Zec 2:8-9 | NETfull | STEP | For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.

Zechariah 2:8-9

8 For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory ^{▼▼ Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar KJV, NASB). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the Lord.} he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil ^{▼▼ Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by KJV as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so ASV, NIV). 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. NLT “my most precious possession”).} of his ^{▼▼ 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.} eye. 9 “I am about to punish them ^{▼▼ Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “raise my hand against them.”} 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.