^2:8For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory⁹ he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil¹⁰ of his¹¹ eye. ^2:9“I am about to punish them¹² in such a way,” he says, “that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.

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Footnotes

9 Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar , ). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the Lord.
10 Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so , ). The pupil is one of the most vulnerable and valuable parts of the body, so for Judah to be considered the “pupil” of the Lord’s eye is to raise her value to an incalculable price (cf. “my most precious possession”).
11 A scribal emendation (tiqqun sopherim) has apparently altered an original “my eye” to “his eye” in order to allow the prophet to be the speaker throughout vv. 8–9. This alleviates the problem of the Lord saying, in effect, that he has sent himself on the mission to the nations.
12 Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so ); , “raise my hand against them.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For the Lord of Armies says this: “In pursuit of his glory, he sent me against the nations plundering you, for whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye. For look, I am raising my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own servants. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me.

NLTNew Living Translation

After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For thus said Yahweh of hosts, after glory he sent me against the nations plundering you: Truly, the one touching you is touching the apple of his eye. “Yes, look! I am going to wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their servants, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me.

KJV 1900King James Version

For thus saith the Lord of hosts;

After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you:

For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them,

And they shall be a spoil to their servants:

And ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.

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