Commentary on the Holy Bible

rhe promise of prosperity and plenty in the close of the preceding chapter leads the prophet to suggest, next, the means of obtaining them; supplication to Jehovah, and not to idols, whose, worship had already proved a fertile source of calamities, 1—3. The rest of the chapter (like the preceding) promises to the Jews a restoration to their oivn land under rulers and governors, victory over their enemies, and much increase and prosperity; and this in a manner so miraculous, that it is described, 4-12, by allusions to the deliverance from Egypt.

A SK ye " of tlic Lord *' rain " in the lime of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make ^ bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

2 For the " idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they « comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they '' were troubled, ' because there was no shepherd.

3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, ^ and I ' punished tlie goats: for the Lord of hosts ■" hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and " hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.

5 Out of him came forth ° the corner, out of him P the nail, out of him the battle-bow, out of him every oppressor together.

5 And they shall be as mighty men, which 1 tread down their enemies in the mire of the

Shall ftgiit, because the Lord is oi. XLviii.2. with them, and ■■ the riders on "^^Zml^',''' horses shall be confounded. ""^' """"'» 30.

Verse 1. Ask ye of the Lord rain] Rain in the due seasons — 1. To impregnate tlie seed when sown; and 2. To Jill the ear near the time of harvest — was so essential to the fertility of the land, and the well-being of the people, that it stands well among the chief of God's mercies; and the promise of it here shows that God designs to ensure the prosperity promised, by using those means by which it was promoted.

Verse 2. The idols have spoken vanity] This is spoken of the Jews, and must refer to their idolatry practised before the captivity, for there were no idols after.

Therefore they went their way] They were like a flock that had no shepherd, shifting from place to place, and wandering about in the wilderness, seeking for pasture, wherever they might find it. Some think that the idols and diviners were those of the Seleucidct Greeks, who excited their masters with promises of success against the Maccabees. Others think that the Babylonish captivity is foretold; for a determined future event is frequently spoken of by the prophets as past.

Verse 3. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds] Bad kings and bad priests. / will punish the goats; these were the wicked priests, who were shepherds by their office, and goats by the impurity of their liees.

As his goodly horse in the battle.] The honourable war horse, or the horse that carried the general's equipage. In the nnaccountable variation of interpreters on these chapters, this, among other things, is thought to be spoken of Matthias and Judas Maccabeus, who

6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and " 1 will bring them again to place them; for 1 ' have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off": for I am tiie Lord their God, and " will hear them.

7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their " heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in

8 I will " hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: ^ and they shall increase as they have increased.

9 And y I will sow them among the peo pie: and they shall ^ remember me in far

assembled the people from all quarters, as a shepherd gathers his sheep together; and led them against the sons of Greece, the Seleucidie Greeks. Others refer every thing here to times before the captivity.

Verse 4. Out of him came forth the corner] This is spoken of the tribe of Judah: all strength, counsel, and e.xcellence came from that tribe. The corner stone, the ornament and completion of the buildino-; the nail, by which the tents were fastened, and on which they hung their clothes, armour, &c.; the battlebow, the choicest archers.

Every oppressor together.] Those heroes and generals, by whom, under God, their foes should be totally routed. Newcome translates, " Every ruler together." Perhaps all this is spoken of the Messiah.

aiders on horses] The Jlacedonians, who opposed the Maccabees, and had much cavalry; whereas the Jews had none, and even few weapons of war; yet they overcame these horsemen.

Verse 6. I will strengthen the house of Judah] I doubt whether the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth verses are not to be understood of the future ingathering of the Jews in the times of the Gospel. See Jer. iii. 14; xxiii. 6; Hosea i. 2; vi. 11.

Verse 7. Ephraim shall belike a mighty mzn] This tribe was always distinguished for its valour.

Verse 8. I will hiss for them] npiafN eshrckah, "1 will shriek for them;" call them with such a shrill strong voice, that they shall hear me, and find that it is the voice of their redemption.

cir. annum 30. j Q » I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and "^ place shall not be found for them. 11"^ And he shall pass through the sea with

waves in the sea, and all the deeps oi XLViii. 2. of the river shall dry up: and R'^^Koma"^, ^ the pride of Assyria shall be '^'^- """'"" ^°- brought down, and " the sceptre of Egj'pt shall depart away.

1 2 And I will strengthen them in the Lord: and ^ they shall walk up and down in his name,

ever they have been dispersed, my voice in the preaching of the Gospel shall reach them. And they shall remember me, and they and their children shall turn again to the Lord, through Messiah their King.

Verse 10. Out of the land of Egypt] I will bring them out of all the countries where they have been dispersed, and bring them back to their own land; and they shall be so numerous that they shall scarcely find there, in all its length and breadth, a sufBciency of room. If all the Jews that are now scattered over the face of the earth were gathered together, they would make a mighty nation. And God will gather them together. As a wonderful providence has preserved them in every place, so a wondrous providence will collect them from every place of their dispersion. When the great call comes, no one soul of them shall be left behind.

Verse 11. And he shall pass through the sea] Here is an allusion to the passage of the Red Sea, on their coming out of Egypt, and to their crossing Jordan, when they went into the promised land; the waves or waters of both were dried up, thrown from side to side, till all the people passed safely through. When they shall return from the various countries in which they now sojourn, God will work, if necessary, similar miracles to those which he formerly worked for their forefathers; and the people shall be glad to let them go, however much they may be profited by their operations in the state. Those that oppose, as Assyria and Egypt formerly did, shall be brought down, and their sceptre broken.

Verse 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord] I, the God of Israel, will strengthen them in the Lord — Jesus, the Messiah; and thus indeed the Chaldee: I loill strengthen them, "T N1D"03 bemeymra dayai, in or by the Word of Jehovah, the same personal Word which we so often meet with in the Chaldee paraphrases or Targnm.

They shall icalk up and down in his name] In the name of the Messiah. Saith the Lord — God speaks here, not of himself, but concerning his Christ. The Jews shall have complete liberty; they shall appear everywhere as a part of the flock of Christ, and no difference be made between them and the converted Gentiles. They shall be all one fold under one Shepherd and Bishop of all souls.

Tlie commencement of this chapter relates to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish polity, probably by the Babylonians; at least in the first instance, as the fourth verse speaks of the people thus threatened as the prophefs charge, 1—6. The prophet then gives an account of the manner in which he discharged his office, and the little value that was put on his labours. And this he does by symbolical actions, a common mode of instruction with the ancient prophets, 7—14. After the prophet, on account of the unsuccessfulness of his labours, had broken the two crooks which were the true badges of his pastoral office, {to denote the annulling of God's covenant with them, and their consequent divisions aiid dispersions,) he is directed to take instruments calculated to hurt and destroy, perhaps an iron crook, scrip, and stones, to express by these symbols the judgments which God was about to inflict on them by wicked rulers and guides, who should first destroy the flock, and in the end be destroyed themselves, 15-17. Let us now view this prophecy in another light, as we are authorized to do by Scripture, Matt, xxvii. 7. In this view the prophet, in the person of the Messiah, sets forth the ungrateful returns made to him by the Jews, when he undertook the office of shepherd in guiding and governing them; how they rejected him, and valued him and his labours at the mean and contemptible price of thirty pieces of silver, the paltry sum for which Judas betrayed him. Upon which he threatens to destroy their city and temple; and to give them up to the hands of such guides and governors as should have no regard to their welfare.

is fallen; because the ^ mighty is spoiled: howl, 0 ye oaks of Bashan; ■= for '' the forest of the vintage is come down.

3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled; a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

4 Thus sailh the Lord my God; " Feed the flock of the slaughter;

5 Whose possessors slay them, and ' hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them ^ say, Blessed he the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of

Verse 1. Open thij doors, O Lebanon] I will give Mr. Joseph Mede^s note upon this verse: —

" That which moveth me more than the rest, is in chap, xi., which contains a prophecy of the destruction «f Jerusalem, and a description of the wickedness of the inhabitants, for which God would give them to the sword, and have no more pity upon them. It is expounded of the destruction by Titus; but methinks such a prophecy was nothing seasonable for Zachary's time, (when the city yet for a great part lay in her ruins, and the temple had not)'et recovered hers,) nor agreeable to the scope. Zachary's commission, who, together with his colleague Haggai, was sent to encourage the people, latcli/ returned from captivity, to build their temple, and to instaurate their commonwealth. Was this a fit time to foretell the destruction of both, while they were yet but a-building? And by Zachary too, who was to encourage them 1 Would not this better befit the desolation by Nebuchadnezzar!" I really think so. See Mr. /. Mede's Ixi. Epistle.

Lebanon signifies the temple, because built of materials principally brought from that place.

Verse 2. Howl, fir tree] This seems to point out the fall and destruction of all the mighty men.

Verse 3. Young lions] Princes and rulers. By shepherds, kings or priests may be intended.

Verse 4. Feed the flock of the slaughter] This people resemble a flock of sheep fattened for the shambles; feed, instruct, this people who are about to be slaughtered.

Verse 5. Whose possessors] Governors and false prophets, stai/ them, by leading them to those things that will bring them to destruction.

ind they that sell Ihem] Give them up to idolatry; aiiu bless God, strange to tell, that they get secular advantage by the establishment of this false religion.

one into his neighbours hand, r. Roman., and into the hand of his king: "''"•""""■" ^o and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver thetn.

7 And I will ' feed the flock of slaughter, '' even you, ' O poor of the flock. And I took unto mc two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other 1 called ""Bands; and I fed the flock.

8 Three shepherds also I cut off" " in one month; and my soul " loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

9 Then said I, I will not feed you: >■ that that dieth, let it die: and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat everyone the flesh 1 of another.

10 And I took my staff", even Beaut}', and

Verse 7. And I will feed the flock of slaughter] I showed them what God had revealed to me relative to the evils coming upon the land; and I did this the more especially for the sake of Me poor of the flock.

Tu'o staves] Two shepherd''s crooks. One I called Beauty — that probably by which they marked the sheep; dipping the end into Vermillion, or some red liquid. And this was done when they were to mark every tenth sheep, as it came out of the field, when the tithe was to be set apart for the Lord.

The other I called Bands] Probably that with the hook or crook at the head of it, by which the shepherd was wont to catch the sheep by the horns or legs when he wished to bring any to hand.

And I fed the flock.] These two rods show the beauty and union of the people, while under God as their Shepherd. It was the delight of God to see them in a state oi peace and harmony.

Verse 8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month] Taking this literally, some think the three shepherds mean the three Maccabees, /«(/</«, Jonathan, and Simon; others, the three wicked high priests. Jason, Alcimus, and Menelaus; others, the three last princes of the Asmonean race, Alexander, Ifyrcanus, and Antigonus.

Perhaps three orders may be intended: 1. The priesthood. 2. Tlie dictatorship, including the Scribes, Pharisees, &c. 3. The magistracy, the great sanhedrin, and the.smaller councils. These were all annihilated by the Roman conquest.

\'erse 9. I will not feed i/ou] I shall instruct you no longer: some of you are appointed to death by famine; others, to be cut off by the sword; and others of you, to such desperation that ye shall destroy one another.

day: and ■■ so ^ the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

12 And I said mito them, ' If ye tliink good, give me my price, and if not, forbear. So they " weighed for my j)rice thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said unto me. Cast it unto the " potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.

1 4 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even

15 And the Lord said unto me, r Roman., " Take unto thee yet the instru- "'"■ ''°°"°' ^°- ments of a foolish shepherd.

16 For lo, I will raise up a shepherd m the land, which shall not visit those that be >' cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor ^feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

17 ^Wo to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall he upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his ^ arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

asunder] And thus I showed that I determined no longer to preserve them in their free and ghrious state. And thus I bj-a/ce my covenant with them, which they had broken on their part already.

Verse 11. So the poor of the flock] The pious, who attended to my teaching, saw that this was the word — the design, of God.

Verse 12. If ye' think good, give me my price'] '' Give me my hire." And we find they rated it contemptuously; thirty pieces of silver being the price of a slave, E.xod. xxi. 32.

Averse 13. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter] Jehovah calls the price of his prophet his own price; and commands that it should not be accepted, but given to a potter, to foreshadow the transaction related Matt, xxvii. 7.

" Earthen vessels were used in the temple; and we may suppose that some Levites were employed within the sacred precincts to furnish them. To these, the humblest of his ministers in the temple, God commands that the degrading price should be cast." This is the substance of the notes on these two verses, given by Apb. Newcome.

We may look at it in another light. Give me my price! 'I^iy nn habu sichri, bring my price, or give him my price; that is. Give the money to Judas which you have agreed to give him; for he can neither betray me nor you crucify me, but by my own permission. But if not, forbear; take time to consider this bloody business, and in time forbear. For though I permit vou to do it, yet remember that the permission does not necessitate you to do it; and the salvation of the world may be effected without this treachery and murder.

See my notes on this place. Matt, xxvii. 9, where I have examined the evidence for the reading of " Zechariah the prophet," instead of " Jeremiah."

cannot, says 'Newcome, explain this passage, without supposing that the kingdom of Israel subsisted when the prophet wrote it; and that either the wars between Judah and Israel are referred to, (see 2 Kings xvi. 5,) or the captivity of the ten tribes, when the brotherly connection between these kingdoms ceased.

Verse 15. The instruments of a foolish shepherd.] Such as a bag without bread, a scrip without measure, and a staff ivithout a hook, &c.; things that were needless or of no use; to point out to the Jewish pastors, who took no care of the flock, but devoured them, or ruled them with force and with cruelty.

Verse 16. I u'ill raise up a shepherd in the land] Some wicked king; and Nevicome supposes Hoshea may be meant. See 2 Kings xvii. 1, 2, and to such an abominable sovereign the prophecy may well apply.

Verse 17. Wo to the idol shepherd] T'7Nn y\ rot haeltl, " the worthless," or " good for nothing shepherd." The shepherd in name and office, but not performing the work of one. See John x. 1 1.

