Zechariah
Verse 1. In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius] This was Darius Hyslaspcs; and from this date we find that Zechariah began to prophecy just ^100 months after Haggai.
Son of Iddo] There are a number of various readings on this r.ame, n;? Iddo, and iO'^i! Iddo, both in
2 The Lord hath been " sore displeased with your fathers.
3 Ihereiore say thou unto Superbi, them, Thus saith the Lord of ^- ^°'"''"' '^- hosts; Turn '' ye unto me, saith the Lord of
MSS. and in editions; but they are only different ways of writing the same name.
Verse 2. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.] For their ingratitude, idolatry, iniquity, and general rebellion.
Verse 3. Turn ye unto me] This shows that they had power to return, if they would but use it.
Superbi, 4 rJc yc not as your fathers,
R. Romap., 15. e yp^o whom the former prophets have cried, saying. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; ^ Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.
5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 But e luy words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not '' take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, ' Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zecliariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying.
And I will turn unto you] I will show you mercy and grant you salvation, if you will use the grace I have already given you. Men are lost, because they turn not unto God; but no man is lost because he had not power to return. God gives this, and he will require it.
Verse 5. Yourfathers, where a.re they?] Israel h3.s been destroyed and ruined in the bloody wars with the Assyrians; and Judah, in those with the Chaldeans.
The prophets, do they live for ever?] They also, who spoke unto your fathers, are dead; but their predictions remain; and the events, which have taken place according to those predictions, prove that God sent them.
Verse 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers?] Every thing happened according to the predictions, and they were obliged to acknowledge this; and yet they xvould not turn from their evil way.
Verse 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month] This revelation was given about three months after the former, and two months after they had recommenced the building of the temple.
Sebat] Answers to a part of our February. See Hag. ii. 18.
Averse 8. / saiv by night] The time was emblemalical of the affliction under which the Jews groaned.
A man] An angel in the form of a man; supposed to have been the Lord Jesus; who seems to have appeared often in this way, as a prelude to his incarnation; see Josh. v. 13; Ezek. i. 26; Dan. vii. 13, and X. 5. The same, probably, that appeared to Joshua with a drawn sword, as the captain of the Lord's host. Josh. V. 13-15.
and he stood among the myrtle Superbi, trees that were in the bottom; ^- "°'°''" ■ '^- and behind him were there ' red horses, " speckled, and white.
9 Then said I, 0 my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these be
1 0 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees, answered and said, " These are they whom the Lord uath sent to walk to and fro through
11" And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said. We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sittcth still, and is at rest.
12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, p 0 Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation "i these threescore and ten years?
A red liorse] An emblem of war and bloodshed.
Among the myrtle trees] This tree was an emblem of peace; intimating that all war was shortly to end. But some think these trees are emblematical of the true followers of Christ.
And bchuid him were there red horses] Probably pointing out tlie different orders of angels in the heavenly host, which are employed by Christ in the defence of his Church. The different colours may point out the gradations in power, authority, and e.Kccllence, of the angelic natures which are employed between Christ and men.
Verse 9. O my lord, what are these?] The angel here mentioned was distinct from those mentioned in the eighth verse; he wlio talked with the prophet,
Verse 10. The man that stood among the myrtle trees] The Angel of the Covenant, as above, ver. 11.
Whom the Lord hath sent] Who are constituted guardians of the land.
Verse 1 1. All the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.] There is general peace through the Persian empire, and other states connected with Judea; but the Jews are still in affliction; their city is not yet restored, nor their temple built.
Verse 12. Then the angel of the Lord] He who was among t'.ie myrtles — the Lord Jesus.
O Lord of hosts, how long] Jesus Clirist was not only the " Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," hut was always the sole Mediator and Intercessor between God and man.
These threescore and ten years?] This cannot mean the duration of ihe captivity, for that was noailv
Visions of the four horns
13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with nae with "■ good words, and comfortable words.
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am ^ jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for 'I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
1 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord; ^ I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and ^ a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through " prosperity shall
twenty years past. It must mean simply the time that had elapsed from the destruction of the temple to the time in which the angel spoke. As the temple was destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and this vision took place in the second year of Darius, the term of seventy years was completed, or nearly so, between these two periods.
Verse 13. The Lord ansioered the angel] And the angel told the prophet that the answer was gracious and comfortable. This answer is given in the next
Verse 14. I am jealous for Jerusalem] I have for them a strong affection; and indignation against their enemies.
Verse 15. I was hut a little displeased] I was justly displeased with my people, and I gave their enemies a commission against them; but they carried this far beyond my design by oppression and cruelty; and now they shall suffer in their turn.
Verse 16. 7 am returned to Jerusalem with mercies] Before, he came to them in judgments; and the principal mercy is, the house of the Lord shall be rebuilt, and the ordinances of the Lord re-established.
And a line shall be stretched forth] The circuit shall be determined, and the city buUt according to the line marked out.
Verse 17. My cities — shall yet be spread abroad] The whole land of Judea shaU be inhabited, and the ruined cities restored.
Verse 18. And behold four horns.] Denoting _/b«r vowers by which the Jews had been oppressed; the Assyrians, Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians. Or these enemies may be termed four, in reference to the four cardinal points of the heavens, whence they came: —
1. North. The Assyrians and Babylonians.
2. East. The Moabites and Ammonites.
ZECHA.RIAH. and of the four carpenters.
yet be spread abroad; == and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and y shall yet choose Jerusalem.
18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me. What be these? And he answered me, ^ These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 And the Lord showed me four carpenters.
2 1 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying. These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which " lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
Verse 20. Four carpenters.] Four other powers, who should defeat the powers intended by the horns. These are the same as the four chariots mentioned chap. vi. 1,2,3,6,7. The_^rj^ was Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, who overturned the empire of the Assyrians. The second was Ctrus, who destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. The third was Alexander the Great, who destroyed the empire of the Persians. And the fourth was Ptole.mv, who rendered himself master of Egypt. Some of these had already been cast down; the rest were to follow. Calmet gives this interpretation, and vindicates it at length.
Verse 2 1. These are come to fray them] To break, pound, and reduce them to powder. Fray, from the French, frayer, to rub. □'B'ln charashim signifies either carpenters or smiths; probably the latter are here intended, who came with hammers, files, and such like, to destroy these horns, which no doubt seemed to be of iron.
From a sensible correspondent I have received the following note: —
" The word we translate carpenters, D'B'in charashim, is a root which, according to Mr. Parkhurst, denotes silent thought or attention; and in kal and hiphil, to contrive, devise secretly, or in silence; hence applied as a noun to an artificer of any kind, and to any work which disposes to silent attention. Thus, to potters'" loare, Lev. vi. 28; Job ii. 8; and in many other places. So also to ploughing, Deut. xxii. 1 0; Prov. XX. 4, which requires constant attention to make 'the right-lined furrow.' Let it be remembered that in ancient times such ivorks were more esteemed than the useless ones we have learned to admire. Sc again, in Gen. xxiv. 21, and elsewhere, it implies to be silent, as in deep thought or great attention.
" Now it is evident that the purport of this vision is
Vision of a man with a
measurins-line in his hand.
the same with the gracious declarations which precede it, viz., to express the return of the protecting mercies of God to his people, delivering them from their enemies. I should therefore be inchned to render D'a'in charashim here, watchers or inspectors, in the sense which our translators have rendered the Chaldee Xy ir, a watcher, in the fourth chapter of Daniel, ver. 1 3; understanding thereby ' spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth,'
Zech. vi. 5, and are described in the first vision as ' sent to walk to and fro through the earth.' This gives to the whole narrative a sublime and important sense, alTording us some glimpse of the Divine government by the ministration of angels, such as Jacob was favoured with in his vision at Beth-el, and which our Saviour himself informed Nathanael constituted part of the glory of his mediatorial kingdom."
The vision with which this chapter opens, portended great increase and prosperity to Jerusalem. Accordingly Josephus tells us, (Wars v. iv. 2,) that " the citrj, overflowing with inhabitants, extended beyond its walls," as predicted in the fourth verse, and acquired much glory during the time of the Maccabees; although these promises, and particularly the sublime image in the fifth verse, has certainly a still more pointed reference to the glory and prosperity of the Christian Church in the latter days, 1-5. See Rev. xxi., xxii. In consequence of these promises, the Jews, still inhabiting Babylon and the regions round about, are called upon to hasten home, that they might not be involved in the fate of their enemies, who were destined to full a prey to the nations which they had formerly subdued; God's great love and zeal for his people moving htm to glorify them by humbling all their adversaries, 6-9. The most gracious promises of God's presence with his Church, and her consequent increase and prosperity, set forth in the remaining verses, 10-13, toere to a certain extent fulfilled in the great number of proselytes made to Judaism after the return from the captivity; but shall be more fully accomplished after the restoration of the Jews to the favour of God under the Gospel. " For if the casting away of the natural Israel be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?"
2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, '" To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, " Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the
Verse 1. A man with a measuring-line in his hand.^ Probably a representation of Nehemiah, who got a commission from Artaxerxes Longimanus to build up the walls of Jerusalem; for hitherto it had remained without being enclosed.
Verse 4. Run, speak to this young man\ Nehemiah must have been a young man when he was (^^-^ sakee, or cup-bearer, to Artaxerxes.
As towns without walls\ It shall be so numerously inhabited as not to be contained within its ancient limits. Josephus, speaking of this time, says. Wars V. iv. 3, " The city, overflowing with inhabitants, by degrees extended itself beyond its walls."
■ and will be the glory in the
5 ror I, saith the Lord, will perbi, R. Rom., be unto her * a wall of fire round about, midst of her.
6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee ^ from the land of the northj saith the Lord: for I have s spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord.
7 >• Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations
Verse 5. / — ivill be unto her a wall of fire] Her safety shall consist in my defence. I shall be as fire round about her. No adversary shall be permitted to touch her. Much of this must refer to the New
Verse 6. Flee from the land of the north] From Chaldea, Persia, and Babylon, where several of the Jews still remained. See ver. 7.
Verse 8..ifter the glory] Ader youi glorious deliverance from the different places of your dispersion; He hath sent me unto the natioits which spoiled you, that they may fall under grievous calamities, and be punished in their turn. On Babylon a great calamity fell, when besieged and taken by the Persians.
Prosperity of the Jews after ZECHARIAH.
Oi. cir. LXV.2. ' toucheth you toucheth the apple
mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ' ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.
10 ™ Sing and rejoice, 0 daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I " will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
11° And many nations shall be joined to their return from Babylon in the midst 01 thee, and ' thou perbi, R. Rom., shalt know that the Lord of "'"• """"'" "^- hosts hath sent me unto thee.
12 And the Lord shall Mnherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and ' shall choose Jerusalem again.
1.3 "Be silent, 0 all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up " out of " his holy habita-
The following note I received from a sensible and pious correspondent: —
5. " For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
8. " For thus saith the Lord of hosts, who hath sent me, the future glory (or the glory which is to come) unto the nations which spoUed you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants; and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, 7 come, and 1 will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
" If in the eighth verse nU3 IDN may be rendered the future, or the glory that is to come, it will harmonize with the context as a prophecy of the Messiah, whereas in our English translation the words after the glory are unintelligible. And so the Seventy.
" It is evident the person speaking is distinguished from the Lord of hosts, as being sent by him; yet this person sent is also called Jehovah; and the nations who shall be joined to Jehovah in that day are called his people; and he (the person sent) will dwell in the midst of tliee, (i. e., Zion,) and shall inherit Judah his portion, &c.
" In confirmation of my view of the eighth verse, I think Exod. xxxiii. may be compared with it. Moses besought God that he would show him his glory; upon which it was said to him, ' Whilst my glory passeth by,' I will put thee in a cleft of the rook, and will cover thee with my hand u'hitst I pass by; and 1 will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my "ins achar. Now as this wasa fulfilment of Moses's request, who entreated to behold the glorv, it follows that this inx was the Divine glory, which alone he loas capalle of seeing.
" ' No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, (the Lord Jesus Christ,) which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.'' "
Toucheth the apple of his eye.] 1J'>' n333 Ichahath eyno, the babet of his eye. This is a remarkable expression. Any person, by looking into the eye of another, will see his own image perfectly expressed, though in extreme miniature, in the pupil. Does our English word balbet or baby come from this? And does not the expression mean that the eye of God is ever on his follower, and that his person is ever impressed on the eye, the notice, attention, providence, and mercy of God?
Verse 9. I will shake }nine hand upon them] Twill threaten first, and then stretch out my hand of judgment against them.
A spoil to their servants] To those whom they had formerly subjected to their sway. As the Babylonians to the Medes and Persians; and so of the rest in the subversion of empires.
Verse 10. 7 icill dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord] This must chiefly refer to the Christian church, in wdueh God ever dwells by the power of his Spirit, as he had done by the symbol of his presence in the first Jewish temple.
Verse 11. Many natio7is shall be joined to the Lord] This most certainly belongs to the Christian church. No nation or people ever became converts to the Jewish religion; but ichole nations have embraced the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 12. The Lord shall inJierit Judah his portion in the holi/ land] This is a promise of the final restoration of the Jews, and that they should be God's portion in their oicn land.
Verse 13. Be silent, O all flesh] Let all the nations of the world be astonished at this. God will arise, and deliver this ancient people, and bring them into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
4. vision relative to the Jews' deliverance from captivity.
While the Jews were rebuilding their temple, their adversaries endeavoured to stop the work, Ezra v. This vision is therefore calculated to give them the strongest encouragement that God, after plucking them as brands out of the fire, (or captivity of Babylon,) would not now give them up, but would continue to prosper and favour them; and that notwithstanding the interruptions they should meet with, the work should be finished under the gracious superintendence of Providence; and their high priest, clothed m his pontifical robes, would soon officiate in the holy of holies, 1-7. The subject is then, by an easy transition, applied to a much greater future deliverance and restoration, of ivhich Joshua and his companions, delivered noio, are declared to be figures or types; for that the Messiah or Branch, the great high priest typified by Joshua, would be manifested; and, like the principal stone represented in the vision, become the chief corner stone of his Church; that the all-seeing eye of God would constantly guard it; and that by his atonement he would procure for it peace and pardon, 8—10.
A ND he showed me " Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and ^ Satan ■= standing at his right liand '' to resist him.
