born qualifications of a
king. He was descendedof a stock ofheavenly royalty; He was the first-born
of every creature.
2. Christ gave out laws and principles of government as a King. His sermon on
the Mount is a beautiful unfolding of the principles of spiritual rule, the

righteous awards which would characteriseHis future administration. Christ
then is a King. He defines the terms of our obedience;He lays down the
maxims of the spiritual realm; He declares whatworship He will accept, and
in what way alone His presence canbe approached.
3. Christ protects, defends, and counsels His subjects as a King. In the
primitive condition of societymonarchs were for the most part chosenon
accountof their possessing, in the estimation of their subjects, some special
kingly qualities. He who was the first to go forth with their armies, He who
would redeem them from the powerof the oppressor, He who was valiant in
fight, prompt in action, prudent in counsel, apt to rule, He by one consent
would be allowedto be advanced to the throne; and in this sense, Christever
vindicated His claim to be the King, and "Head over all things to His
Church." And He is King over all His spiritual subjects today. Forall the
purposes of guidance, help, comfort, and protection, He still reigns.
4. And Christ bestows honours, and gifts, and recompenses,as a King. Christ
gives as a King — pardons full and free, grace rich and abounding, crowns
bright and glorious.
II. CONTEMPLATE MESSIAHIN HIS CHARACTER — HE IS JUST. The
word is to be takenin its largestand highest sense, as comprehensive both of
the unblemished sanctity of His personalcharacter, and the perfect
righteousness whichwould distinguish His spiritual government. In all His
dispensations of grace and goodness, Christis ever just.
III. CONTEMPLATEMESSIAHIN HIS POWER — HAVING
SALVATION. He has that which is to procure salvation. His salvationsaves
from a greatdanger, it frees from a greatcondemnation; it was bought at: a
greatprice; it admits to great and glorious prerogatives. Note. also the mild
and gentle manner of Christ's spiritual administration. "He is lowly."
(Daniel Moore, M. A.)
The lowly King

I do not intend to expound the whole text at any length, but simply to dwell
upon the lowliness ofJesus. Yet this much I may say:Whenever God would
have His people especiallyglad it is always in Himself. If it be written:
"Rejoicegreatly," then the reasonis, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee!"
Our chief source of rejoicing is the presence ofKing Jesus in the midst of us.
Whether it be His first or His secondadvent, His very shadow is delight. His
footfall is music to our car. That delight springs much from the fact that He is
ours. "Rejoicegreatly, O daughter of Zion....Behold, thy King cometh unto
thee." WhateverHe may be to others, He is thy King, and to whomsoeverHe
may or may not come, He cometh unto thee. He comes for thy deliverance,
thine honour, thy consummated bliss. He keeps thy company; He makes thy
house His palace, thy love His solace, thy nature His home. He who is thy King
by hereditary right, by His choice of thee, by His redemption of thee, and by
thy willing choice of Him, is coming to thee; therefore do thou shout for joy.
The verse goes onto show why the Lord our King is such a source of gladness:
"He is just, and having salvation." He blends righteousness and mercy; justice
to the ungodly, and favour to His saints. He has workedout the stern problem
— how can God be just, and yet save the sinful? He is just in His own personal
character, just as having borne the penalty of sin, and just as clearedfrom the
sin which He voluntarily took upon Him. Having endured the terrible ordeal,
He is saved, and His people are savedin Him. He is to be saluted with
hosannas, whichsignify, "Save, Lord"; for where He comes He brings victory
and consequentsalvationwith Him. He routs the enemies of His people,
breaks for them the serpent's head, and leads their captivity captive. We
admire the justice which marks His reign, and the salvationwhich attends His
sway;and in both respects we cry: "Blessedis He that cometh in the name of
the Lord!" Moreover, it is written of Him that He is lowly, which cannot be
said of many kings and princes of the earth; nor would they care to have it
said of them. Thy King, O daughter of Jerusalem, loves to have His lowliness
published by thee with exceeding joy. His outward state betokens the humility
and gentleness ofHis character. He appears to be what He really is: He
concealsnothing from His chosen. In the height of His grandeur He is not like
the proud monarchs of earth. The patient ass He prefers to the noble charger;
and He is more at home with the common people than with the great. In His
grandestpageant, in His capitalcity, He was still consistentwith His meek and

lowly character, for He came "riding upon an ass." He rode through
Jerusalemin state;but what lowliness markedthe spectacle!It was an
extemporised procession, whichowednothing to Garner-king-at-arms, but
everything to the spontaneous love of friends. An ass was brought, and its foal,
and His disciples satHim thereon. Insteadof courtiers in their robes, He was
surrounded by common peasants and fishermen, and children of the streets of
Jerusalem:the humblest of men and the youngestof the race shouted His
praises. Boughs oftrees and garments of friends strewedthe road, insteadof
choice flowers and costlytapestries;it was the pomp of spontaneous love, not
the stereotypedpageantrywhich powerexacts of fear. With half an eye
everyone can see that this King is of another sort from common princes, and
His dignity of another kind from that which tramples on the poor. According
to the narrative, as well as the prophecy, there would seemto have been two
beasts in the procession. I conceive thatour Lord rode on the foal, for it was
essentialthat He should mount a beastwhich had never been used before.
God is not a sharerwith men; that which is consecratedto His peculiar
service must not have been aforetime devoted to loweruses, Jesus rides a colt
whereonnever man sat. But why was the mother there? Did not Jesus sayof
both ass and foal, "Loose them and bring them unto Me"? This appears to me
to be a tokenof His tenderness;He would not needlesslyseverthe mother
from her foal. I like to see a farmer's kindness when he allows the foal to
follow when the mare is ploughing or labouring; and I admire the same
thoughtfulness in our Lord. He careth for cattle, yea, even for an ass and her
foal. He would not even cause a poor beasta needless pang by taking away its
young; and so in that processionthe beastof the field took its part joyfully, in
tokenof a better age in which all creatures shallbe delivered from bondage,
and shall share the blessings ofHis unsuffering reign. Our Lord herein taught
His disciples to cultivate delicacy, not only towards eachother, but towards
the whole creation.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
Palm Sunday lessons

H. J. Wilmot Buxton.
Today is this prophecy fulfilled in your ears. Foronce the Man of Sorrows
was honoured on the earth, for once the despisedand rejectedof men was
welcomedas a King, a Deliverer, a Prophet. But what did that processionon
the Mount of Olives really mean? It was a processionof sacrifice. As the
PaschalLamb was brought out solemnly on the first day of the week, so now
the true PaschalLamb was brought out to die. He was welcomedby the Jews
as the conquerorof the Romans; they did not understand that He was the
conqueror of sin and death. They greetedHim as King of Jerusalem, they did
not know that He was King of heaven and earth. How soonthe feelings of the
people changed, how short-lived were their praises. Let us learn our lesson
from the palms. Many people are willing to receive Jesus as a King and a
Deliverer, who rejectHim as the Man of Sorrows. If He were to tell you to sit
down on His right hand, to be proud of your religion, to condemn others, to
believe yourselves righteous, then you would cry, "Hosannah." But if He tells
you to learn of Him for He is meek, to judge not, to take the lowestseat, that
the servantof the Lord must not strive, that you must forgive your enemies,
that blessedare they that mourn, — then you cry, "Away with Him, crucify
Him." Learn from this to avoid a form of religion which is only lip service;it
is very easyto talk about sacredthings, but pious talk, remember, is not
religion. We must show forth our faith not only with our lips but in our lives.
Jesus is leading us, as He led the people on Palm Sunday, towards Jerusalem,
the vision of peace, and none shall enter there but those who follow Him.
(H. J. Wilmot Buxton.)
The coming of the King of Zion
R. Watson.
The prophet speaks notof one event merely, but of the whole of our Lord's
gracious conductto His people. The children of Zion are calledto be joyful in
their King; for He is ever coming to them "just and having salvation," and by

virtue of the blood of the ever-lasting covenant bringing the prisoners out of
the pit, and leading them all to a city of rest.
I. THE CHARACTER UNDER WHICH OUR KING IS PRESENTEDTO
US.
1. He is just. It is not punitive justice that is here intended, but
righteousness.(1)This characteris illustrated by His Divinity. He is just,
perfectly and unchangeably — perfectly because He is God; unchangeably,
because essentially. It is His nature to be just, and therefore He cannot be
otherwise. There is a holiness in the creature; but there is a peculiar holiness
in God.(2) This characteris illustrated by His incarnation. All that moral
perfection which is in God shone forth from Him. His nature was spotless;
and even His enemies gave witness to the immaculate purity of His life on
which keen-eyedenvy itself could fix no charge. The human nature of Christ
was spotless, because the Divine nature into which it was impersonated was
perfectly holy. No heresy canbe more pestilent than the assertionthat the
holiness of Christ consists in acts and habits, and not in nature. That only
which was perfectly uncontaminated could be united in one personwith that
which is ineffably holy.(3) By His death. As a sacrifice forsin. In this we see
the most illustrious proof of His essentialholiness, and His love of justice.(4)
By His work in the heart of men. His kingdom is in the heart. Whateverrule
He has over the outward conduct originates there. His work is to restore man,
and exhibit him again as createdanew in Christ Jesus.(5)By His conduct
towards His Church. "A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy
kingdom." By this sceptre He tries and governs His visible Church. He is
Judge in His Church even now, though the judgment which He administers is
not without mercy.
2. He has salvation.(1)He has it meritoriously. To save is an actto which the
benevolence ofHis Godheaddisposes Him; and "judgment is His strange
work." But guilty man is not merely an objectof benevolence. He is a subject
of moral government. What reasonofjoy there is in this consideration!The
salvationwhich we need, and which all need, is in His hands. He has
purchased the right to bestow it. The work is virtually accomplished, and
nothing remains for us but to apply to Him, and avail ourselves ofthat which