The sioord shall be upon his arm] Punishment shall be executed upon the wicked Jews, and especially their wicked kings and priests. See ver. 16.

His arm shall be clean dried up] The secular power shall be broken, and become utterly inefficient.

His right eye shall be utterly darkened] Prophecy shall be restrained; and the whole state, ecclesiastical and civil, shall be so completely eclipsed, that none of their functions shall be performed. This may refer to the worthless and wicked governor mentioned in the preceding verse.

There are several things in this chapter that are very obscure, and we can hardly say what opinion is right; nor is it at all clear whether they refer to a very early or late period of the Jewish history.

The first part of this chapter, with several passages in chap, xiv., relates to an invasion that shall be made on the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem in the latter ages of the world, some time after the restoration and settlement of the Jews in their own land. It also describes, in very magnificent terms, the si«neJ, interposition of God in their favour. From this the prophet proceeds in the latter part of the chapter, 10-14, to describe the spiritual mercies of God in converting his people; and gives a very pathetic and affecting account of the deep sorrow of that people, when brought to a sense of their great sin in crucifying the Messiah, comparing it to the sorrow of a parent for his first-born and only son, or to the lamentations made for Josiah in the valley of Megiddon, 2 Chron. xxxv. 84, 25..4 deep, retired sorrow, which will render the mourners for a season insensible to all the comforts and enjoyments of the most endearing society.

5 And the governors of Judah '^^'Romanf '

of the earth, and '' formeth the spirit of man

2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem = a cup of "i trembling unto all the people round about, • when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

3 *■ And in that day will I make Jerusalem 8 a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

4 In that day, saith the Lord, '' I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every

inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.

6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah '' like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and tiiey shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in

7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah f^st, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against

8 In that day shall the Lord defend the

- yr, slumber, or poison. ' Or, and atso against Judah strength tome and to the inhabitants, &c.; Joel iii. 16

Verse 1. The burden of the word of the Lord] This is a new prophecy. It is directed both to Israel and Judah, though Israel alone is mentioned in this verse.

Which stretcheth forth the heavens} See on Isa. xlii. 5.

Formeth the spirit of man within him.] Then it is not the same substance with his body. It is a spirit within HIM.

Verse 2. Jerusalem a cup of trembling] The Babylonians, who captivated and ruined the Jews, shall in their turn be ruined.

I incline to think that what is spoken in this chapter about the Jews and Jerusalem, belongs to the " glory of the latter times."

Shall be in the siege]. This may refer to some war against the Church of Christ, such as that mentioned Rev. XX. 9.

Verse 3..4 burdensome stone] Probably referring to that stone which was thrown on the breast of a culprit adjudged to lose his life by stoning, by which the whole region of the thorax, heart, lungs, liver, &c., was broken to pieces.

Verse 4. / will smite every horse] Some apply this to the wars of the Maccabees with the Syrians; but it is more likely to be a prophecy not yet accomplished. The terms are too strong for such petty and evanescent victories as those of the Maccabees.

Verse 5. The governors of Judah] This supposes a union between the two kingdoms of Israel and

Verse 6. Jerusalem shall be inhabited again] This seems to refer to the future conversion of the Jews, and their " return to their own land."

Verse 7. The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first] This, I suppose, refers to the same thing. The Gospel of Christ shall go from the least to the greatest. Eminent men are not the first that are called; the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And this is done in the wise providence of God, that the " glory of the house of David," &c., that secular influence may appear to have no hand in the matter; and that God does not send his Gospel to a great man, because h^is such.

Verse 8. He that is feeble among them — shall be as David] Here is a marked difference betweea Judaism

R. Roman., them at that day shall be as cir. annum 30. j)^y[^. ^nd the house of David shall he as God, as the angel of tlfe Lord before them.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to ° destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 P And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall ' look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, "■ as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be

and Christianittj. So clear, full, and efficient shall be the salvation of believers under the Gospel, that the feeblest among them shall be as strong, as fuU of courage, and as successful as David when he went against Goliath. The least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John the Baptist.

And the house of David — as the angel of the Lord] The family, the Church of the tnie David, the Lord Jesus, shall be as the angel of the Lord; shall stand in the Divine presence like GaOriel; for Christ hath said, " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." So " we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed from glory into glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." Thus the house of David, the true Christians, shall here walk with, after, and before God.

Averse 9. / ivill seek to destroy all the nations] When this time shall arrive, all nations that " will not receive the faith of our Lord Jesus" shall be destroyed, when the longsuffering of God shall no longer wait upon them. This seems to belong to a period yet very remote.

Verse 10. / will pour upon the house of David] This is the way in which the Jews themselves shall be brought into the Christian Church. 1. "They shall have the spirit of grace;" God will show them that

1 1 In that day shall there be a R'^^Roman!','"' great ^mourning in Jerusalem, '^"'- """""^ 3"- ' as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

12^ And the land shall mourn, " every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of " Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

1 3 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the fam'ily ^ of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

he yet bears/anour to them. 2. They shall be excited to fervent and continual prayer for the restoration of the Divine favour. 3. Christ shall be preached unto them; and they shall look upon and believe in him whom they pierced, whom they crucified at Jerusalem. 4. This shall produce deep and sincere repentance; they shall mourn, and be in bitterness of soul, to think that they had crucified the Lord of life and glory, and so long continued to contradict and blaspheme, since that time.

As the mourning of Hadadrimmon] They shall mourn as deeply for the crucified Christ as their forefathers did for the death of Josiah, who was slain at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. See 2 Chron. xxxv. 24, 25.

Verse 12. Every family apart] The meaning of the word apart, which recurs here so often, may be this: Their sorrow shall be so deep and distressing, that every one will endeavour to avoid another, and vent his grief and distress of soul in private. And even husbands and icives shall separate from each other in this general mourning, as they were obliged to do by law in certain circumstances. See 1 Car. vii. 5, and the note there.

After the humiliation and conversion of the Jews, foretold in the preceding chapter, they are here promised the full pardon of their sins, and a deliverance from idolatry and false prophets, 1-6. Prophecy concerning the death of the Messiah, and the persecution of his disciples, 7. The remaining verses may refer to those Jewish converts to Christianity who survived the calamities which their country suffered from the Romans, 8, 9.

R. Roman., ' of David and to the inliabitants of cir. annum 30. Jerusalem for sin and for ■= uncleanness.

saith the Lord of hosts, that I will '• cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause ' the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him. Thou shah not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mo-

Verse 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened] This chapter is a- continuation of the preceding, and should not have been separated from it.

A fountain] The source of mercy in Christ Jesus; perhaps referring to the death he should die, and the piercing of his side, when blood and ivater issued out.

To the house of David] To David's family, and such Hie persons as it included. See the history of David and his sons, and then learn for lohom Christ shed his blood.

Inhabitants of Jerusalem] Such like persons as the Jews were in every part of their history, and in their last times, when they clamoured for the blood of Christ, and pursued him unto death! Learn from this also for ivhoni Christ died! These were the worst of the human race; and if he died for them, none need despair. They rejected, betrayed, crucified, slew, and blasphemed Christ, and afterwards persecuted his followers. For these he died! Yes: and he tasted death for every man.

For sin and for uncleanness.] For the removal of the guilt of sin, and for the purification of the soul from the uncleanness or pollution of sin.

Verse 8. / toill cut off the names of the idols] There shall not only be no idolatry, but the very names of the idols shall be forgotten, or be held in such abhorrence that no person shall mention them. This prophecy seems to be ancient, and to have been delivered while idolatry had prevalence in Israel and Judah.

And the unclean spirit] That which leads to impurity, the spirit of divination; the lust of the flesh, and of the eye, and the pride of life. Satan shall have neither a being in, nor power over, the hearts of sincere believers in Christ.

Verse 3. When any shall yet prophesy] Falsely; euch shall be the horror of such an evil, that there

4 And It shall come to pass in r. Roman., that day, that? the prophets shall "" ''"""'" ^- be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear '" a ' rough garment '' to deceive:

5 ' But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

6 And one shall say unto him. What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer. Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

7 Awake, 0 sword, against "■ my Shepherd, and against the man " that is my Fellow,

shall be no toleration of it. Itself, artd they who practise it, shall be everywhere destroyed.

Verse 4. Neither shall they wear a rough garment] A rough garment made of goats'' hair, coarse wool, or the cocjrse pile of the camel, was the ordinary garb of God's prophets. And the false prophets wore the same; for they pretended to the same gifts, and the same spirit, and therefore they wore the same kind of garments. John Baptist had a garment of this kind.

Verse 5. But he shall say, I am no prophet] This must be the case of a false prophet or diviner, who had been obliged to give up his infamous practice, and become even a labourer in the land. But having been known to be such, he is questioned by the people to see if he still were addicted in heart to the same practices. He declares he is no prophet, neither true nor false; that he is now a husbandman, and was brought up a herdsman.

Verse 6. What are these wounds in thine hands?] Marks which he had received in honour of his idols. But he shall excuse himself by slating that he had received these marks in his own family; when, most probably, they had been dedicated to some of those idols. See the note on Isa. xliv. 5. I do not think that these words are spoken at all concerning Jesus Christ. I have heard them quoted in this way; but I cannot hear such an application of them without horror. In quoting from the Old Testament in reference to the New, we cannot be too cautious. We may wound the truth instead of honouring it.

Verse 7. Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd] This is generally understood of Jesus Christ. The sivord is that of Divine justice, which seemed to have been long asleep, and should long ago have struck either m.\n, or his substitute, the Messiah. Jesus is here called God's Shepherd, because he had appointed him to feed and govern, as well as to save, the whole lost world. This is a prosopopoeia, and the address

61. XLViii. 2. the Shepherd, and the sheep shall

8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; 1 but the third shall be left therein.

to the sword is very poetic. There is a fine passage in JEschylus to the same effect: —

IliKpo;, uiiO(jipav atdapoc,

X^ova vatecv iian-ri'Xa^

Tqv fieyaluiv tteSiuv a/ioipoic,

" The rude barbarian, from the mines

Of Scythia, o'er the lots presides; Ruthless to each his share assigns,

And the contested realm divides: To each allots no wider a domain

Than, on the cold earth as they lie.

Their breatliless bodies occupy, Regardless of an ampler reign:

Such narrow compass does the sword — \ cruel umpire — their high claims afford."

The man that is my Fellow] 'j-\'r:;r t^i b;?! veal rreber amilhi, " upon the strong man," or, " the hero that is zvith me;" my neiglibour. " The Word was God, and the Word was with God;" John i. 1. " I and my Father are one;" John x. 30.

Snute the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered]

Will ' refine them as silver is r Roman, refined, and will try them as ""■ ^"""'° ^°- gold is tried: ' they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: " I will say. It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my

This is quoted by our Lord, Matt. xxvi. 31, in relation to fiis disciples, who should be scattered on his crucifixion: and they were so; for every one, giving up all for lost, weyit to his oum house.

And I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.] I will take care of the little flock, and preserve them from Jewish malice and Gentile persecution. And so this little flock was most wondrously preserved, and has been increasing from year to year from that time to the present day.

Verse 8. Two parts therein shall be cut off] In the war with the Romans.

But the third shall be left] Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be preserved alive; and not one of these perished in the siege, or afterwards, by those wars.

Verse 9. I will bring the third part through the fire] The Christian Church shall endure a great fight of afflictions, by which they shall be refined — not consumed.

They shall call on my name] In this way shall they offer all their prayers and supplications to God.

/ loill say, It is my people] The Church that I have chosen in the place of the Jews who have filled up the measure of their iniquity.

And they shall say. The Lord is my God] And thus communion shall be established between me and them for ever. Thus there shall be a general restoration.

The commencement of this chapter relates to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and to the calamities consequent on that event. From this great Jewish tragedy the prophet immediately passes to the utter extermination of the enemies of Christianity in the latter days. God will display his power in behalf of his people in a manner so astonishing and miraculous, that even they themselves, and much more their enemies, shall be struck icith terror, 4, 5. The national prosperity of the Jews shall then be permanent and unmixed, 6, 7; and these people shall be made the instruments of converting many to the faith of the Messiah, 8, 9. The great increase and prosperity of the Christian Church, the New Jerusalem, is then described in terms accommodated to Jewish ideas; and the most signal vengeance denounced against all her enemies, 10-19. From that happy period God's name will be honoured in every thing, and his worship everywhere most reverently observed, 20,21.

2 For '' I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and ■= the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off" from the city.

3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

4 And his feet shall stand in that day "^ upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, * and there shall be a very

my mttunlains. 5 Or, when he shall touch the vallet/ of the mountains to the place he separated. ^Amos i. 1. 'Matt.xvi. 27;

Verse 1. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh] This appears to be a prediction of that war in which Jerusalem was finally destroyed, and the Jews scattered all over the face of the earth; and of the effects produced by it.

Verse 2. / will gather all nations] The Romans, whose armies were composed of all the nations of the world. In this verse there is a pitiful account given of the horrible outrages which should be committed daring the siege of Jerusalem, and at its capture.

The residue of the people shall not be cut off] Many were preserved for slaves, and for exhibition in the provincial theatres.

Verse 3. Theri shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations] Against the Romans, by means of the northern nations; who shall destroy the whole empire of this once mistress of the world. But this is an obscure place.

Verse 4. And his feet shall stand] He shall appear in full possession of the place, as a mighty conqueror.

And the mount of Olives shall cleave] God shall display his miraculous power as fully in the final restoration of the Jews, as he did when he divided the Red.Sea that their forefathers might pass through dry-shod. Some refer this to the destruction of the city by the Romans. It was on the mount of Olives that Titus posted his army to batter Jerusalem. Here the tenth legion that came to liim from Jericho was placed. Joseph. De Bella, lib. vi. c. 3. It was from this mountain that our Lord beheld Jerusalem, and predicted its future destruction, Luke xi.\. 41, with Matt. xxiv. 23; and it was from this mountain that he ascended to heaven, (Acts i. 12,) utterly leaving an ungrateful and condemned city.

great valley; and half of the *• ^- ""■ ^i"- mountam shall remove toward 01. XLViii, 2. the north, and half of it toward 'u'Roman.t''''

5 And ye shall flee to the valley of ' the mountains; « for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the •> eartliquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: ' and the Lord my God shall come, and ^ all the saints with thee.

6 And it shall come to pass in that day, ' that the light shall not be "" clear, nor " dark:

7 But " it shall be f one day ■> which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at ' evening time it shall be light.

8 And it shall be in that day, that living = waters shall go out from Jerusalem: half of

^ Joel iii. 11. ' That is, it shall not be clear in some places, think that these words refer to the lines of circumvallation, to intrenchments, redoubts, &c., which the Romans made while carrying on the siege of this city; and particiilarly the lines or trenches which the army made on Mount Olivet itself.

Verse 5. Ye shall flee to the valley] Some think this refers to the valley through which Zedckiah and others endeavoured to escape when Nebuchadnezzar pressed the siege of Jerusalem: but it appears to speak only of the Jewish wars of the Romans.

Azal] This, as a place, is not known. If a place, it was most probably near to Jerusalem; and had its name from that circumstance.

Verse 6. The light shall not be clear, nor dark] Metaphorically, there will be a mixture ot justice and mercy in all this; or a bright light and darkness. Mercy shall triumph over judgment. There shall be darkness — distress, &c.; but there shall be more light — joy and prosperity — than darkness.

Verse 7. At evening tijne it shall be light.] At the close of this awful visitation, there shall be light. The light of the glorious Gospel shall go forth from Jerusalem; and next, from the Roman empire to every part of the earth.

Verse 8. Living waters shall go out] There shall be a wide diffusion of Divine knowledge, and of the plan of human salvation, which shall go out by apostles and preachers, first from Jerusalem, then to Syria, Asia Mmor, Greece, Italy, the isles of the sea, Britain, &e.

The former sea, and — the hinder sea] The Dead Sea and the Mediterranean; see on Joel ii. 20 These are metaphors.

In summer] In time of drought; or in the countries where there was no knowledge of God, there shall these waters flow. The stream shall never

XL VIII. 2. half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

9 And the Lord shall be " King over all the earth: in that day shall there be ^ one Lord, and his name one.

1 0 All the land shall be " turned " as a plain fi-om Geba to Rimmon south of Jemsalem; and it shall be lifted up, and y inhabited ^ in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, '^ and from the tower of Hananeel, unto the king's winepresses.

1 1 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be "^ no more utter destruction; ■= but Jerusalem '' shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have

and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

that " a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them: and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and ' his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

14 And sJudah also shall fight ''at Jerusalem; ' and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

1 5 And ^ so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against

consume away while they stand upon their feet, I Jerusalem shall even ' go up from year to year

cease; it shall run in summer as well as winter. These are living waters — perennial, incessant; and n'aters that shall preserve life. See John vii. 37.

Verse 9. And the Lord shall be King] When this rniversal diffusion of Divine knowledge shall take place. Wherever it goes, the laws of God shall be achnoioledged; and, consequently, he shall be King over the whole earth.

One Lord, and his name one.] There shall be in those blessed days only one religion, and one form of religion. There shall not be gods many, and lords many. All mankind shall be of one religion, the essence of which is, " Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength; and thy NEIGHBOUR as thyself."

Verse 10. All the land shall be turned as a plain] Or rather, " He shall encompass the whole land as a plain." He shall cast his defence all around it; from Geba, in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, (Josh. xxi. 17,) to Rimmon in Judah, to the south of Jerusalem, Josh. XV. 32.

It shall be lifted %ip] The city shall be exalted. And inhabited in her place] Jerusalem shall be rebuilt in the very place in which it originally stood. From Benjamin's gate, which was probably on the north side of Jerusalem, unto the place of the first gate, supposed to be that called the old gate, Neh. iii. 6, xii. 39, placed by Lightfoot towards the southtvest.

JJnto the corner gale] See 2 Kings xiv. 13. The tower of Hananeel] This tower a,nA the corner gate seem to be placed as ttvo extremities of the city.

Unto the hinges ivinc-presses] Near to the king''s gardens, southward. — See Newcome.

Verse 1 1. There shall be no more utter destruction] After this final restoration of Jerusalem it shall never more be destroyed; but as this was the first city of the living God upon earth, so shall it be the lust; it shall be safely inhahted. It shall see war no more.

Their flesh shall consume away] These are the effects of famine which are described in this verse.

