Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you [people], for we have heard that God is with you.”

To take hold of the skirt means to appeal for instruction and protection.

“It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: ‘We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you people.’” (Zechariah 8:23)

(b) Who today are the “ten men” who “take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew”?

Although the men usually wear Western-style clothes today, the women still prefer their traditional dress consisting of a red shawl, a short-sleeved blouse, and a knee-length skirt.

The skirt is simply a rectangular piece of dark cloth with bright patterns, wrapped around the body and tucked in at the waist.

‘Taking hold of the skirt’ of the remnant of the 144,000 spiritual Jews, they gather with that “people” to the Jerusalem above, the heavenly Jerusalem.

In what way do the “great crowd” “take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew,” and because of what do they have hope of surviving the “great tribulation”?

The prophet Zechariah goes on to say: “It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: ‘We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you.’”​—Zech. 8:23.

An example of the attitude of these figurative “ten men” and what attracts them to “take hold of the skirt of a man who is a [spiritual] Jew” is seen in the experience of a young woman in the state of Virginia, United States of America.

He asked them: “If a man carries holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he actually touches with his skirt bread or stew or wine or oil or any sort of food, will it become holy?”

The teen-ager in Georgia commented: “I feel I am too old to hang on mom’s skirt tail.”

Did you notice, though, what the girl in Georgia wrote about ‘hanging on to her mom’s skirt tail’?

It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: ‘We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you people.’”​—Zech. 8:20-23.

In the fulfillment of this prophecy, the man whose skirt is taken hold of is a spiritual Jew, one of Christ’s 144,000 spiritual brothers. (Rom. 2:28, 29)

Strip off the flowing skirt.

Strip off the flowing royal skirt, uncover your leg up to the hip and tuck your dress between your legs as you wade barefoot as captive across the rivers through which your conquerors drag you.