Zechariah 9:11
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The verse emphasizes that God's deliverance of His people from their "waterless pit"—a place of hopelessness and utter despair—is fundamentally rooted in the "blood of the covenant." This isn't just a historical promise; it points to the ultimate ratification of God's promises through the sacrifice of Christ, who secures our freedom from spiritual bondage by the shedding of His blood.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After promising a conquering King who will bring peace and justice, God turns to address Jerusalem directly. He assures her that, in addition to this coming King's dominion, she will also experience deliverance. This deliverance is rooted in the covenant God made with her, a covenant historically ratified by blood and ultimately fulfilled through the atoning sacrifice that sets captives free.
This verse speaks of prisoners being freed from a dry, deep pit. Was this just about ancient exiles, or is there a deeper meaning?
Zechariah is painting a picture of profound liberation for Zion (Jerusalem and its people). While it certainly echoes the historical release from Babylonian captivity, the commentators highlight that the "prisoners" and the "pit" represent more than just physical circumstances. The "pit wherein is no water" is a vivid image of utter despair, hopelessness, and a place where life itself seems impossible. This imagery is used to symbolize the dire straits of God's people, whether in exile, under oppression, or even in a state of spiritual bondage. The release isn't just a political or physical event; it points to a rescue from a desperate condition that affects the very soul.
The verse mentions 'the blood of my covenant' as the reason for liberation. What does this blood signify, and how does it set prisoners free?
The phrase 'by the blood of my covenant' is the absolute linchpin of this promise. Commentators emphasize that this isn't just about the Old Covenant made at Sinai, sealed with the blood of animal sacrifices. While that covenant established God's relationship with Israel and served as a pledge, it ultimately pointed forward. This 'blood of the covenant' finds its ultimate fulfillment in the blood of Jesus Christ. It's His sacrifice that inaugurates and confirms the New Covenant, providing the basis for God to liberate His people not just from physical captivity, but from the bondage of sin and spiritual death. The blood is the divine currency that pays the price for freedom.
Understand the original words
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dam berit · Hebrew Noun phrase
The sacrificial life-blood shed to ratify a formal, binding agreement between God and His people, signifying atonement and reconciliation. In biblical theology, it points forward to the blood of Christ.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term for a formal, solemn commitment or relationship established by God with humans, involving mutual obligations or divine promises, often sealed by sacrifice.
bor · Hebrew Noun
A place of deep distress, Sheol, or an underground cistern used as a dungeon; metaphorically representing a place of extreme hopelessness, death, or exile.
This verse speaks of liberation rooted in God's covenant faithfulness. While it directly echoes the return from Babylonian exile initiated by Cyrus's decree, its deeper resonance points to God's enduring commitment, even through subsequent oppressions and ultimately fulfilled in Christ's redemptive work.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Jehoiakim, the first wave of Jewish exiles, including young nobles like Daniel, were taken to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's armies conquered Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and deported the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This was a devastating blow to the Judean nation.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonian empire. This event set the stage for the return of the Jewish exiles.
538 BC— this verse
Cyrus's Edict of Return
Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This fulfilled prophecies and offered a path back to their homeland.
c. 175-164 BC
Antiochus IV Epiphanes' Rule
This Seleucid ruler brutally oppressed the Jews, attempting to Hellenize them and desecrate the Temple. This period led to the Maccabean Revolt.
This passage describes the ratification of the Mosaic Covenant with blood, directly linking to the 'blood of my covenant' mentioned in Zechariah, highlighting the established agreement between God and His people.
Jeremiah 38:6This verse depicts Jeremiah being cast into a 'cistern' or 'pit' where he sank into the mud and lacked water, vividly illustrating the 'waterless pit' imagery of desperate imprisonment and suffering found in Zechariah.
Hebrews 9:15This New Testament passage explains Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant, established through His own blood, which provides redemption from transgressions committed under the first covenant. This connects the 'blood of my covenant' to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's sacrifice.
Isaiah 51:14This verse speaks of the captive being quickly released from death and not going down to the pit, echoing the theme of liberation from a place of despair and impending doom that Zechariah 9:11 describes.
Psalm 40:2David's cry of deliverance from a 'horrible pit' and 'miry clay' powerfully mirrors the imagery of being pulled out of a desperate, hopeless situation that Zechariah's 'waterless pit' conveys.
jfbZechariah 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."
- As for thee also—that is, the daughter of Zion," or "Jerusalem" (Zec 9:9): the theocracy. The "thee also," in contradistinction to Messiah spoken of in Zec 9:10, implies that besides cutting off the battle-bow and extending Messiah's "dominion to the ends of the earth," God would also deliver for her her exiled people from their foreign captivity.by the blood…
barnesZechariah 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."
As for thee also - The prophet turns from the deliverance of the whole world to the former people, the sorrows which they should have in the way, and the protection which God would bestow upon them for the sake of Him, who, according to the flesh, was to be born of them. "Thou too;" he had spoken of the glories of the Church, such as her king, when He should come,…
The verse emphasizes that God's deliverance of His people from their "waterless pit"—a place of hopelessness and utter despair—is fundamentally rooted in the "blood of the covenant." This isn't just a historical promise; it points to the ultimate ratification of God's promises through the sacrifice of Christ, who secures our freedom from spiritual bondage by the shedding of His blood.
After promising a conquering King who will bring peace and justice, God turns to address Jerusalem directly. He assures her that, in addition to this coming King's dominion, she will also experience deliverance. This deliverance is rooted in the covenant God made with her, a covenant historically ratified by blood and ultimately fulfilled through the atoning sacrifice that sets captives free.
After promising a conquering King who will bring peace and justice, God turns to address Jerusalem directly. He assures her that, in addition to this coming King's dominion, she will also experience deliverance. This deliverance is rooted in the covenant God made with her, a covenant historically ratified by blood and ultimately fulfilled through the atoning sacrifice that sets captives free.
"As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit." — The verse emphasizes that God's deliverance of His people from their "waterless pit"—a place of hopelessness and utter despair—is fundamentally rooted in the "blood of the covenant." This isn't just…
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Last reviewed October 2026