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, "= The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan; even the Lord tliat ' hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: b is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with '^ filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those
Verse 1. And he showed me Joshua the high priest] The Angel of the Lord is the Messiah, as we have seen before; Joshua, the high priest, may here represent the ichole Jewish people; and Satan, the grand accuser of the brethren. What the subject of dispute was, we perhaps learn from Jude 9. Michael and Satan disputed about the body of Moses. This could not refer to the natural body of the Jewish lawgiver, which had been dead about one thousand years; it must therefore refer to that body of laws given to the Jews by Moses, for the breach of which Satan, who was their tempter to disobedience, now comes forward as their accuser; that, exciting the justice of God against them, they may be all brought to perdition. There is a paronomasia here; —
Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.] ]!3ty Satan signifies an adversary. 1J0B?'? lesiteno, to be his adversary, or accuser.
Verse 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?] The Jews were nearly destroyed because of their sins; a remnant of them is yet left, and God is determined to preserve them. He has had mercy upon them, and forgiven them their sins. Wouldst thou have them destroyed! It is God that hath justified them; who art thou that condemnest the'm! The Lord rebuke thee! God confound thee for what thou hast done, and for what thou desirest farther to do! It is evident that Jude 9 relates to this circumstance — the very same phraseology which occurs here. See the notes on Jude 9,
Take away the filthy garments 01. cir. LXV. 2.
from him. And unto him he perbi, R. Rom,, said. Behold, I have caused thine "'■ ='"""'" ^°- iniquity to pass from thee, ' and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said. Let them set a fair '' mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying.
where the subject is largely considered. With diflSculty has this remnant escaped, and God will not permit fresh evils to fall upon them, by which they might be totally consumed. This was Satan's design, who accuses the followers of God day and night. See Bev.
Verse 3. Joshua ivas clothed with filthy garmetits] The Jewish people were in a most forlorn, destitute, and to all human appearance despicable, condition; and besides all, they were sinful, and the priesthood defiled by idolatry; and nothing but the mercy of God could save them.
Verse 4. Take away the filthy garments] The Jews wore sackcloth in times of public calamity; probably the filthy garments refer to this. Let their clothing be changed. I have turned again their captivity; I will fully restore them, and blot out all their iniquities.
Verse 5. A fair mitre upon his head] To signify that he had renewed to him the olRce of the high priesthood, which had been defiled and profaned! before. The mitre was the bonnet which the high priest put on his head when he entered into the sanctuary, Exod. xxviii. 4, &c.
Clothed him with garments] Referring to the vest -! ments of the high priest. The true high priest, who j is over the house of God, will establish his office among 1 them, when they shall acknowledge him as their Mes- ' sia/i, and seek redemption in the blood of the sacrifice I which he has oflfered for their sins; and not for theirs I only, but for the sins of the whole world.
01. cir. LXV. 2. If thou wilt Walk in my ways, perbi?T"Rom., and if thou wilt 'keep my
cir. annum 16. m charge, then thou shall also "judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee "places to walk among these that p stand by.
8 Hear now, 0 Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are i men ' wondered at: for behold, I will bring forth ^ my servant The ' BRANCH.
Verse 7. If thou wilt loalk in my ways] If ye, Israelites, priests and people, now restored to your own land, will walk in my ways, &c., ye shall be a part of my family; and have jilaces — mansions — in eternal glory, with all them that are sanctified.
Verse 8. O Joshua — thou, and thy fellows'] Thy countrymen, who have now returned from your captivity, in a very toondeiful manner. ni3ir3 'B'JX anshey mopheth, figurative men, men whose office and ministration juce/^urerf the Lord Jesus Christ; and therefore it is immediately added, " I will bring forth my servant The BRANCH." Abp. Newcome thinks this means Zeruhbahel, so called because he was the grandson of Jehoiakim, or Jeconiah, king of Judah, Matt. i. 12, and heir to the throne of Judah. The Chaldee has, " My servant the Messiah." See the note on Isa. iv. 2. I think the word cannot apply to Zerubbabel, except as a t-ype of Christ; in that sense it may be understood of him. See chap. vi. 11, 12.
Verse 9. For behold the stone that I have laid] Alluding no doubt to the foundation stone of the temple: but this represented Christ Jesus: " Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious
This means Christ, and none other; on him his whole Church rests, as a building does on its foundation.
Upon one stone shall be seven eyes] This is supposed to mean the providence of God, as under it all the work should be completed.
one stone shall be behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and " T will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 ^ In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour y under the vine and under the fig tree.
There may be an allusion to the seven counsellors, which stood always about the persons cf the Asiatic sovereigns; and those who were the governors of provinces were termed the eyes of the king. To this there is an allusion in Rev. i. 4. In Christ there is a plentitude of wisdom, power, goodness, mercy, truth, love, and compassion, to direct, protect, save, uphold, purify, govern, and preserve all the souls that trust in him.
/ will engrave the graving thereof] This is an allusion to engraving precious stones, in which the ancients greatly excelled. Heads, animals, and various devices were the subjects of those engravings. But what was this engraving ^ Was it not the following words ^ " I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day;" and was not this done when Jesus Christ expired upon the cross? This was the grand, the only atonement, satisfaction, and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Does not our Lord refer to this place, John vi. 27 1 Him hath God the Father sealed; and on the inscription there was, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." See the note on the above passage.
Verse 10. Shall ye call every man his neighbour] See on Isa. xxxvi. 16. Every one shall be inviting and encouraging another to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; and thus taste and see that God is good. See on Isaiah ii. 2, 3. And there shall be the utmost liberty to preach, believe on, and profess the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
rhe prophet, overpoieered by his last vision, is roused by the angel to behold another, 1; intended also to assure the Jeivs of the success of Joshua and Zerubbabel in building the temple, and surmounting every obstacle in the tvay; till at length, by the good providence of God, it should be finished, amidst the joyful acclamations of the spectators, 2-10. The angeVs explanation of the golden candlestick, and of the two olive trees, 11-14.
Vision of the golden candlestick
the angel that talked with me came again, and
wakened out of his sleep,
2 And said unto me. What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold '^ a candlestick all of gold, "1 with a bowl upon the top of it, " and his seven lamps thereon, and ' seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof.
3 s And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, \Vliat are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not
Verse 1. The angel — came again, and waked me].\bp. Netvcome considers this vision as represented on the same night, chap. i. 8, with the preceding ones. See the latter part of ver. 10, compared with chap. iii. 9. After some interval the prophet, overpowered with the vision which had been presented to him, was awakened from his prophetic trance as from a sleep.
Verse 2. A candlestick all of gold] This candlestick is formed in some measure after that of the sanclttanj, Exod. xxv. 31, 32: but in that of the sanctuary there was no botol, nor seven pipes, nor seven lamps, nor the two olive trees. The two olive trees were to supply the bowl with oil; the bowl was to communicate the oil to the seven pipes; and the seven pipes were to supply the seven lamps. In general, the candlestick, its bowl, pipes, lamps, and olive trees, are emblems of the pare service of God, and the grace and salvation to be enjoyed by his true worshippers. The candlestick may, however, represent the whole Jeioish slate, ecclesiastical and civil; the oil, producing the light, the gracs and mercy of God; and the two olive trees, the source of infinite love, whence that grace proceeds. The pipes may signify all means of grace; and the seven lamps, the perfection and abundance of the light and salvation provided. Some may take them in the following way: — I. The olive trees, the Divine goodness, yield the oil from the olive berry, which is its fruit. 2. From each comes a pipe to convey the oil to the bowl. 3. This oil is collected in the bowl, which is supposed to represent Jesus, the great Mediator, through whom alone all grace and mercy descend to man. 4. The seven pipes, the various means of grace — reading, hearing, prayer, sacraments, &c. — through which Christ dispenses his grace and blessing to his followers. 5. The seven lamps — the Spirit of
6 Then he answered and spake pcrW?"R."Rom., unto mc, saying, This is the word "'■ ''""""' '°- of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, i" A'^ot by ' might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Wiio art thou, '' O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth 'the headstone thereof ™ loith shoutuigs, crying, Grace, grace, unto it.
