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Look on me, the one they have pierced

Last updated 6/11/15 this study is eleven pages long
Some say that because God says he is the one "they have pierced" in Zechariah 12:10 and Jesus was pierced on the
cross, this passage therefore means that God must be Jesus.
I will show that this interpretation is incorrect and that Zechariah 12:10 does NOT show Jesus to be God.
Unbelievably I will identify four different translations, all with their own theological support from experts in theology
and Hebrew. Besides these four translations there is the fulfillment in John 19:37 along with a figurative
understanding that have to be considered.
Whether you agree or disagree, in part or in whole, big or small, please email me any feedback to help improve this
study. I would also appreciate any help with its logic, grammar, typos, editing etc.
Before analyzing the passage in question in Zechariah 12:10, and the relationship of Christ with God, I am going to
provide some evidence that has to be taken into account when interpreting our passage.
"Its hard to find an accurate printed translation of Zechariah 12:10, both because the verse is so theologically
charged and because the Hebrew is complex."
Part 1 The Actual Hebrew Text Order
Part 2A First Translation Variation
Part 2B Second Translation Variation
Part 2C Third Translation Variation
Part 2D Fourth Translation Variation
Part 3 Zechariah 12
Part 4 Zechariah 13
Part 5 Zechariah 14
Part 6 The invasion of Jerusalem
Part 7A Translation Variations John 19:37
Part 7B John 19:37 in context
Part 8 Figuratively Pierced
Part 9 Revelation 1:7
Part 10 The Early Christian Writers

Part 1 The Actual Hebrew Text Order

This passage is from the ESV
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace
and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as
one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn
The Hebrew words are as follows.
chen tachanuwn nabat el ani et
aser daqar sapad
al
hu
misped al
yahid
H2580 H8469
H5027 H413 H589 H853 H834 H1856 H5594 H5921H1931 H4553 H5921 H3173
grace supplication look to
me
that pierce mourning for his mourns for only child
Word count
H413 el: 5512: to 3795, NIB 568, one another 279, into 226, against 162, on 110, in 97, at 80, toward 73, upon 57
H589 ani 8644: my 3829, me 2992, I 1247, NIB 229, My 226, I have 102, mine 86, myself 59, will you 8, him 5,

H853 et 10,979: 10,366 NIB, with 75, one another 64,

H834 aser 5502: that 3656, who 1450, which 1277, as, whom, what, where, because, when, whose, etc
H5921 al 5772: on 1337, NIB 688, from 562, against 542, over, therefore, upon, to
H1931 hu 18,722: his 2955, him 1996, NIB 1108, it 1013, her, its, he, that,
Summary:
I have taken the Hebrew text order from the ESV (it may be different elsewhere).
For the four words "el ani et aser" I did a word search and used the most popular definition underneath Strong's
numbers. I also did the same for "al" and "hu." Because "et" is usually NIB, not in Bible, I also left it blank.
From a layman's point of view it is understandable to see how a translator might be swayed to use either of the
following four variations of translation, all of which have theological and Hebrew experts to support them.

Part 2A First Translation Variation.

As stated there are four variations of this sentence that the English translators have written. This first group says the
LORD God will be pierced and they, other people, will mourn for another. This type of translation is used to support
the idea that because Jesus was pierced with a spear on the cross he is the LORD God and he is also another at the
same time. This is the most popular translation by far, perhaps 75% of the translations have it this way.
Look on God who is pierced, they mourn for another.
Darby Zech 2:10 and they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him
ESV Zech 12:10 when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him
ASV, AV, DR, HCSB, KJV, LEB, NASB, NET, NIV, NKJV, NLT, NRSV, TNIV are all very similar.
These translations are saying "they shall look upon "me" whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for "him."
While this might look like the version closest to the original Hebrew text, it doesn't make grammatical, or logical
sense. The people are looking upon the pierced person, "me," but mourning for someone else altogether, "him." It
would also seem strange that YHWH would change from referring to Himself in the first person, "me", to referring to
Himself in the third person, "him", in the very same breath.
In regards to the Trinitarian point of view where the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son are all YHWH God but are
not each other. This viewpoint in this sentence does not add up because of the following problems.
The speaker is YHWH God, "me" refers to YHWH God. Therefore "him" cannot in the same sentence also refer to
YHWH God because that would be two YHWH God's and all agree there is only one YHWH God.
From another angle, if "him" is Jesus who is YHWH God then "me" cannot also be Jesus who is YHWH God.
The two pronouns "me" and "him" cannot refer to the same entity simultaneously since Zechariah is speaking about
two distinct entities. If we say "me" refers to the Father, it was not the Father but the son who was pierced!
It is also difficult to understand how YHWH God can go from calling himself "I" then "me" then "him" even if we are
Trinitarian.
From the point of view that Jesus is God, but not in the Trinitarian way, this still has the following problems.
We still have "me" being pierced and "him" being mourned for.
Summary:
I have read many Christian websites to try and find a concise explanation of how this passage is interpreted to mean
God is both "me" and "him," but either they are rambling and nonsensical (to me) or they try to explain it so briefly
that they explain nothing.
I really would like to assess a good explanation that would be in two parts. The first part would show how the people
of the time understood it, and the second part would show what it now means.