He has done on our behalf.(2) Salvation is the subject, of His official
administration. Does He give the Word? It is the promise and the rule of
salvation. Does He collecta Church, and denominate it His body? His Spirit
fills it, to discoverthe want of salvation, and reveal the means of obtaining it:
to inspire desire, to assistour efforts, to realise within us all that the external
Word exhibits to faith and hope. Does He perpetuate the ministry of the
Gospel? He is with His servants unto the end of the world, to make them the
means of conveying this salvation. Does He appoint His Sabbaths for
ordinances? In these the Church is made the deposit and source ofsalvation to
the world. The very sacraments are signs and seals ofsalvation.
II. THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF HIS KINGDOM. This is strongly
indicated by the circumstances connectedwith His public and royal entry into
Jerusalem. This event was intended to calloff His disciples and us from the
vain notion of a civil monarchy. They thought He was then assuming it; but
even then we see Him rejecting it. There is a tendency in man to look even
now, as formerly, for something more than a spiritual kingdom; a kingdom of
visible power, and glory, and splendour. He entered this to show that He was a
King; but He disappointed their expectationin the very circumstances ofthis
event, in order to show that His kingdom was not of this world. He rode upon
an ass, to denote that He was a peaceful sovereign. He returned by night to the
Mount of Olives, which He certainly would not have done, had He been about
to establisha civil reign. Children celebratedHis praises, not the men. The
true glory of Christ's kingdom is, that it erects its dominion in the human
mind and heart; spreads its light and power over all the faculties, and
principles of our nature; ordaining the praise of God out of the mouth; so that
everyone who is brought under its influence becomes the instrument of
instructing others, and subduing them to the service of the same Saviour.
III. THE EXTENT OF THIS SPIRITUAL DOMINION OF CHRIST.
1. His dominion is to extend "from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of
the earth."
2. The state of mankind, it is true, is deeply affecting. It is a state of
wretchedness anddanger. They are "prisoners," eastinto a "pit wherein is no

water." Allusion is to the ancient punishment of criminals, who were
sometimes thrown into a pit, and left to die of thirst; and sometimes, after
enduring the torments of thirst, were brought forth to execution.
3. Then there follows an address to the prisoners. "Turn you to the
stronghold, ye prisoners of hope." Only a few had returned from Babylon.
Zechariah addressesthose who were left behind. In how much higher sense
than the Jews are we prisoners of hope. Let such prisoners think of the blood
of the covenantof deliverance which has been shed.
(R. Watson.)
The coming King
James F. Montgomery, D. D.
"Rejoice, then, O Zion," city of God, built not of stones, but of souls of men.
"Shout, ye daughters of Jerusalem,"once as the stones of the desert, but now
a spiritual seedof Abraham. From yon sepulchre thy King cometh,
triumphant over death, and sending forth over all the world the messageof
reconciliation!Redeemedfrom bondage, we stand within the city of God, the
visible Church. But how much has still to be done ere the temple of God be
fully built — ere Christ be reflectedin His members on earth! How many
things have we eachto deplore! The distracting effectof worldly business,
want of energy, of love, of prayer. Hence little work for Him, and little fruit
from that work, and little comfort. Let us dwell on the truth, "Thy King
cometh."
1. In view of the factcommemorated today. His work of redemption was
complete and effectual(2 Corinthians 5:14). He took life unto the dominion of
death. Even while the disciples mourned, He was carrying on a work of grace
(1 Peter3:19). He died that He might rise againfor our justification.
2. He cometh to eachsoul, bringing help. In times of darkness or depression,
when trials seemheavy, or our work arduous, He reminds us that though we
see Him not, we are not beyond His care.

3. He cometh to establishHis kingdom, to bring perfected salvationto those
who wait for Him.
(James F. Montgomery, D. D.)
Joy in the King unrealised
G. Matheson.
I have read in one of George MacDonald's novels ofa born-blind lamplighter.
He illuminated the city at night; but had no sense of what he was doing. So has
it been with the land of Israel. She has presented the portrait to the gallery;
she has heard the plaudits of the spectators;and she has refused to join in
them. In all history there is nothing so unique. It is the enemies of this land
that have crownedher world-king; it is the Gentiles that have come to His
light. The lamplighter has been blind to the beauty of the throne she has
illumined. Palestine has lit up the scene;she has listened to the crowdshouting
their applause; and she has wonderedwhy. She has been like a deaf mute in a
concertroom. She has struck by accidentthe notes of a harp, and by accident
they have burst into music. The audience has cheeredthe performance to the
echo;but the performer knows not her triumph
(G. Matheson.)
The Prince of peace
Bishop Home.
This prediction is of the literal kind, and it was literally and most exactly
fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. The prophet doth not coldly inform Jerusalem
that her King should come to her, and that when He did come she ought to
rejoice. Wrapped into future times, he seems to have been present at the
glorious scene. Standing upon Mount Olivet, he hears the hosannahs of the
disciples, and beholds the processionapproachtowards the gates of
Jerusalem. Religion, then, hath its joys; a prophet calleth us to exult and

shout. The reasonassignedwhy Jerusalemwas calledupon to rejoice, was the
approachof her King. The prophets had promised her a king who should
overcome her enemies, and triumph gloriously. When the King came,
JerusalemdespisedHis appearance, and soonnailed a spiritual monarch to a
cross. Righteousness, salvation, and humility distinguish the personand reign
of Messiah. Righteousnessleads the way. This is the name whereby He shall
be called — "The Lord our righteousness."Salvationis the next signand
tokenwhereby to know the King of Zion. He was to execute that part of the
regaloffice which consistethin rescuing a people from their oppressors. And
if tidings of salvationare not tidings of joy, what tidings can be such? What is
deliverance from a temporal adversary comparedwith the salvationof the
whole world from the oppressionof the spiritual enemy, from sin, and
sickness, andsorrow, and pain, and death, and hell? This was the salvation
which Jesus undertook to effect;and His miracles declared Him equal to the
mighty task. Different to other kings the King Messiahwas to be in His
appearance and demeanour. He is "lowly." He appeared, in His first advent,
in a state of humiliation. The nature of His undertaking required it, and their
own law and prophets are clearupon the subject. The types and prophecies
are as positive for His humiliation, as they are for His exaltation:nor could
any one person accomplishthem all, without being equally remarkable for
lowliness and meekness,gloryand honour.
(Bishop Home.)
His dominion shall be from sea evento sea
The final triumph of Christianity
J. M. Sherwood, D. D.
I. This triumph is assuredby the PROMISESofthe Bible. They leave no
room for doubt.
II. THE DIVINE ORIGIN AND CHARACTER OF CHRISTIANITY
RENDER IT CERTAIN. Christianity itself is on trial. If it fails to subjugate
the world; if it encounters systems of error, false philosophies, hostile forces,

effete civilisations, which it is inadequate to transform and vitalise with its
Divine life — then it will be demonstratedthat it is not of God, and its high
claims are false. A partial and temporary successwillnot suffice. Is must
conquer every race and clime and generationand form of evil and opposition
in all the world, or be itself defeatedand driven from the field.
III. THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS WHICH IT HAS ALREADY
ACHIEVED IS A GUARANTEE OF ITS COMPLETE ULTIMATE
TRIUMPH. Christianity is not without its witnessesand signaltriumphs in
human history. There is nothing comparable with it. It has shown itself, on
actualtrial of 1800 years, to be "the wisdom of God and the power of God
unto salvation." It has subdued kingdoms and changedthe face of the world.
Idolatry, superstition, false philosophy, cannot stand before it. It saves "the
chief of sinners." It elevates the most degradedpeople. Nothing in the heart of
man, or in society, canwithstand its power. It is moving steadily and rapidly
on to final conquests. "Christianitythus stands committed to the achievement
of universal dominion. Its Founder puts it forth into history as the universal
religion, foreordainedto universal prevalence."
(J. M. Sherwood, D. D.)
Universal bloom
As it has been positively demonstratedthat the Arctic region was once a
blooming garden and a fruitful field, those regions may change climate and
againbe a blooming garden and a fruitful field. ProfessorHeer, of Zurich,
says the remains of flowers have been found in the Arctic, showing it was like
Mexico for climate; and it is found that the Arctic was the mother region from
which all the flowers descended. ProfessorWallace says the remains of all
styles of animal life are found in the Arctic, including those animals that can
live only in warm climates. Now, that Arctic regionwhich has been
demonstrated by flora, and fauna, and geologicalargumentto have been as
full of vegetationand life as our Florida, may be turned back to its original
bloom and glory, or it will be shut up as a museum of crystals for curiosity

seekersto visit. But Arctic and Antarctic in some shape will belong to the
Redeemer's realm.
COMMENTARIES
BensonCommentary
Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion — To give still greater
encouragementto God’s people, the prophet, after uttering the foregoing
promises, was carriedon by the Divine Spirit, which influenced him, to
announce a still more remarkable instance of God’s specialkindness to them,
namely, the coming of their Messiah, orking, with reference to which this
passageis cited in two places of the New Testament, Matthew 21:5; John
12:15;so that we can have no doubt of the application. But, from comparing
these three texts, we may perceive that the evangelicalwriters were not over-
scrupulous of adhering to the exactwords of their original, whether they cited
from the Hebrew or from the Greek;but were satisfiedwith giving the true
sense ofthe passage, andtaking more or less of it, as circumstances seemedto
require. Behold, thy king cometh unto thee — He that is so often described in
the prophets as the king of Israel;that was known by that name among the
Jews in our Saviour’s time, and is repeatedly calledby the name of David
their king: see the margin. To him the kingdom did properly belong, and to
him the gathering of the people was to be, Genesis 49:10. He is just, and
having salvation— Or, He is righteous, and the Saviour, as the ancient
versions have it. He is that righteous branch, and the Lord our righteousness,
as he is describedby Jeremiah23:5; who was to execute justice and judgment
in the earth; and the righteousnessand salvation, that is, the Righteous One
and Saviour, promised Isaiah62:1. Unlike the proud and destructive
conquerors of the earth, he shall not enter with a mighty cavalcade ofhorse,
but shall come lowly, and riding upon an ass, andupon a coltthe foal of an
ass. Although it is certainthat the ancient Jews understoodthis prophecy of

the Messiah, yetthat this divine person, this king of Israel, should come unto
them riding upon an ass, which, notwithstanding that in former ages
patriarchs and judges thought it no disgrace to ride upon them, yet was then
lookedupon as below the dignity of any personof eminence, must, at the
uttering of this prophecy, have appeareda very mysterious and improbable
circumstance. But we who know that the only time when the Lord Jesus
entered publicly into Jerusalem, he thought proper, as an example of humility
and meekness,and of indifference to worldly pomp, to ride upon a young ass,
or colt; and that, at the same time, the whole multitude were seized with such
a sudden and extraordinary impulse of joy, that they spread their garments in
the way, and cut down branches of trees and strowedthem in the way,
shouting unanimously, HOSANNAH, BLESSED IS THE KING WHO
COMETHIN THE NAME OF THE LORD — we, that know this remarkable
circumstance, cannotbut be greatlystruck with this prophecy, as an
admirable instance of the divine prescience, anda strong proof of the truth of
Christianity.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
9:9-17 The prophet breaks forth into a joyful representationof the coming of
the Messiah, ofwhom the ancient Jews explained this prophecy. He took the
characterof their King, when he entered Jerusalemamidst the hosannas of
the multitude. But his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It shall not be
advancedby outward force or carnal weapons. His gospelshall be preachedto
the world, and be receivedamong the heathen. A sinful state is a state of
bondage;it is a pit, or dungeon, in which there is no water, no comfort; and
we are all by nature prisoners in this pit. Through the precious blood of
Christ, many prisoners of Satanhave been set at liberty from the horrible pit
in which they must otherwise have perished, without hope or comfort. While
we admire Him, let us seek that his holiness and truth may be shownin our
own spirits and conduct. These promises have accomplishment in the spiritual
blessings ofthe gospelwhich we enjoy by Jesus Christ. As the deliverance of
the Jews was typicalof redemption by Christ, so this invitation speaks to all
the language ofthe gospelcall. Sinners are prisoners, but prisoners of hope;
their case is sad, but not desperate;for there is hope in Israel concerning
them. Christ is a Strong-hold, a strong Tower, in whom believers are safe

from the fearof the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the assaults of
spiritual enemies. To him we must turn with lively faith; to him we must flee,
and trust in his name under all trials and sufferings. It is here promised that
the Lord would deliver his people. This passage also refers to the apostles, and
the preachers ofthe gospelin the early ages. Godwas evidently with them; his
words from their lips pierced the hearts and consciencesofthe hearers. They
were wondrously defended in persecution, and were filled with the influences
of the Holy Spirit. They were savedby the Good Shepherd as his flock, and
honoured as jewels ofhis crown. The gifts, graces, andconsolations ofthe
Spirit, poured forth on the day of Pentecost, Ac 2 and in succeeding times, are
represented. Sharp have been, and still will be, the conflicts of Zion's sons, but
their God will give them success.The more we are employed, and satisfied
with his goodness, the more we shall admire the beauty revealedin the
Redeemer. Whatevergifts God bestows onus, we must serve him cheerfully
with them; and, when refreshedwith blessings, we must say, How greatis his
goodness!
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
This custom prevailed among severalnations. Thus Virgil:
- scutorumque incendi victor acervos.
AEneid, viii. 562.
There can be no doubt, I think, that the prophet here has his eye on the
victories of the Messiah, andthat he means to say, that in those victories all
armor would be for fuel of fire; that is, that they would be achievedwithout
hostile arms. Applied to the Messiah, it means either that his victories would
be complete, or that in his victories all necessityof such armor would cease.
According to this, the passageteachesthatpeace should be introduced by him
without a conflict, and thus harmonizes with the numerous parallel passages
in which peace is representedas a characteristic mark of the times of the
Messiah, whencontention, war, and destructionshall cease;see Isaiah11:6-7.
Zechariah 9:9From the protection, which God promised to His people and to
His House, the prophet passes onto Him who was ever in his thoughts, and for

whose sake thatpeople and temple were preserved. He had describedthe
greatconqueror of this world, sweeping along in his course of victory. In
contrastwith such as he, he now exhibits to his people the characterand
processionoftheir king. "Rejoicegreatly." Notwith this world's joy. God
never exhorts man to "rejoice greatly" in this world's fleeting joys. He allows
us to be glad, as children, before Him; He permits such buoyancy of heart, if
innocent; but He does not command it. "Now" He commands His people to
burst out into a jubilee of rejoicing: they were to dance and shout for gladness
of spirit; "despising the poor exultation of this world and exulting with that
exceeding" yetchaste joy, which befits the true bliss to be brought by their
King and Saviour. Rup.: "This word, 'greatly,' means that there should be no
measure whateverin their exultation; for the exultation of the children of the
bridegroom is far unlike to the exultation of the children of this world." Cyril:
"He biddeth the spiritual Zion rejoice, inasmuch as dejection was removed.
For what cause ofsorrow is there, when sin has been removed, death
trampled under foot, and human nature called to the dignity of freedom, and
crownedwith the grace ofadoption and illumined with the heavenly gift?"
Behold, thy king cometh unto thee - He does not say"a king," but "'thy'
king;" thy king, thine own, the long-promised, the long-expected;He who,
when they had kings of their own, given them by God, had been promised as
"the" king ; "the righteous Ruler among men" 2 Samuel23:3, of the seedof
David; He who, above all other kings, was "their" King and Savior; whose
kingdom was to absorb in itself all kingdoms of the earth; "the King of kings,
and Lord of lords." Her king was to come "to her." He was in a manner then
"of her," and "not of her;" "of her," since He was to be "her king," "not of
her," since He was to "come to her." As Man, He was born of her: as God, the
Word made flesh, He "came to" her. "'To thee,' to be manifest unto thee; 'to
be thine by communion of nature' 1 Timothy 3:16; 'as He is thine, by the
earnestof the EternalSpirit and the gift of the Father, to procure thy good'
Hebrews 2:14. 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given' Isaiah 9:6." Of
this, His entry into Jerusalemwas an image. But how should he come? "He
shall come to thee," says an old Jewishwriting, , "to atone thee; He shall come
to thee, to upraise thee; He shall come to thee, to raise thee up to His temple,
and to espouse thee with an everlasting espousal."

