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Selected Verse: Zechariah 14:6 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Zec 14:6	Strong Concordance	And it shall come to pass in that day [03117], that the light [0216] shall not be clear [03368], nor dark [07087] [07087]:
	King James	And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
light . . . not . . . clear . . . dark--JEROME, Chaldee, Syriac, and Septuagint translate, "There shall not be light, but cold and ice"; that is, a day full of horror (Amo 5:18). But the Hebrew for "clear" does not mean "cold," but "precious," "splendid" (compare Job 31:26). CALVIN translates, "The light shall not be clear, but dark" (literally, "condensation," that is, thick mist); like a dark day in which you can hardly distinguish between day and night. English Version accords with Zac 14:7 : "There shall not be altogether light nor altogether darkness," but an intermediate condition in which sorrows shall be mingled with joys.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

light . . . not . . . clear . . . dark--JEROME, Chaldee, Syriac, and Septuagint translate, "There shall not be light, but cold and ice"; that is, a day full of horror (Amo 5:18). But the Hebrew for "clear" does not mean "cold," but "precious," "splendid" (compare Job 31:26). CALVIN translates, "The light shall not be clear, but dark" (literally, "condensation," that is, thick mist); like a dark day in which you can hardly distinguish between day and night. English Version accords with Zac 14:7 : "There shall not be altogether light nor altogether darkness," but an intermediate condition in which sorrows shall be mingled with joys.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The light shall not be clear nor dark - Or, more probably, according to the original reading , "In that day there will be no light; the bright ones will contract themselves," as it is said, "The stars shall withdraw their shining." This is evermore the description of the Day of Judgment, that, in the presence of God who is Light, all earthly light shall grow pale. So Joel had said, "The sun and moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining" Joe 3:15. And Isaiah, "The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jersalem and before His ancients gloriously" Isa 24:23; and, "Behold the day of the Lord cometh, The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" Isa 13:9-10. All know well our Lord's words Mat 24:29. John, like Zechariah, unites the failure of the heavenly light "with a great earthquake, and the sun became as sackcloth of hair: and the moon become as blood; and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth" Rev 6:12-13.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Complete salvation. - Zac 14:6. "And it will come to pass on that day, there will not be light, the glorious ones will melt away. Zac 14:7. And it will be an only day, which will be known to Jehovah, not day nor night: and it will come to pass, at evening time it will be light." The coming of the Lord will produce a change on the earth. The light of the earth will disappear. The way in which לא יהיה אור is to be understood is indicated more precisely by יקרות יקפאון. These words have been interpreted, however, from time immemorial in very different ways. The difference of gender in the combination of the feminine יקרות with the masculine verb יקפּאוּן, and the rarity with which the two words are met with, have both contributed to produce the keri יקרות וקפּאון, in which יקרות has either been taken as a substantive formation from קרר, or the reading וקרות with Vav cop. has been adopted in the sense of cold, and קפּאון (contraction, rigidity) taken to signify ice. The whole clause has then been either regarded as an antithesis to the preceding one, "It will not be light, but (sc., there will be) cold and ice" (thus Targ., Pesh., Symm., Itala, Luther, and many others); or taken in this sense, "There will not be light, and cold, and ice, i.e., no alternation of light, cold, and ice will occur" (Ewald, Umbr., Bunsen). But there is intolerable harshness in both these views: in the first, on account of the insertion of יהיה without a negation for the purpose of obtaining an antithesis; in the second, because the combination of light, cold, and ice is illogical and unparalleled in the Scriptures, and cannot be justified even by an appeal to Gen 8:22, since light is no more equivalent to day and night than cold and ice are to frost and heat, or summer and winter. We must therefore follow Hengstenberg, Hofmann, Koehler, and Kliefoth, who prefer the chethib יקפאון, and read it יקפּאוּן, the imperf. kal of קפא. קפא signifies to congeal, or curdle, and is applied in Exo 15:8 to the heaping up of the waters as it were in solid masses. יקרות, the costly or splendid things are the stars, according to Job 31:26, where the moon is spoken of as יקר הולך, walking in splendour. The words therefore describe the passing away or vanishing of the brightness of the shining stars, answering to the prophetic announcement, that on the day of judgment, sun, moon, and stars will lose their brightness or be turned into darkness (Joe 3:15; Isa 13:10; Eze 32:7-8, Mat 24:29; Rev 6:12). In Zac 14:7 this day is still more clearly described: first, as solitary in its kind; and secondly, as a marvellous day, on which the light dawns at evening time. The four clauses of this verse contain only two thoughts; each so expressed in two clauses that the second explains the first. יום אחד, unus dies, is not equivalent to tempus non longum (Cocceius, Hengst.), nor to "only one day, not two or more" (Koehler), but solitary in its kind, unparalleled by any other, because no second of the kind ever occurs (for the use of 'echâd in this sense, compare Zac 14:9, Eze 7:5, Sol 6:9). It is necessary to take the words in this manner on account of the following clause, "it will be known to the Lord;" i.e., not "it will be singled out by Jehovah in the series of days as the appropriate one" (Hitzig and Koehler), nor "it stands under the supervision and guidance of the