8 Moreover, the word of the Lord came
9 The hands of Zerubbabel " have laid tlie foundation of tiiis house; his hands ° shall also finish it; and Pthou shalt know that the 1 Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.
1 0 For who hath despised the day of ■■ small
God in its plenitude of graces, gifts, and light, dispensed to the Christian Church.
Verse 6.,. This is the word nf the Lord unto Zerubbabel] This prince was in a trying situation, and he needed especial encouragement from God; and here it is:
Not by might, (of thy own,) nor by power, (authority from others,) but by my Spirit — the providence, authority, power, and energy of the Most High. In this way shall my temple be built; in this way shall my Church be raised and preserved. No secular arm, no human prudence, no earthly policy, no suits at law, shall ever be used for the founding, extension, and preservation of my Church. But the spirit of the world says, " These are all means to which we must have recourse; otherwise the cause of God may be ruined." Satan, thou liest!
Verse 7. O great mountain'!] The hinderances which were thrown in the way; the regal prohibition to discontinue the building of the temple.
Before Zerubbabel — a plain] The sovereign power of God shall remove them. March on, Zerubbabel; all shall be made plain and smooth before thee. I have given thee the work to do, and I will remove all hinderances out of thy way.
He shall bring forth the headstone] As he has laid the foundation stone, so shall he put on the headstone: as he has begun the building, so shall he finish it!
With shoutings] The universal acclamation of the
Grace, grace unto it.] How beautiful is this structure! May the favour of God ever rest upon it, and be manifested in it!
Verse 10. Who hath despised the day of small things?] The poverty, weakness, and unbcfriended state of the Jews. It was said, " What do these feeble
Oi. cir. Lxv. 2. shall see the ' plummet in the hand perbi, R. Rom. of Zerubbabel with those seven;
cir. annum 16. u ti,ey are the eyes of the Lord,
which run to and fro through the whole earth.
1 1 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these "' two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him,
«0r, since the seven eyes oftheLORD shall rejoice ' Heb.
Jews 1" " Will they build," &c. 1 No. But God will build by them, and perfect his building too.
And shall see the ptuminet in the hand of Zerubliabel] He is master builder under God, the grand architect.
Those seven — are the eyes of the Lord} Either referring to his particular and especial providence; or to those ministering spirits, whom he has employed in behalf of the Jews, to dispense the blessings of that providence. See the reading in the margin.
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said. No, my lord.
14 Then said he, ^ These are the two * anointed ones, '' that stand by <= the Lord of the whole earth.
* Or, empty out of themselves oil into the gold. 7 Heb. the gold.
That is, two houghs laden with branches of olive berries.
Verse 14. These zxe the two anointed ones'] Joshua, the high priest; and Zerubbabel the governor. These are anointed — appointed by the Lord; and stand by him, the one to minister in the ecclesiastical, the other in the civil state.
Probably we may not be able to comprehend the whole of this hieroglyphical vision; for even the interpreting angel does not choose to answer the questions relative to this, which were put to him by the prophet. See ver. 4 and 1 1. But though the particulars are hard to be understood; yet the general meaning has, I hope, been given.
The vision of the large flying roll, ivith the angePs explanation, 1-4. The vision of the ephah, and of the looman sitting on it, with the signification, 5—11.
'PHEN I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and roll. 2 And he said unto me. What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 Then said he unto me. This is the '' curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for ■= every one that stealeth shall be
>Ezek. ii.9.— '■Mal.iv.6.- stealeth holdeth bin
-e of this people that it cloth.
Verse 1. Behold a flying roll.] This was twenty cubits long, and ten cubits broad; the prophet saw it expanded, and flying. Itself was the catalogue of the crimes of the people, and the punishment threatened by the Lord. Some think the crimes were those of the Jeivs; others, those of the Chaldeans. The roll is mentioned in allusion to those large rolls on which the Jews write the Pentateuch. One now lying before me is one hundred and fifty-three feet long, by twenty-one inches wide, written on eth shall be cut oil as on that side, perbi, R. Rom., according to it.
4 I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of ^ him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and " shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof
fine brown Basle goat-skin; some time since brought from Jesusalem, supposed to be four hundred years old.
Verse 3. Every one that stealeth — and every one that sioeareth] It seems that the roll was written both on the front and back: stealing and swearing are supposed to be two general heads of crimes; the former, comprising sins against men; the latter, sins againsS God. It is supposed that the roll contained the sins and punishments of the Chaldeans
5 Then the angel that talked
Oi. eir. Lxv. 2. with me went fortli, and said unto porbi, R. Rom., me, Lift Up now thine eyes, and.!!!-!!l!^!^!!l L see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
7 And, behold, there was lifted up a ' talent of lead; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This w wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he
house or city of Xebuchadnezzar, who was a public plunderer, and a most glaring idolater.
Verse 6. This is an ephah that goeth forth.] This, among the Jews, was the ordinary measure of grain. The tvoman in the ephah is supposed to represent Judea, which shall be visited for its sins; the talent of lead on the ephah, within which the woman was enclosed, the wrath of God, bending down this culprit nation, in the measure of its sins; for the angel said, " This is wickedness;" that is, the woman represents the mass of iniquity of this nation.
Verse 9. There came out two women] As the one woman represented the impiety of the Jewish nation; so these two women who were to carry the ephah, in which the woman iniquity was shut up, under the weight of a talent of lead, may mean the desperate UNBELIEF of the Jews in rejecting the Messiah; and that IMPIETY, or universal corruption of manners, which was the consequence of their unbelief, and brought down the wrath of God upon them. The strong wings, like those of a stork, may point out the power and swiftness with which Judea was carried on to fill up the measure cast the weight of lead upon the ^. M. cir. 3485,
9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, perbir^'Rom., and looked, and, behold, there ""■ ''°""'" '"■ came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah be twecn the earth and the heaven.
10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me. Whither do these bear the ephah?
1 1 And he said unto me, s To build it a house in i" the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
of her iniquity, and to meet the punishment which she deserved.
Between the earth and the heaven.] Sins againsi God and man; sins which heaven and earth contemplated with horror.
Or the Babylonians and Romans may be intended by the two women who carried the Jewish ephah to its final punishment. The Chaldeans ruined Judea before the advent of our Lord; the Romans, shortly after.
Verse 11. Tobutld it a house in the land of Shinar] The land of Shinar means Babylon; and Babylon means Rome, in the Apocalypse. The building the house for the woman imprisoned in the ephah may signify, that there should be a long captivity under the Romans, as there was under that of Shinar or Babi/- Ivn, by which Rome may here be represented. That house remains to the present day; the Jewish wmtian is still in the ephah; it is set on its oivn base — continues still as a distinct nation; and the talent of lead — God's displeasure — is still on the top. 0 Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel!
The vision of the four chariots drawn by several sorts of horses, 1-8. The other vision in this chapter may refer in its primary sense to the establishment of the civil and religious polity of the Jews under Joshua and ZerMabel; hut relates, in a fuller sense, to the Messiah, and to that spiritual kingdom of which he ivas to he both king and high priest. In him all these types and figures were verified; in him all the promises are yea and amen, 9-15.
perbi, R. Rom., behold, there came four chariots out irom between two mountains;
and the mountains ivere mountains of brass.