Verse 13. A great tumult from the Lord] Among those enemies of his Church, who shall engage and destroy each other.

Verse 14. And Judah also shall fight] They shall have little else to do than take the spoil, the wealth of all the heathen round about; gold, silver, and apparel.

Verse 15. So shall be the plague of the horse, and the mule] There shall be plagues on the substance of the enemies of the Church, as there were on the cattle and goods of the Egyptians.

Verse 1 6. Shall even go up from year to year] The Jews had tliree grand original festivals, which characterized different epochs in their history, viz.: —

2. The feast of pentecost, in commemoration of the giving of the law upon Mount Sinai.

3. The feast of tabernacles, in commemoration of their wandering forty years in the wilderness.

B.'^c.'iir.M?!'' to worship the King, the Lord oi. XLvm. 2. of hosts, and to keep ■" the feast

whoso wiH not come up of all the famihes of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no ram.

18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, ° that p have no rain, there shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

1 9 This shall be the i punishment of Egypt,

point out the final restoration of the Jews, and their eslablishment in the light and liberty of the Gospel of Christ, after their long u-andering in vice and error.

Verse 17. Upon litem shall he no rain.^ Tliose who do not worship God shall not have his blessing; and those who do not attend Divine ordinances cannot have the graces and blessings whieh God usually dispenses by them. On such slothful, idle Christians, there shall he no rain '.

Verse 18. If the family of Egypt] This may allude to those Jews who, flying from the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, settled in Egvpt, and built a temple at Heliopolis, under the direction of Onias, son of the high priest. Joseph. Antiq. lib. xiii., c. 6, and War, lib. vii., c. 36. If these do not rejoin their brethren, they shall have no rain, no interest in the favour of God.

Verse 19. This shall be the punishment — of all nations that come not up] God will have his public worship established everywhere, and those who do not worship him shall lie under his curse.

Verse 20. Upon the bells of the horses] They appear, formerly, to have had bells on horses, camels, &c., as we have now, to amuse the animals, and encourage them in their work. In some very fine Asiatic paintings now before me, I see hells both on horses, mules, and camels; little bells tied to their legs, and larger ones about their necks, particularly in the representation of a caravan passing through the valley of ser- that come not up to keep the oi. xLviii.2. feast of tabernacles. '^R.'"Ro!nInr''

20 In that day shall there be ''■^'■"°-" 30- upon the ■■ bells of the horses, " HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

2 1 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts. and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the ' Canaanite in " the house of the Lord of hosts.

Holiness unto the Lord] As the Gospel is a holy system, preaching holiness and producing holiness in those who believe, so all without, as well as within, shall bear this impress; and even a man's labour shall be begun and continued, and ended in the Lord; yea, and the animals he uses, and the instruments he works with, shall^be all consecrated to God through Christ.

The pots] " The meanest utensil in the house of God, Neh. x. 29, shall be as the vessels of silver, and gold used in solemn sacrifice; they shall be like the bowls before the altar." — See JVeivcome.

Verse 21. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem] "The utensils of the Jews shall be treated as holy, and the worshippers shall use them reverently. The idea of preparing food in them {they that — seethe therein) is taken from the custom of feasting after sacrifice. And no trafficker (see Ezek. xviii. 4) shall pollute the house of God, as was the custom when our blessed Lord cleansed the temple." — See Newcome. This is what is called the Canaanite in the house of God. The Canaanite is the merchant; and where such are tolerated in a phicc dedicated to Divine worship, that is not the house of the Lord of hosts. In churches and chapels, collections may be made for the simple purpose of supporting and extending the worship of Jehovah; but for no other purpose, especially on the Lord's day. Amen.

Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3607. — Year from the vocation of Abram, 1524. — Year since the destruction of Troy, 787. — Year since the commencement of the kingdom of Israel by the Divine appointment of Saul to the regal dignity, 698. — Year from the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 578. — Fourth year of the ninety-fifth Olympiad. — Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian computation, 356. — Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 397. — Cycle of the Sun, 5. — Cycle of the Moon, 4.

This chapter begins with showing the great and free favour which God had manifested to the Israelites, above ti}hat he had done to the Edomites, toho are threatened with farther marks of the Divine displeasure; alluding, perhaps, to the calamities which they suffered from Judas Maccabeus and John Hyrcanus, {see 1 Mace. v. 65, and Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 9,) 1—5. God then reproaches his people, and especially their priests, for their ungrateful returns to his distinguished goodness, 6. They are particularly charged with sacrificing the refuse of beasts, 1—9, for which God threatens to reject them, 10, and choose other nations ivho ivill show more reverence to his name and worship, 11—14.

T^HE burden of the word of the Lord to Israel " by Malachi. 2 "^ I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say. Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's