Zechariah 12:11 · Bible study
Zechariah 12:11 Commentary: Hadad-rimmon and the Great Mourning
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover the meaning of Hadad-rimmon in Zechariah 12:11, a prophecy of repentance compared to history's deepest national grief.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The future mourning for the pierced Messiah will be as great as the national lament for Josiah.
- Key words: יִגְדַּל (yigdal, “will be great”), מִסְפֵּד (misPed, “mourning/wailing”), הֲדַדְרִמּוֹן (Hadadrimmon, place name).
- Main debate: Whether Hadad-rimmon refers to a location near Megiddo (Jerome, majority) or to a person (Targum, Jarchi).
- Theological theme: The Spirit produces deep, corporate repentance that leads to cleansing.
- Best use: Illustrate the depth of genuine repentance that accompanies the outpouring of the Spirit.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo.
KJV King James Version 1769
In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In that day, great is the mourning of Jerusalem, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In that day there shall be a great lamentation in Jerusalem like the lamentation of Adadremmon in the plain of Mageddon.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
En aquel día habrá gran llanto en Jerusalem, como el llanto de Adadrimón en el valle de Megiddo.
Naquele dia haverá grande pranto em Jerusalém, como o pranto de Hadade-Rimom no vale de Megido.
En ce jour-là, le deuil sera grand à Jérusalem,
Zu der Zeit wird große Klage sein zu Jerusalem, wie die war bei Hadad- Rimmon im Felde Megiddos.
Te dien dage zal te Jeruzalem de rouwklage groot zijn, gelijk die rouwklage van Hadadrimmon, in het dal van Megiddon.
In quel giorno vi sarà un gran lutto in Gerusalemme, pari al lutto di Hadadrimmon nella valle di Meghiddon.
Dnia onego będzie wielkie kwilenie w Jeruzalemie, jako kwilenie w Adadrymon na polu Magieddon;
В тот день поднимется большой плач в Иерусалиме, как плач Гададриммона в долине Мегиддонской.
那 日，耶路撒冷 必有大大 的悲哀，如米吉多 平原 之哈達臨門 的悲哀。
In that day there will be a great weeping in Jerusalem, like the weeping of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Zechariah 12:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Across the major commentaries, there is clear agreement: the mourning of Hadad-rimmon refers to the national lament over the death of King Josiah. Adam Clarke, Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Keil and Delitzsch, and others all point to the same event. Josiah's death at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29) was the greatest single tragedy in Judah's history, a turning point from which the kingdom never recovered. The prophet Zechariah draws on this memory to measure the depth of sorrow that will accompany Israel's future repentance. The Hebrew verb yigdal (“it will be great”) confirms the intensity. This is not ordinary grief; it is the mourning of a nation that has finally seen what it has done.
The consensus also ties this verse directly to Zechariah 12:10, where the Lord pours out a Spirit of grace and supplication, and the people look on “him whom they pierced.” The mourning described here is the result of that divine visitation. It is both personal and corporate, and it prepares the way for the fountain of cleansing in chapter 13.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Josiah's death: Supported by the majority of commentators (Clarke, Barnes, Keil et al.) and the cross-references in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
- Combined mourning for Ahab and Josiah: Based on the Targum and Jarchi, who interpret Hadad-rimmon as the slayer of Ahab and the place of Josiah's death.
- Adonis ritual: Movers and others proposed a connection to the cult of Adonis/Tammuz, but Keil and Delitzsch reject this due to lack of evidence.
What is clear: The verse compares the future mourning for the Messiah to a historical tragedy well known and deeply embedded in Israel's collective memory.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reference of Hadad-rimmon | Most commentators agree it alludes to the mourning for King Josiah at Megiddo. | Some ancient Jewish interpretations (Targum, Jarchi) see it as combining the mourning for Ahab and Josiah; a few modern scholars have proposed a link to the god Adonis, but this is rejected by most. |
| Meaning of 'great mourning' | All agree it describes a deep, genuine, and national repentance. | Traditions differ on whether this repentance is primarily for the nation of Israel at a future time or models the repentance of the church in any age. |
| Connection to verse 10 ('pierced') | The mourning is clearly caused by looking on the one whom they pierced (the Messiah). | Whether this event has already occurred (at the crucifixion) or is still future (a national conversion of Israel) divides interpretation. |
| Location of Hadad-rimmon | It is a place in the plain of Megiddo, near Jezreel. | Whether it was a city or a specific shrine, and whether the name includes pagan idolatry (Hadad, Rimmon as gods) is discussed but not a major divide. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The death of King Josiah in 609 BC was a seismic event for Judah. He had been the most faithful king since Hezekiah, initiating religious reforms and restoring temple worship. But at Megiddo, Josiah was fatally wounded by Pharaoh Necho II. The Chronicler records:
“So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.”
