Bible Strands
Zechariah 14:15
And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet Zechariah speaks to Judah and the surrounding nations at the moment all earthly powers gather to besiege Jerusalem. The oracle addresses the combatants and their logistical support during this final confrontation.
The words — The Hebrew term מַגֵּפָה (ma.ge.Fat) denotes a specific, divinely sent plague, while הַפֶּרֶד (ha./Pe.red) identifies mules, a primary beast of war. These terms directly execute the judgment framework established in Zechariah 14:12.
The thread — This affliction on livestock extends the plague motif from Zechariah 14:12, which describes the physical decay of human combatants. The narrative sequence moves directly from this judgment to Zechariah 14:16, where surviving nations are commanded to worship the King.
Why it lands — The text states that divine judgment targets the animals sustaining military camps, not merely the soldiers themselves. It requires the reader to acknowledge the total collapse of human warfare before the universal worship described in Zechariah 14:16.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
Cross-references
- Zechariah 14:12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.