Zechariah 12:11
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse points to a future, profound sorrow in Jerusalem, so intense it will eclipse even the legendary national grief for King Josiah, who was slain in battle. It's a powerful image suggesting that the deep regret of that day will surpass any sorrow they've ever known, even when mourning their greatest king.
This verse arrives in a prophecy describing a future outpouring of grief in Jerusalem. Just before, God promises to pour out a spirit of grace and supplication, leading His people to look on Him whom they pierced. This verse then declares the intense, widespread nature of that repentance, comparing it to the deepest national sorrow the Jews had ever experienced: the mourning for their beloved King Josiah after he was killed in battle.
Zechariah uses a powerful comparison to describe the sorrow that will grip Jerusalem. What makes this event so significant that it becomes the benchmark for all future grief?
This verse points to a future day when the people of Jerusalem will experience an unparalleled depth of mourning. To grasp the intensity, the prophet references a historical event: the grief over King Josiah's death.
Josiah's Fall
Josiah was a beloved and righteous king who brought a period of spiritual revival to Judah. His death in battle at Megiddo was a devastating blow, not just to the royal family but to the entire nation. The mourning was so profound that it became a national lament, a benchmark for sorrow.
A Symbol of Loss
Jeremiah the prophet even composed dirges for Josiah, and these elegies were sung for generations, solidifying the event as a national tragedy. The loss of Josiah wasn't just the death of a king; it felt like the end of an era, a foreshadowing of the nation's impending collapse.
The text connects this immense grief to a specific event in Jerusalem's future. What sin could possibly evoke a sorrow greater than the death of a beloved king?
While the historical event of mourning for Josiah is the backdrop, Zechariah's prophecy points to a deeper, future grief. This intense lament is ultimately for the people's rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah.
The Ultimate Sin
Scholars suggest that the "great mourning" described here is not merely for national or personal tragedies, but for the profound sin of rejecting and killing God's Anointed One. The intensity of the grief is directly proportional to the magnitude of the offense – the shedding of innocent, divine blood.
A Future Repentance
This future mourning signifies a day of national repentance when the Jewish people will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah. They will grieve not only for their ancestors' actions but for their own participation in rejecting Him, understanding the immense spiritual loss this entailed.
Understand the original words
mispēḏ · Hebrew Noun
A period of grief or sorrow, often expressed through weeping, lamentation, and fasting, in response to death, national calamity, or personal repentance for sin. In a prophetic context, it can signify the spiritual turning of hearts toward God.
Yərūšālayim · Hebrew Noun
A phrase referring to the holy city of Jerusalem, which holds covenantal significance as the dwelling place of God's presence and the center of Israel's worship. In prophetic literature, it often represents the people of God and the future site of divine restoration.
The prophet Zechariah uses the profound national grief over King Josiah's death at Megiddo, an event deeply etched in Israel's memory, as a benchmark for an even greater, future mourning in Jerusalem. This future lamentation is understood to be for the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah, signifying a turning point for Israel.
c. 609 BC
Death of King Josiah
King Josiah, a beloved and righteous ruler, was fatally wounded in battle against Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt at Megiddo. This event plunged Judah into deep mourning, as Josiah was seen as the last hope for their declining kingdom.
c. 609 BC
National Lamentation for Josiah
The death of Josiah led to a profound national mourning. The prophet Jeremiah composed dirges for him, and the sorrow became an established, annually observed lament, remembered for generations.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
After a period of decline following Josiah's death, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, and many of its people were exiled. This marked a period of immense national grief and loss.
c. 516 BC
Return from Exile and Temple Rebuilding
Some Jews returned from Babylonian exile and began rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, yet the nation remained under foreign powers, continuing a complex period of hope and hardship.
This passage describes the actual historical mourning for King Josiah, which was so profound it became a national lament and a proverb, directly referenced by Zechariah as the benchmark for future grief.
Jeremiah 9:1This verse expresses a similar sentiment of overwhelming sorrow, with Jeremiah wishing he could weep constantly for the destruction and sin of his people, mirroring the intense grief Zechariah foretells.
Matthew 24:30This New Testament passage describes a future event where 'all the tribes of the earth shall mourn' when they see the Son of Man coming, paralleling Zechariah's prophecy of a future, universal mourning.
John 19:37This verse directly references Zechariah 12:10 (which precedes the verse in question) and connects the prophecy to the piercing of Jesus on the cross, implying the 'great mourning' in Zechariah is for the Messiah.
Acts 2:37After Peter's sermon proclaiming Jesus' crucifixion, the people's hearts were cut to the quick, and they cried out in repentance, demonstrating the kind of deep, personal grief Zechariah's prophecy anticipates for Israel.
bensonZechariah 12:11: "In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."
Zechariah 12:11-14 . In that day — When the Jews shall mourn for their sins, and for that great sin, the crucifying the Lord of glory; there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem — A mourning expressed by the greatest the Jews ever experienced, the mourning for Josiah slain in Hadadrimmon, a town in the valley of Megiddon. There the lamentations for that good p…
cambridgeZechariah 12:11: "In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."
11 . Hadadrimmon ] This is generally supposed, on the authority of Jerome, to have been a city near Jezreel, called in his day Maximinianopolis, in the valley of Megiddo, and the place where Josiah was fatally wounded by Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt. Both accounts of Josiah’s death state that it was “at,” or “in the valley of” Megiddo, that his wound was receive…
This verse points to a future, profound sorrow in Jerusalem, so intense it will eclipse even the legendary national grief for King Josiah, who was slain in battle. It's a powerful image suggesting that the deep regret of that day will surpass any sorrow they've ever known, even when mourning their greatest king.
This verse arrives in a prophecy describing a future outpouring of grief in Jerusalem. Just before, God promises to pour out a spirit of grace and supplication, leading His people to look on Him whom they pierced. This verse then declares the intense, widespread nature of that repentance, comparing it to the deepest national sorrow the Jews had ever experienced: the mourning for their beloved King Josiah after he was killed in battle.
This verse arrives in a prophecy describing a future outpouring of grief in Jerusalem. Just before, God promises to pour out a spirit of grace and supplication, leading His people to look on Him whom they pierced. This verse then declares the intense, widespread nature of that repentance, comparing it to the deepest national sorrow the Jews had ever experienced: the mourning for their beloved King Josiah after he was killed in battle.
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The prophecy details how this mourning will manifest – with families separating and grieving individually. What does this internal division reveal about the nature of true repentance?
Zechariah paints a vivid picture of this future mourning, emphasizing its pervasive and personal nature. It won't be a superficial, collective show of sorrow but a deeply individual and familial experience.
Personal Accountability
The text describes "every family apart, and their wives apart," even mentioning specific ancestral lines like the house of David and Levi. This suggests that while the nation mourns collectively, the burden of sin and the realization of its cost will be deeply personal.
Acknowledging Different Roles
Each family, even within the royal or priestly lines, will grapple with their unique connection to this sin. It points to a reckoning where individuals must confront their own part in rejecting the Messiah, leading to a profound, yet segmented, national repentance.
c. 400 BC - 397 BC— this verse
Zechariah's Ministry and Prophecy
Zechariah prophesied to the returned exiles, encouraging them to rebuild the Temple and offering visions of future hope and divine restoration for Jerusalem and its people.
c. AD 30 - 33
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth, whom many Jews believed to be the promised Messiah, was crucified in Jerusalem. This event is understood by many interpreters as the ultimate fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy of a great mourning.
"On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo." — This verse points to a future, profound sorrow in Jerusalem, so intense it will eclipse even the legendary national grief for King Josiah, who was slain in battle. It's a powerful image suggesting th…
