Exposition of the Whole Bible

of God, as others, brought in thro’ the preaching of the gofpel; who are indeed the defire of God, he takes pleafure in them;- and of Chrift, whofe delights have been always in them; and of the bleffed Spirit, whofe love to them, and eftecm of them; are very manifeft; and with the faints they are the excellent in the earch, in whom is all their delight: yet not they, but one fat more glorious and excellent is intended, even the Meffiah, in whom all nations of the earth were to be bleffed; and who, fo far as he was known by good men or profelytes among the Gentiles, was defired by them, as by Yob, and others; and who, when he came, brought all good things with him; and has all bleffings in him, that may make him defireable to men, being what they want; and tho’ he is not in fact defired by all; yet of right he fhould be, and to all fenfible finners he is; even above all perfons and things in the whole world; on account of his perfonal excellencies and glories; his mediatorial qualifications; his names, offices, and relations; the bleffings of grace in him; the works done by him; his truths and ordinances, people, ways, and worfhip: and when it is faid, he /dall come; the meaning is, not only into the world by affumption of nature, to obtain redemption for his people; but into this temple now building, in that nature aflumed; where he appeared at the prefentation of him by his parents; and at the pafiover, when twelve years of age; and when he drove out the buyers and fellers from. it;; and when he often taught in it. The word come is in the plural number; and may denote his frequent coming thither, as well as in different refpects; his perfonal coming; his {piritual coming; his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; and his laft coming, of which fome underftand the words particularly: aad I wall fill this houfe with glory, faith ihe Lord; alluding to the glory which filled the tabernacle of Mo/es, and the temple of Solomon, Exod, xl. 35. 1 Kings viii. 10, 11. but that was but a fhadowy glory, this a réal one; here Chrift appeared in perfon, who is the brightnefs of his Father’s glory; here his glorious doctrines were taught, and glorious miracles wrought; and the Spirit of glory refted on the difciples, in his gifts and grace beftowed upon them in an extraordinary manner, on the day of Pentecoft. ¥. 8. The fiver is mine, and the gold.is mine, faith the Lord of bofts.| This. feems defigned to anticipate an objection taken from the gold and filver, with which the firft temple was either decorated, or were in gifts dedicated to it; and which, it might eafily be forefeen, would be wanting in the fecond temple; and in anfwer to which the, Lord obferves, that all the gold and filver in the world were his, were made by him, and were at his difpofe; and therefore whatever were beftowed upon the former temple, was only giving him his own; what he had a prior right to, and was no acceffion of riches or honour to him; and fo it would be the fame, let what would be expended on this; and therefore it was an article very inconfiderable, and of little fignificance; nor did he regard, or was he delighted with any thing of this kind; and was he fo dilpofed, he could eafily command all the gold and filver in the world together, and bring it. into this houfe, to enrich and adorn it, without doing any injury to any perfon;

perfon; but thefe were things he delighted not in; and befides, he had a far greater glory in view to put upon this houfe, as follows:

¥. 9. The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of bofts, &c.] The former or firft houfe, was the temple built by Solomon, which was a very glorious one; if we confider: the vaft treafure of riches laid up by David, and given to'Solomon for the building of jt the great ntrmber of workmen employed in it; the ftatelinefs of the fabric, the like to which was never feen, the model being drawn by the Lord himfelf; the decoration of it; the vefféls in it;

and, above all, the glory of the Lord that filled it, and continued in it; and yet this /atfer.or fecond houfe exceeded it. It muft be a glory very ereat indeed to exceed this! The Jews ™ themfelves own, there were feveral things wanting in the latter, which were in the former, as the ark, the Urim and Thummim, the fire from heaven, the }

Shekinab (or, as in fome books, the anointing oil; and in others, the cherubim), and the Holy Ghof: by one of their writers ", they are reckoned in this order, the ark, the mercy-feat, and cherubim, one; the Shekinah or divine majefty, the fecond; the Holy Ghoft, which is prophecy, the third; Urim and Thummim, the fourth; and the fire from heaven, the fifth: what could there be in it to compenfate the want of thefe, and put it upon a fevel, and even to caufe it to excel the temple of Solomon? the excelling glory did not lie in the fabric; when the foundation of it was laid, the old men wept, becaufe it came fo fhort of the other; and as the building rofe, it was in their eyes as nothing; who were better judges than later ews, who magnify the building of the fecond temple, depending upon the authority of Fo/ephus ben Gorion, who is not to be trufted: nor did it lie in the duration of it, it continuing ten years longer, they fay °, than the former; which, if true, could not anfwer to the deficiencies beforementioned; or be an encouragement to the builders to go on in their work: nor in the riches brought into it by the Gewéi/es in the times of the Maccabees, which was very inconfiderable; and could never make it equal to So/omon’s temple, and much lefs preferable to ‘it; nor by Aevander the Great honouring it with his prefence ®; for furely Solomon was greater than he. It remains, that what gave it the greater glory, was the perfonal prefence of the Meffiah in it, his doétrines, and -his miracles: and, or for, in this place will I give peace, faith the Lord of hofts; not temporal peace, for there was little of that during the fecond temple¢; witnefs ‘the times of the Maccabees, and the wars with the Romans; but fpiritual peace, thro” the blood and righteoufnefs of Chrift,; peace with God; reconciliation for fin thro’ the facrifice of the Son of God, in whom he is well pleafed; yea Chrift himfelf may be meant, the prince of peace, the man the peace, who is’our peace, J/- ix. 6. Mic. v. 5. Eph. ii. 14. the author of peace between God and men, between ‘few and Gentile; the giver of fpiritual and eternal peace; him the Lord gave, put, and fet in this place, the temple, as before obferved; and where the gofpel of peace was preached, and from whence it went forth into all the world. The Aradvic verfion adds, “* peace’ of foul, I fay,

** to be poffefled by every one that labours to raife *¢ up this temple.”)

¥. 10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, &c.] The month Cifleu, which anfwers to part of November, and part of December: this was two months and three days after the former difcourfe or prophecy, and juft three months from the time the Yews began to work in the houfe of the Lord, ch. i. 14, 15. and ii. 1: im the fecond year of Darius; the fame year that all the former difcourfes. and prophecies were delivered in: came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet; for what he delivered was not his own, but from the Lord; he was only his minifter and mefienger. The Vulgate Latin verfion, and fo Munfter render it, unto Haggai the prophet., and indeed what is faid following feems to be direéted to him, and he is the only perfon that put the queftions directed to: Jaying, as follows:

y¥. 11. Thus faith the Lord of hofts, &c.] Haggai the prophet: afk now the priefs concerning the lew, whofe bufinefs it was to underftand it, and teach it, and to anfwer queftions, and refolve doubts concerning it; not of their own heads, and according to their fanfies, will, and pleafure; but according to the rules and inftruétions given in the word of God: and as this was their office, they were the proper perfons to apply to; and —