NOTES ON CHAP. VL Verse 1. There came four chariots] Four monarchies or empires. This is supposed to mean the same with the vision of the four horns, in chap. i.
horses; and in the second chariot 01. cir. lxv. a.
riot ■= white horses; and in the fourth
Mountains of brass.] The strong barriers of God's purposes, which restrained those powers within the times and limits appointed by Jehovah.
perbi'!"'R!"Rom!, 4 Then I answcrcd ' and said me, Wliat are these, my lord?
5 And the angel answered and said unto me, ' These are the four s spirits of the heavens, which go forth from ^ standing before the Lord of all tiie earth.
6 The black horses which are therein go forth into ' the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go, that they might '' walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro througli the earth. So they
empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians.
The second chariot Hack horses] The empire of the Persians, founded by Cyrus, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans.
Verse 3. The third chariot white horses] The empire of the Greeks, founded by Alexander the Great, which destroyed the empire of the Persians.
The fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.] That is party-coloured horses; or with horses, some grisled and some bay. The empire of the Romans or of the Greeks. The Greeks divided after the death of Alexander; one part pointing out the Lagidtc, who attacked and subdued Egypt; and the other, the Seleucidce, who subdued Syria under Seleucus.
Verses. The four spirits of the heavens] Ministers of God's wrath against the sinful nations of the world.
Verse 6. The black horses] This refers to the second chariot; of the first the angel makes no mention, because the empire designed by it had ceased to exist. This had red horses, to show the cruelty of the Chaldeans towards the Jews, and the carnage they committed in the land of Judea.
The Mack] Cyrus, at the head of the Persians and Medes, bringing devastation and death among the Chaldeans, called the north in many parts of Scripture.
The white] Alexander, who was splendid in his victories, and mild towards all that he conquered.
The grisled] The LagidtB or Ptolemies, who founded an empire in Egypt; of these some were good, some bad, some despotic, some moderate, some cruel, and some mild; represented by the party-coloured horses.
«rho conquered Syria and the upper provinces, and who wished to extend their conquests, and " sought to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth,"
8 Then cried he upon me, and perbi? R""Rom., spake unto me, saying. Behold, ""■ """"" "^- these that go toward the north country have quieted my ^ spirit in the north country.
9 And the word of the Lord came unto me,
10 Take of them of the captivity, even ot Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
1 1 Then take silver and gold, and make " crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
were of unbounded ambition, and sought universal empire; such as Antiochus the Great. " So they walked to and fro," did extend their conquests; and harassed many countries by their vexatious and almost continual wars. Some think the Romans are meant, who carried their conquests hither and thither, just as the Divine providence permitted them.
Verse 8. Have quieted my spirit in the north country.] They have fulfilled my judgments on Assyria and Chaldea. Nabopolassar and Cyrus first, against the Assyrians and Chaldeans; and Alexander next, against the Persians. On this vision Abp. Newcome remarks: —
The black horses seem to denote the Persian empire; which, by subduing the Chaldeans, and being about to inflict a second heavy chastisement on Babylon, quieted God^s spirit with respect to Chaldea; a country always spoken of as lying to the north of the Jews.
The lohite horses seem to be the Macedonian empire; which, like the Persian, overcame Chaldea.
The spotted bay horses seem to be the Roman empire. This description suits it because it was governed by kings, constils, dictators, and emperors. Il penetrated southward to Egypt and Africa. The Roman empire is mentioned twice, ver. 6, 7, under each epithet given it, ver. 3.
Verse 10. Take of them of the captivity] The names that follow were probably those to whom the silver and golden vessels of the temple were intrusted; and who might have had bullion of silver and gold, for particular purposes, about the ornaments of the temple.
The house of Josiah] Probably an artificer in silver, gold, &c.
Verse 11. Make crcnvns] r\\M2'J ataroth; but seven MSS. of KennicotCs and De Rossi's, and one ancient of my own, with the Syriac and Chaldee, have i" IQy
12 And speak unto him, saying.
oi. cir. Lxv. 2. Thus speakcth the Lord of hosts,
name is The ° BRANCH; and lie shall P grow up out of his place, i and he shall build the temple of the Lord.
13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he ■■ shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and ' he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
alerelh, a crown, or tiara. And as Joshua the high priest is alone concerned here, I think one crown only is intended.
Verse 12. Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH!] I cannot think that Zeruhbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in chap. iii. 8. Joshua and his companions are called ilDn "tfflN anshey mopheth. figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the branch, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he was the type or figure. The Chaldee has, " whose name is my Messi.ih," or Christ.
And he shall grow up out of his place] That is, out of David's root, tribe, and family.
And he shall build the temple of the Lord.] This cannot refer to the building of the temple then in hand, for Zerubbabel was its builder: but to that tem- 1 pie, the Christian Church, that was typified by it; for Zerubbabel is not named here, and only Joshua or Jesus (the name is the same) is the person who is to be crowned and to build this spiritual temple.
He shall bear the glory] Have all the honour of it; for none can do this but himself. The Messiah is still intended.
And shall sit and rule upon his throne] For the government of the Church shall be upon his shoulder. And he shall be apriest upon his throne] He shall, as the great /(("■/( priest, offer the only available offering,a.nA atonement; and so he shall be both km^ and
14 And the crowns shall be A. M. cir. 3485.
to Helem, and to lobijah, and 01. cir. L.w. a. to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son per'wrR'."Rom., of Zephaniah, 'for a memorial ""• °""'"" '" ' in the temple of the Lord.
15 And "they that are far ofT shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and '' ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent mc unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
priest, a royal king and a royal priest; for even the priest is here stated to sit upon his throne.
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.] Whom! Zerubbabel and Joshua? Certainly not Zerubbabel, for he is not mentioned in all this prediction; but, as the Messiah is intended, the counsel of peace — the purpose to establish peace between heaven and earth, must be between the Father and the Son.
Verse 14. And the crowns shall be] OneofmyMSS. has nnai' ataroth, crowns, corrected into niD;' atcreth, crown; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic. The Chaldee has, " And praise shall be," &c. The meaning appears to be this, that the croivn made for Joshua should be delivered to the persons mentioned here and in ver. 10, to be laid up in the temple of the Lord, as a memorial of this typical transaction.
Verse 15. And they that are far off shall come] The Gentiles shall come to the Saviour of the world; and build — become a part of this new temple; for they, as living stones, shall become a holy temple, a habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me] These predictions, relative to the regal and sacerdotal offices of the Messiah, shall be so circumstantially fulfilled, that ye, Jews, shall be obliged to acknowledge that the Lord of hosts hath sent me with this message.
And this shall come to pass] Your own temple shall be rebuilt, and God shall dwell among you now, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your me Jews being sent from those who remained at Babylon to inquire of the priests and prophets at Jerusalem whether they were still bound to observe those fasts which had been appointed on occasion of the destruction of Jerusalem, and kept during the captivity, the prophet is commanded to take this opportunity of enforcing upon them the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy, that they might not incur such calamities as befell their fathers. He also intimates that in their former fasts they had regarded themselves more than God; and that they had rested too much on the performance of external riles, although the former prophets had largely insisted on the superior excellence of moral duties, 1-14.
oi. Lxv. 3. fourth year of king Darius,
Siipcrbl"""' tJ^t the word of the Lord came R. Roman., 17. ^^^^^ Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and llieir men, •'' to pray before the Lord,
3 And to ^ speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying. Should I weep in '■ the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
4 Then came tiie word of the Lord of hosts
5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye '^ fasted and mourned in the fifth " and seventh month, ''even those seventy years, did ye at all fast ^ unto me, even to me?