Part 2B Second Translation Variation:

The second group of possibilities is where the same person that is pierced is also mourned for. This group accounts
for around 20% of the translations I reviewed.
Look on Another who is Pierced and mourned for:
CEV Zech 12:10 when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him
NAB Zech 12:10 they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him
NABR Zech 12:10 when they look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him
NLV Zech 12:10 They will look on Him Whose side they cut. They will cry in sorrow for Him
NRSV Zech 12:10 when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him,
NRSVA Zech 12:10 when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him,
NRSVACE Zech 12:10 when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him,
RSV Zech 12:10 when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him
RSVCE Zech 12:10 when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him
TEV Zech 12:10 they will look at the one they stabbed to death
TLB Zech 12:10 They will look on him they pierced, and mourn for him as for an only son,
The supporting evidence for "him" they pierced can be found in other passages that render the original Hebrew word
H589/ani to "him" rather than "me." They are
Genesis 16:13 Truly here I have seen him (H589) who looks after me.
Job 19:19 If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? (H589)
Job 19:28 The root of the matter is found in him, (H589)
Ecclesiastes 2:25 is from the hand of God, for who apart from him (H589) can eat or have enjoyment
Jeremiah 31:3 the LORD appeared to him (H589) from far away
All of these passages only make sense being translated the way they are quoted here.
A third person rendering of "his" for Hebrew H589/ani is in Psalm 24:4, Psalm 36:1, Jeremiah 23:18
A third person rendering of "you" for Hebrew H589/ani is in Job 7:20, Jeremiah 17:13, Jonah 2:3
A third person rendering of "he" for Hebrew H589/ani is in Ezekiel 43:3, Jonah 2:2, Micah 7:9,
Summary:
The flow of this sentence from the RSV and others makes logical sense. God is speaking, another is pierced and that
other is mourned for. On the face of it this should be how it is written, but many claim it doesn't match up with the
original texts. Many claim that "me" and "him" must be written that way. As we can see from several OT passages the
word H589/ani can certainly be translated to the third person, it can certainly be translated as "him." Because of this
evidence, despite the fact that H589/ani is usually translated to the first person singular "me," the rendering of "him"
is in line with the original Hebrew text if we take the given examples as being correct.

Part 2C Third Translation Variation:

The third group of translations is when the people look to "me God" but "concerning" another who was pierced.
CEB Zech 12:10 They will look to me concerning the one whom they pierced; they will mourn over him
JPS 1917 Zech 12:10 they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through
The issue here is the word "concerning," or "because," how do we justify it being here? The following passage is
taken from www.TheJewishHome.org
There is yet another serious problem with common Christian renditions of this verse, one that stems from
a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Hebrew language and its idioms. At issue is the
mistranslation of the Hebrew expression
( ET aSHER-daQAru) found at Zechariah 12:10B(i),

the correct translation of which is: because of (or, concerning) him who they pierced [or, alternatively,
because of (or, concerning) the ones who they pierced]. The Hebrew words ( ET) [ when in a
hyphenated phrase] and
( aSHER) are ubiquitous in the Hebrew Bible. is a preposition that serves
as the marker of a definite direct object of a verb. In its root form, it is similar to the definite article the
in English. However, unlike the case of the English language, can be inflected, and thereby it becomes
the objective case of the respective pronoun, such as ( oTI), me (1st-person, singular, masculine or
feminine pronoun; as in "He taught me."), ( otCHA), you (2nd-person, singular, masculine pronoun;
as in "He taught you."), etc. The word may also serve as the preposition with, and it can be inflected in
that context as well, albeit differently, such as, ( iTI), with me, ( itCHA), with you, etc. The
Hebrew word
( aSHER) is a conjunction, a part of speech that connects other words or phrases.
can
mean that or which, who or whom, because or for, as to or regarding, and it may take on other
meanings
when combined with prepositions. and
also combine into the phrase
( ET aSHER) [also .[