Lord, so that it does not come unexpectedly, or interfere with His plans" (Hengstenberg), for neither of these is expressed in נודע; but simply, it is known to the Lord according to its true nature, and therefore is distinguished above all other days. The following definition, "not day and not night," does not mean that "it will form a turbid mixture of day and night, in which there will prevail a mongrel condition of mysterious, horrifying twilight and gloom" (Koehler); but it will resemble neither day nor night, because the lights of heaven, which regulate day and night, lose their brightness, and at evening time there comes not darkness, but light. The order of nature is reversed: the day resembles the night, and the evening brings light. At the time when, according to the natural course of events, the dark night should set in, a bright light will dawn. The words do not actually affirm that the alternation of day and night will cease (Jerome, Neumann, Kliefoth); but this may be inferred from a comparison of Rev 21:23 and Rev 21:25.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Complete salvation. - Zac 14:6. "And it will come to pass on that day, there will not be light, the glorious ones will melt away. Zac 14:7. And it will be an only day, which will be known to Jehovah, not day nor night: and it will come to pass, at evening time it will be light." The coming of the Lord will produce a change on the earth. The light of the earth will disappear. The way in which לא יהיה אור is to be understood is indicated more precisely by יקרות יקפאון. These words have been interpreted, however, from time immemorial in very different ways. The difference of gender in the combination of the feminine יקרות with the masculine verb יקפּאוּן, and the rarity with which the two words are met with, have both contributed to produce the keri יקרות וקפּאון, in which יקרות has either been taken as a substantive formation from קרר, or the reading וקרות with Vav cop. has been adopted in the sense of cold, and קפּאון (contraction, rigidity) taken to signify ice. The whole clause has then been either regarded as an antithesis to the preceding one, "It will not be light, but (sc., there will be) cold and ice" (thus Targ., Pesh., Symm., Itala, Luther, and many others); or taken in this sense, "There will not be light, and cold, and ice, i.e., no alternation of light, cold, and ice will occur" (Ewald, Umbr., Bunsen). But there is intolerable harshness in both these views: in the first, on account of the insertion of יהיה without a negation for the purpose of obtaining an antithesis; in the second, because the combination of light, cold, and ice is illogical and unparalleled in the Scriptures, and cannot be justified even by an appeal to Gen 8:22, since light is no more equivalent to day and night than cold and ice are to frost and heat, or summer and winter. We must therefore follow Hengstenberg, Hofmann, Koehler, and Kliefoth, who prefer the chethib יקפאון, and read it יקפּאוּן, the imperf. kal of קפא. קפא signifies to congeal, or curdle, and is applied in Exo 15:8 to the heaping up of the waters as it were in solid masses. יקרות, the costly or splendid things are the stars, according to Job 31:26, where the moon is spoken of as יקר הולך, walking in splendour. The words therefore describe the passing away or vanishing of the brightness of the shining stars, answering to the prophetic announcement, that on the day of judgment, sun, moon, and stars will lose their brightness or be turned into darkness (Joe 3:15; Isa 13:10; Eze 32:7-8, Mat 24:29; Rev 6:12). In Zac 14:7 this day is still more clearly described: first, as solitary in its kind; and secondly, as a marvellous day, on which the light dawns at evening time. The four clauses of this verse contain only two thoughts; each so expressed in two clauses that the second explains the first. יום אחד, unus dies, is not equivalent to tempus non longum (Cocceius, Hengst.), nor to "only one day, not two or more" (Koehler), but solitary in its kind, unparalleled by any other, because no second of the kind ever occurs (for the use of 'echâd in this sense, compare Zac 14:9, Eze 7:5, Sol 6:9). It is necessary to take the words in this manner on account of the following clause, "it will be known to the Lord;" i.e., not "it will be singled out by Jehovah in the series of days as the appropriate one" (Hitzig and Koehler), nor "it stands under the supervision and guidance of the Lord, so that it does not come unexpectedly, or interfere with His plans" (Hengstenberg), for neither of these is expressed in נודע; but simply, it is known to the Lord according to its true nature, and therefore is distinguished above all other days. The following definition, "not day and not night," does not mean that "it will form a turbid mixture of day and night, in which there will prevail a mongrel condition of mysterious, horrifying twilight and gloom" (Koehler); but it will resemble neither day nor night, because the lights of heaven, which regulate day and night, lose their brightness, and at evening time there comes not darkness, but light. The order of nature is reversed: the day resembles the night, and the evening brings light. At the time when, according to the natural course of events, the dark night should set in, a bright light will dawn. The words do not actually affirm that the alternation of day and night will cease (Jerome, Neumann, Kliefoth); but this may be inferred from a comparison of Rev 21:23 and Rev 21:25.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
In that day - While God is fighting with the enemies of his church, the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Nor dark - There shall be some mercy to allay the bitterness of judgment, and some judgment with our mercy.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The light shall not be clear, nor dark - Metaphorically, there will be a mixture of justice and mercy in all this; or a bright light and darkness. Mercy shall triumph over judgment. There shall be darkness - distress, etc.; but there shall be more light - joy and prosperity - than darkness.