Haggai, tho’ a prophet, is fent to the priefts to propofe queftions to them; tho’ it may be not fo much for his own information, as for the conviction of the priefts of their impurity, out of theirs own mouths, and of the people by them: /aying; putting the following queltions to them. © y. 12. If one bear holy fleh in the kirt of bis garment, &c.] Or, carry it*; frony one place to another in his pockets or bags, which were in the fkirts of his garments. This is to be underftood of the flefh of creatures offered in facrifiee, which were fanctified or feparated for holy ufe; part of which belonged to the priefts, who might carry it in their pockets to the proper place of eating it: and with his fkirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or otl, or any meat; which were not holy, and not feparated for holy ufe, but were common. meats and drinks: now the queftion upon this is, feall it be holy? that is, if either of thofe common things were touched by the fkirt, in the pockets of which the holy flefh were carried, whether they were made holy by fuch a touch, and no more remained common or profane? aad the’ priefts an-~ fwered and faid, no; they were not fanctified; for tho’ the garment itfelf was fanctified thereby, and _ might not be employed in common ufe till wafhed, Lev. vi. 27. yet a garment fo touched could not convey holinefs to whatfoever that touched, or that touched it. tyrte ¥.13. Then faid Haggai, &c.] To the priefts; having nothing to object to their anfwer; but being fatisfied with it, he puts another queftion: if any ome that is unclean by a dead body, by the touch of it, Lev. xix. 11: touch any of thefe, fall it be unclean? that is, if fuch an impure perfon, who was fo in a ceremonial fenfe, fhould touch any of the above things, bread, pottage, wine, or oil, or any meat, would not they become unclean thereby, and fo not fit for ufe? and the anfwered and faid, it fall be ine whi was rightly anfwered; for whatfoever fuch an unclean perfon touched was unclean, according to the law; Lev, Xix.22. Pollution is more eafily, and more extenfively conveyed, than holinefs. pa shag

¥. 14. Then anfwered Haggai and faid, &c.] To the priefts, and before the people; and made an application of thefe things to ‘them, which was the thing in view in putting the queftions: /o is this ‘people, and fo is this nation before me, faith the

Lord; not only thofe people that were prefent' and’

at work in the temple, but thofe that were ‘abfent, even the whole body of the* people; who, tho’ they were pure in their own eyes, yet were not fo before the Lord; who knew their hearts, and the fpring ‘of all their ations; what were their ends.and views in‘all they did: asa garment carrying in it holy flefh could not fanctity other things touched by it that were common.and profane, but left them as they were; fo their ritual devotions, and externally holy aétions did not, and could not fanctify their impure hearts, but left them as unclean as ‘before; nor did they fanétify their common mercies, their bread, pottage, wine, and oil: and, on the other hand, as‘an impure perfon made every thing impure he touched fo they, being impure in heart,’ all their actions, even their religious Ones, were impure alfo, as follows: and fo

zs every work ‘of their hands, and that which they

offer there, is unclean, pointing at the altar, which they had built, and offered “facrifice on ever fince they came out of Badylou, tho’ the temple was not yet built, Ezra iii. 3—6. but all their outward religious fervices, and all the facrifices they offered up, were in the Lord’s account impure and abominable, as well as themfelves; coming from an unfanctified heart, and offered up with unclean hands, and without repentance towards God, and faith in Chrift; and living in other refpects in difobedience to God, and efpecially whilft they neglected the building of the temple; fatisfying themfelves with offering facrifices on the altar, when the houfe of God Jay defolate; which is the principal ‘thing refpected, as “appears by what fol-

¥. 15. And now, I pray you, confider from this day and upward, &c.|) This being their cafe, and

they fo polluted with fin, particularly thro’ their neglect of building the temple; they are moft earneftly and importunately intreated to /ay it ¢o their hearts, to ponder it in their minds, and thoroughly confider how it had fared’ with them from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,: in which the prophet was fent unto them to encourage them in their work, and upwards or backwards, for fome years paft: even from before a frone was laid upon a ftone in the temple of the Lord; the foundation of the temple was laid quickly after the Yews returned from Badylon, upon the proclamation of Cyrus, Ezra iii. 10. but thro’ difficulties and difcouragements they met with, they defifted from the work, and went no farther; a ftone was not laid upon it; or, as the Targum, a row, or-courfe upon courfe, until this time: and now all the intermediate {pace of time between the firft laying the foundation of the temple, and their prefent going to work upon it, the prophet would have them take particular notice of; how it had been with them, as to their outward circumftances; whereby it would appear they had finned, and the ‘Lord had been offended with them.

* y. 16. Since thofe days: were, &c.] From the time the foundation of the temple was laid, unto a the time they began to work “again, which was a fpace of about fitteen or fixtcen years: ‘wher one came to an beep of twenty meafures, there were bur ten; when the hufbandman having gathered in his corn, and who was generally 2 good judge of what it would yield, came to a heap of it on his cornfloor, either of fheaves unthrefhed, or corn. unwinnowed, and expected it would have produced at leaft twenty meafures, feahs or bufhels; afterward it was’ threfhed and winnowed, to. his great difappointment he had but ten out of it; there were fo much-ftraw and chaff, and fo little corn; or when he came to a heap of corn, wheat, or barley in his granary, where he thought he fhould have twenty bufhels of ir; but when he had meafured it, proved but ten; being either ftolen by thieves, or eaten by vermin’; father: the latter -: when one came to the prefs-fat for to draw out jifty vefiels out of the prefs, there were but twenty; by the quantity of grapes which he put into the ‘pres to tread and fqueeze, he expected to have had fifty meafurés, or baths, or hogfheads of wine; but inftead of that, had but’ twenty; the bunches were fo thin, or the berries fo bad: there was. a greater decreafe and deficiency in the wine ‘than in the corn. vd

¥. 17. I fmote you with blafing, &c.| ~That is, their fields and vineyards, with- burning winds, which confumed them; with blights by eaft-winds: this fhows the reafon of their difappointment, and that it was from the Lord, and for their fins, by way of chaftifement and correction: and with, mil— dew; akind of clammy dew, which corrupts and deftroys the fruits of the earth; and is a.kind of jaundice to them, as the word fignifies’s’ fee Amos iv. 9: and with hail, which battered down the corn and the vines, and broke them to pieces; fee Exod. ix. 25: in all the labours of your hands, in the corn they fowed, and in the vines they planted: yet ye turned not to me, faith the Lord; did not confider their evil ways as the caufe of all this; nor repent.of them, and turn from them to the Lord; to his worfhip, as the Targum; or to the building of his houfe, the thing chiefly complained of. Afflictions, unlefs fanctified, have no effect upon men to turn them from their fins to the Lord.

