Zechariah 9:17
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 10
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
מַה
H4100
מַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
טּוּב֖וֹ
For how great is his goodness
H2898
טּוּב֖וֹ
For how great is his goodness
Strong's:
H2898
Word #:
3 of 10
good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially goodness (superlative concretely, the best), beauty, gladness, welfare
וּמַה
H4100
וּמַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
4 of 10
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
בַּֽחוּרִ֔ים
shall make the young men
H970
בַּֽחוּרִ֔ים
shall make the young men
Strong's:
H970
Word #:
7 of 10
properly, selected, i.e., a youth (often collective)
וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ
and new wine
H8492
וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ
and new wine
Strong's:
H8492
Word #:
8 of 10
must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by implication (rarely) fermented wine
Cross References
Isaiah 33:17Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.Psalms 50:2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.Psalms 36:7How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.Psalms 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!Psalms 145:7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.Psalms 90:17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.Psalms 45:2Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.Exodus 15:11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?Song of Solomon 5:10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.Song of Solomon 7:9And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
Historical Context
Post-exilic Judah struggled economically during initial decades of return. Zechariah promises that faithful temple-rebuilding and covenant-keeping will result in restored agricultural blessing. This counters Haggai's contemporary warnings about failed harvests due to neglecting God's house (Haggai 1:6-11).
Questions for Reflection
- How do you cultivate wonder at God's goodness and beauty, not just His usefulness?
- What is the connection between recognizing God's glory and experiencing joy in His material provision?
- How does Jesus as the 'bread of life' and 'true vine' fulfill this prophecy's imagery of grain and wine?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! (כִּי מַה־טּוּבוֹ וּמַה־יָפְיוֹ)—dual exclamation emphasizes God's tuv (goodness, moral excellence) and yofi (beauty, aesthetic perfection). Biblical Hebrew rarely uses such extravagant praise, making this verse's double superlative noteworthy. God isn't merely functional (providing salvation); He is supremely desirable in Himself.
Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids—agricultural abundance symbolizes covenant blessing (Deuteronomy 7:13). Dagan (grain) and tirosh (new wine) represent comprehensive provision. The result is joy: young men and women flourishing under God's blessing. This points forward to messianic banquet imagery (Isaiah 25:6, Matthew 26:29) where material and spiritual blessings merge. True prosperity flows from knowing God's goodness and beauty.