6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, '^ did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Verse 1. The fourth year of King Darius] Two years after they began to rebuild the temple, see chap. i. 1, A. M. 3486.
The ninth month, even in Chisleu] This answers to a part of our November and December. The names of the month appear only under and after the
Verse 2. When they had sent — Sherezer and Regem-melech] To inquire whether the fasts should be continued, which they had hitherto observed on account of their ruined temple; and the reason why they inquu'ed was, that they were rebuilding that temple, and were likely to bring it to a joyful issue.
Verse 5. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth — month] This they did in the remembrance of the burning of the temple, on the tenth day of that month; and on the seventh month, on the third of which month they observed a fast for the murder of Gedaliah, and the dispersion of the remnant of the people which were with him. See Jer. xli. 1, and 2 Kings xxv. 25.
Verse 6. And when ye did eat] They had not observed those fasts as they should have done. They deplored the loss of their temple, and its riches, &c.; but they did not humble themselves because of those iniquities which had brought the displeasure of God upon them, their temple, and their city.
Verse 7. The ivords which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets] □'JE'Nin a'N'ai nebiim hari- words which the Lord hath 01. lxv. 3. cried '' by tlie former prophets, ""supeX,""' when Jerusalem was inhabited ^ Roma"-. 17. and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited ' the south and the plain?
8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, "" Execute " true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10 And ° oppress not the widow, nor the fa therless, the stranger, nor the poor, p and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
I I But they refused to hearken, and 1 pulled ' away the shoulder, and ^ stopped ' their ears, that they should not hear.
1 2 Yea, they made their " hearts as an adamant stone, ^ lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his '•'' Spirit by the former prophets:
shonim, is the title which the Jews give to Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, and the two books of Kings.
The latter prophets, a'^ntriN □"X'aj nebiim acharonim, are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezehiel, and the twelve minor prophets.
The south and the plain.'] From Eleutheropolis to the sea, Obad. 19. The south was the wilderness and mountainous parts of Judea; and the plain, the plains of Jericho.
Verse 10. Evil against his brother in your heart.] Do not indulge an unfavourable opinion of another: do not envy him; do not harbour an unbrotherly feeling towards him.
Verse 11. Pulled away the shoulder] From under the yoke of the law, like an unbroken or restive bullock in the plough.
Verse 12. Made their hearts as an adamant stone] Tots' shamir may mean the granite. This is the hardest stone with which the common people could be acquainted. Perhaps the corundum, of which emery
Glorious promises relative CHAP
B C sis'' ^ therefore came a great wrath Oi.LXV. b. from the Lord of hosts.
Superbi, 13 1 hcreiorc It IS come to
^ '^°'°"'- "■ pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so ^ they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts.
is a species, may be intended. Bochart tliinks it means a stone used in polishing others. The same name, in Hebrew, applies to different stones.
a whirlwind among all the nations oi. LXV. 3.
" whom they knew not. Thus 'supcrijil""
that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid "^ the ^ pleasant land desolate.
refers to the swift victories and cruel conduct of the Chaldeans towards the Jews; they came upon them like a whirlwind; they were tossed to and fro, and up and down, everywhere scattered and confounded.
In this chapter God promises the continuance of his favour to those who are returned from the captivity; so that, upon the removal of his judgments, the fasts they had observed during the captivity may now be converted to so many occasions of rejoicing. He likewise promises in due time a general restoration of his people, and the enlargement of the Church by the accession of the Gentiles, 1—20. The conclusion of the chapter intimates farther that the Jews, after their restoration, will be instrumental in converting many other nations, 21-23. Compare Rom. xi. 15, 16.
" Supe"/i)i"'"" 2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; R. Roman., 17. a J was jealous for Ziou with great -'ealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
3 Thus saith the Lord; *> I am returned unto Zion, and "^ will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem ^ shall be called A city of truth: and " the mountain of the Lord of hosts, ^ The holy mountain.
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; s There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the
° Heb. for multitude of days.
Verse 2. / was jealous] Some refer this to the Jews themselves. They were as the spouse of Jehovah: but they were unfaithful, and God punished hem as an injured husband might be e.\])ected to punish an unfaithful wife. Others apply it to the enemies of the Jews. Though I gave them a commission to afflict you, yet they exceeded their commission: I will therefore deal with them in fury — in vindictive justice.
Verse 3. / am returned unto Zion] I have restored her from her captivity. 1 will dwell among them. The temple shall be rebuilt, and so shall Jerusalem; and instead of being false, unholy, and profligate, it shall be the city of truth, and my holy mountain. Truth shall dwell in it.
Verse 4. T/tere shall yet old men and old tvomen] In those Jiappy times the followers of God shall live streets of Jerusalem, and every ■*; ^ ^486. man with his staff in his hand oi. lxv. 3.
5 And the streets of the city R- Ro"'aii., 17. shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be ' marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, '' should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, ' I will save my people from the east country, and from ■" the west country;
21; Amos ix. 14, 15. ™ Heb. the country of the going doum of out all their days, and the hoary head be always found in the way of righteousness.
Verse 5. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls] The progeny shall be numerous, healthy, and happy. Their innocent gambols and useful exercises shall be a means of health, and a proof of happiness. To be lieallhy, children must have exercise. But they cannot take e.\ercise, except in the way of play and diversion; ergo, such playfulness cannot be sinful. Let them be kept from evil words, lying, swearing, and scurrility; and all the rest may be innocent.
Verse 6. If it be marvellous] You may think that this is impossible, considering your present low condition: but suppose it be impossible in your eyes, should it be so in mine? saith the Lord of hosts.
try, and from the west] From every land in which
Glorious prophecies relative
01. LXV. 3. they shall dwell in the midst of
"superbi,""' Jerusalem: " and they shall be
God, ° in truth and in righteousness.
9 Thus saith tlie Lord of hosts; p Let your hand.s be strong, ye that hear in these days tliese words by the mouth of i the prophets, which were in 'the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10 For before these days Hhere was no 'hire for man, nor any liire for beasts; " neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
1 1 But now I will not he unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the
12'' For the seed shall he '^ prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and ^ the ground shall give her increase, and y the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were ^ a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save
any of them may be found. But these promises principally regard the Christian Church, or the bringing in the Jews with the fulness of the Gentiles.
Verse 9. By the mouth of the prophets] The day or time of the foundation was about two years before, as this discourse of the prophet was in the fourth year of Darius. After this God raised up prophets among them.
Verse 10. For before these days there loas no hire for 7na)i] Previously to this, ye had no prosperity; ye had nothing but civil divisions and domestic broils. I abandoned you to your own spirits, and to your own ways.
Verse 12. For the seed shall be prosperou.i] Ye shall be a holy and peaceable people; and God will pour down his blessing on yourselves, your fields, and your vineyards.
Verse 13. As ye were a curse] Instead of being execrated among the people, ye shall be blessed; instead of being reproached, ye shall be commended. Ye shall be a blessing to all the nations round about. All these promises we may expect to be completely fulfilled when the Jews acknowledge their Messiah.
hosts; " As I thought to punish you, wlien your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, '' and I repented not:
15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
1 6 These are the things that ye shall do. ' Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; ^execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
1 7 8 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and ^ love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
1 8 And the word of the Lord of hosts came
1 9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; ^ The fast of the fourth month, ^ and the fast of the fifth, ' and the fast of the seventli, "^ and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah "joy and gladness, and cheerful ° feasts; p therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall
O house of Judah, and house of Israel] The restoration shall be complete, when both Israel and Judah are brought back.
Verse 19. The fast of the fourth raoxiJCiC^ To commemorate the taking of Jerusalem; 2 Kings xxv. 3; Jer. xxxix. 2, and lii. 6, 7.
The fast of the seventh] For the murder of Geda Hah, Jer. xli. 1-17.
The fast of the tenth] In commemoration of the siege of Jerusalem, which began on the tenth day of the teyith month; 2 Kings xxv. 1; Jer. lii. 4; Ezek. xxiv. 1, 2; and see on chap. vii. 3, 5.
Cheerful feasts] Ye shall find all your evils so completely redressed, that these mournful fasts shall be turned into joyful feasts.
Verse 20. There shall come people] Similar promises to those in Isa. ii. 3, and in Mic. iv. 1, 2. Many Gentiles, as well as Jews, will then be found devoting themselves to the Lord.
Israel shall be instrumental m
yet come topass, thai tliere shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 2 1 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, i Let us ' go 'speedily 'to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea, " many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jeru-
going. 1 Heb. to entreat the face of the LORD;
Verse 21. / toill go also.] This is the answer of the person invited. It is a "ood work. We must have God for our friend. We cannot expect this unless we seek liim: and as we know not what an hour may bring forth, let us go speedily.
Verse 22. And strong nations] This may refer to the conversion of the Mohammedan tribes; especially to those in the vicinity of Palestine. Perhaps even the Egyptians, inhabitants of Arabia Petraa, of Syria, &c.
Verse 23. Ten men — shall take hold of the shirt of him that is a Jeii] The converts from among the Gentiles shall be to the Jews as ten to one. But ten
23 Thus saith the Lord of ^""iJprb",'""
hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall ' take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying. We will go with yo\i: for we have heard '" that God is with you.
may here signify a great nnmber, without comparison. And from this scripture it appears as if the Jews, converted to God, should be the instruments of converting many Gentiles. See on Isa. iii. 6. Catching hold of the skirt is a gesture naturally used tr> entreat assistance and protection. This and the three foregoing verses, says Abp. Newcome, refer to the great accession of converts which the Jewish Church received between the captivity and the coming of Christ; to the number of Christian disciples wliich the Jewish preachers made, and to the future conversions of which the restoration of the Jews will be an eminent cause.
Syria, Phmnicia, and Palestine, were conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Alexander. Some apply the beginning of this chapter (1-7) to the one event, and some to the other. The close of the seventh verse relates to the number of Philistines that should become proselytes to Judaism; {see Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 15, 4;) and the eighth, to the watchful providence of God over his temple in those troublesome times. From this the prophet passes on to that most eminent instance of God's goodness to his Church and people, the sending of the Messiah, ivith an account of the peaceable tendency and great extent of his kingdom, 9, 10. God then declares that he has ratified his covenant with his people, delivered them from their captivity, and restored them to favour, 11, 12. In consequence of this, victory over their enemies is promised them in large and lofty terms, with every other kind of prosperity, 13-17. Judas Maccabeus gained several advantages over the troops of Antiochus, who was of Grecian or Macedonian descent. But without excluding these events, it must be allowed that the terms of this prophecy are much too strong to be confined to them; their ultimate fulfilment must therefore be referred to Gospel times.
the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and '' Damascus shall be
Verse 1. The burden of the word of 'the Lord] The oracle contained in the word which Jehovah now speaks.
Thi.s is a prophecy against Syria, the Philistines, Tyre, and Sidon, which were to be subdued by Alexander the Great. After this the prophet speaks gloriously concerning the coming of Christ, and redemption by him.
Most learned men are of opinion that this and the succeeding chapters are not the work of Zechariah,
2 And ^ Hamath also shall ''TRoman.!"-
but rather of Jeremiah, Hosea, or some one before the captivity. It is certain that chap. xi. 12, 13 is quoted Matt, xxvii. 9, 10, as the language of Jeremiah the prophet. The first eight chapters appear by the introductory pa-ts to be the prophecies of Zechariah: they stand in connection with each other, are pertinent to the time when they were delivered, are uniform in style and manner, and constitute a regular whole; but the six last chapters are not expressly assigned to Zechariah, and are unconnected with those that precede: — the three first of them are unsuitable in many
silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire
4 Behold, ' the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite '' her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
5 ' Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed;
6 And a bastard shall dwell "'"■ '^"""'°- ^"- " in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 And I will take away his " blood out ot his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he shall he for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
8 And " I will encamp about mine house
parts to the time when Zechariah lived; all of them have a more adorned and poetical turn of composition than the eight first chapters, and they manifestly break the unity of the prophetical book.
I conclude, from internal marks, that these three chapters, (ix., x., xi.,) were written much earlier than the time of Jeremiah, and before the captivity of the ten tribes. They seem to suit Hosea's age and manner; but whoever wrote them, their Divine authority is established hy the two quotations from them, chap, is. 9, and xi. 12, 13. See below.
The twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth chapters form a distinct prophecy, and were written after the death of Josiah, chap. xii. 11; but whether before or after the captivity, and by what prophet, is uncertain, although I incline to think that the author lived before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. See on chap. xiii. 2-6. They are twice quoted in the New Testament, chap. xii. 10, and xiii. 7. — Newcome.
My own opinion is, that these chapters form not only a distinct work, but belong to a different author. If they do not belong to Jeremiah, they form a thirteenth book in the minor prophets, but the inspired wTiter is unknown.
The land of Hadrach] The valley of Damascus, or a place near to Damascus. Alexander the Great gained possession of Damascus, and took all its treasures; but it was without blood; the city was betrayed to him.
Damascus shall be the rest thereof] The principal part of this calamity shall fall on this city. God's anger rests on those whom he punishes, Ezek. v. 13, xvi. 42, xxiv. 13. And. his rod, or his arm, rests upon his enemies, Ps. cx.xv. 3; Isai. xxx. 23. See yewcome.
Whe?i the eye of man] Newcome translates thus: " For the eye of Jehovah is over man. And over all the tribes of Israel." This is an easy sense, and is followed by the versions. Verse 2. And Hamath also shall border thereby] Hamath on the river Orontes; and Tyre and Sidon, notwithstanding their political wisdom, address, and cunning, shall have a part in the punishment.
evidence — although Alexander did take Damascus, but without bloodshed — that it was destroyed from the limes of Zechariah to the advent of our Lord. And as Tyre and Sidon were lately destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, it is not likely that they could soon undergo another devastation.
Verse 3. And Tyrus did build herself] The rock on which Tyre was built was strongly fortified; and that she had abundance of riches has been already seen, Ezek. xxviii. 1, &c.
Verse 4. Will smite her poioer in the sea] See Ezek. xxvi. 17. Thougli Alexander did take Tyre, Sidon, Gaza, &c.; yet it seems that the prediction relative to their destruction was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar. See Amos i. 6-8; Zeph. ii. 4, 7.