This phrase, too, can take on several different meanings, as the grammatical
syntax of a sentence, or verse, dictates. The major difference between the term and the phrase

is that the preposition adds new specificity, since it is the marker of a definite direct object of the verb,
and the particular translation depends on the context of the specific passage. In the case of Zechariah
12:10B(i),
the phrase
who] [verb], or
must be read as, because of/concerning/regarding him [or them] that [or
simply because [verb] him [or them], but not just as whom or the one, which is common
among Christian
translations.
Evidence to support this idea is in 1 Samuel 30:23 where "et aser" becomes "with what" in the ESV and others.
It is becomes "with that which" in the Darby, ASV, AV and others
Because I am not an expert in the Hebrew language I am unable to argue in favor or against this information. It is
here to show that this variation of Zechariah 12:10 has strong support. This quoted passage also applies to P2D.
Summary:
This translation "they will look to me concerning the one they have pierced" makes sense, but with the imminent
siege it seems strange that the mourning would be aimed at only one person who was pierced when there must have
been many. Perhaps it was a spiritual leader.

Part 2D Fourth Translation Variation:

The fourth translation is where the people look to God concerning a group, to "those" and to "them" who are slain
rather than the traditional pierced. Pierced would have fit well in this scenario. These are Jewish translations of the
OT rather than from complete translations of the entire bible.
Art scroll Tanakh Zech 12:10 they will look toward Me, because of those whom they have stabbed
Tanakh Zech 12:10 they shall lament to Me about those who are slain, wailing over them
Jerusalem Zech 12:10 they shall look towards me, regarding those whom the nations have thrust through
Judaica Press NACH Zech 12:10 they shall look to me because of those who have been thrust through
JPS Zech 2:10 they shall lament to Me about those who are slain, wailing over them as over a favorite son
and showing bitter grief as over a first-born."
Jews who were slain while defending something precious to them their country, their city, and, perhaps
also their faith. Those who fell in the battle were the ones described as having been "slain" or "thrust
through" or "pierced" with the swords and spears of soldiers from the attacking nations. In other words, this
verse describes an historical event from the general Biblical era around which this account was written.
Summary:
The chapters 12-14 say that two thirds would die, women raped and so forth. This variation of Zechariah 12:10
saying "they shall lament to me about those who are slain" makes the most sense both logically and biblically, if not
textually. There was a siege prophesied as imminent which would include a battle and many deaths and much

mourning. Many would be pierced and the mourning would be great. However the issue with this variation is how it
matches to the original text

Part 2E All translation variations together

The original text from Part 1 is listed here alongside all of the four different translation variations
Hebrew
nabat el
ani
et
aser daqar sapad
al hu
misped al
yahid
Strong's
H5027 H413 H589
H853 H834 H1856 H5594 H5921H1931 H4553 H5921 H3173
Popular
look to
me
that pierce mourning for his mourns for only child
P2A when they look on
me, on him whom
they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns
P2B They will look on him
they pierced, and mourn for him as
for an only son
P2C They will look to
me concerning the one whom they pierced; they will mourn over him like the
P2D they shall lament to
Me about
those who are slain, wailing over them as over a favorite son
Summary:
This summary of Parts 2A-D shows that on the face of it
P2A Seems the closest to the text, but doesn't make sense.
P2B Makes sense, but the word H589/ani has changed from the first person to the third person
P2C Makes sense, but the word "concerning" is an addition to the original text
P2D Makes sense, but the word "about" is an addition. Single "him" is now plural "them."
Did this passage have to make sense to the people at the time, to the author and the readers? If you like P2A the
answer is no, otherwise the answer is yes.

