Zechariah 9:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This calls to mind the same reality through different expressions. By the bow, He states, I have formed you, Judah, and fulfilled you, Ephraim. Judah and Ephraim represent all the people of Israel. Formed as if it were the bow of the Jews who believed first and came to such realization that they lead the Gentiles, driving away demons, vanquishing Satan, and opposing divine truths while rebelling against the mystery of their guidance. Similarly, divine David clearly expresses this to the Savior of all and God: Your arrows are sharp, Strong One; the people under you will fall into the hearts of the king's enemies (Psalm 44:6); for the arrows of the Strong One, that is, Christ, pierce the hearts and depths of God's enemies. His arrows are thus the guides for those who go astray and do not recognize the true God. They do not deliver death but instead lead them to love Christ so they may yield to Him. This is precisely what the bride communicating in the Song of Songs articulates, 'I am wounded with love' (Song of Songs 5:8). To highlight the bravery and strength of the divine disciples, the wise Psalmist, who speaks of them through the Spirit, affirms: like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the sons of the shaken (Psalm 126:4); for he refers to the Israelites as shaken, having lost divine grace due to their audacious actions against Christ. However, their sons have become like arrows launched by a mighty hand. Likewise, Habakkuk addressed Immanuel regarding the holy apostles, stating, Your arrows shall go forth in the brilliance of the lightning of your weapons (Hab. 3:11). And I will raise up your children, O Zion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will arm you as the sword of a warrior. Here, He unmistakably refers to the Jewish teachers as His bow; for who rose up from Zion against the Greek children if not the divine disciples, who later, alongside those who became leaders of the churches, rightly governed the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15)? By the spirit of Zion, what could be meant other than the Church? They engage in battle against the Greek children, warring against those who stray, for God has appointed them as the soldier's sword. It seems that the divine Paul also embellishes the spiritual soldier in Christ; he outfits him with the armor of Christ's righteousness and the helmet of salvation, then presents him with the spiritual sword, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:14-17). Wielding this sword against the Greek children, they sever the delusions embedded in them, employing the sharpest Word of God, which is living and effective (Heb. 4:12)—to vanquish the wicked and unclean spirit, enabling them, at last, to possess a pure and liberated mind and to comprehend the true knowledge of God.

The following phrase, as I have filled Ephraim like a bow, refers, according to their interpretation, to those from the ten tribes known as Israel who joined during Hezekiah's reign, with Josiah recognized as their king; however, they offer differing interpretations of our explanation and proclaim: O Christ, whose coming we anticipate, You will reign over all the earth through Your covenant’s blood, by which You have redeemed Jerusalem, nourished by Your blood, as Ezekiel states; You entered into a covenant with Abraham through the divided calf, ram, and goat. You have liberated Your people Israel from bondage and from the agony of the Chaldeans, where they found no mercy. Therefore, you Israelites who were captives and placed your hope in the Lord, turn towards the fortified Jerusalem; for now you have the Lord’s promise that in the brief afflictions of captivity, you will receive a double blessing, as Job is known to have experienced.

In a symbolic interpretation, this passage can be understood as follows: Judah becomes like a drawn bow when the Lord and Savior is sent into the world from the Father: He embodies both the bow and the arrow. The bow is represented here, while the arrow is described in the fortieth-fourth Psalm: Your arrows, O Mighty One, are extremely sharp; if anyone is pierced by them, they proclaim, I am wounded by love, and the Arrow is the One who declares through Isaiah, He made me like a chosen arrow and concealed me in His quiver. The selected arrow symbolizes the Word of God; the quiver, in which it is hidden, signifies the work of the Incarnation. Ephraim fulfills this role, so when he is armed and fully prepared for battle, he, along with the nations, will be struck by the Lord's arrows; the first to divide the nation, Jeroboam, belonged to his tribe. This also refers to the heretics, as the prophet Hosea elaborates, and as we indicated earlier, The sons of Ephraim bending the bow and shooting in the day of battle have retreated.

For when the Lord awakens the sons of Zion, that is, when He stirs the sons of the Church, then the teachers of heresy, the philosophies opposing the Church, and the arguments of the Gentiles will be shattered, for the Lord Himself is the sword of the mighty, of whom it is written, You shall gird Yourself, O Mighty One, with Your sword upon Your thigh—for majesty and beauty—draw your bow, hurry forth, and reign, for truth, humility, and righteousness; Your right hand will accomplish wonders. With this sword, the Ethiopians shall fall, as it is stated: And you Ethiopians will be struck by My sword; after being smitten by the sword of Christ, they will shed their dark hue and joyfully proclaim: The glory of the Lord our God will be upon us. David anticipates the same after repentance: You will cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow. This is the sword concerning which the Apostle writes: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the division of soul and spirit.

This prophecy is also illustrated by the experience of the Macedonians; for the children of Zion, charging against the children of the Hellenes, sent many thousands of the Macedonians into retreat and, upon raising a triumphant memorial, returned victorious, mending the broken altar. They accomplished this because the God of all creation had triumphed and granted them unparalleled assistance. As the prophet also articulates:

Thus, while the victories during the Maccabean conflict against the adversaries of God’s kingdom were fleeting and not particularly profound, it is reasonable to understand that the prophet, when proclaiming the defeat of God’s enemies, anticipated not these ephemeral triumphs but rather the eventual victory over those opposing the church of Christ. In this context, Judas and Ephraim, the children of Zion who triumphed over their Greek adversaries, symbolize the Apostles and their successors, who, with the power of the Gospel, brought the Gentiles under the lordship of Christ.