He is just and having salvation - Just or righteous, and the Fountain of justice
or righteousness. ForwhatHe is, "that" He diffuseth. Righteousness which
God "Is," and righteousness whichGod, made Man, imparts, are often
blended in Holy Scripture. Isaiah 45:21;Isaiah 53:11;Jeremiah 23:5-6;
Jeremiah33:15-16;Malachi4:2. This is also the source of the exceeding joy.
For the coming of their king in righteousnesswould be, to sinful man, a cause,
not of joy but of fear. This was the source of the Angel's message ofjoy; "I
bring you goodtidings of greatjoy, which shall be to all people;for unto you
is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour" Luke 2:10-11.
continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
9. From the coming of the Grecianconqueror, Zechariah makes a sudden
transition, by the prophetical law of suggestion, to the coming of King
Messiah, a very different character.
daughter of Zion—The theocratic people is calledto "rejoice" atthe coming
of her King (Ps 2:11).
unto thee—He comes not for His owngain or pleasure, as earthly kings come,
but for the sake ofHis Church: especiallyfor the Jews'sake,atHis second
coming (Ro 11:26).
he is just—righteous: an attribute constantly given to Messiah(Isa 45:21;
53:11;Jer 23:5, 6) in connectionwith salvation. He does not merely pardon by
conniving at sin, but He justifies by becoming the Lord our righteousness
fulfiller, so that not merely mercy, but justice, requires the justification of the
sinner who by faith becomes one with Christ. God's justice is not set aside by
the sinner's salvation, but is magnified and made honorable by it (Isa 42:1,
21). His future reign "in righteousness,"also, is especiallyreferred to (Isa
32:1).
having salvation—notpassively, as some interpret it, "saved," whichthe
context, referring to a "king" coming to reign, forbids; also the old versions,
the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, give Saviour. The Hebrew is reflexive in
sense, "showing Himselfa Saviour; … having salvation in Himself" for us.

Endowedwith a salvation which He bestows as a king. Compare Margin,
"saving Himself." Compare Mt 1:21, in the Greek, "Himselfshall save His
people";that is, not by any other, but by Himself shall He save [PearsonOn
the Creed]. His "having salvation" for others manifested that He had in
Himself that righteousness whichwas indispensable for the justification of the
unrighteous (1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21; 1Jo 2:1). This contrasts beautifully with the
haughty Grecianconqueror who came to destroy, whereas Messiahcame to
save. Still, Messiahshallcome to take "just" vengeance onHis foes, previous
to His reign of peace (Mal 4:1, 2).
lowly—mild, gentle:corresponding to His "riding on an ass" (not a despised
animal, as with us; nor a badge of humiliation, for princes in the Eastrode on
asses, as wellas low persons, Jud 5:10), that is, coming as "Prince of peace"
(Zec 9:10; Isa 9:6); the "horse," onthe contrary is the emblem of war, and
shall therefore be "cut off." Perhaps the Hebrew includes both the
"lowliness"ofHis outward state (which applies to His first coming) and His
"meekness"ofdisposition, as Mt 21:5 quotes it (compare Mt 11:29), which
applies to both His comings. Bothadapt Him for loving sympathy with us
men; and at the same time are the ground of His coming manifested exaltation
(Joh 5:27; Php 2:7-9).
colt—untamed, "whereonyet never man sat" (Lu 19:30). The symbol of a
triumphant conqueror and judge (Jud 5:10; 10:4; 12:14).
foal of an ass—literally, "asses":in Hebrew idiom, the indefinite plural for
singular (so Ge 8:4, "mountains of Ararat," for one of the mountains). The
dam accompaniedthe colt (Mt 21:2). The entry of Jesus into Jerusalemat His
first coming is a pledge of the full accomplishmentof this prophecy at His
secondcoming. It shall be "the day of the Lord" (Ps 118:24), as that first Palm
Sunday was. The Jews shallthen universally (Ps 118:26)say, what some of
them said then, "Blessedis He that cometh in the name of the Lord" (compare
Mt 21:9, with Mt 23:39);also "Hosanna," or"Save now, I beseechthee."
"Palms," the emblem of triumph, shall then also be in the hands of His people
(compare Joh 12:13, with Re 7:9, 10). Then also, as on His former entry, shall
be the feastof tabernacles (at which they used to draw water from Siloam,
quoting Isa 12:3). Compare Ps 118:15, with Zec 14:16.

Matthew Poole's Commentary
Rejoice greatly:the prophet calls for such a joy as expressethitself in outward
gesture, as indeed the daughters of Zion did in their hosannas, whenthis had
its accomplishment.
Daughterof Zion; Jerusalem’s inhabitants, or the church.
Shout; proclaim aloud your joy at the news I now tell you. Before it was
daughter of Zion, now it is daughter of Jerusalem, both the church and state
among the Jews had greatcause to triumph at this.
Thy King; the Redeemer, expected, promisedMessiah, Sonof David, the only
restorerof your lapsed state.
Cometh unto thee; Christ comethto thee, to redeem and save thee; he cometh
for thee, as well as to time. He is just; the righteous One, who cometh to fulfil
all righteousness, andto be our righteousness.
Having salvation;designs to save, and hath that in his eye, that he cansave, it
is in his power; he can save us as he did save himself, by raising himself from
the dead.
Lowly; low and mean of state, and meek or lowly of mind.

Riding upon an ass;a beastof no state or price, an emblem of his outward
state.
And upon a colt the foal of an ass:in this some footsteps ofsovereignty
appearedin the colt’s taking and bearing him quietly, Luke 19:35.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem,.... By
whom are meant, not the inhabitants of Jerusalemin common; nor the
children in it, that said Hosannas to the son of David; but the church of God,
and true believers in Christ, who are calledupon to "rejoice" and "shout":
not merely in an external way, by showing marks of outward joy, but in a
spiritual manner, for which there was goodreason, as follows:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee; Aben Ezra says that interpreters are
divided about the sense ofthis prophecy; some sayit is Messiahthe son of
David; and others, Messiahthe son of Joseph. R. Moses, the priest, he
observes, thinks that Nehemiah the Tirshathite is meant; and he himself is of
opinion that Judas Maccabeusis intended; but Jarchi affirms that it is
impossible to interpret it of any other than the King Messiah;and this is the
sense ofmany of their writers, both ancient and modern. It is applied to him
in the Talmud; they say (r), he that sees anass in his dream, let him look for
salvation, as it is said, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, "riding on an ass".
R. Alexander relates that R. Joshua ben Levi opposedthese two phrases to
eachother, "in its time", and "I will hastenit", Isaiah 60:22 and gave this as
the sense to reconcile them: if they (the Israelites)are worthy, i.e. of the
coming of the Messiah, "Iwill hasten it"; if they are not worthy, it shall be "in
its time"; and that he also put these Scriptures together, and comparedthem
to that Scripture, "behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of
heaven", Daniel7:13 and also what is written, "poor, and riding on an ass";if
they are worthy, he will come with the clouds of heaven; if they are not
worthy, he will come poor and riding on an ass (s). In an ancient book (t) of
theirs, at leastso reckoned, it is saidthe King Messiahshallprevail over them
all (the nations of the world, and the Israelites);as it is said, "poor, and riding

on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass":and in severalother places ofthat
work, and other treatises in it (u), the text is applied to the Messiah;as it
likewise is in their ancient Midrashes or expositions. In one (w) it is observed,
"the Rabbins say an ox; this is the anointed for war, as it is said, "his glory is
like the firstling of his bullock", Deuteronomy33:17 an ass;this is the King
Messiah, as it is said, "poor, and riding on an ass";''
and again(x), on these words, "binding his foalto the vine, and his ass's colt
unto the choice vine", Genesis 49:11, this remark is made; this shall be when
that shall come to pass which is written of him, "poor, and riding on an ass".
And in another (y) of their expositions, the two Redeemers,Mosesandthe
Messiah, are comparedtogether;and, among the severalthings in which they
agree, this is one; as it is said of the former redeemer, "and Mosestook his
wife and his sons, and setthem on an ass", Exodus 4:20 so it is said of the
latter Redeemer(the Messiah), "poor, andriding on an ass".And thus it is
interpreted by many of their more modern writers (z). This is to be
understood of Christ's coming, not merely to Jerusalem, when he rode on an
ass, aftermentioned; but of his coming in the flesh, when he came to Zion, and
for her good;and which was wonderful, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed
to it; and is matter of greatjoy, which she is calledto show, because ofthe
birth of him who is her Saviour; and because ofthe good things that come by
him; and because ofhis appearing as a King, and her King; for, as he was
prophesied of as such, as such he came, though his kingdom was not of this
world; and as Zion's King, being placed there by his Father, and to which he
has a right by virtue of redemption, and is owned as such by his people in the
effectualcalling, and to whom all the following characters belong.
He is just: not only essentiallyrighteous as God, but just and upright in the
whole course of, his life as man; and faithful in the administration of his office
as Mediator; and the author and bringer in of righteousness to his people:
and having salvation; the salvation of his church and people; which he not
only had at heart, but had it to execute, being appointed to that service by his
Father, and having agreedunto it as the surety of his people, and was the
business he was coming into the world to do, here prophesied of; yea, he is

calledsalvation itself, as in a parallel text, Isaiah 62:11 the purpose of it was
purposed in him; God resolvedto save his people by him, and by him only; he
never intended to save any but in and through him; and the thing was not only
consultedwith him, but the scheme of it was drawn in him; God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto himself. The covenantof grace, in which salvation
is a principal article, was made with him; and he, as the surety of that
covenant, undertook it; and in the fulness of time being sent, came to effect it;
for which he was abundantly qualified, being God and man in one person, and
so had something to offer as a sacrifice for satisfactionto law and justice, in
order to obtain it; and could put a sufficient virtue therein to answerthe end,
being the mighty God; and having as Mediator a commissionfrom his divine
Father, he is become, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, the author of
eternal salvationto his people;and in him salvation is, and in no other; and in
vain it is to expect it from any other, or in any other way, than by him, Acts
4:12. Some render the word "saved" (a); as he was by his divine Father, when
he was raised from the dead, and not suffered to see corruption; see Hebrews
5:7 others, "saving himself" (b); when he raisedhimself from the dead, and
thereby declaredhimself to be the Son of God; and when he brought salvation
to his body, the church, which is himself, Isaiah 63:5
lowly; meek, and humble, as he appeared to be in the assumption of human
nature; in his carriage to sinners, conversationwith them, and receptionof
them; in his ministrations to his disciples; and in not seeking his own, but his
Father's glory. Or "poor" (c); as Jesus the Messiahwas;born of poor parents,
had not where to lay his head, and was ministered unto by others; See 2
Corinthians 8:9
and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass;which was fulfilled
in Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 21:4 not that he rode upon them both, but on
the foalonly; for so it should be rendered, "upon an ass, that is, upon a colt,
the foalof an ass" (d). The Jews have a fable, that the ass Abraham saddled,
when he went to sacrifice his son Isaac, was the foal of the ass that was created
on the evening of the sabbath, that is, at the creation;and that the same Moses
sethis wife and sons upon, when he came out of Midian; and the same ass,
they say, Messiahthe sonof David was to ride upon at his coming (e); but one
of such a prodigious age surely could not be called a colt, or a foal; however,

this fable shows the convictionof their minds that this is a prophecy of the
Messiah, andthat they expectedthe Messiahto ride upon an ass, according to
it, as our MessiahJesusdid. And the Greeks have anotherfable, which
perhaps took its rise from this prophecy, that when Antiochus enteredthe
temple at Jerusalem, he found in it an image of a man in wood, with a long
beard, riding on an ass (f). And a like falsehoodis told by Tacitus (g), that the
Jews consecratedthe effigies of an ass in the inmost part of the temple;
because a flock of wild asses,as he pretends, directed them to fountains of
water, when in the wilderness, and ready to die with thirst; and yet he himself
afterwards says, the Jews have no images, neither in their cities, nor in their
temple: and from hence it may be arose the calumny castupon the primitive
Christians, who were sometimes confounded with the Jews, that they
worshipped an ass's head; and which is refuted by Tertullian (h).
(r) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 56. 2.((s)T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. Vid. etiam ib.
fol. 99. 10. (t) Zohar in Gen. fol. 127. 3.((u) Zohar in Numb. fol. 83. 4. & in
Deut. fol. 117. 1. & 118. 3. Raya Mehimna apud ib. in Lev. fol. 38. 3. & in
Numb. fol. 97. 2.((w) BereshitRabba, sect. 75. fol. 66. 2.((x) BereshitRabba,
sect. 98. fol. 85. 3.((y) Midrash Kohelet, fol. 63. 2.((z) Jarchiin Isaiah 26.6.
Baalhatturim on Exod. fol. 88. 2. Abarbinel, MashmiahJeshuah, fol. 15. 4. R.
Abraham Seba, Tzeror Hammor, fol. 46. 2. Caphtor Uperah, fol. 81. 2.((a) "et
salvatus ipse", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius;"servatus",Calvin, De Dieu.
Schultens (i) observes, thatin the Arabic language, signifies large, ample,
spacious, and denotes amplitude of riches, power, knowledge, happiness, and
glory; and in this place the word describes a king endued with most ample
salvation, and brought into this amplitude out of poverty and straits, darkness
and misery. (b) "Servabitseipsum", Vatablus. (c) pauper, V. L. Calvin,
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator;"inops", Cocceius (d) "id est, super pullum",
Noldius. (e) Pirke Eliezer, c. 31. fol. 32. 1. Caphtor Uperah, fol. 81. 2.((f)
Diodor. Sicul. Excerpta, l. 34. p. 901, 902. (g)Hist. l. 5. c. 3, 4, 5. (h) Apologet.
c. 16. ad nationes, l. 1. c. 11. (i) Origines Hebr. l. 1. p. 18, 19, 20. & indicul. voc.
Hebr. in calce ejus.
Geneva Study Bible

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:behold,
thy King comethto thee: {m} he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and
riding upon a {n} donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.
(m) That is, he has righteousnessand salvationin himself for the use and
benefit of his Church.
(n) Which declares that they should not look for such a king as would be
glorious in the eyes of man, but should be poor, and yet in himself have all
powerto deliver his own: and this is meant of Christ, as in Mt 21:5.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
9. thy King cometh] The reference to Christ, the true King of Israel, is direct
and immediate. Even if the prophecy be placedbefore the exile, no event in
Jewishhistory answers, eventypically, to this prediction. After the exile no
Jewishruler bore the title of King. “The prophet here briefly shews the
manner in which the church is to be restored, namely, because a King will
come forth of the tribe and family of David, to bring all things to their pristine
order. And this line of argument constantly occurs in the Prophets, since the
hope of the ancient people rested, as ours does, on Christ.” Calvin.
unto thee] not only to thee locally, but for thy benefit. “He teaches us that this
King will not come for His own sake, as earthlyprinces rule after their own
lust, or for their own advantage:but that this kingdom will be sharedby the
whole people, because,that is, of the prosperous condition which it will
introduce.” Calvin.
having salvation]Rather, saved. The Jewishand Christian (LXX. σώζων;
Vulg. salvator)versions render actively, “Saviour.” But there is no need to
depart from the grammatical and usual (Deuteronomy33:29; Psalm33:16;
Isaiah45:17) meaning of the word. “He trusted in Jehovah that He would
deliver Him,” was not only a prediction of the taunt of His enemies (Matthew

27:43), but an exposition of the ruling principle of the mediatorial work of the
man Christ Jesus. And as the reward of that trust He was “saved.” Hebrews
5:7. At the same time, as Calvin (whose whole note on this verse is worth
consulting) points out, the active significationof saving others is really
included in the passive of being savedHimself. For inasmuch as the King
comes not for Himself but “for” Sion (see last note), He is “just and saved” not
for Himself but for her. “Siveniret sibi privatim, essetetiamsibi justus et
servatus, hoc est, utilitas justitiæ et salutis resideretpenes ipsum solum, vel in
ejus persona. Sedquum aliorum respectuvenerit, etiam in eorum gratiam et
justitia et salute præditus est. Ergo justitia et salus quarum hic fit mentio
pertinent ad totum corpus Ecclesiæ, neque restringi debent ad personam
Regis … Neque certe humanitus loquendo dicemus Regemesse salvumet
integrum, si expulsus sit a suo imperio; si deinde ab hostibus vexentur subditi,
vel pereant in totum.”
lowly] or meek. πραῦς. LXX. and Matthew 21:5. The sense, “afflicted,” which
the Heb. word will bear, and which Puseysays is necessarilycontainedin it,
does not seemto be the prominent one here; but rather the meekness and
lowliness (Matthew 11:29)of His characterand coming.
upon an ass]In keeping with and as an illustration of His “lowliness.” “In
itself it would, if insulated, have been unmeaning. The Holy Ghostprophesied
it, Jesus fulfilled it, to shew the Jews ofwhat nature His kingdom was.” Pusey.
So Calvin observes that the prophecy was at once metaphoricaland literal.
“Nampropheta intelligit Christum fore quasi obscurum hominem, qui sese
non extollet supra communem vulgi modum. Hic est genuinus sensus. Verum
est: sedtamen hoc non obstat, quominus Christus etiam ediderit hujus rei
specimen, ubi asinum illum conscendit.”
the foalof an ass]Lit. of she-asses;i.e. such as those animals bear. So
Jephthah is said(Jdg 12:7) to have been buried “in the cities of Gilead;” i.e.

