And again another scripture said, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
They.
Psalm 22:16,17 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet…
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
“They will look on the One they have pierced.”
This is a direct reference to Zechariah 12:10, which speaks of a future time when the inhabitants of Jerusalem will mourn for the one they have pierced. In its original context, this prophecy is about the restoration and repentance of Israel. In the New Testament, it is applied to Jesus, highlighting His role as the suffering Messiah. The piercing refers to the crucifixion, where Jesus' side was pierced by a Roman soldier's spear (John 19:34). This act fulfills the prophecy and signifies the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, even by those who initially rejected Him. The imagery of looking upon the pierced one also suggests a future acknowledgment and repentance, pointing to eschatological themes where all will recognize Jesus' true identity.
John links this verse to what he has just recorded about Jesus’ side being pierced and His bones left unbroken (John 19:33-36).
• The conjunction ties the eyewitness detail to prophetic fulfillment, showing that each event flows in God’s precise plan.
• Earlier prophecies just cited—Exodus 12:46 and Psalm 34:20—are fulfilled “and” now another prophecy joins them, reinforcing a seamless chain.
John points directly to Zechariah 12:10, treating that Old Testament word as the very voice of God speaking in the present moment.
• By quoting “another Scripture,” John upholds the full authority and unity of the biblical record (John 2:22; Luke 24:25-27).
• The phrase reminds readers that every detail of the Passion stands on the sure footing of written revelation, not on human conjecture.
The verb envisions an intentional, sober gaze. John sees more than a casual glance; he shows hearts confronted with the reality of the crucified Messiah.
• Israel’s future repentance is forecast in Zechariah 12:10, and John points to its initial fulfillment at Calvary, with further consummation still ahead (Revelation 1:7).
• The look that saves parallels Numbers 21:9 and Jesus’ own application in John 3:14-15—beholding the One lifted up brings life.
The Roman spear (John 19:34) literally pierces Jesus, but Zechariah’s words place responsibility on “they”—His own people and, by extension, all humanity (Acts 2:36-37).
• Psalm 22:16 foresaw hands and feet pierced; Zechariah foretells the piercing of His side, confirming that Messiah’s suffering was specific and bodily.
• The piercing proves His death, secures the flow of cleansing blood and water, and calls every observer to personal accountability and faith.
John 19:37 shows Jesus’ crucifixion not as a tragic accident but as the exact fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10. By linking “and…another Scripture,” John weaves the event into the unbreakable fabric of God’s Word. The deliberate gaze upon the pierced Savior—already begun at the cross and climaxing in His return—invites repentance and faith. Every detail underscores that Scripture is accurate, literal, and fully trustworthy, revealing Jesus as the promised, pierced Redeemer.
(37) They shall look on him whom they pierced.--The words, as they occur in the Authorised version, of the prophecy are, "They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced," but the reading which St. John has followed is that of many MSS., and is adopted by many Rabbinic (as Rashi and Kimchi) and many modern authorities (as Ewald and Geiger). The Greek translation (LXX.) of the prophet avoided the strong word "pierced," as applied to Jehovah, and substituted for it "insulted." St. John translates the original Hebrew freely for himself (comp. Revelation 1:7), and gives the undoubted meaning of the Hebrew word, translating it by the same Greek word which is used by Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus. He thinks of the prophecy which spoke of Jehovah as pierced by His people, and sees it fulfilled in the Messiah pierced on the cross.For the fulfilment of the prophecy, comp. Notes on John 8:28; John 12:32. Jewish Rabbis, and Greek proselytes, and Roman soldiers alike looked, as they stood before the cross, on Him whom they pierced. That scene is typical. He shall draw all men unto Him, and the moral power over the heart of humanity will be the heart of love, which loves and therefore saves him that has pierced it through and through. "God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Verse 37. - And again another Scripture saith. The second of the Old Testament quotations is in several ways important and noteworthy. They shall look on him whom they pierced (εἰς ὅν ἐξεκέντησαν). The original passage is (Zechariah 12:10), אֵלִי אֵתאּאֲשֶׁר דָּקָדוּ, "They shall look upon me whom they pierced." The evangelist altered the ME into HIM, which, as it stands in the old oracle, and regarded as the language of Jehovah, is sufficiently surprising. The LXX. had felt the difficulty, and translated it Ἐπιβλέψονται πρός με ἀνθ ῶν κατωρχήσαντο, i.e. "They shall look towards me, because they have insulted me." Their repentance and misgiving shall be aroused, because in response for those things which they have done contemptuously against me. It is interesting to see that John is more accurate in his Greek translation of this prophetic passage, viz. ὄψονται or ο{ν, "They shall look" with love and grace and repentance "on him whom (ἐξεκέντησαν) they pierced." This Greek rendering of the Hebrew is followed by Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus, and is quoted by Justin Martyr; it is also found in Revelation 1:7, forming a link of connection between the Gospel and the Apocalypse. Moreover, it is most impressive to find that the awful tragedy does not close even in the hands of this writer without a word of promise and hope. Zechariah 12:8-14 is clearly in the mind of the apostle. The merciful Lord waits for the repentance of Israel, of those who, by instigating Roman power for his destruction, pierced him by their trenchant ingratitude as well as by the Roman spear. It will be fulfilled more completely when every eye shall see him, and the full revelation of his majesty shall smite the whole world with penitence or despair. This remarkable event and its issue, whatever may have been the precise physiological fact, establishes:(1) The autoptic testimony of one who scarcely expected to be credited with the result of his observation.
(2) The genuine humanity of our Lord.
(3) The more than humanity of his manner of death. . . .
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