¥, 18..Confider now from this day aid npward, &e.] Or forward; for time to come, as the /u/- gate Latin verfion: from the four and twenticth day of the ninth month; before obferved, ¥. 10, 15: even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, confider it; not from the time it was firft laid after their return upon the proclamation of Cyrus, but from the time they began to clear that foundation, and to’ build upon. it; and which having lain fo long, neglected, the renewal of it is reprefented asa frefn laying of it: now. the prophet, as he had directed them to.confider what adverfity and calamities had attended them from the time of their neglect unto this time; fo he would have them. particularly obferve what bleffings they would enjoy from henceforward; by which it would appear, how pleafing it was to the Lord that they had begun, and were going on with the building. ry nak ibe y. 19. Is the feed yet in the barn? &c.] The feed for fowing the land, in order for the next harveft: this is by fome, anfwered in the affirmative, it was in the barn, it was.not yet fown.;. this being the ninth month, the month Ci/lew, which anfwers to. part_of our Novemder; rather'it fheuld i gle -.0e

644 FE Na S&S be in the negative,-no, it was juft fown, and therefore no conjecture could be made, whether.it would be a good harveft, or no; yet the prophet, in the name of the Lord, promifes them a good one fo long before hand: for the month Cy/lew, which was the ninth month, was the laft for fowing, and even the firft half of that; for fo fay ' the Fews, ** half Ti/ri, all Marchefvan, and_half “ Cifleu is feeds-time;” fo that this being that month,. feeds-time muft have been juft over; and the fenfe, is there any feed in the barn? no, it is fown; and fo, is there any remaining in the granary for the fupport of families until the next harveft? they knew there were none, or very little; and yet the Lord promifes to blefs them, fo that they fhould have enough: yea, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree hath not brought forth, their feveral fruits this not being the time of their bearing fruit, for it was winter-time; and it could not be faid what they would bring. forth in their feafon fo long before hand; yet it is: fuggefted by the prophet, that they would be’ very fruitful; which were the principal fruit-trees the land of J/rael abounded with, Deut. viii. 8. and on which their comfortable fubfiftence depended. Kimchi obferves, that it. may be wondered at that the olive-tree fhould be mentioned, becaufe the time of its bearing fruit were the months of Marche/van and Cifleu; but perhaps the time of its bearing, fruit was delayed (as he fays) becaufe of the curfe upon it: from this day will I blefs you; with plenty of all good things, in their fields and gardens, in their vineyards and oliveyards; fo that a difference between former and prefent times, and thofe to eae would eafily be difcerned, and the reafons of it.

¥. 20. 4nd again the word of the Lord came unte Haggai, &c.] Or a fecond* time, even on the fame day as the former: i# the four and twensieth day of the month; of the ninth month Cifleu, ¥, 10: faying, as follows:

¥. 21. Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Fudab, &c.] The former difcourfe or prophecy chiefly related to the people for their encouragement in building; this is directed to the prince over them, to fupport him under all the changes and revolutions made in the world; that he fhould be regarded by the Lord in a very tender manner, and his government continued, as a type of Chrift and his kingdom: faying, I will fhake the heavens and the earth; make great commotions, changes, and revolutions in the world, by wars, and otherwife: the Perfian kingdom being fubdued by: the Grecian, the Grecian by the Romans; the Roman empire by the Goths and Vandals; and the antichriftian ftates, both Papal and Mahometan, by the vials of God’s wrath poured out upon them, by means of chriftian princes: fuch revolutions are often defigned by the fhaking of the heavens, efpecially by earthquakes in the book of the Revelation; fee ch. vi. 14. and viii. 5. and xi. 13. and xvi. 18.

¥. 22. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, &c.] The Perfian monarchy, which confifted ot various kingdoms and nations, and was deftroyed under Darius Codomannus by Alexander the Great, who fought with him three pitched battels, and overcame him; but the thing was of the Lord. according to his purpofe and will, and by his power and providence; and therefore the overthrow is afcribed to him. Fhe Jews ‘ fay, that the Perfian monarchy fell by the Grecians thirty-four years after the building of the’ temple; but very wrong-. ‘ly, it lafted longer: and E will deftroy the frength of the kingdoms of the heathen; the empire of Alex-_ ander, which was.a very ftrong-one, and contained. in it many kingdoms and nations, even the whole world, at leaft as he thought; and which was divided after his death into feveral kingdoms; the. ftrength of which was greatly weakened by one another, and at laft entirely deftroyed by the Romans as inftruments: and I will overthrow the chariots, and thofe that ride in them, and the borfes,, and their riders Joall come down; which may refer,

‘either to the chariots, and horfes, and their riders:

belonging to the Grecians, and ufed in their wars; or elfe this may defcribe the empire of the Romaus,, which in its turn fhould be deftroyed, famous for their triumphal. chariots: every one by the Jword of bis brother;. by inteftine wars, which was remarkably true of the fueceflors of dlexander, as appears from Fofepbus * and Fuftin ~: this may be applied. to all the kingdoms of this world, which will all be demolifhed, and be brought -into fubjection to: Chrift, and his kingdom fhall be fet up in the’ world, the fon and antitype of Zerubbadel, of whom the following words are to be underftood; fee Daz.. ii, 44. 1 Cor. xv. 24. Rev. xi. 15. Abendana interprets it of the army of Gog and Magog, who:

fhall fall every one by the {word of his brother.