(as the A. V. and R. V. supply) in “one of” them. Comp. Genesis 19:29;
Genesis 37:31. The clause is added to define more exactly the words, “upon an
ass:” even upon a colt, R. V. It was upon the colt that our Lord actually rode.
The Evangelist’s addition, “whereonneverman sat” (Mark 11:2), would seem
to indicate that it was chosen, rather than the mother, on accountof the
sacreduse to which it was to be put. Comp. Numbers 19:2; 1 Samuel 6:7;
Luke 23:53.
9–17. The Coming of the King
The greatevent for which all that had been foretold in the preceding verses of
the chapter, and indeed all the preceding history of Israeland of the world,
had been a preparation, and in which as purposed and promised by God was
the pledge of Israel’s preservationfor its accomplishment, is now announced
and its consequencesare unfolded. Sion is called upon to welcome with
exultation her just and lowly King, who comes to her in humble state
(Zechariah 9:9), whose kingdom of peace shall coverall the land and embrace
all nations (Zechariah 9:10), and who, mindful of His covenantwith her, shall
give deliverance to the captives of Israel(Zechariah 9:11-12). Using them, now
once more an united nation, as the instruments of His warfare (Zechariah
9:13), Himself fighting for them and manifesting Himself as their Protector
(Zechariah 9:14), He will make them victorious over all their enemies
(Zechariah 9:15), and will promote them to safetyand honour (Zechariah
9:16), magnifying His “goodness” andHis “beauty” in the prosperity with
which He crowns them (Zechariah 9:17).
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 9, 10. - § 2. Then shall the righteous King come to Zion in lowly
fashion, and inaugurate a kingdom of peace. Verse 9. - The prophet invites
Jerusalemto rejoice at the coming of the promised salvationin the Personof
her King; no mighty earthly potentate and conqueror, like Alexander the
Great, but one of different fashion (comp. Zephaniah 3:14). Thy King cometh

unto thee. St. Matthew (Matthew 21:5) and St. John (John 12:15) see a
fulfilment of this prophecy in Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalemon the
first day of the week in which he was crucified. All attempts to disprove the
Messianic import of this passagehave been unavailing. Even critics who refer
this part of Zechariah(ch. 9-11.)to an unknown author writing in the time of
Hezekiah, allow that it is replete with Messianic ideas,and can be applied to
no hero of Jewishstoryor event of Jewishhistory. There is no other "King"
of Israel to whom it can refer. Our blessedLord himself, by his abnormal
actions on Palm Sunday, plainly assumed the part of the predicted King, and
meant the people to recognize in him the promised Messiah(see the full
discussionof the subject in Dr. Pusey's notes, pp. 556, etc.). Thy King. A king
of thine own race, no stranger, but one predestined for thee. He who was
foretold by all the prophets, who was to occupy the throne of David, and reign
forever (Psalm2:6; Psalm 45:1, 6, 7; Isaiah 32:1). Unto thee. For thy good, to
bless thee (Isaiah 9:6). Just. Righteous in characterand in practice, ruling in
equity (Psalm 72:1-4, 7; Isaiah 11:2-4). Having salvation; Septuagint, σώζων,
"saving." Vulgate, salvator;so the Syriac and Chaldee. The genius of the
language requires the participle to be takenpassively, as it is in two other
passageswhere it occurs (Deuteronomy33:29;Psalm 33:16). The context has
seemedto some to demand that it be understood in an active sense, thus
contrasting him who came to save with the haughty Grecianconqueror, whose
progress was markedby bloodshed. But the usual meaning of the word
affords a satisfactorysense. The King who comes is "saved," endowedwith
salvation, either as being protectedand upheld by God (Psalm 18:50;Psalm
110:1, 2, 5; Isaiah42:1; Isaiah 49:8), or as being victorious and so able to aid
his people. In this latter view, the active sense is included in the passive. His
own deliverance is a sure sign of the deliverance of his people. Lowly;
Septuagint, πραύς, "meek;" Vulgate, pauper - meek and lowly, as Christ
himself says (Matthew 11:29),farremoved from warlike pomp and worldly
greatness.The word is also rendered "afflicted," and would then be in
accordancewith the description in Isaiah52:13-53:5;Psalm22:6. Riding upon
an ass. In illustration of his poor or afflicted estate;it is this, and not merely
the peace. fulness ofhis reign, that is meant by this symbolical action, as we
see by the following clause, where the youthfulness of the animal is the point
enforced. And (even, and that) upon a coltthe foal of an ass;such as she asses

bear, and one not trained; as the evangelistsays, "whereonneverman sat."
Christ satupon the foal. In old times judges and men of distinction rode upon
asses(Genesis 22:3;Judges 5:10; Judges 10:4); but from Solomon's days the
horse had been used, not only in war, but on all state occasions (Jeremiah
17:25); and the number of horses brought back on the return from Babylon is
speciallymentioned (Ezra 2:66). So to predicate of a King that he would come
to his capitalriding, not on a war horse, but on a young, unbroken ass,
showedat once that he himself was not to be considereda victorious general
or a worldly potentate, and that his kingdom was not to be wonor maintained
by carnal arms. This is signified more fully in the following verse, which
describes the characterand extent of Messiah's kingdom.
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
"Who is left among you, that saw this house in its former glory? and how do
ye see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Haggai2:4. And now be
comforted, Zerubbabel, is the saying of Jehovah; and be comforted, Joshua
son of Jozadak, thou high priest; and be comforted all the people of the land,
is the saying of Jehovah, and work:for I am with you, is the saying of Jehovah
of hosts. Haggai2:5. The word that I concludedwith you at your coming out
of Egypt, and my Spirit, stand in the midst of you; fear ye not." The prophet,
admitting the poverty of the new building in comparisonwith the former one,
exhorts them to continue the work in comfort, and promises them that the
Lord will be with them, and fulfil His covenant promises. The question in
Haggai2:3 is addressedto the old men, who had seenSolomon's temple in all
its glory. There might be many such men still living, as it was only sixty-seven
or sixty-eight years since the destruction of the first temple. ‫ראׁשּנה‬ is the
predicate to the subject ‫,ימ‬ and has the article because it is defined by the
reflex action of the relative clause which follows (compare Ewald, 277, a). The
secondquestion, ‫ּומּו‬ ‫ּנּתא‬ ‫,ומר‬ et qualem videtis, In what condition do ye see it
now? is appended to the lastclause of the first question: the house which ye
saw in its former glory. There then follows with ‫,רוּוּנ‬ in the form of a lively
assurance, the statementof the difference betweenthe two buildings. ‫ּוּניּכ‬ ‫,ּומרו‬
which has been interpreted in very different ways, may be explained from the
double use of the ‫כ‬ in comparisons, which is common in Hebrew, and which
answers to our as - so: here, however, it is used in the same way as in Genesis

