Have you ever been asked, or have you wondered who or what is the daughter of Zion? Perhaps you have participated in a study about Zion. Is the daughter one specific person or a group of people? Fortunately, and through reading the Bible, we can learn about the daughter of Zion.
Where Does the Bible Talk about the Daughter of Zion?
Scripture mentions the daughter of Zion in the Old Testament and New Testaments. The interesting thing is that in various books of the Bible (including the Psalms, 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, Jeremiah, and Revelation), Zion has different meanings and roles. Although Zion is mentioned more than 160 times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament, there is valuable meaning and information to be gleaned from each verse.
What is Zion in the Bible?
As a physical location, Zion has been used in several different ways to talk about Jerusalem. Sometimes it is a term for the whole city. For example, in 2 Samuel, Scripture shares that David was anointed king of Israel at age 30. After several years of fighting against the previous king’s son, Ish-Bosheth, David became king over all the tribes of Israel. Once he had settled his rule over the 12 tribes, David chose Jerusalem, a city then populated by a Canaanite tribe called the Jebusites, to be his capital. The Jebusites told David even the blind and crippled would prevent him from entering the city (2 Samuel 5:6). Despite resistance, David and his men “captured the fortress of Zion—-which is the city of David” (2 Samuel 5:7). Some scholars say David led a surprise attack. Other historians say his men snuck into the city through water supply tunnels. One way or another, David took Jerusalem, which became known as the City of David and sometimes as Zion.
Zion is also the name for a specific hill on the northern side of Jerusalem, outside the area that would have been the City of David. David’s son Solomon expanded the city and built a temple on this hill. At some point around that time or earlier, the hill (previously known as Mount Moriah) became known as Mount Zion. The Israelites looked at Jerusalem and its temple as their religious center. The Lord’s temple on Mount Zion commemorated the triumph of God.
Consequently, Mount Zion served as a theological symbol of God’s unfailing power. Scripture tells of the praise of Jerusalem, sharing the love God has for Zion. “He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God” (Psalm 87:1-3)
Biblical scholars note that Zion is also used for a place appointed by God. The Bible calls Zion “a city of refuge” where God protects His people (Isaiah 14:32).
The New Testament also mentions Zion, sometimes as a term for the Israelites as a whole. For example, in Romans 9:30-33, Paul refers to a passage in Isaiah 28:16 about God laying “a stone in Zion” that people will stumble over and interprets this verse as describing God sending Jesus to Israel, who rejected him.
In the New Testament book of Hebrews, Zion represents something else: Jesus. The writer tells Christians that they should follow their savior with reservation. He reminds them, “you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22, 24) Having entered Zion, the writer warns Christians not to refuse what God says, but to honor him and rejoice the new kingdom they have entered.
The last book of the Bible, Revelation, gives a beautiful description of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion:
“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him, 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the road of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.” (Revelation 14:12)
What Does the Daughter of Zion Represent in the Bible?
Biblical scholars state that the “Daughter of Zion” does not represent a particular woman or person. We know God is the Heavenly Father of all creation, and some passages in Scripture describe God relating to humanity as a father to a daughter.
However, the daughter of Zion tends to be a more specific term in the Bible, referring to Jerusalem or the Jewish people. In 2 Kings 19, after Israel’s King Hezekiah seeks God’s favor in a war against Assyria, the prophet Amos brings a message describing how God will crush the Assyrians. The message tells the Assyrians, “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem Has shaken her head behind your back!” The daughter of Zion rejoices because God will help her.
However, the daughter of Zion (or Daughter Zion) isn’t just mentioned when God is happy with the Jewish people. The book of Jeremiah describes the sorrow of Daughter Zion as war approaches. Zion is addressed as “daughter” and is accused of betrayal and seduction—that is, the Israelites have turned away from God, following other religions. Jeremiah shares about the attack on Jerusalem and the consequences for unbelievers who will suffer for not honoring him. God asks how He can pardon the people of Zion after all they have done to be disobedient and self-serving.
The phrase “daughter of Zion” or “Daughter Zion” may have nuanced differences. However, in each case, the term emphasizes God’s very personal relationship with the nation of Israel during the Old Testament period.
While the term specifically applies to the nation of Israel, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have lessons we can learn from it today.
What Lessons Can We Learn from the Daughter of Zion?
Every word of Scripture is from God. Therefore, we can gain wisdom, discernment, and revelation from reading and studying every section of His Word. God desires a personal relationship with each of His creations—in that sense, He is the father, and we are all his daughters (and sons). By learning about the daughter of Zion, we can recognize the consequences of sinning and not following God.
2 Kings shows Hezekiah’s sadness and desperation as he prayed for God’s help, asking the Israelites to recognize God as the only God. Hezekiah prayed. God answered. God still answers prayers today.
We also learn from the references in Jeremiah to daughter Zion that we must acknowledge our sins, repent, and ask for forgiveness. Numerous times in the Bible, God gives warnings, and people continue to sin, then face the consequences. We must never forget that we can go to God and seek his help to change our sinful ways. God is involved in both the simple and the major things in life. His love and forgiveness are for all who ask.
Prayer for Learning from the Daughter of Zion
Father, thank You for loving us. Thank You for providing Scripture so we may gain wisdom and apply the messages You have given. Guide us to learn from past mistakes and look forward to the future with the hope and peace only You can give. May we remember the daughter of Zion and always seek You first. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
In His Name,
Melissa Henderson
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/kieferpix
Melissa is the author of Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator. Her passions are helping in the community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon, and Stephen Minister.
Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and at http://www.melissaghenderson.
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