¥. 23. In that day, faith the Lord of hofts, &c.} When all thefe kingdoms, and their thrones and ftrength are deftroyed; which fhows that what follows cannot be underftood literally of Zerudbabel, who lived not to fee thefe things done: qwilf I take thee, O Lerubbabel my servant, the fon of Shealtiel, faith the Lord; that is, the Meffiah, as. is owned’ by Abarbinel; who fays *, “* the king “¢ Meffiah fhall come, who is of the feed of Zerubbabel; and he fhall be the feal of the ftructure, and the end of the kingdoms; as it is. faid, J. will make thee as a fignet, for Il have chofen thee; faith the Lord of bofis; for this no. “¢ doubt is faid concerning the days of the Mei- ‘¢ fiah.:” and another Jewish writer ¥, quoting the above author for the fenfe of this paffage, and Ezek. xxxvii. 25. adds, ‘‘ for the king Meffiah “ he will be David, and he will be Zerubbabel, that “¢ he may be a rod going out of their ftem;” and another z, on thefe words obferves, ‘* without doubr

“* this is faid concerning the expected Meffiah, who

“* will be of the feed of Zerubbabel; and there- “¢ fore this promife was not at all fulfilled in him; ‘* for in the time of this prophecy he was but go- “¢ vernor of Fudah, and he never rofe to greater ‘* dignity than what he then had.:” indeed thefe writers wrongly fuppofe the Meffiah yet to come, and whom they in vain expect; and apply this, as they do many other prophecies, to the comin of Chrift in the flefh, which belong to his {piritu appearance in his churches, or to his perfonal coming at the laft day: however, this fhows the conviction on their minds; of the application of this, and fuch like prophecies to the Meffiah, who.

Ch. ii, ¥. 23. 2 AAG may be called Zerubbadbel, as hé is fometimes David, becaufe he fprung from him, was of his lineage; and becaufe he was a type of him, in bringing the people of the Fetbs out of the Babylonifh: cap- “tivity, in rebuilding the temple, in the government of the people, and in being chofen of God, and precious; as well as a fervant of the Lord, as here expreffed, and which is often mentioned as a charaéter of the Meffiah, J/. xlix. 3. and lili. rz: and will make thee as a fignet, preferve, protect and defend, love, value and efteem, and advance to great honour and ‘dignity, power and. authority: the fignet or feal on a man’s right-hand being what he always. wears, is ever in fight, and he is careful: of; as well as.is what he greatly efteems, and is dear unto him, and he highly values; and by which a prince figns his decrees and edicts; fee Jf: xlix. 2. Cant. viii. 6: Matt. xxviii. 18: for 1 bave chofen thee, faith the Lord of bois; to be the Redeemer and Saviour of his

GA. 645 people; to be their king and governor, and the Judge of the world. Chrift. is peculiarly God’s

{ elect, and in whom all his-people are chofen; he is the chofen of God, and precious, Pf. Ixxxix. 19. Ifo xiii. 1. 1 Pet. i. 20. and ii, 4. The Targum is, ‘ for in thee I am well pleafed;” which is faid by God the Father concerning Chrift more than once, Matt. ii. 17. and xvii. 5. It is a prophecy of the exaltation of Chrift after he had done his work, as the Lord’s fervant, aad efpecially in the latter day, when he fhall be king over all the earth; all which cannot be fo well applied to Zerubbabel; uniefs with Reinbeck we underftand it of the time of his refurrection from the dead at the laft day; when great honour fhall be put upon him as a faithful fervant, and great love and affection exprefied to him; but that will be no other than what will be common to all the faints, and chofen of God; Chrift, in whom all’ prophecies terminate, and fo this, is doubtlefs intended:

Zook GOs on A eo Rew Pion ae oa of HIS book is in the Hebrew copies called the book of Zechariah; intheVulgate Latin verfion, the prophecy of Zechariah; and in the Syriac and Arabic verfions, the prophecy of the prophet of Zechariah. His name, ‘according to Yerom, fignifies the memory of the Lord; but according to Hillerus *, the Lord remembers, either us, or his covenant; his promifes of grace, and concerning the Meffiah, of which there are many | in this book. The writer of this prophecy could:

not be, as fome have imagined, Zacharias the father of Fobn the Baptift; fince there muft be fome hundreds of years difference between them; nor the Zacharias, the fon of Barachias, flain between the temple and the altar, our Lord fpeaks of in Matt. xxiii. 35.°for tho’ their names agree, yet it does got appear that this prophet was flain by the Fews; indeed the Fewifh Targumift, on Lam. ii. 20. fpeaks of a Zechariah, the fon of Iddo, an highprieft, flain in the temple; but it could not be this Zechariah, fince he was no high-prieft; Fo/bua was high-prieft in his time; nor could he be flain in fuch a place, feeing the temple and altar were not yet built; nor was this prophet, Zechariah the fon of; Feboiada, fain in the court of ‘the Lord's _houfe, prieft, this a prophet; northeitimes in which:they: lived, Zechariah the fon of Yehoiaia lived ‘m ‘the: times of Foa/h king of Judah, two vor three ‘hun- ‘ dred years before this; but thiswwas cone idf the. captivity of Babylon, and who came wpifrom ithence with Zerubbabel, Neb. xii, 16. and ‘was;cotemporary * with the prophet Haggai; fo that the time ‘of ‘his ' prophecy was after the Babylonifh captivity, and | was delivered to the ‘ews that were returned ‘from ° thence; and the defign of. it is to ftir them up to build the temple, and reftore the pure worfhip of God; and to encourage their faith and hope in the expectation of the Meffiah; for the book confifts of various vifions and ‘prophecies relating to him, and to the times of the gofpel; and the vifions are,.as fome Yewifh «writers ® obferve, very ob{fcure, and like the vifions of Deniel, and diffi- cited out of this book in the New Teftament, as ch. viii. 16. in Eps. iv. 25. ch. ix. 9. in Matt. xxi. 5. Fobn xii. 14, 15. ch. Xi. 12, 13. in Matt. xxvii. g. ch. xii. 10. in Fohm xix. 37. Rev. i. 7. and ch, xiii. 7. in Matt. xxvi. 31. Mark xiv. 27. which abundantly confirm the authenticknefs of it, This prophet feems to have lived and died in #erufalem, and according to P/eudo-Epiphanius *, was buried near Haggai the prophet; and with which agree the Cippi Hebraici “, which inform us, that Haggai was buried in a cave in the declivity of the mount of O/ives; and at the bottom of that mount was a large ftatue called the hand of Abjalom, near to which was the grave of Zechariah the prophet, in a cave fhut up, and over it a beautify] monument of one ftone: and Monfieur Thevenot tells us, that now is fhown near the fepulchres of Abfalom and Fehgfhaphat, on the defcent of the nvount of Olives, ithe fepulchre of the prophet Za- charias-—t ‘is cnt in a diamond point upon the rock, with many pillars about it. Sozomen* the hiftorian, indeed makes mention of Caphar Zechariah, a’Nillage on the borders of Eleutheropolis, a city in Paleiine, where it is pretended the bedy of this prophet was found in the times of Theodofins, to which no credit is to be given; nor is there any

