John 19:37 interprets Zechariah 12:10 for the Christians.arnoldo wrote:Marcion, Valentinus and other proto-heretic christians probably interpreted this passage a little differently than proto-orthodox christians such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. Whereas the former group perhaps argued that Jesus only appeared to have a real earthly existence the latter group claimed that Jesus in fact was physically pierced during his crucifiction on earth. Irenaeus,beowulf wrote:Religious books are full of ambiguous passages written in dead languages which were spoken by dead cultures .These passages admit to several interpretations. Zechariah 12:10 is one of those passages: the 12th Chapter in the Book of Zechariah is about a war.
This verse may be interpreted as alluding to the death of some unknown hero . It may also be interpreted as a messianic prophecy perhaps yet to be fulfilled.
If a dissident group should favour one interpretation over the one chosen by the dominant group, then a conflict will follow and ugly words will be said and uglier deeds will be done.
The Christian interpretation is one and the Jewish interpretation is another.
Zechariah 12:10 also served the proto-orthodox christians to argue for two advents of Christ. Justin Martyr,And how, again, supposing that He was not flesh, but was a man merely in appearance, could He have been crucified, and could blood and water have issued from His pierced side? What body, moreover, was it that those who buried Him consigned to the tomb? And what was that which rose again from the dead?
3. [This spiritual man] shall also judge all the followers of Valentinus, because they do indeed confess with the tongue one God the Father, and that all things derive their existence from Him, but do at the same time maintain that He who formed all things is the fruit of an apostasy or defect.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... book4.html
Concerning the Jewish interpretation of Zechariah 12:10 I haven't got a clue.CHAPTER XXXII -- TRYPHO OBJECTING THAT CHRIST IS DESCRIBED AS GLORIOUS BY DANIEL, JUSTIN DISTINGUISHES TWO ADVENTS.
And when I had ceased, Trypho said, "These and such like Scriptures, sir, compel us to wait for Him who, as Son of man, receives from the Ancient of days the everlasting kingdom. But this so-called Christ of yours was dishonourable and inglorious, so much so that the last curse contained in the law of God fell on him, for he was crucified."
Then I replied to him, "If, sirs, it were not said by the Scriptures which I have already quoted, that His form was inglorious, and His generation not declared, and that for His death the rich would suffer death, and with His stripes we should be healed, and that He would be led away like a sheep; and if I had not explained that there would be two advents of His,--one in which He was pierced by you; a second, when you shall know Him whom you have pierced, and your tribes shall mourn, each tribe by itself, the women apart, and the men apart, --then I must have been speaking dubious and obscure things.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... rypho.html
Semiopen post provides good information on the Jewish understanding of this verse