Part 3 Zechariah 12:1-14

The context of chapter12.
Zechariah 12:1 The oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who
stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:
2 Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of
Jerusalem will also be against Judah.
4 On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the
sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with
blindness.
10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for
mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one
mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of
Megiddo.
12 The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by
themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;
13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by
itself, and their wives by themselves;
14 and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Vs2The future siege of Jerusalem is revealed
Vs2 The siege is about to happen, this was imminent.
Vs4 "That day" is written seventeen times from chapters 12-14
This is said to have far fulfillment in the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16:16 and 19:19
Vs10 Analyzed earlier.
Vs10 It is obvious that the people "they" who will pierce that man will not be the same people "they" who will mourn
his death. "They" who will pierce him will be his enemies, who will be wanting to kill him, so that, for those who will

pierce him his death will be reason for rejoicing and not for mourning. "They," the people of Israel, the death of that
man will be reason for mourning.
Vs11 Quote BKC: The mourning stated in vs10 is likened to the mourning on the day when godly King Josiah, the
last hope of the fading Judean nation, was slain by Pharaoh Neco II, at Hadad Rimmon, traditionally identified as a
village near Jezreel, in the plain of Megiddo (cf. 2 Chron. 35:2027).
Vs12 David had a son Nathan, and there was a prophet at that time called Nathan
Vs13 Levi had a grandson named Shimei. The Shimeites are listed as a clan in Numbers 3:21
Summary:
The general theme of Zechariah 12 is an imminent future siege of the times coming on Jerusalem.
Vs2 "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem" the siege was imminent

Part 4 Zechariah 13
Zechariah 13:2 And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from
the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets
and the spirit of uncleanness.
7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the LORD of
hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left
alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, They are my people;
and they will say, The LORD is my God.
Vs2 The names of the idols from those times do not exist in modern culture, not even remembered.
Vs2 The false prophets of the idols will be no more.
Vs7 It seems that God is orchestrating the invaders to come against His people in Jerusalem
Vs8 Sixty percent of the people would not survive the onslaught
Vs9 The remainder of the people would have a very difficult time
Summary:
The general theme of Zechariah 13 continues in the same vein, a prediction of the imminent onslaught.

Part 5 Zechariah 14
Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in
your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses
plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not
be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the
Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount
shall move northward, and the other half southward.
5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And
you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God
will come, and all the holy ones with him
Vs1 The peoples belongings will be divided
Vs2 The women will be raped
Vs3 The LORD will go out and fight, will also not be happening on Judgment Day.

Vs4 God will fight for the people

Vs5 The people will flee to the hills
The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem
shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate,
and from the Tower of Hananel to the kings winepresses.
11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell
in security.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against
Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets,
and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of
another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after
year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.
21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may
come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the
house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
10

Vs10 The land turned to a plain, but Jerusalem shall survive

Vs12 There is nothing predicted regarding the Day of Judgment that says people will rot.
Vs13 The people will fight one another
Vs16 Since this prophecy was fulfilled, Zechariah tells us that people have gone to Jerusalem year after year.
Vs16 The Feast of Booths, is the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. A Jewish seven day pilgrimage to the temple in
Jerusalem that happens in September or October annually. See Leviticus 23:34-43.
Vs21 This was coming to fulfillment very soon
Summary:
The prophecy of the siege continues confirming it was about to happen. There can be no doubt that his happened
during those days that immediately followed.
Because the siege happened in the days of Zechariah, or shortly thereafter, then Zechariah 12:10 had to make
sense to the people of those times. Therefore any explanation or interpretation has to be able to include how it
made sense in those days.

Part 6 The invasions on Jerusalem.

The context points plainly to some historical event in the prophet's own time, for which the people would eventually
feel that sorrow described in chapters 12-14 .
I am unable to locate and date the prophesied OT siege predicted which is strange considering the weight and
length of this prophecy.
509BC The Roman Republic was traditionally thought to have been founded at this time. There must have been a
time when the Romans conquered Jerusalem in some way between when they came to power and AD30.
It is said that the situation is written about in the book of Maccabees, which may be possible.
Summary:
I have not confirmed the biblical records of the predicted siege from Zechariah 12-14.

Part 7A John 19:37 Translation Variations

The passage from Zechariah 12:10 is quoted in John 19:37, this should confirm the Old Testament.

