Zechariah 9:11
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Immediate historical context addresses Jewish exiles. Though many returned from Babylon after Cyrus's decree (538 BC), multitudes remained scattered throughout the Persian Empire (Esther 3:8). Zechariah assures them that God hasn't forgotten them—by covenant faithfulness, He will continue bringing them back. The "blood of thy covenant" reminds them of Sinai's covenant ratification and assures that God's covenantal commitment remains despite their unfaithfulness.
Prophetic fulfillment extends beyond physical exile. Christ's blood inaugurates the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13), liberating captives from sin and death. The "pit wherein is no water" symbolizes humanity's hopeless condition apart from Christ—trapped in sin, facing death, without resources for escape. Romans 7:24 captures this: "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Christ's blood answers: He liberates prisoners, bringing them from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5), from darkness to light (Colossians 1:13), from Satan's domain to God's kingdom. The image of waterless pit contrasts with Christ offering "living water" (John 4:10-14)—He provides what the pit cannot: life-giving salvation.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding that our liberation was purchased "by the blood of thy covenant" deepen appreciation for Christ's sacrificial death?
- In what ways does the image of prisoners in a waterless pit accurately describe humanity's condition apart from Christ?
- How should covenant blood redemption shape our assurance of salvation and our response to feelings of spiritual captivity or hopelessness?
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Analysis & Commentary
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water—this verse transitions from describing Messiah's reign (verses 9-10) to addressing covenant people's redemption. The opening "As for thee also" (gam-at, גַּם־אַתְּ) personalizes the promise, directly addressing Zion/Israel. God Himself speaks: "I have sent forth" (shillachti, שִׁלַּחְתִּי), emphasizing divine initiative in liberation.
The basis is "by the blood of thy covenant" (be-dam beriteyikh, בְּדַם־בְּרִיתֵךְ), an astonishing phrase pointing to covenant ratification through blood sacrifice. This recalls Exodus 24:8 when Moses sprinkled blood on the people, declaring "Behold the blood of the covenant." Jesus explicitly quoted this at the Last Supper: "This is my blood of the new covenant" (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24). Zechariah prophetically connects Israel's deliverance to covenantal blood, ultimately fulfilled in Christ's blood that ratifies the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15-22; 10:29; 13:20).
"Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water" (asiraikh mi-bor eyn mayim bo, אֲסִירַיִךְ מִבּוֹר אֵין־מַיִם בּוֹ) describes desperate captivity. A dry cistern/pit was used for imprisonment—Joseph was cast into such a pit (Genesis 37:24), as was Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:6). Without water, these pits meant death. The imagery represents hopeless bondage—exile, spiritual death, or Satan's captivity. God's liberation is comprehensive: physical return from exile, spiritual deliverance from sin, and eschatological resurrection. Prisoners without hope are freed by covenant blood—the gospel's core message.