Prophecy 29 of 30 · Suffering
They will look on me whom they pierced
God pours out a spirit of grace on Jerusalem: "They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son."
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Hebrew · Leningrad Codexעִבְרִית
10וְשָׁפַכְתִּי֩ עַל־בֵּ֨ית דָּוִ֜יד וְעַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם ר֤וּחַ חֵן֙ וְתַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים וְהִבִּ֥יטוּ אֵלַ֖י אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָ֑רוּ וְסָפְד֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ עַל־הַיָּחִ֔יד וְהָמֵ֥ר עָלָ֖יו כְּהָמֵ֥ר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃veshafakhti al-bet david ve'al yoshev yerushalam ruach chen vetachanunim vehibbitu elay et asher-dakaru vesafdu alav kemisped al-hayyachid vehamer alav kehamer al-habbekhor
JPS 1917 · Jewish translation
10And I will pour upon the house of David, And upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplication; And they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through; And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, And shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.
World Messianic Bible
10I will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn.I will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10. Transliteration simplified. Read the whole chapter
Fulfilment · New CovenantWMB
John 19:34-37 However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe. For these things happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.” Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.”
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
How rabbinic tradition reads it
The Talmud (Sukkah 52a) applies it to Messiah son of Joseph, who will be killed, and the mourning to Israel mourning him.
Why Messianic Jews read it as Yeshua
God speaks of himself ("me") as the one pierced, then the people mourn for "him". John saw this when a soldier pierced Yeshua's side.
Look at the text for yourself
Read Zechariah 12:10 slowly, in the Hebrew and the JPS translation above. Then ask the question the Ethiopian official asked: "Who is the prophet talking about?"
Sources
- Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), via OpenScriptures. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).