‘dependence to be had onthe former accounts,

N this chapter, after the account of the prophet, and the time of the prophecy by him, are an exhortation of the people of the Fews to repentance; the vifion of a rider upon a red horfe, and the interceffion of the angel of the Lord for Ferufalem; and another vifion of the enemies of the Zews, and of their deliverers. In y. 1. is the general infcription of the book; in which an account is given of the time of its writing, and of the writer of it: then follows the exhortation to repentance, enforced from the wrath of God, which cameupon their fathers for not hearkening to the Lord, and turning from their evil ways; and from the advantage that would be received thereby, the Lord would return to them; and from the certain accomplifhment of the divine word; for tho’ both their fathers and prophets died, the word of the Lord~had its fure effect, ¥. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and next the vifion of the rider on the red horfe is prefented; the year, month, day, and night in which it was feen are mentioned, ¥. 7. and the rider is defcribed by his form, a man; by the horfe he rode upon, a red one; by the place -he ftood in among the myrtle-trees in the bottom; and by his attendants behind, red horfes fpeckled and white, ¥. 8. The interpreta-» tion of which laft is given to the prophet by the angel, by the man among the myrtle-trees, and by the anfwer of them to the angel-of the‘Lord themfelves, ¥. 9, 10, 11. After which, the angel: is reprefented as making intereeffion for Ferufalem, — who is anfwered by good and comfortable words,

¥. 12, 13. upon which the prophet is bid to publifh the jealoufy of the Lord for Ferufalem; his —

There are feveral paflages — difpleafure at the heathens for affi€ting them; his promife to return to the Yews, that the temple and eity of Ferufalem thould be rebuilt, and other cities of Fudea, which fhould enjoy great profperity, wy. 14, 15, 16, 17. and the chapter is concluded with a vifion of four horns, fignifying the enemies of Judah, Ifrael, and Ferufalem; and of four earpenters that fhould deftroy them, y¥. 18, 19, y. 1. In the eighth month, &c.] The month Marchefvan, called the month Bu/, in 1 Kings yi. 38. which anfwers to part of our OZfoder, and part of November: this was but two months from the firft prophecy of Haggai, ch. i. 1. and but a few days after his fecond, ch. ii. 1. fo near were the prophecies of thefe two prophets together: in the fecond year of Darius, king of Perfia; not Darius the Mede, but Darius the fon of Hyffa/pes: came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah; that is, the word of prophecy from before the Lord, as the Targum paraphrafes it; which came to him, either in a dream, or in a vifion, or by an impulfe on his mind; who is defcribed by his defcent, the fon of Barachiah; mention is made of this name in Matt. xxiii. 35. It fignifies, the bleffed of the Lord; and is the fame with Lulogius or Beneditius: the fon of Iddo the prophet; the word prophet, as Kimchi obferves, belongs to Zechariah; not but that his grandfather [ddo might be a prophet too; and the fame writer takes notice, that in the Midra/h mention is made of Jddo the prophet; and fo there

_is an Iddo that is called the feer and the prophet in ther the fame with this, is not certain. The name is by fome thought to -be the fame with Firmicus, Statius, Robertus: faying, as follows:

y¥.2. The Lord hath been fore difpleafed with your fathers:| Wiho lived before, and at the time of the deftruction of the city of Feru/alem, and which was amanifeft iby their captivity; all which were occafioned by their fins, with which they provoked the Lord:to fore difpleafure againft them; and this is mentioned as a caution to their children, that they might not follow their example, and incur the Jike difpleafure.

¥..3. Therefore fay thou unto them, 8c.] This is an order from the Lord to Zechariah to fay unto them, in the name of the Lord: thus faith the Lord of hofts of the shofts above.and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is faid, that the greater regard might obe chad to -his words: turn ye unto me, faith the Lord of bofts; by repentance, and acknowledgment ‘of former fins; -by reformation for the future; ‘by attending to the worfhip and fervice of:God, and feeking to glorify him. So the Targum, return to my worfbip, this is not the condition. of what follows, but what follows is the motiveiandencouragement to;this: and I will turn unto you, faith the Lord of hafs,; to dwell among them, «manifeft shimfelf.unto, and iprotect them. Three timesithe sphrafe, the Lord of hofts, is ufed in this verfe'; jit maybe with efpect to the three fons ih:the’Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit;_ who.manifeftthemfelves unto, and take up their y. 4. ‘Be ye snot as your fathers, &c.] Who ‘lived before the captivity, and mifufed the prophets and,meflengers of the Lord, and defpifed his word, and fell into gtofs idolatry; the evil examples of parents and anceftors are not to be followed: unto whomthe former prophets have cried; fuch as Hofea, Ifaiah, Feremiab, and others: /aying, thus faith the Lord of bofts, turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, by their evil ways, may be meant their idolatrous worthip; and by their evi/ doings, their immoralities 3 or by both, their wicked lives: and converfations, both before God and men; from whence they were exhorted by the former prophets to turn, and to reform; even wow, at that prefent time, they prophefied to them, immediately, left deftru@tion come upon them: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, faith the Lord; {peaking by his prophets, who were fent by him, and came and fpoke in his name; fo that not hearing them, was not hearing him who fent them, and whom they perfonated. ¥.5- Your fathers, where are they? &c.] They are not in the land of the living; they perifhed by the fword of the Chaldeans, or died in captivity: and the prophets, do they live for ever 2 meaning either the falfe prophets, as Hananiab and Shemaiah, Fer. xxviil. 17. and xxix. 32. or the true prophets of the Lord; and the words may be confidered as a prevention of an objection the people might make, taken from their prophets dying in common with their fathers; and fo the Targum paraphrafes them, end if you fhould fay, the prophets, do they live for ever? which is followed by farchi, and embraced by many interpreters: the anfwer is, *tis true they died; but then their words live, and have had their full accomplifhment.