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⁷ But it shall be one [0259] day [03117] which shall be known [03045] to the LORD [03068], not day [03117], nor night [03915]: but it shall come to pass, that at evening [06153] time [06256] it shall be light [0216].

²⁶ If I beheld [07200] the sun [0216] when it shined [01984], or the moon [03394] walking [01980] in brightness [03368];

¹⁸ Woe [01945] unto you that desire [0183] the day [03117] of the LORD [03068]! to what end [04100] is it for you? the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] is darkness [02822], and not light [0216].

¹² And [2532] I beheld [1492] when [3753] he had opened [455] the sixth [1623] seal [4973], and [2532], lo [2400], there was [1096] a great [3173] earthquake [4578]; and [2532] the sun [2246] became [1096] black [3189] as [5613] sackcloth [4526] of hair [5155], and [2532] the moon [4582] became [1096] as [5613] blood [129];
¹³ And [2532] the stars [792] of heaven [3772] fell [4098] unto [1519] the earth [1093], even as [5613] a fig tree [4808] casteth [906] her [846] untimely figs [3653], when she is shaken [4579] of [5259] a mighty [3173] wind [417].

²⁹ Immediately [1161] [2112] after [3326] the tribulation [2347] of those [1565] days [2250] shall the sun [2246] be darkened [4654], and [2532] the moon [4582] shall [1325] not [3756] give [1325] her [846] light [5338], and [2532] the stars [792] shall fall [4098] from [575] heaven [3772], and [2532] the powers [1411] of the heavens [3772] shall be shaken [4531]:

⁹ Behold, the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] cometh [0935], cruel [0394] both with wrath [05678] and fierce [02740] anger [0639], to lay [07760] the land [0776] desolate [08047]: and he shall destroy [08045] the sinners [02400] thereof out of it.
¹⁰ For the stars [03556] of heaven [08064] and the constellations [03685] thereof shall not give [01984] their light [0216]: the sun [08121] shall be darkened [02821] in his going forth [03318], and the moon [03394] shall not cause her light [0216] to shine [05050].

²³ Then the moon [03842] shall be confounded [02659], and the sun [02535] ashamed [0954], when the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] shall reign [04427] in mount [02022] Zion [06726], and in Jerusalem [03389], and before his ancients [02205] gloriously [03519].

¹⁵ The sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be darkened [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051].

²⁵ And [2532] the gates [4440] of it [846] shall [2808] not [3364] be shut [2808] at all [3364] by day [2250]: for [1063] there shall be [2071] no [3756] night [3571] there [1563].

²³ And [2532] the city [4172] had [2192] no [3756] need [5532] of the sun [2246], neither [3761] of the moon [4582], to [2443] shine [5316] in [1722] it [846]: for [1063] the glory [1391] of God [2316] did lighten [5461] it [846], and [2532] the Lamb [721] is the light [3088] thereof [846].

⁹ My dove [03123], my undefiled [08535] is but one [0259]; she is the only one [0259] of her mother [0517], she is the choice [01249] one of her that bare [03205] her. The daughters [01323] saw [07200] her, and blessed [0833] her; yea, the queens [04436] and the concubines [06370], and they praised [01984] her.

⁵ Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; An evil [07451], an only [0259] evil [07451], behold, is come [0935].

⁹ And the LORD [03068] shall be king [04428] over all the earth [0776]: in that day [03117] shall there be one [0259] LORD [03068], and his name [08034] one [0259].

⁷ And when I shall put thee out [03518], I will cover [03680] the heaven [08064], and make [06937] the stars [03556] thereof dark [06937]; I will cover [03680] the sun [08121] with a cloud [06051], and the moon [03394] shall not give [0215] her light [0216].
⁸ All the bright [03974] lights [0216] of heaven [08064] will I make dark [06937] over thee, and set [05414] darkness [02822] upon thy land [0776], saith [05002] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069].

¹⁰ For the stars [03556] of heaven [08064] and the constellations [03685] thereof shall not give [01984] their light [0216]: the sun [08121] shall be darkened [02821] in his going forth [03318], and the moon [03394] shall not cause her light [0216] to shine [05050].

¹⁵ The sun [08121] and the moon [03394] shall be darkened [06937], and the stars [03556] shall withdraw [0622] their shining [05051].

²⁶ If I beheld [07200] the sun [0216] when it shined [01984], or the moon [03394] walking [01980] in brightness [03368];

⁸ And with the blast [07307] of thy nostrils [0639] the waters [04325] were gathered together [06192], the floods [05140] stood upright [05324] as an heap [05067], and the depths [08415] were congealed [07087] in the heart [03820] of the sea [03220].

²² While the earth [0776] remaineth [03117], seedtime [02233] and harvest [07105], and cold [07120] and heat [02527], and summer [07019] and winter [02779], and day [03117] and night [03915] shall not cease [07673].

⁶ And it shall come to pass in that day [03117], that the light [0216] shall not be clear [03368], nor dark [07087] [07087]: