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Zechariah 9:9-10 SLT

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king shall come to thee: just, and saving; he is humble and riding upon an ass, and upon an ass's colt the son of asses. And I cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war was cut off: and he spake peace to the nations: and his dominion from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the end of the earth.

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  • Which is your question? Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 3:20
  • A young male donkey is a colt. It was one colt that had never before been ridden. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 3:20
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    That's two questions. They need to be asked separately. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 3:22
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    The "two questions" on the one you linked are very closely tied together and are really different angles of the same question. This is indisputably two questions. But in any case, one bad question being left open isn't an excuse to ask another bad question. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 8:48
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    I was pointing out the clear inconsistency of some Q being closed when others are not, that also fall foul of the policy Commented Dec 10, 2025 at 9:56

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I agree with Paul's answer, except on one point. Riding the donkey wasn't a show of humility. It is in imitation of a Davidic king being presented.

And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. . . . So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. (1 Kings 1:32–39)

Jesus is of the house of David, the branch of Jesse. Riding into Jerusalem on an ass shows his rightful rule as a son of David. This is why the crowd chanted "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." (Matthew 21:9)

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No, riding a donkey in Jerusalem does not make just anyone a messiah; Matthew 21:4–7 presents a unique fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.

Zechariah 9:9 — Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (MT)

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King is coming to thee, just, and a Saviour; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal. (LXX)

Matthew 21:5, 7 — Tell ye the  daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. [The disciples] led the ass and the colt, and place garments on them, and He is seated upon them.

Mark 11:7 — And they are bringing the colt to Jesus, and they are casting their own garments on it, and He is seated on it (colt).

Luke 19:30, 35 — saying, "Go away into the village facing you, in which, entering, you will be finding a colt bound, on which no man ever is seated, and loosing it, be leading it to Me. And they led it to Jesus, and tossing their garments on the colt, they mount Jesus.

John 12:14-15 — Now Jesus, finding a little ass, is seated on it, according as it is written, Do not fear, daughter of Zion! Lo! your King is coming, sitting on an ass's colt.

Zechariah mentions both an ass (likely an adult donkey) and a colt (probably a young donkey), emphasizing humility and peace rather than the logistics of riding both at once. In Matthew 21:7, Jesus most likely rode only the colt (cf. Mark 11:7; Luke 19:35; John 12:15), while the ass accompanied him; both are mentioned to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, not neccessarily to suggest he literally rode both. In ancient Israel and surrounding cultures, it was common to travel with a led or pack animal alongside the ridden animal. The Greek word translated “them” (autou) is ambiguous and can refer to one or both animals. However, it would've been awkward and unlikely to ride both because young donkeys (colt) and adult donkeys (ass) are not of the same height nor stride.

In other words, the “them” in Matthew 21:7 does not necessarily mean Jesus rode both animals; it likely reflects Matthew’s chosen wording in contrast to the other Gospel writers. For example, in Matthew 26:8–9 and Mark 14:4–5, the disciples’ indignation over the woman anointing Jesus is described generally, while John 12:4–6 specifies Judas as the one who objected. In a similar way, Matthew’s use of “them” may reflect a general expression rather than a literal statement that Jesus rode both the ass and the colt. General wording ("them") in one account doesn’t preclude specifics that other writers provide ("colt").

The Gospels present a profoundly beautiful image of Jesus, an approximately 33-year-old man (cf. Luke 3:23; John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55), humbly riding a young donkey (colt) as the King (cf. John 12:13, 13:14-15; 19:19). True power expressed through humility (Hebrews 2:9–10; Luke 19:36-44)

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    Also, to ride on an untrained animal in that way demonstrates more than natural ability. Animals have to be broken in before they are ridden. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 11:30
  • Great point! In both ancient times and today, animals such as donkeys, horses, and mules generally need to be broken in or trained before they can safely carry a rider. Successfully riding an untrained or young animal requires skill beyond ordinary riding—such as balance, anticipation, and calmness amid a crowd or chaotic environment. This is indeed more than mere “natural ability”; it demonstrates practice, coordination, and authority over the animal. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 18:05
  • Jesus, an approximately 33-year-old male, would have been relatively heavy for a young colt; carrying an adult male would be challenging (cf. Luke 19:35 where disciples helped Jesus mount onto the young donkey). A young donkey or colt is typically around 3–4 years old and roughly the size of a medium pony or large dog. It was likely small, untrained, and light—making Jesus’ ride a striking demonstration of skill, composure, and purposeful mastery. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 21:22
  • In modern terms, it’s like a grown man—say, a governor—trying to ride a young, untested pony through a crowded city parade instead of the horse accompanying. Even an experienced rider must carefully balance, anticipate the animal’s moves, and remain calm amid the chaos. It’s not merely ‘riding’; it’s skill, control, and poise under pressure. Though, this illustrative analogy is imperfect to the sacred, profound description of the Triumphal Entry. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 22:33
  • The point I was making is that it is beyond the natural - providential, if not even supernatural. Commented Dec 10, 2025 at 0:30
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Jesus rode the colt, not its mother. The donkey was brought along to steady the young colt, as it had never been ridden before.

By choosing a colt, Jesus signaled that He came in peace, offering salvation and reconciliation with God. At His return, however, He will come on a horse to bring judgment (Revelation 19:11).

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  • Thats a very thoughtful insight. In ancient times, an unbroken colt was often kept alongside its mother to remain calm and manageable, especially in unfamiliar or crowded settings. A trained adult animal helped steady the young colt, guiding its movement and reducing panic. While Scripture does not state it explicitly, this is both practical and historically plausible explanation of Matthew 21:7. Commented Dec 9, 2025 at 22:22

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