“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Zechariah 2:10 Mean?
God speaks directly to the daughter of Zion: sing. Rejoice. Because I am coming. And I will dwell in the midst of you. The promise isn't distant or conditional. It's imminent and personal. God is on His way, and when He arrives, He's staying.
"I come" (bo) is present tense in Hebrew — I am coming. The action is in motion. Not "I will come someday." I am on my way. Right now. The coming is active and the arrival is certain.
"I will dwell in the midst of thee" is the ultimate promise — the reversal of Ezekiel's vision of the glory departing. God left the temple. Now He's coming back. And this time, He's dwelling in the midst of the people, not in a building. The tabernacling of God with His people foreshadows John 1:14: the Word became flesh and "dwelt" (tabernacled) among us.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean to you that God's promise is 'I am coming' (present tense) rather than 'I will come someday'?
- 2.How does 'dwelling in the midst' differ from God being in a temple — and what does that change about access?
- 3.Does the connection between Zechariah's promise and John 1:14 (the incarnation) deepen how you read this verse?
- 4.What in your life right now deserves the response of singing and rejoicing because God is arriving?
Devotional
Sing. Rejoice. Because I'm coming. And when I get there, I'm staying.
This is one of the most tender and exciting promises in the prophets. God isn't issuing a command from a distance. He's announcing His arrival. I am coming. Present tense. Already in motion. Not eventually. Now.
And the purpose of the coming: to dwell. In the midst. Not above, not at a distance, not in a separate building behind a curtain. In the midst of you. Among you. With you. The God who departed from the temple in Ezekiel's vision is returning — and this time, the dwelling isn't in a structure. It's in the community. In the people. In the midst.
John heard this promise and saw its fulfillment: "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The Greek word for "dwelt" is eskēnōsen — literally "tabernacled." God pitched His tent in the middle of the camp. Zechariah's promise became Christmas. The coming God arrived as a baby in Bethlehem.
"Sing and rejoice" — the appropriate response to God's arrival isn't solemnity. It's celebration. When the God who left is coming back, when the dwelling is being restored, when the presence that departed is returning — you don't sit quietly. You sing.
He's coming. He's dwelling. Sing.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion,.... Or, "congregation of Zion", as the Targum paraphrases it; the Jewish church,…
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion - It is a great jubilee of joy, to which Zion is invited. Thrice beside is she…
I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord - This must chiefly refer to the Christian church, in which God ever…
Here is, I. Joy proclaimed to the church of God, to the daughter of Zion, that had separated herself from the daughter…
I will dwell in the midst of thee This prophecy had a fulfilment, when the Temple was rebuilt and the worship of God was…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture