זכריה, פרק ט׳, פסוק ו׳

A dramatic demographic and political shift is foretold, marking the absolute collapse of Philistine power. God brings an end to their pride and their rule over the land [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The focus then shifts to the coastal city of Ashdod and the identity of its new residents, presenting two main perspectives: one of political displacement and another of social lineage.

The primary approach among commentators understands the new residents as strangers. This could mean the Israelites, who lived as foreigners during their exile, will return to settle and rule over Ashdod [רש"י, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, the strangers are the original Philistine residents themselves. Under total Israelite domination, these locals will be reduced to living like foreigners in their own native city [רד"ק]. Another possibility is that an entirely new, unspecified foreign nation will take over the area [אבן עזרא, רד"ק].

A different perspective takes the identity of the new inhabitants in a traditional social sense, referring to individuals born from forbidden marriages [אבן עזרא, שטיינזלץ]. In the future, these individuals will be relocated to live exclusively in the Philistine cities, kept separate from the pure assembly of Israel residing in Jerusalem [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מלבי"ם, אברבנאל]. This aligns with a tradition that such individuals will not be integrated in the future, though some commentators note a dissenting view that the prophet Elijah will eventually purify them and restore them to God's assembly [רד"ק, אברבנאל].

Settling these specific outcasts in Ashdod is not a random act; it is a profound blow to Philistine pride. The ultimate humiliation is that the most marginalized and rejected members of Israelite society will become their rulers [אבן עזרא]. Furthermore, this serves as exact poetic justice. Because the Philistines themselves have origins rooted in illegitimacy, it is only fitting that their city is ultimately inherited by others of similar standing [מלבי"ם].