John 19:37 And again another scripture says, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Darby, ASV, AV, DR, ESV, GW, HCSB, ISV, KJV, LEB, NET, NASB, NCV, NIRV, NIV, NLT, RSV,
All the translations quoted said virtually the same thing, either "look on him," or "look at the person," "look at the
one," "look to him," and all say he was "pierced" or sometimes "stabbed."
It is amazing that each translation listed, except the RSV, quote Zechariah 12:10 as saying that the one
that was pierced was "him" or "the one" etc and all in lower case. They all, except the RSV, do not match with
their own OT rendering of Zechariah 12:10 where they say look on "Me" they have pierced. Each one of the NT
translations have not matched up with their own quotation which shows that something is wrong. I have not been
able to find one translation of John 19:39 that says look on "Me" they have pierced. If that was the way the
original translation was written, then there should be several translations that would quote it that way in the NT.
Additionally none of the translations have capitalized "him" in order to signify they were referring to God.
On the other hand, if the RSV and others are correct in its OT rendering of the passage then it would make perfect
sense that they would quote it the way they do in their NT.
Quote: If one takes the position that the Holy Spirit inspired each and every word which John wrote, then
one also must insist that the Holy Spirit is confirming to us which reading of Zechariah 12:10 is the correct
reading. Otherwise, one must then conclude the Holy Spirit inspired John to quote a mistaken reading of
Zechariah 12:10. Unless of course someone is able to show that all of the NT translations are incorrect.
This viewpoint might be the view of some, however it is my understanding and findings that a lot of NT
quotations are often more "loose" than "exact," and so I don't fully support this quote. However John is in direct
opposition to the Trinitarian type understanding of Zechariah 12:10 which is extremely important to consider.
It is also interesting that John didn't quote more of Zechariah where the people would mourn for a firstborn etc
There must have been good reason for it.
Summary:
The NT account in John 19:37 answers the dilemma regarding the rendering of Zechariah
12:10. Therefore "him"
who was pierced in the NT confirms it was lower case "him" who was pierced in the OT. Just
as the RSV
have it.

Part 7B John 19:33-37 in Context.

Zechariah 2:10 is quoted in John 19:37.
John 19:33-37 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
35 He who saw it has borne witnesshis testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truththat
you also may believe.
36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken.
37 And again another Scripture says, They will look on him whom they have pierced.
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and
took away his body.
Vs33-34 The Roman soldiers came and pierced the side of Jesus
Vs35 John confirms he saw it, and he wrote this passage
Vs36 John quotes Psalm 34:20, "not a bone of his will be broken." This is a reference to a human being and John

quotes this verse along with Zechariah 12:10. It is plainly evident that John had humanity, not divinity, in mind
then he quotes these two verses. In other words, John quoted both of these passages in reference to Jesus as a
man. John 19:36 implies that there is no possibility that John himself perceived Zechariah 12:10 as
referring to Jesus as Yahweh in any respect.
Vs37 Look on him whom they have pierced.
John when writing this passage did not think, or write, "me" meaning that God had been pierced.
The translators of the NT, when interpreting the OT, did not think that God had been pierced
OT: They (the people) will look on him (God's servant) whom they (those attacking Jerusalem) have pierced.
NT: They (the people) will look on him (Jesus) whom they (the Roman soldiers) have pierced.
John only quotes one small part of Zechariah 12, where as in Revelation 1 he quotes more and includes the
references to mourning etc

Part 8 Pierced is Figurative

If "Me who was pierced" is the correct rendering of Zechariah 2:10, it is certainly the case that God was "pierced" in
a figurative way when Jesus was crucified just as in the following passages others were "pierced" figuratively. In the
days of Zechariah, if the LORD God was the "me" who was pierced it would have been understood at that time to be
in a figurative sense only, not literally.
Of course, God cannot be literally pierced. The idea of piercing God expresses the fact that Israel stands in
a very special relationship to God among all the nations of the earth. God identifies with his people to the
degree that He takes part figuratively in the nations destiny. To attack (pierce) Israel is to attack God. That
is why God says: Me whom they have pierced even though it is the people of Israel and not God
who is
actually pierced. Accordingly, Isaiah says of Gods relationship to Israel: In all their affliction He was afflicted
(Isaiah 63:9), and in Psalms 83:2-6 we see that the nations which hate God manifest that hatred by seeking to
destroy the Jewish people.
Christian commentators, in their confusion, equate the Me with the him of verse 10 and refer both to
Jesus. Grammatically, the Me and the him cannot refer to the same individual. The only admissible
interpretation is, as stated above, that the Gentile nations shall look to God, whom they have attacked by
the persecution, death, and general suffering they inflicted on the nation of Israel (him), whose dead will
be mourned by the surviving Jewish people.
2 Kings 18:21Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the
of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him

