---
title: Zechariah 12:9
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/zechariah-12-9/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/zechariah-12-9.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Zechariah 12:9
testament: OT
section: Prophets
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Zechariah 12:9

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "And in that day I will be certain to annihilate all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

## JW Usage

JWs read this as Jehovah's own first-person promise to destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem at Armageddon — fitting their theology of Jehovah as the warrior who defeats his enemies through his organisation.

## Protestant Usage

The verse is load-bearing for the Zechariah 12:10 deity-piercing argument because it nails down the speaker's identity one verse before the piercing claim. Verse 9 is unambiguous first-person Jehovah-speech — "I will be certain to annihilate all the nations". Verse 10 continues with the same first-person speaker — "I will pour out... the spirit of favour and supplication, and they will look to the one whom they pierced". The grammar binds the warrior of verse 9 and the pierced one of verse 10 to the same divine speaker. Use this verse to establish that no speaker change has occurred between 9 and 10.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [When Was Jehovah Pierced?](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/zechariah12-pierced-yahweh.md) — Zechariah 12:10 / John 19:37 / Revelation 1:7 [Deity of Christ]