And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication: The expression pour out … a spirit of is a metaphor based on the picture of a spirit as a liquid (compare Ezek 39.29; Joel 2.28). In some languages it will not be possible to maintain this picture, and translators will need to consider alternative approaches. Good News Translation, for instance, uses a somewhat different metaphor: “I will fill … with the spirit of mercy of…” (compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Another possibility is “I will inspire … with a spirit of…” (Bible en français courant). If such metaphors are not possible, translators could say “I will give … a spirit of [or, heart/liver of] ….” As a last resort, they could omit the reference to spirit entirely and say “I will make the descendants of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem feel deeply compassionate…” or “… have a willingness to be merciful to others and….”
The house of David again means the families descended from David, and in this context seems to stand for the ruling classes, as in verse 7 and 13.1. The inhabitants of Jerusalem means the rest of the people. The two phrases together then mean “the rulers and people of Jerusalem.”
There is general agreement that a spirit of here represents a human disposition or inclination, as often elsewhere. Compare for instance “the spirit of jealousy” (Num 5.14, 30), “the spirit of wisdom” (Deut 34.9), “a spirit of confusion” (Isa 19.14), and “a spirit of justice” (Isa 28.6).
There is less agreement on the meaning of the terms rendered compassion and supplication. In Hebrew they both derive from the same root. The first term is commonly translated “grace” and is often used of finding favor in the eyes of someone (for instance in Gen 39.4; Exo 33.12; Num 32.5). In this case however, it seems rather to refer to the ability to look upon others with favor. Thus it is rendered in modern versions as compassion (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version), “kindness” (Jerusalem Bible), “pity” (New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “mercy” (Good News Translation). Supplication (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version) may be addressed to people or to God. Here it probably refers to “prayer” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation) to God, which in this context is most likely prayer for forgiveness (compare 2 Chr 6.21; Psa 130.2-4). Translators could therefore express a spirit of compassion and supplication as “a willingness to show kindness to others and to ask pardon from God.” In some languages a longer expression of this kind may be unavoidable.
So that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him: The new attitude of kindness and repentance which the LORD gives to the rulers and people of Jerusalem causes them to change their attitude toward something they have apparently done in the past. What this is, however, is far from clear, and it is also uncertain whether the past is recent or more distant. The first problem is to decide what Hebrew text to translate. The traditional text says literally “they shall look unto me whom they have pierced…” (Revised Version). Since the speaker is the LORD, and “me” can refer only to him, this raises the question of how people could be said to pierce the LORD. Some modern translations, including Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version, translate a slightly different Hebrew text that yields they look on him whom … (compare John 19.37 and Rev 1.7, where the references to Zech 12.10 are grammatically adjusted to the New Testament context). This clearly makes easier sense, but it has no support among ancient versions, and such weak support in the Hebrew textual tradition that it is not even discussed in Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament or Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. Most modern commentators believe the traditional text (“unto me”) should be followed, despite its difficulty.
Some translators who accept the traditional text try to adjust the structure of the sentence to reduce the difficulty. Thus New International Version has “They will look on me, the one they have pierced…” (compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). This rendering gives the sense that the LORD is so closely identified with some human representative that he has sent that an attack on the representative is almost the same as an attack on the LORD himself. Presumably the rendering in New English Bible/ Revised English Bible “… on me, on him whom they have pierced…” intends the same interpretation, but the sentence construction is so awkward that the intention is not fully clear.
Another approach to the structure of the sentence is shown in New Jerusalem Bible, which modifies the punctuation in the traditional Hebrew text to create two sentences: “they will look to me. They will mourn for the one whom they have pierced….”
A third possibility is found in Bible en français courant “They will look to me on account of the one they have pierced….”
A fourth possibility is seen in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “they shall lament to Me about those who are slain….” This view takes the injured party to be plural (“those who”), and to refer to Jews killed in the siege of Jerusalem described in verses 2-8. It assumes that the subject of they have pierced is the besieging armies. While this is possible, it seems an unlikely interpretation, especially in the light of the singular mourn for him in the next clause. It also gives an unusual meaning to the verb most translators render as look on or “look to.” Furthermore, it seems to rule out the strong tradition in both Jewish and Christian interpretation of seeing in this verse a reference to the sufferings of the Messiah.
There is no ideal solution, and all the possibilities discussed have drawbacks. Probably translators would do best to follow either New Jerusalem Bible or New International Version (see above). It may be noted that the verb translated look on suggests confident expectation and hope (compare Psa 34.5; Jonah 2.4).
The word translated pierced refers to a thrust with a sharp weapon like a sword (compare Num 25.8; 1 Sam 31.4). It does not necessarily mean that the resulting wound is fatal, but in the present context where mourning follows, the death of the person pierced seems to be assumed. Thus Good News Translation “whom they stabbed to death” is probably justified. In some languages the verb pierced or “stabbed” will require the mention of a weapon. In such cases translators may say “the one they have stabbed to death with a sword,” or in some cultures “the one they pierced with a spear,” as in Contemporary English Version. However, translators need to be aware of the temptation to say “with a spear” simply in order to fit in with John 19.34-37. This may in fact be the motivation behind the Contemporary English Version choice. It is noticeable that when translating the same Hebrew verb in 13.3, Contemporary English Version says “with a sword.” See also the notes on 13.3. The historical identity of the person referred to is a question that has been debated at great length. Suggestions include Zechariah the son of Jehoiada (2 Chr 24.20-22), King Josiah (2 Kgs 23.29), Zerubbabel (whose fate is unknown), the High Priest Onias the Third (2 Maccabees 4.34-35), and Simon Maccabeus (1 Maccabees 16.14-17), but none of them is widely accepted. Others link the person pierced with the so-called Good Shepherd of 11.4-14, but this too is not convincing. Yet others see a link with the suffering servant of Isa 52.13–53.12; this can be accepted, but it does not help to identify any individual. Fortunately translators do not need to commit themselves on this point. Indeed they must not, since the Hebrew text does not do so. Any additional information should be in a footnote, as in Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente.
They shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born: The change of attitude on the part of the leaders and people of Jerusalem leads to their mourning over the one they have pierced, and presumably killed. The mourning is a symbol of sorrow, in this case sorrow for the sin of rejecting one who was evidently the LORD’s representative. The bitterness of the mourning is described in two powerful similes. The first is as one mourns for an only child; such mourning is particularly sad because parents would expect children to look after them in their old age, and the loss of an only child would mean the loss of their security (compare Jer 6.26; Amos 8.10). The second simile is as one weeps over a first-born; a firstborn child was often regarded with special affection, and its death would be felt as a particularly sad loss. Thus the mourning over the pierced one is deep and genuine. Some translators may wish to follow the example of Contemporary English Version, and combine the two clauses as follows:
• They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their first-born.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .