Zechariah 12:12 - Exposition

The land. Not Jerusalem only, but the whole country. Every family apart. The mourning should extend to every individual of every family (comp. Ezekiel 24:23 ). David … Nathan. First the royal family is mentioned generally, to show that no one, however, high in station, is exempted from this mourning; and then a particular branch is named to individualize the lamentation. Nathan is that son of David from whom descended Zerubbabel ( 1 Chronicles 3:5 ; Luke 3:27 , Luke 3:31 ). Their wives apart. In private life the females of a household dwelt in apartments separate from the males, and in public functions the sexes were equally kept distinct (see Exodus 15:20 ; 11:34 ; 1 Samuel 18:6 ; 2 Samuel 6:5 ).