— 2 Chronicles 35:24 (WEB)
The mourning was so profound that the prophet Jeremiah composed laments for him, and an annual day of remembrance was established (2 Chronicles 35:25; alluded to by Barnes and Keil). The location “Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo” has been identified by Jerome as a town later called Maximianopolis, near Jezreel. The name itself combines two Syrian deities, Hadad, the storm god, and Rimmon, perhaps associated with thunder or pomegranates, reflecting the region’s history of idolatry. The “valley of Megiddo” (the plain of Esdraelon) was a famous battlefield, later associated with Armageddon. By invoking this place, Zechariah connects the future mourning not only to a specific historical trauma but to a landscape soaked in conflict and hope.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, Zechariah 12:11 was read as a prophecy of Israel’s future repentance after the crucifixion. The mourning of Hadad-rimmon was typically understood as the lament for Josiah, prefiguring the grief of those who would look upon Christ whom they pierced. Medieval Jewish exegesis, such as the Targum, connected the verse to historical royal tragedies. In modern interpretation, the verse continues to be seen as a vivid picture of national and personal repentance brought about by the Spirit.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The depth of mourning for sin. This verse paints a picture of repentance so intense it rivals the greatest national tragedy Israel ever knew. The sorrow is not superficial; it penetrates every family and every heart.
- The connection to a historic loss. Josiah’s death signified the end of an era. The people grieved not only a king but the collapse of their hope. In the same way, true repentance grieves over sin because it recognizes what sin has cost, the broken relationship with God and the suffering of the Messiah.
- The hope beyond the mourning. This grief is not an end in itself. It flows from the Spirit of grace (v.10) and leads directly to the fountain for sin and uncleanness in chapter 13. Mourning opens the door to cleansing.
Five-point outline
- The Spirit initiates the mourning, it is a gift, not something we produce.
- The mourning is personal (“every family apart”) yet also communal, the whole land joins.
- The comparison to Hadad-rimmon shows the scale: this is not ordinary regret but soul-shaking lament.
- The mourning centers on looking at the pierced one, it is repentance directed at Christ.
- The outcome is a fountain opened for sin, mourning gives way to mercy.
Illustration hooks
- The communal grief after a national disaster, a school shooting, a war, the death of a beloved leader, when a whole community is united in loss and no one can ignore the pain.
- The personal grief of a family losing a child, the raw, isolating sorrow that Jeremiah’s dirge captured, a picture of how repentance can feel both deeply private and shared.
- The shared sorrow of a church after a moral failure is exposed, when forgiveness and restoration begin only after honest lament.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What does it look like to mourn for sin in a way that matches the depth of this passage?
- How can I know if my repentance is genuine and not just surface-level regret?
- Why does the Bible place so much emphasis on corporate mourning, what role does community play in repentance?
Leading a Discussion
Zechariah 12:11 sits at the heart of a passage describing Israel’s future repentance. This mourning is not despair but the beginning of restoration. As you discuss, notice that the grief is both personal and national, and it flows directly from God’s Spirit poured out on his people.
Discussion questions
- What do we know about the historical mourning for Josiah that the prophet invokes here? (Refer to 2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:24.)
- Why do you think the prophet chose this specific comparison, a national tragedy, rather than a personal one to illustrate the mourning for the pierced Messiah?
- The verb yigdal (“will be great”) suggests intensity. What kinds of events in your life or community have produced that kind of collective grief?
- How does the emphasis on “every family apart” in the following verses shape our understanding of what genuine repentance looks like?
- In what ways might the church today experience a similar corporate repentance, a sorrow over sin that unites the whole body?
- How does the promise of a fountain for sin and uncleanness in 13:1 give hope beyond the mourning described here?
- What is one step you could take to cultivate a deeper, more honest sorrow over sin in your own walk with God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 23:29 | In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. |
| II Chronicles 35:24 | So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that some read this verse as describing a time when all people will feel deep sorrow over the crucified Christ just as they once mourned for King Josiah. This universal mourning is compared to the great grief felt in Hadadrimmon.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the name Hadadrimmon shows how Syrian idolatry entered Judah when the people stopped worshiping God. He also says Josiah’s pious actions were recorded in history and that songs mourning him were kept as part of tradition.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Ewald notes that some read this verse as referring to a city near Jezreel where Josiah was wounded. Others understand it as pointing to the mourning for the king throughout Judah and Jerusalem. Both views hold that the people felt great sorrow over his death.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators identify the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon as the historic lament for King Josiah, who was killed there. They point out this well-known event to show how deep and universal the future mourning in Jerusalem will be.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Jerusalem will experience deep sorrow similar to the mournings over Rimmon and Josiah. Some see these references as allusions to ancient Israelite laments.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that this verse describes the largest public mourning in Jewish history for King Josiah who died fighting Pharaoh Necho. It also mentions Hadad Rimmon as the location where that mourning took place.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the prophet compares Jerusalem’s mourning over the slain Messiah to the great sorrow felt in the valley of Megiddo at the death of King Josiah. They explain that all people across the nation will also mourn including men and women from every family group.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the profound contrast this verse makes with the preceding war imagery. Here the focus shifts entirely inward: the Spirit's outpouring produces a deep, shared penitential sorrow, not external victory. He links the intense mourning—compared to the national lament over King Josiah at Megiddo—directly to the people's sorrowful, believing gaze upon the literal, pierced Messiah.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that on that day God will destroy the nations attacking Jerusalem. He also says a great mourning will occur in the city.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the predicted mourning as the future repentance of the Jewish people specifically for the sin of crucifying the Lord of glory. He measures its depth by the greatest sorrow Israel