¥. 6. But my words and my ftatutes which I commanded my fervants the prophets, &c.] That is, the predictions which he ordered his prophets to declare in his name, that their fathers fhould die by the fword, or famine, or peftilence, or be carried captive, which he purpofed in himfelf, and threatened them with: did they uot take hold of your fathers? overtake them, feize upon them, and have their accomplifhment in them? not one thing has failed, or come fhort of being fulfilled, of all that was determined, or faid fhould be done: aud they returned and faid; that is, as many of them as perifhed not, but were carried captive; at leaft many of them, who either were thoroughly converted, and turned from their evil, or however in appearance: and who were obliged to own, dike as the Lord of hofts thought to do unto us, according to,our ways, and according to our doing, fo hath he dealt.with us; as he purpofed, fo he performed, and that with great juftice and equity, being what their evil ways and doings righteoufly deferved; fee J/. xiv. 24.

y. 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is. the month Sebat, &c. Called

Sabat, in the Septuagint verfion, and in 1 Maccab. xvi. 14. It is faid by the Jews *, to be the beginning of the months of the year for trees, of which they bring the firft fruits. It anfwers to part of our Fanuary, and part of February. This is the firft time that the name of a month is mentioned by any.of the prophets; this prophet prophefying after the captivity inBadylon, from whence the Fews * fay, the names of months came along with the returning captives, as well as the names of angels; and we no where meet with them, but in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ejiber, all wrote after that time; for before they ufed only to fay, the firft, fecond, or third month, Se. for as for for Abib, Zif, Bul, and Ethanim, mentioned in Exod. xiti. 4. 1 Kings vi. 1, 37, 38. and vill. 2. they are thought to be appellatives, and not proper names; tho’it may be obferved, that the books of Kings are faid by the Fews*to be written by Yeremiah’, more likely by feveral prophets, and at laft brought into the order in which they now ftand by Ezra, according to Huetius *; and which may be thought probable enough; and if fo, the above names may be reckoned proper names of months; and the original of them may be accounted for as before. There were two fafts appointed by the Yews in this month; one on the tenth day of it, for the death of the elders which fucceeded Fofhua, Fudg. ii. 7. and another on the twenty-third, on account of the J/raelites making war with the Benjaminites, in revenge of what was done to the wife of the Levite, Fudg. xix, xx". This prophecy, and the vifions following to the end of the fixth chapter, were three months after the former prophecy, or more, if that was on the firft day of the eighth:-month; and juft two months after the foundation of the temple was laid, Hagg. ti. 18: in the fecond year of Darius, &c.. fee the note on y. 1.

y. 8. I few by night, &c.] Or, that night”; the night of the twenty-fourth of Sedat; a proper and ufual time for vifions; and it may denote the obfcurity of the vifion, as it was in fome refpects to the prophet; and the ftate of the church at this time, it being a night-feafon with it, and in a low eftate; and the care that the Lord, who is J rael’s keeper, has of them in fuch feafons, being in the midft of them: and bebold! this is prefixed to the vifion, to denote the wonderfulnefs of it, and to excite attention to it; there being fomething in it not only amazing, but of moment and importance: aman riding upona red horfe,; not any mere man, as Alexander on his Bucephalus, as Abarbinel interprets it; and fo Arias Montanus, as Sanétius on the place obferves; tho’ the time this vifion refers to, and the ftate of the ews then, will not admit of fuch an interpretation; for at this time all the earth was ftill and-at reft, there were no wars in it, y 11. which agrees not with the times of Alexander, and of his reign, which was wholly {pent in war; and the whole world in a manner was involved in it by him; but beft agrees with the times of Cyrus and Darius, after they had fubdued the Babylonian monarchy: befides, the “fews were now in a very low eftate, like a grove of myrtletrees in a bottom, plain,‘ or valley; and-not only furrounded and overtopped by other ftates and kingdoms, which were greatly fuperior to them; but oppreffed by their enemies, who hindered them in the rebuilding of their city and temple; whereas this was not their cafe in the times of Alexander, when they were in better circumftances, and which were two hundred years after this; nor was he fo very beneficial and ferviceable to the ‘fews, as to be reprefented in fuch a vifion, as in the midft of them, for their relief and protection; but an angel ot the Lord is here meant, as this man is expreisly called, y. 11. and not a created angel; for he is diftinguifhed from the angel that talked with the prophet, ¥. 9,13, 14. The ews, as Ferom re- Yates, think that the angel Michaél is‘ meant, by whom they underftand a created angel; for otherwife, if they took him to be as he 1%, the Son of