Verse 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear] All these prophecies seem to have been fulfilled before the days of Zechariah; another evidence that these last chapters were not «iitten by him.
Verse 6..4 bastard shall dwell in Ashdod] This character would suit Alexander very well, who most certainly was a bastard; for his mother Olympia said that Jupiter Ammon entered her apartment in the shape of a dragon, and begat Alexander! Could her husband Philip believe this? The word signifies a stranger.
Verse 7. I will take away his blood out of his mouth] The Philistines, when incorporated with the Israelites, shall abstain from blood, and every thing that is abominable.
And Ekron as a Jebusite.] As an inhabitant of Jerusalem. Many of the Philistines became proselytes to Judaism; and particularly the cities of Gaza, and Ashdod. See Joseph. Antiq. lib. xiii., c. 15, s. 4.
Verse 8. / toill encamp about mine house] This may apply to the conquests in Palestine by Alexander, who, coming with great wrath against Jerusalem, was met by Jaddua the high priest and his fellows in their sacred robes, who made intercession for the city and the temple; and, in consequence, Alexander spared both, which he had previously purposed to destroy. He showed the Jews also much favour, and remitted the tax every seventh year, because the law on that year forbade thera to cultivate their ground. See this
because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and i' no oppressor sliall pass through them
9 ' Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold, » thy King cometli unto thee: he is just, and ' having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
1 0 And I " will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak " peace unto the heathen: and his do-
extraordinary account in Joseph. Antiq. lib. xi., c. 8, s. 5. Bishop Neiocome translates: " I will encamp about my house with an army, so that none shall pass through or return."
Verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion\ See this prophecy explained on Matt. xxi. 5.
Behold, thy King cometh] Not Zerubhabel, for he was never king; nor have they had a king, except Jesus the Christ, from the days of Zedekiah to the present time.
Lowly] Without worldly pomp or splendour; for neither his kingdom, nor that of his followers, is of this icorld.
Riding upon an ass] God had commanded the kings of Israel not to multiply horses. The kings who broke this command were miserable themselves, and scourgers to their people. Jesus came to fulfil the law. Had he in his title of king rode upon a horse, it would have been a breach of a positive command of God; therefore, he rode upon an ass, and thus fulfilled the prophecy, and kept the precept unbroken. Hence it is immediately added —
Verse 10. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem] No wars shall be employed to spread the kingdom of the Messiah; fur it shall be founded and established, " not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts," chap. iv. 6.
Verse 1 1. As for thee also (Jerusalem) by the blood of thy covenant] The covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Israelites in general, and ratified by the blood of many victims; until the time should come in which the Messiah should shed his blood, as typified by the ancient sacrifices.
/ have sent forth thy prisoners] Those who were under the arrest of God's judgments; the human
blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy ^ prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12 Turn you to the strong hold, ^ ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that " I will render double unto thee;
13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thv sons, O Zion, against thy sons, 0 Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and '' his arrow shall go forth as the lightning:
race, fast bound in sin and misery, and who by the pitifulness of his tender mercy were loosed, he dying in their stead.
Verse 19. Turn you to the strong hold] Ye who feel your sins, and arc shut up under a sense of your guilt, look up to him who was delivered for your offences, and rose again for your justification. Ye have hope^ let that hope lead you to faith, and that faith to the blood of the covenant; and, through that Hood, to God, the Father of all.
/ laill render double tinto thee] Give thee an abundance of peace and salvation.
Verse 13. When I have bent Judah] Judah is the bow, and Ephraim is the arrows; and these are to be shot against the Greeks. I am inclined, with Bp. Nerocome, to consider that the language of this prophecy is too strong to point out the only trifling advantage which the Maccabees gained over Antiochus, who was of Macedonian descent; and it is probable that these propliecies remain to be fulfilled against the present possessors of Javan or Greece, Macedonia, and a part of Asia Minor.
Verse 14. The Lord shall be seen over them] Shadowing and refreshing them, as the cloud did the camp in the wilderness.
His arrow shall go forth as the lightning] They shall be conquered in a way that will show that God fights for his followers.
The description here is very sublime; we have a good imitation of it in Nonnus: —
Koj TOTS yaiav iiraaav eTrtK?.v(;ev vctw; Zev(, TlvKi'uoag vt<pe€aaLV b'^ov ttoTiov ovpavijj yap Bpovraioic Trarayoiai Aior /jvKriaaro aa^m-y?.
NoNN. DioNvs., lib. 6. ver. 229. " ^\^len heaven's dread trumpet, sounding from on high. Breaks forth in thunders through the darkened sky; The pregnant clouds to floods of rain give birth. And stormy Jove o'erwhelms the solid earth."
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.
In these two verses there is a fine image, and an allusion to a particular fact, which have escaped the notice of every commentator. I must repeat the verses -. 13: ^^^len I have bent Judah for me, filled the how with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, 0 Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. 1 4: And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arroivs shall go forth like lightning. The reader will consult what is said on Hos. vii. 16, relative to the oriental bow, which resembles a O in its quiescent state, and must be recurved in order to be strung. Here, Judah is represented as the recurved how; Ephraim, as an arrovi placed on the string, and then discharged against the Javanites or Greeks with the momentum of lightning; the arrovi kindling in its course tlrrough the air, and thus becoming the bolt of death to them against whom it was directed.
Volat illud, et incandescit eundo, Et quos non habuit, sub nubibus invenit ignes.
" It flies apace; and, heating, mounts on high, Glows in its course, and burns along the sky."
Verse 15. The Lord of hosts shall defend them] He alone is the sure trust of his Church.
Subdue with sling-stones] This was an ancient and powerful instrument in the hands of the Hebrews. See the note on Judg. x.x. 16.
Thei/ shall drink] After the victory gained as above, thy people shall hold a feast, and drink and be filed icith wine. There is no intimation here that they shall drink the blood of their enemies, as some barbarous nations were accustomed to do. When they
shall save them in that day as the oi. XLyiii. 2.
shall be as the stones of a crown, ""■ ^■"'"°' 30. '' lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
17 For ' how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! ^ corn shall make the young men ' cheerful, and new wine the maids.
have gained the victory, they shall banquet abundantly on the spoils taken from the enemy.
As the corners of the altar.] They shall pour out libations of wine at the foot of the altar, as the priests were accustomed to pour out the blood of the victims.
Verse 16. Shall save them in that day] They are his fock, and he is their Shepherd; and, as his own, he shall save and defend them.
As the stones of a crown] niDDUno 1IJ 'JDS abney nezer mithnosesoth, " crowned stones erecting themselves;" i. e., being set up by themselves, as?nonuments of some deliverance, they seem to be lifting themselves up; offering themselves to the attention of every passenger. It may however refer to stones anointed toith oil; a sort of temporary altars set up to the Lord for a victory gained. The same word is used. Lev. xxi. 12; " Because the crown, 1TJ ne:rer, of the anointing oil of his God is upon him." Perhaps most of those upright stones, standing in circles, which pas.s for druidical monuments, were erected to commemorate victories, or to grace the tomb of an illustrious chief. These verses may refer to some final victory over the enemies of God's people.
And how great is his. beauty.'] His comeliness holiness, and purity, put in and upon them.
Co-rn shall make the young men cheerful] They shall be gladdened and strengthened by plenty of food; and they shall speak aloud of God's mercies in their harvest home.