What are the household gods of this chapter?
The Hebrew uses the word teraphim, figures used in homes to consult the gods and to divine. The prophet rejects them as deception, an attempt to know the future without turning to the Lord.
Zechariah · chapter 10 of 14
Zechariah 10: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
Updated on
What happens in Zechariah 10?
Zechariah 10 calls the people to ask the Lord for rain and not idols or diviners, who deceive and leave the people like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord's anger burns against the false shepherds, and he cares for his flock, strengthens Judah and the house of Joseph, gathers and redeems them from Egypt and Assyria, and makes them strong to walk in his name.
After the humble king of chapter 9, chapter 10 contrasts false guides with the true shepherd. The people seek answers from idols and diviners, and the result is confusion. The Lord, who gives rain and harvest, is the only one who can gather and strengthen his flock. The shepherd theme continues in the following chapters.
Zechariah 10 summary
The chapter begins with a command: ask the Lord for rain in the season of the spring rain. The Lord makes the storm clouds and gives showers of rain and vegetation to everyone in the field. The household gods utter nonsense, the diviners see lies and tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep, afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
The Lord's anger burns against the shepherds, and he will punish the leaders. The Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow and every ruler together. They will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle; they will fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses will be put to shame.
The Lord will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. He will bring them back because he has compassion on them, and they will be as though he had not rejected them, for he is the Lord their God and he will answer them. Ephraim will become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts will be glad as with wine; their children will see it and rejoice. The Lord will whistle for them and gather them, for he has redeemed them, and they will be as many as they were before.
Though he scattered them among the nations, they will remember him in far countries, and they will live with their children and return. He will bring them home from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria; he will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, until there is no room for them. He will pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; the pride of Assyria will be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt will depart. He will make them strong in the Lord, and they will walk in his name, declares the Lord.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-2: Ask the Lord for rain; idols and diviners deceive and the people are without a shepherd.
- vv. 3-5: The Lord punishes the false shepherds and strengthens Judah like a war horse.
- vv. 6-7: He strengthens Judah, saves Joseph and gladdens Ephraim.
- vv. 8-12: The Lord whistles, redeems and gathers the scattered from Egypt and Assyria; they will walk in his name.
Key verses in Zechariah 10
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Zechariah 10:1
The people are to ask the Lord for rain, who makes the clouds and gives vegetation to everyone. In a land that depended on rain, the text reminds us that provision comes from God and not from idols.
Zechariah 10:2
Idols and diviners speak nonsense and lies, and so the people wander like sheep without a shepherd. The lack of a true guide leads the people to seek answers in the wrong places.
Zechariah 10:6
The Lord promises to strengthen Judah and save the house of Joseph, and to bring them back out of compassion, as though he had never rejected them. Restoration springs from God's mercy, not from the people's merit.
Zechariah 10:12
The Lord will make his people strong in him, and they will walk in his name. The chapter ends with the idea of a life sustained by God and lived under his name.
Main themes
- Depending on God and not idols
- False shepherds and the true shepherd
- Compassion and restoration
- The return of the scattered
- Strength in the Lord
People and places
- The Lord
- The false shepherds
- The house of Judah
- The house of Joseph and Ephraim
- Egypt and Assyria
Zechariah 10 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. From whom are they to ask for rain?
Answer: From the Lord, who makes the storm clouds and gives rain to everyone. — Zechariah 10:1
2. What do the diviners say, according to the prophet?
Answer: They see lies, tell false dreams and give empty consolation. — Zechariah 10:2
3. Why do the people wander?
Answer: Because they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. — Zechariah 10:2
4. What will the Lord do with the house of Judah?
Answer: Care for it and make it like his majestic steed in battle. — Zechariah 10:3
5. Why will the Lord bring his people back?
Answer: Because he has compassion on them. — Zechariah 10:6
6. From which lands will he gather them?
Answer: From Egypt and Assyria. — Zechariah 10:10
Application for today
Zechariah 10 invites us to ask to whom we turn for answers and provision. Modern idols can be money, the advisers of the moment or easy promises. In a small group you can talk about where we look for security when drought comes and how to go back to asking the Lord.
The chapter also speaks of a people without a shepherd and a God who seeks them. Anyone who feels lost can remember that the Lord has compassion and gathers the scattered. And those who are charged with guiding others must remember that the flock belongs to God.
Zechariah 10 shows the Lord punishing false shepherds and gathering his sheep with compassion. Chapter 11 changes tone in a surprising way: the prophet acts out the part of a shepherd rejected by the flock and receives a payment of thirty pieces of silver.
Frequently asked questions about Zechariah 10
Whom do the shepherds and the male goats refer to?
To the rulers and guides of the people, who in the Bible are often called shepherds. The Lord rebukes them for abandoning his flock. The male goats are a picture of leaders who go ahead of the flock.
Who is Joseph in verse 6?
It is a name for the northern tribes, who descend from Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh. Together with Judah, it stands for all Israel: the Lord promises to restore both houses.