18:25 and Genesis 44:18;that is to say, the object to be compared is
mentioned first, and the objectwith which the comparisonis instituted is
mentioned afterwards, in this sense, "so is it, as having no existence,"in which
case we should either leave out the first particle of comparison, or if it were
expressed, should have to reverse the order of the words: "as not existing
(nothing), so is it in your eyes." Koehlergives this correctexplanation;
whereas if ‫ּומרו‬ be explained according to Joel2:2, its equal, or such an one,
we get the unsuitable thought, that it is not the temple itself, but something
like the temple, that is comparedto nothing. Even in Genesis 44:18, to which
Ewald very properly refers as containing a perfectly equivalent phrase, it is
not a man equal to Joseph, but Josephhimself, who is compared to Pharaoh,
and describedas being equal to him. Neverthelessthey are not to let their
courage fail, but to be comforted and to work. Châzaq, to be inwardly strong,
i.e., to be comforted, 'Ash, to work or procure, as in Ruth 2:19 and Proverbs
31:13, in actual fact, to continue the work of building bravely, without there
being any necessityto supply ‫רכּנומ‬ from Haggai1:14. For Jehovahwill be
with them (cf. Haggai1:13).
In confirmation of this promise the Lord adds, that the word which He
concluded with them on their coming out of Egypt, and His Spirit, will
continue among them. "The word" ('eth-haddâbhâr) cannot be either the
accusative ofthe object to the preceding verb ‛ăsū (Haggai2:4), or to any verb
we may choose to supply, or the preposition 'ēth, with, or the accusative of
norm or measure (Luther, Calvin, and others). To connectit with ‛ăsū yields
no suitable meaning. It is not the word, which they vowedto the Lord, at the
conclusionof the covenant, that they are to do now, but the work which they
had begun, viz., the building of the temple, they are now to continue. It is
perfectly arbitrary to supply the verb zikhrū, remember (Ewald and
Hengstenberg), and to understand the prophet as reminding them of the word
"fearnot" (Exodus 20:17-20). Thatword, "fearnot," with which Moses, not
God, infused courage into the people, who were alarmed at the terrible
phenomenon with which Jehovahcame down upon Sinai, has no such central
significance as that Haggaicould point to it without further introduction, and
say that Jehovah had concluded it with them on their coming out of Egypt.
The word which the Lord concluded with Israelwhen He led it out of Egypt,

can only be the promise which establishedthe covenant, to the fulfilment of
which God bound Himself in relation to the people, when He led them out of
Egypt, namely, the word that He would make Israel into His own property out
of all nations (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6; cf. Jeremiah 7:22-23, and
Jeremiah11:4). It would quite agree with this to take 'ēth as the accusative of
the norm, and also to connectit as a preposition, if this could only be shown to
be in accordancewiththe rules of the language. But although the accusative in
Hebrew is often used, in the relation of free subordination, "to express more
preciselythe relation of measure and size, space and time, mode and kind"
(cf. Ewald, 204-206),it is impossible to find any example of such an accusative
of norm as is here assumed, especiallywith 'ēth preceding it. But if 'ēth were a
preposition instead of ‫,ּנּתכא‬ we should have ‫,םככא‬ inasmuch as the use of
‫,ּנבּדר־תה‬ as a parallel to ‫,ּנּתכא‬ makes the words clumsy and awkward. The
thought which Haggaievidently wishes to express requires that haddâbhâr
should stand upon the same line with rūchı̄, so that 'eth-haddâbhâr is actually
the subjectto ‛ōmedeth, and 'ēth is simply used to connectthe new declaration
with the preceding one, and to place it in subjection to the one which follows,
in the sense of"as regards," quoad(Ewald, 277, d, pp. 683-4), in which case
the choice ofthe accusative in the present instance may either be explained
from a kind of attraction (as in the Latin, urbem quam statuo vestra est), as
Hitzig supposes, or from the blending together of two constructions, as
Koehler maintains; that is to say, Haggaiintended to write ‫ּוהו־י‬ ‫ּנבּדר־תה‬
‫,רםממּתי‬ but was induced to alter the proposedconstructionby the relative
clause ‫ּומּו‬ ‫ּוהּתי‬‫ּנׁשה‬ attaching itself to ‫.ר־תה‬ Consequently‛ōmedeth, as
predicate, not only belongs to rūchı̄, but also to haddâbhâr, in the sense ofto
have continuance and validity; and according to a later usage ofthe language,
‫םממ‬ is used for ‫,םוא‬ to stand fast (compare Isaiah 40:8 with Daniel11:14). The
word, that Israelis the property of Jehovah, and Jehovahthe God of Israel,
still stands in undiminished force;and not only so, but His Spirit also still
works in the midst of Israel. Rūăch, in parallelism with the word containing
the foundation of the covenant, is neither the spirit of prophecy (Chald., J. D.
Mich.), nor the spirit which once filled Bezaleelandhis companions (Exodus
31:1., Exodus 36:1.), enabling them to erectthe tabernacle in a proper
manner, and one well-pleasing to God (Luc., Osiander, and Koehler). Both
views are too narrow; rūăch is the divine powerwhich accompaniesthe word

of promise and realizes it in a creative manner, i.e., not merely "the virtue
with which God will establishtheir souls, that they may not be overcome by
temptations" (Calvin), but also the power of the Spirit working in the world,
which is able to remove all the external obstacles thatpresent themselves to
the realizationof the divine plan of salvation. This Spirit is still working in
Israel("in the midst of you"); therefore they are not to fear, even if the
existing state of things does not correspondto human expectations. The
omnipotence of Godcan and will carry out His word, and glorify His temple.
This leads to the further promise in Haggai2:6-9, which gives the reasonfor
the exhortation, "Fearye not."
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Zechariah 9:9 9
The Cross And The Crown
April 9, 2005 — by Herbert Vander Lugt
On the day we call Palm Sunday the Lord Jesus presentedHimself to Israelas
their King when He rode into Jerusalemon a donkey. Had He been astride a
spirited horse, He would have lookedmore kingly. But Zechariah had
prophesied He would come in the humble waythat He did.
Why? Kings of the Eastrode donkeys when on errands of peace. The horse
was used as a chargerin war.
The multitudes thought in terms of earthly prosperity and freedom from
Rome. So they cried, “Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:10). Yet a few days
later, the shouts of the crowdbecame:“Crucify Him!” (15:13).
Some who declare themselves admirers of Jesus do not recognize Him as the
Savior of sinners. But our deepestneedcannot be met until our sin problem is
overcome. Forthis reasonChrist rode into Jerusalemon a donkey with His

face settoward the cross, knowing full well the shameful and painful death He
would suffer there. Now, having paid the price for human sin, He is highly
exalted at God’s right hand and will come again as King of kings and Lord of
lords. His cross had to precede His crown.
If we want to be part of His heavenly kingdom, we must trust Him as our
Savior now.
If in heaven a crown you'd wear
And bright palms of victory bear,
Christ the Savior you must claim;
Find redemption in His name. —Anon.
There would be no crown-wearers in heavenhad Christ not been the cross-
bearer on earth.
Zechariah 9:9
Parades have traditionally been celebrations of greatachievements. In
American history, the greatestparades focusedon people such as pilot
Charles Lindbergh, the Apollo 11 astronauts, and war heroes. These
celebrations were markedby ticker-tape showers and adoring crowds lining
the streets ofa major city as bands and celebrities passedin review.
But the greatestparade of all time was quite different. It happened in
Jerusalem2,000 years ago.It was a simple one-man donkey ride. Instead of
tickertape, the way was lined with garments and palm branches.
Perhaps the most remarkable element of Jesus'ride into the Holy City was its
prophetic significance. In Zechariah 9:9, the prophet describedthe scene that
would unfold more than 500 years later. When Jesus rode that donkey into
Jerusalem, fulfilling prophecy as He went, He was giving us one more reason
to shout, "Hosanna!" He was, and is, the promised Messiah. --J D Brannon
If we believe in Jesus'Kingship, we'll bow to Him in worship.

Zechariah 9:9
DonkeyMentality
June 19, 2006 — by David C. McCasland
A minister referred to Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalemand asked:
“What if the donkey on which Jesus was riding had thought all the cheering
was for him? What if that small animal had believed that the hosannas and
the branches were in his honor?”
The minister then pointed to himself and said: “I’m a donkey. The longerI’m
here the more you’ll come to realize that. I am only a Christ-bearerand not
the objectof praise.”
In recording Jesus’entry into Jerusalem, Matthew referred to the prophecy
of Zechariah: “Tellthe daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5;
see Zechariah9:9).
On Palm Sunday, the donkey was merely a Christ-bearer, bringing the Son of
God into the city where He would give His life for the sins of the world.
If we could develop a healthy “donkeymentality,” what an assetthatwould be
as we travel the road of life. Instead of wondering what people think of us, our
concernwould be, “Can they see Christ Jesus, the King?” Ratherthan
seeking creditfor service rendered, we would be content to lift up the Lord.
O what can I give to the Master,
The One who from sin set me free?
I’ll give Him a lifetime of service
To thank Him for dying for me. —K. De Haan
A Christian’s life is a window through which others cansee Jesus.