hand

Egypt will "pierce the hand of any man who leans on it."
Isaiah 36:6 Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any
man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
This verse is identical to 2 Kings 18:21 except the word "now" is missing from after "trusting."
Egypt is a country, a figurative reed that could figuratively pierce a person's hand.
Lamentations 4:9 Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, who wasted away,
pierced by lack of the fruits of the field.
The people were pierced figuratively by the lack of food
Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for
the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be
revealed.

Simeon is talking to Mary and tells her that "a sword will pierce through your own soul," not meaning in a
physical sense but figuratively
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have
wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Those who have fallen away from the faith, have figuratively pierced themselves with pangs!
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart
The bible can figuratively pierce a person's heart
Summary:
2 Kings 18:21 Egypt will figuratively pierce the hand of any man who leans on it.
Isaiah 36:6 Again, Egypt will figuratively pierce the hand of any man who leans on it.
Lamentations 4:9 The people were figuratively pierced by the lack of food
Luke 2:35 Simeon tells Mary that a sword will figuratively pierce her soul.
1 Timothy 6:10 People figuratively pierce themselves with pangs
Hebrews 4:12 The bible can figuratively pierce a person's heart.
Thus Scripture gives us evidence that, if Zechariah said, they will look on (or unto, or to) "me" who they have
pierced, then he was saying that Gods heart would be pierced. If me is the true reading in Zechariah 12:10,
then the Bible tells us that both the hearts of God the Father of the Messiah and Mary the mother of the Messiah
were pierced when Jesus their Son was tortured and killed.
This is a very legitimate understanding and interpretation of Zechariah 12:10 regarding both what it meant at the
time of writing and what it later meant during the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Part 9 Revelation 1:7

Revelation 1:4-8 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and
who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all
tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the
Almighty.
Vs4 John is writing, Grace from God and the seven spirits
Vs5 AND from Jesus Christ.
Vs6 Jesus made us priests to his God. Jesus has a God
Vs7 Jesus was pierced, the prayer ends.
Vs8 God is the Alpha and the Omega.
Summary:
John writes Revelation 1:7 confirming his prior belief that it was "him," Jesus, who was pierced not "me,"
YHWH God.

Part 10 The early Christian Writers

The following texts are those taken from the internet and may or may not be true.
The testimony of the first Christian writers to come after the NT writers (the `Ante-Nicene Fathers')
confirms the non-trinitarian translation of Zechariah 12:10 ("him"). Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Tertullian
(repeatedly) rendered Zech. 12:10 as "him whom they pierced"! This is specially significant because
trinitarian scholars and historians claim these particular early Christians (including Origen who doesn't
quote Zech. 12:10 at all in his existing writings) are the very ones who actually began the development of
the trinity doctrine for Christendom! If any of the earliest Christian writers, then, would use a trinitarian
interpretation here, it would certainly be these three. Since they do not do so, it must mean that the source
for the `look upon me' translation originated even later than the time of Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Tertullian
(early 3rd century A.D.)!
Then also does the prophet in vain declare, They shall look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn
over themselves as over one beloved. (Ignatius, Letter to the Trallians (Long Recension), X
but the lamentation of the heart; and they shall rend not their garments, but their hearts. Tribe by tribe they
shall mourn, and then they shall look on Him whom they have pierced; and they shall say, Why, O Lord,
have You made us to err from Your way? The glory which our fathers blessed, has for us been turned into
shame. (Justin Martyr, First Apology, 52).
Summary:
These writings may be correct, and these early Christians may have said the statements quoted. However, they also
may not have said this along with the fact that it is not the word of God but of sinful people. This is here for those
who like to use the so called "Church Fathers" for their support.
Summaries and Final Conclusion:
Part 1 I have taken the Hebrew text order from the ESV (it may be different elsewhere).
For the four words "el ani et aser" I did a word search and used the most popular definition underneath
Strong's numbers. Because "et" is usually NIB, not in Bible, I also left it blank. I also did the same for "al"
and "hu."
From a layman's point of view it is understandable to see how a translator might be swayed to use either of
the following four variations of translation, all of which have theological and Hebrew experts to support them.
Part 2A I have read many Christian websites to try and find a concise explanation of how this passage is
interpreted to mean God is both "me" and "him," but either they are rambling and nonsensical (to me) or
they try to explain it so briefly that they explain nothing.
I really would like to assess a good explanation that would be in two parts. The first part would show how
the people of the time understood it, and the second part would show what it now means.
Part 2B The flow of this sentence from the RSV and others makes logical sense. God is speaking, another is
pierced and that other is mourned for. On the face of it this should be how it is written, but many claim it
doesn't match up with the original texts. Many claim that "me" and "him" must be written that way. As we
can see from several OT passages the word H589/ani can certainly be translated to the third person, it can
certainly be translated as "him." Because of this evidence, despite the fact that H589/ani is usually
translated to
the first person singular "me," the rendering of "him" is in line with the original Hebrew text
if we take the given
examples as being correct.
Part 2C This translation "they will look to me concerning the one they have pierced" makes sense, but with the
imminent siege it seems strange that the mourning would be aimed at only one person who was pierced when
there must have been many. Perhaps it was a spiritual leader.

