The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
And they shall devour - God's covenant-people "shall devour" the flesh of their foes.
And they shall drink - the blood of their foes - i:e., utterly destroy them. Image (as Jeremiah 46:10) from a sacrifice, wherein part of the flesh was eaten, and the blood poured in libation.
And subdue with sling stones, х kaabªshuw (H3533) 'abneey (H68) qela` (H7050)] - or, "tread under foot the sling stones" hurled at them by the foe; i:e., will contemptuously trample on the hostile missiles which shall fall harmless under their feet (cf. Job 41:28). Probably, too, it is implied that their foes are as impotent as the common stones used in slinging when they have fallen under foot: in contrast to the people of God (Zechariah 9:16), "the (precious) stones of a crown" (cf. 1 Samuel 25:29, "The souls of thine enemies them shall He sling out, as out of the middle of a sling"). (Maurer). The English version is good sense: The Jews shall subdue the foe at the first onset, with the mere slingers, who stood in front of the line of battle and began the engagement. Though armed with but sling stones, like David against Goliath, they shall subdue the foe (Judges 20:16; 1 Chronicles 12:2) (Grotius).
And they shall drink, and make a noise - the battle shout.
As through wine - (Zechariah 10:7). The Spirit of God fills them with triumph (Ephesians 5:18). So the exhilaration of soul caused by the indwelling Spirit was mistaken for the effects of wine on Pentecost (Acts 2:13; Acts 2:18).
And they shall be filled - with blood. Like bowls - the bowls used to receive the blood of the sacrifices.
And as the corners of the altar - or "horns" of the altar, which used to be sprinkled with blood from the bowls (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:18).