Zechariah 9:9
One Hundred PercentRight!
We have … a more sure word of prophecy … 2 Peter1:19
It's amazing what canbe done with statistics. Bya cleverarrangement of
facts, framed in a shrewdly worded context, it is possible to make even a poor
situation sound good. Forexample, a weathermanonce boasted, "I'm 90
percent right—10 percent of the time!" His claim sounds quite impresive until
it is analyzed. He neededsuch a manipulation of statistics to cover up his poor
record. Such, however, is not necessarywith the Bible. Its predictions are 100
percent right. There's no need for double-talk when it comes to the Scriptures.
The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehemas prophesied by Micah
(Mic. 5:2); of a virgin (Isa. 7:14); at the time specifiedby Daniel (Dan. 9:25).
Infants in Bethlehem were massacredas foretold by Jeremiah(Jer. 31:15);
Jesus wentdown into Egypt and returned as prophesied by Hosea (Hos. 11:1).
Isaiahforetold His ministry in Galilee (Isa. 9:1, 2); Zechariah predicted His
triumphal entry into Jerusalemridipg upon a colt (Zech. 9:9); His betrayal
for 30 pieces ofsilver (Zech. 11:12);and the return of this money for the
purchase of a potter's field (Zech. 11:13). David lived 1,000 years before the
birth of Christ, and had never seena Roman crucifixion; yet in Psalm22, he
penned under divine inspiration a graphic portrayal of the death Jesus
suffered when He died upon a Roman cross. Isaiah53 also gives us a detailed
picture of our Lord's rejectionand death. These few prophecies alone should
impress the worst of skeptics with the reliability of the Bible.
Since these predictions have all been fulfilled to the smallestdetail, let us also
acceptwith confidence that which the Bible says about the future. Remember,
we have a sure word of prophecy which is 100 percentright—all of the time!
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever! — Luther

Through the pages ofthe Bible, as through a window divinely opened, men
can look into the future of earth and the glories of Heaven. —T. Carlyle
Zechariah 9:9
Always Right
December21, 2003 — by Richard De Haan
A weathermanboasted, “I’m 90 percent right—10 percentof the time.”
That’s a ridiculous statement, but some people resortto that type of
doubletalk to coverup a poor record.
The Bible’s prophetic record, though, truly is accurate. Let’s look at a few
examples.
The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem(Micah 5:2) of a virgin
(Isaiah 7:14) at the time specified(Daniel9:25). Infants in Bethlehem were
massacredas prophesied(Jeremiah31:15). Jesus wentdown into Egypt and
returned (Hosea 11:1). Isaiahforetold Christ’s ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-
2). Zechariah predicted His triumphal entry into Jerusalemon a colt
(Zechariah 9:9) and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (11:12-13). Davidhad
never seena Roman crucifixion, yet in Psalm 22, under divine inspiration, he
penned a graphic portrayal of Jesus’death. Isaiah53 gives a detailed picture
of our Lord’s rejection, mistreatment, death, and burial. These few
prophecies (and there are many more) should impress us with the reliability
of the Bible.
Since these predictions have all been fulfilled, let us also acceptwith
confidence what the Bible says about the future. Remember, we have a book
of prophecy that is right—all of the time!
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,

His Word shall stand forever! —Luther
You can trust the Bible—Godalways keeps His word.
ROBERT MORGAN
Jesus is Coming, and He Will Enter Jerusalemon a Donkey
Zechariah 9:9
All of this is predicted in Zechariah 9:1-8. But now we come to verse 9, and
this one verse gives us the secondmovement in the chapter. Jesus is coming,
and He will enter Jerusalemon a donkey.
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughterof Jerusalem! See,
your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a
donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Five hundred years later—one half a millennium—Jesus the King of the Jews
approachedthe city of Jerusalemfrom the East, from the Mount of Olives.
He sent two of His disciples to fetch a donkey, and the disciples brought the
colt of Jesus. Jesus mounted the little creature and rode up the precipitous
dirt road, toward the walls of the ancientcity, through the gates, as crowds of
worshipers threw palm branches to pave His wayand as young and old alike
cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessedis He who comes in the Name of
the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Two kings entering Jerusalem, and they are contrastedside by side—
Alexander the Great and Jesus Christ the Lord—both of them predicted in
advance by this young Jewishprophet who lived and preachedhundreds of
years prior to the events he described.

STEVEN COLE
Zechariah 9:9-10 Rejoice!Your King is Coming!
Excerpt from introduction:
You have probably had the experience that I have often had, where you are
looking for something in the closetorgarage, but you couldn’t find it because
you had the wrong conceptof what you were looking for. You thought that it
was in a square brown box, but it really was in an oblong yellow box. So you
staredright at it, and perhaps even moved it out of the way, but you missed it
because your mental picture of it was wrong. MostJews in Jesus’day missed
Him as their Messiahand King because they were expecting a different kind
of Savior. They thought that Messiahwould be a mighty political deliverer,
who would lead Israel to military victory over Rome. They were not looking
for a lowly Savior, riding on the foal of a donkey. They could not conceive ofa
suffering Savior, who offered Himself as the sacrifice forsinners. And so,
tragically, they missed the coming of their King! Many people still miss Jesus
because ofwrong expectations. They’re looking for a Saviorlike Aladdin’s
Genie, who will grant their every wish, but it hasn’t happened. They want a
Savior who will instantly solve their deepestproblems, but those problems
have not gone away. Or, they expecta church where everyone always loves
one another. But a church member treatedthem wrongly, so they dropped out
in bitter disappointment. In order joyously to welcome Jesus as our King, we
need to understand properly who He is. Our text is one of the greatMessianic
prophecies of the Old Testament. Even most Jewishcommentators down
through the centuries have agreedthat this is a prophecy about Messiah
(Charles Feinberg, God Remembers [American Boardof Missionto the Jews],
pp. 167-168). Zechariah9:9-10 teaches us that…BecauseJesusChrist is King
and He is coming to reign, we who are subject to Him should rejoice greatly.
The news that a king is coming is not necessarilya cause for greatjoy. The
first part of this chapter predicts the coming of Alexander the Great, who
ruthlessly conquered Israel’s neighbors. The news of his coming would have
struck terror into the hearts of those in his path. He often slaughteredall the
men in a city and soldthe women and children into slavery. He was not
concernedabout the well-being of his subjects, but only about his own power

and dominion. It is also difficult to acceptthe news of a coming king because
there is a sense in which all of us want to rule our own lives. We can accept
governmental interference to a limited degree, as long as it doesn’t get too
close. Butif a king started trying to control every aspectofour lives—how we
do business, how we relate to others, including our families, and even how we
speak and think—we resistthe very thought! We certainly would not rejoice
at the news of the coming of that kind of king! But that is preciselythe kind of
King that Jesus is! He is rightfully Lord of all people and of all aspects ofall
people’s lives. Regarding this King, Zechariahexhorts, “Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!Behold, your
king is coming to you.” The restof verses 9 & 10 describe this King and
explain why His coming gives cause for greatjoy. If we understand who this
King is and what His coming will mean for all the earth, we will rejoice
greatly at the news of His coming.
Question:"What does the Bible mean when it refers to a 'Daughter of Zion'?"
Answer: The “daughter of Zion” is mentioned severaltimes in the Old
Testament, usually in prophecy and once in poetry. “Zion” meant Jerusalem
and, later, Israelas the people of God. “Daughterof Zion,” then, does not
refer to a specific person. It’s a metaphor for Israeland the loving, caring,
patient relationship God has with His chosenpeople.
As a representationof the people of Israel, the daughter of Zion is described
in severaldifferent situations:
2 Kings 19:21: A people confident in the deliverance of their God. When
Assyria threatened Jerusalem, King Hezekiahwent to the Lord. In response,
God sent Isaiahto reassure Hezekiahthat Jerusalemwould not fall to Assyria,

and God consideredthe threatening insult to “the virgin daughter of Zion” as
a personalaffront to Himself.
Isaiah1:8: A hut, abandoned after judgment came to an evil family. Here,
Isaiahcompares the rebellion of Judah to a sick body in a devastatedland.
The daughter of Zion is left as a lone remnant—a shelter hidden in the
vineyard or a hut in a cucumber field that barely escapeddestruction.
Jeremiah4:31: A womanin labor, helpless before attackers.The steadfastness
of Hezekiah was rare in Judah—most kings encouragedrebellionagainstGod
instead of loyalty to God. Jeremiah warns that if the nation does not turn
awayfrom evil, God will punish them severely. And the people will be helpless
againstit—as helpless as a woman in labor.
Isaiah62:11: A people awaiting salvation. After the punishment of exile, God
promises restorationto Israel. He will rejoice over His chosenpeople again.
And in verse 11, He promises the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation
comes;behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”
Micah4:13: A bull that threshes his enemies. In verse 10, God warns that the
daughter of Zion will suffer as much as a woman in labor. But in verse 13, He
promises vengeance. The weak, powerlesswomanwill become a bull with
horns of iron and hoofs of bronze that will crush its enemies.
Zechariah 9:9: A land awaiting its king. This prophecy promises Israel’s
enemies will be destroyed, but also speaks abouta more permanent solutionto
the problem of sin. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Should in triumph,
O daughter of Jerusalem!Behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and
endowedwith salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the

Jesus was a king on a donkey

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