Part 2D The chapters 12-14 say that two thirds would die, women raped and so forth. This variation of Zechariah
12:10 saying "they shall lament to me about those who are slain" makes the most sense both logically and
biblically, if not textually. There was a siege prophesied as imminent which would include a battle and many
deaths and much mourning. Many would be pierced and the mourning would be great. However the
issue with
this variation is how it matches to the original text
Part 2E This summary of Parts 2A-D shows that on the face of it
P2A Seems the closest to the text, but doesn't make sense.
P2B Makes sense, but the word H589/ani has changed from the first person to the third person
P2C Makes sense, but the word "concerning" is an addition to the original text
P2D Makes sense, but the word "about" is an addition. Single "him" is now plural "them."
Did this passage have to make sense to the people at the time, to the author and the readers? If you like P2A
the answer is no, otherwise the answer is yes.
Part 3 The general theme of Zechariah 12 is an imminent future siege of the times coming on Jerusalem.
Vs2 "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem" the siege was imminent
Part 4 The general theme of Zechariah 13 continues in the same vein, a prediction of the imminent onslaught.
Part 5 The prophecy of the siege continues confirming it was about to happen. There can be no doubt that his
happened during those days that immediately followed. Because the siege happened in the days of
Zechariah, or shortly thereafter, then Zechariah 12:10 had to make sense to the people of those times.
Therefore any explanation or interpretation has to be able to include how it made sense in those days.
Part 6

I have not confirmed the biblical records of the predicted siege from Zechariah 12-14.

Part 7A The NT account in John 19:37 answers the dilemma regarding the rendering of
Zechariah 12:10. Therefore "him" who was pierced in the NT confirms it was lower
case "him" who was pierced in the OT. Just as the RSV have it.
Part 8 Thus Scripture gives us evidence that, if Zechariah said, they will look on (or unto, or to) "me" who they
have pierced, then he was saying that Gods heart would be pierced. If me is the true reading in
Zechariah 12:10, then the Bible tells us that both the hearts of God the Father of the Messiah and Mary the
mother of the Messiah were pierced when Jesus their Son was tortured and killed. This is a very legitimate
understanding and interpretation of Zechariah 12:10 regarding both what it meant at the time of writing and
what it later meant during the fulfillment of the prophecy.
Part 9

John writes Revelation 1:7 confirming his prior belief that it was "him," Jesus, who was pierced not "me,"
YHWH God.

Part 10 These writings may be correct, and these early Christians may have said the statements quoted. However,
they also may not have said this along with the fact that it is not the word of God but of sinful people. This
is here for those who like to use the so called "Church Fathers" for their support.
Final Conclusion:
The fact that there are four different translations all with their own theological and Hebrew scholars probably means
that getting to the bottom of this debate is not going to happen based only on the OT. There is the additional argument
that "me" who was pierced can easily be applied to God in a figurative sense both in the OT and in the NT. The
deciding factor is that John 19:37 says they will look on "him" they have pierced when quoting Zechariah, this is
where the argument ends for all of us that believe the NT is the word of God.
Therefore nothing in Zechariah 12:10 says that Jesus is God.