Ch. Ly ¥. 8. God, the archangel, thé head of principalities 5 who is, as his name fignifies, like unto God, and equal to him, it would not be amifs: and it is ufual for a divine perfon to be called the angel of the Lord, as was he that called to Abraham when facrificine his fon, and to Mofes out of the buth; and who went before the J/raelites in the wildernefs, and who is called the angel of God’s prefence, and the meffenger and angel of the: covenant; and the ancient ews themfelves own that a divine perfon is here meant; for on quoting thefe words, J faw a man, &c. they fay *, there is ho man but the holy bleffed God; as it is faid, the Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name; and tho’ he is diftinguifhed from the Lord of hofts; y. 12. the reafon. of this (or otherwife it is the title of this angel alfo; fee Hof. xii. 4, 5.) is bes caufe he here appears in the form of a man; and becaufe of his office as an interceffor and advocate for his people, ¥. 12. a character, which well agrees with Chrift, who is the advocate with the Father for his faints; and who ever lives to make interceffion for them, and is always heard and-anfwered with good and comfortable words: and hé is called a man; not that/he is a mere man, or was really man when this vifion was feen; but he’ then appeared in an human form, becaufe he fhould: become man, and quickly would be, as it was purpofed, prophefied, and agreed he fhould: be:, and he is reprefented as riding, to denote his majefly and glory as a king, or asa general of an army, in which he rode profperoufly; fee Pf. xlv.. 4. Rev. vi. 2. and xix. 11, 14.:as alfo his readinefs, {wiftnefs and hafte he made:to:help and fave his people; as the people of the ews, in this their prefent time of diftrefs, being oppofed and hindered in building their city, in particular; fo in general, all his people, in whatfoever cafe or circumftances they may be: thus riding, when: afcribed to a di+ vine perfon, is an emblem of hafte and quick difpatch, to affift and relieve the: diftrefled:; fee Deut. xxxiii. 26. P/vixviii. 4, 5, 32, 33. fo Chrift, who ‘here appears as a man, was ready and forward in the council and covenant of grace; to agree to become man, and be the furety of his people, and die in their room and ftead, in order to fave them: his frequent appearances in:an human form before his incarnation, thew how willing © and ready he was really to afflume the human. nature; and as foon’ as the ‘time: appointed for it was up, he tarried not; when the fulnefs of time was come, God fent him, and he came at once, and immediately; andsas foon as »poffible he went about the bufinefs he came upon, took delight and. pleafure in it, was conftant at it tillhe had finifhed it; and even his fufferings and death, which were difagreeable to nature, confidered in themfelves, were wifhed and longed for, and chearfully fabs ~ mitted to by him: and he is quick in all his mos tions to help his people in all their times of need; nor can any difficulties prevent him giving am early and fpeedy relief; he comes to them leaping on the mountains, and {fkipping onthe hills; and at the laft day he’ll come quickly:to:put them into the poffeffion of falvation he has wrought out fc them; and will be.a fwift witnefs for them, and againft wicked men that hate them, and opp them: and he is upon a red hor/e; fignifying either ~~ his incarnation, and his bloody fufferings and death Pt and his taking peace from, the earth when on it, not intentionally, but eventually, thro’ the wickednefs of men; fee Rev. vi. 4. or his indignation againft his enemies, and his wrath and vengeance upon them, and the deftruction of them;, and may have a particular reference to thofe who oppofed the building of the temple; fee J/ Ixiii. 1, 2: and he food among the.myrtle-trees which were in the bottom; by the myrtle-trees may be meant the J/- raelites, as Kimchi interprets it; and that either as in Babylon, which he fuppofes is defigned by the bottom, agreeable to the Targum, which paraphrafes the words, and he flood among the myrtle-trees which are in Babylon; or rather, as now returned to their own land; and fo may denote the low eftate and condition in which they were when they begun to rebuild the temple, being feeble, and oppofed by their enemies. mightier than they; but yet> inafmuch as the Lord was in the midft of them, they had encouragement to go on in the work, as is fuggefted in Hagg. il. 3, 4, 5. tho’ the faints and people of God in general may be here meant by the myrtle-trees,; and the ancient Zews ° interpret them of the righteous, faying, there are no myrtletrees but the righteous; and give this as a reafon, why Ejther was called Hadaffab, Eth. ii. 7. which fienifies a myrtle-tree, becaufe this is the name of the righteous ®, and thefe may fitly be compared to fuch trees for their goodlinefs and beauty to look at, for their fweet and fragrant fmell, for their verdure and greennefs, and for their fourifhing in vallies and watry places 4, fignified here by the bottom; all which is true. of the faints, who are pleafant plants, comely thro’ Chrift’s comelinefs; whofe graces, when in exercife, fend forth a fweet {mell; whofe prayers are odours, and whofe good works are acceptable, being done in faith; whofe leaves never wither, and who flourifh much, being planted by the river of divine love; and in whom the grace of God ever remains, and they perfevere in grace to the end: thefe may be faid to be in the bottom, or in a low eftate; not only before converfion, but after; when corruptions. prevail, temptations are ftrong, grace is weak; God hides his face, Chrift is abfent, and the Spirit withdraws his influences; and fo it is true of the church in general, when under perfecution, or peftered with falfe teachers, and when the life and power of religion are almoft gone; and yet even then Chrift ftands in the midft of them, to fympathize with them, and as ready to help and affift them, to deliver them out of their troubles, to protect them from their enemies, and to reftore them to their former ftate and condition. A grove of myrtle-trees in a plain, in which they delight, being dark and fhady, is thought by iome to be an emblem of this world, in which there is a mixture of good and bad men; and of the care of providence over human affairs, confulting the good of man, efpecially the raifing up of the church of God out of a low eftate by Chrift, and his apoftles, and other minifters of the word, performing. their offices, according to the different abilities and gifts God has beftowed upon them‘: gud behind him were there red horfes, fpeckled and white, that is, with riders on them. Some * Fewi/h writers interpret this vifion of the four kingdoms; and underitand by the red horfe with the man upon it, in

| the former. claufe,.the~Babylonian- monarchy, of i Which Nebuchadnezzar was the head; and by thefe three forts here, the Medes, Greeks, and Romans, by inverting the order of them; they interpreting the white horfes with the riders on them of the Medes and Perfians; who were kind to the Jews, and under whom they. were difmified,from their captivity, and their temple rebuilt: the fpeckled or thofe of different colours, the Macedonians or Grecians; fome of which were. friends, and kind and benevolent to the Fews; and others cruel -perfecutors of them; and the red, the Romans, who were bloody,.and flew multitudes of them, and deftroyed their city and. temple: but others, as Ferom obferves, who relates the above fenfe, keep the order of the text, and explain the particulars of it thus; the red horfe on which the man rode, and the red horfes behind: him, of the Afprians and Chaldeans, who were fanguine; the one carried away the ten tribes under Salmanefer, and the other the two tribes of Fudab and Benjamin, burning the city of Ferufalem, and laying wafte the temple; the fpeckled, or thofe of various colours, the Medes and Perfians; fome of whom were mild and gentle, as Cyrus, and Darius the fon of Hy/tafpes, and Aba-

Juerus, whom the Greeks call, Artaxerxes, under whom was the hiftory of Ether; and others were cruel, as Camby/es, &c. thofe, who think that J/ewander the Great is meant on the red horfe, fuppofe that thofe. that fucceeded him are meant by the other horfes of various colours; namely, the Lagide and the Seleucide, or the kings of Egypt and

Syria, who were fometimes very. fierce and furious, and fometimes very friendly to the ‘Fews; at. leaft different kings, and at different times: but it feems better to interpret them of faints, the godly and faithful followers of Chrift; not only the godly among the ews, who were made as his goodly horfe in the battel, ch..x. 3.. but the church and people of God in general, who are comparedito a company of horfes in Pharaoh’s chariot, Cant. i. g. for their ftreneth, courage, ferviceablenefs, and the value Chrift has for them::thus, ashe is elfewhere reprefented as riding'on a white horie, under the gofpel-difpenfation, as the general of an army, and mighty conqueror fo the: armies of heaven that follow him on white horfes, and clothed in white, are the called, and faithful, and: chofen, Rev. xvii. 14, and xix. 14. and fome of thefe being defcribed by red horfes with riders on them, may fignify fuch who have been called to fhed their blood, and lay down their lives for Chrift, and his gofpel, and their profeffion of it, even: the martyrs of Jefus; and others by fpeckled horfes, or of various colours, may intend fuch_ profeiflors of religion, who, tho’ not called to die for Chrift, yet fuffer perfecution in various ways, both by re= proach and affliction; and whofe lives may be a chequered work of comforts and troubles; of profperity and adverfity: and others by white horfes, may point at fuch who are not only clothed with fine linen, clean and white, the righteoufnefs of the faints; and who are more than conquerors thro’ Chrift, who has loved them, which are characters common to all faints; but who enjoy a great deal of liberty, peace, and profperity all their days. Some ‘:reftrain this to the apoftles of Chrift, and fucceeding minifters of the word; and obferve,

