Zech 12:9

“(Verse 9) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications. LXX: And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of mercy. In that day, when the Lord protects the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Lord will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. But He will crush not for destruction, but for correction, so that they may cease to wage war against Jerusalem and begin to be of Jerusalem. For if He created all things out of nothing, He did not create them in order to destroy what He created; but so that through His mercy, those things which were created may be saved. Hence, in the book of Wisdom, which is attributed to Solomon (if anyone, however, is pleased to receive the book), we find it written: He created all things that they might exist, and the generations of the world might be preserved; and there will be no deadly poison for them (Wisdom 1). For just as the Lord came to seek what was lost and saved the human race, so he also destroyed the nations, because the nations were adversaries. Therefore it follows: I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and mercy. Concerning this grace, Paul also writes: The love of God has been poured out into our hearts (or yours) through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Rom. V, 5). And in the aforementioned volume it is contained: Who shall explore the things that are in heaven, unless you have given wisdom, and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? And thus the paths of those who are on earth have been corrected, and men have been taught what pleases you (Wisdom 9:16). And in Isaiah God speaks: I have given my Spirit upon you (Isaiah 42:1). And again, the same Scripture mentions: I have given my Spirit upon him (ibid). However, the word effusion implies a sense of abundance or generosity, as is evident in what we have said: 'The love of God has been poured out into our hearts' (Romans 5:5). And in another place, speaking as if in the person of God, it is said: 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people' (Joel 2:28). The Apostle also speaks of the spirit of grace in his letter to the Hebrews: 'How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?' (Hebrews 10:29). And the Holy Spirit is said to have different graces. And the greeting of the Apostle: Grace (he says) be multiplied unto you, and peace (I Tim. I, 1): that after he hath forgiven us our sins, then peace may by mercy follow. These things the Jews partly already accomplished, and more fully commemorate in the consummation of the world. But we understand and approve that they are daily fulfilled after the advent of Christ.”