Zechariah 12:2

When the kings were assembled against her, and saw how God was known in her palaces for a refuge, they trembled and hasted away; fear took hold upon them, as we find, Ps. xlviii. Thus Alexander the Great was struck with amazement when he met Jaddus the high priest, and was deterred thereby from offering any violence to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem - That weak, unwalled city, and much more the church which is the antitype of Jerusalem. In the siege - Now when all this is in readiness, and no visible means of escape, then will God make them drink the wine of astonishment.

Jerusalem a cup of trembling - The Babylonians, who captivated and ruined the Jews, shall in their turn be ruined. I incline to think that what is spoken in this chapter about the Jews and Jerusalem, belongs to the “glory of the latter times.” Shall be in the siege - This may refer to some war against the Church of Christ, such as that mentioned Rev 20:9.

cup of trembling--a cup causing those who drink it to reel (from a Hebrew root "to reel"). Jerusalem, who drank the "cup of trembling" herself, shall be so to her foes (Isa 51:17, 22; CALVIN with the Septuagint translates, "threshold of destruction," on which they shall stumble and be crushed when they attempt to cross it.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling - For encouragement, He promises the victory, and at first mentions the attack incidentally. Jerusalem is as a cup or basin, which its enemies take into their hands; a stone, which they put forth their strength to lift; but they themselves reel with the draught of God’s judgments which they would give to others, they are torn by the stone which they would lift to fling. The image of the “cup” is mostly of God’s displeasure, which is given to His own people, and then, His judgment of chastisement being exceeded, given in turn to those who had been the instruments of giving it . Thus, Isaiah speaks of “the cup of trembling.” Thou, “Jerusalem, hast drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, hast wrung them out. Therefore hear thou this, thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine. Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of His people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of My fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee” Isa 51:17, Isa 51:21-23. Jeremiah speaks of “the cup of God’s anger,” as given by God first to Jerusalem, then to all whom Nebuchadnezzar should subdue, then to Babylon itself Jer 25:15-26; and as “passing through” to Edom also Lam 4:21; Jer 49:12; Ezekiel, of “Aholibah” Eze 23:31-33 (Jerusalem) “drinking the cup of Samaria.” In Jeremiah alone, Babylon is herself the cup. “Babylon” is “a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the nations drunken; the nations have drunken of the wine; therefore the nations are mad” Jer 51:7. […]