| ferve, that as horfes carry men and other things into the various parts of the world, fo the minifters of the gofpel bear the name of Chrift, and carry his gofpel into the whole world; and as horfes don’t go into any part of it of themfelves, but as they are directed by their matters, fo the gofpel-minifters, are fent under the direétion of Chrift, fome here, and fome there; and as horfes going thro’ towns and villages are moftly annoyed by the barking of dogs, which yet they regard not, fo as to ftop their fpeed; thus likewife faithful preachers are followed with the calumnies of wicked men, with their {coffs and jeers, reproaches and perfecutions; but none of thefe things move them, or caufe them to defift from their work; and as Chrift the Son | of God ftood among thefe horfes, fo he is, and, has promifed to be with his miniftring fervants unto the end of the world; and as they are like hortes, docible and laborious, fo the various colours of thefe may have refpect to them; fome of whom are called to refift even unto blood; and others to various trials; as well as they have different gifts, and are of different ufefulnefs, and all of them at laft vitorious over their enemies;

and are under Chrift their head, and are ready to | jthem; or elfe gave up the account of their tour do his will in whatfoever he directs them; tho’ the more commonly received opinion is, that angels are defigned, and as it feems from y¥. 10, II. compared with ch. vi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. fee alfo 2 Kings ii. 11. and vi. 17. fignified by horfes, for their ftrength, courage, fwiftnefs, ferviceablenefs, and difpofition for war; and thefe different colours may reprefent the different ftate and condition of the nations with whom they were concerned, and to whom they were fent, as cruel or kind, to the people of God; and their different employments and fervices, both to help the faints, and render vengeance to their enemies; and the various offices they perform, with refpect to Chrift and his people, in things temporal and fpiritual and the place and fituation of thefe horfes being bebind Chrift, may denote his fuperiority over them; he is fuperior to all monarchs and monarchies, kingdoms and ftates; he is King of kings, and Lord of lords; the kingdoms of this world are his, and he is the governor among the nations; they are all behind, and under him, and difpofed of by him at his pleafure; and he can reftrain them when he thinks fit, from doing any hurt to his people: he is fuperior to all men, even the beft and greateft; he is the head of the church, and king of faints; and it is their bufinefs, and even their honour and privilege, to follow him whitherfoever he goes: and he is fuperior to angels, has a more excellent name and nature than they, is the creator and maker of them, and is worfhipped by them; and even as Mediator, is in a greater office, and in an higher place at the righthand of God than they are; they are at his beck and command, and at hand to be fent forth on all eccafions to do his bufinefs, to minifter for him, and to his people; they are his fervants, and devoted to his fervice, and are ready to do his pleafure.

¥. 9. Then faid I, O my Lord, &c.] Thee are the words of the prophet Zechariah to the angel that fhowed him this vifion: what are thefe? what is the meaning of this vifion? particularly who are meant by the horfes, red, fpeckled and white, and thofe upon them? and the angel that talked qwith me, who feems to be different from the angel of the Lord, the man among the myrtle-trees, foew thee what thefe be, that is, give an interpretation of the vifion, and point out the perfons intended by the horfes.;

¥. 10. And the man that ftood among the myrtletrees, anfwered and faid, &c.] And fo prevented the angel from giving the account he was about to give; and who was more capable of it, and which to do was great condefcenfion in him, and was doing the prophet a fingular honour: thee are they whom the Lord hath fent to walk to and fro thro’ the earth; which is a deicription of the angels, the miniftring fpirits fent forth by God to take their tour throughout the earth; not to do mifchief, as fatan does; but to do good to kingdoms, nations, and men in general, and to the heirs of falvation in particular; for which they are commiffioned and empowered of God; fee Heb. i. 14.

¥. 11. And they anfwered the angel of the Lord, that ftood among the myrtle-trees, and faid, 8c.) That is, the miniftring angels, fignified by the red horfes, {peckled and white, replied to what the angel of the Lord had faid concerning them; or rather agreed to, and confirmed his account of thro’ the earth, with their obfervations upon the {tate of it: we have walked to and fro thre the earth; according to their miffion and commiffion: — and bebold, all the earth fitteth fiill, and is at ref; was free from wars, as it was in the reign of Darius tho’? the people of the Fews were infefted with enemies, who gave them trouble, and hindered all they could the rebuilding of the temple; wherefore it follows:

¥. 12. Then the angel of the Lord anfwered and Jaid, &c.] The fame that was among the myrtle-trees in the bottom, ¥. 8, 10, 11: O Lord of bofts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Fe-~ rufalem, and on the cities of Judah; which weré fallen to ruin, and had lain waite for many years. — Thefe words are expreflive of the interceffion of Chrift on the behalf of the people of the Fews, his profeffing people, both with refpe& to their tenaporal and {piritual good: againft which thou baft had indignation thefe threefcore and ten years? the time of the Babylonijh captivity, which lafted fuch a term of time, and which was a token of the divine difpleafure with them; but to be reckoned; not from econiah’s captivity, to the deliverance from it by Cyrus, as it is reckoned, Fer. xxv. 1, rr. Dan. ix. 2. but from the taking of Ferufalem, and the deftruction of the temple under Zedekiab, to - the rebuilding of the temple under Darius Hyfafpis, in whofe fecond year Zechariah now prophefied, y¥. 17. which was a fpace of feventy years.

¥. 13. And the Lord anfwered’ the angel that talked with me, &c.] See ¥. 9. what was the effeé of Chrift’s interceflion for the people of the Fes, was communicated to a miniftring angel, and by him to the prophet Zechariah: with good words, and comfortable words; fuch as would be for the good and comfort of God’s people, as follows; fee Jf. xl. 1, 2.. @ Boe

¥. 14. So the angel that communed with me, 8c.) — Having an order from the other angel, or Lord of hofts: faid-unto me, cry thou; proclaim, — publifh, declare in the hearing of the re: a their comfort and encouragement. The Targum — renders it, prophefy: faying, thus. faith the lane hofts, I am jealous for Ferufalem, and for Zion, with a great jealoufy; which is expreflive of his con-

Ch.t yo 1 jugal affection for his church and people, his zeal for their good, and his indignation at their enemies, and of the vengeance he would execute on

¥.15. And I am very fore difpleafed with the beathen that are at eafe, &c.] The Chaldeans and Perfians, and other nations, enemies of the Jews, who were now free frém war, and enjoyed great pro‘perity, when the ftate and condition of the Yews was very low and difcouraging: for I was but a little difpleafed, that is, with his people the Fews, for their ingratitude, idolatry, and immorality; and which difpleafure he fhewed by fuffering them to be carried into captivity; fee J liv. 8:

and they helped forward the affiittion; that is, the heathens, among whom the Fews were carried captive; they added to their affliction; they opprefled them more than they ought to have done, and more than was agreeable to the will of God, and right in his fight; and they infulted them in their mifery, and rejoiced over them. The word fy, in the Arabic language, fignifies to abound", and the meaning is, that they abounded in bringing evil upon the people of the Fews; they multiplied their afflictions and diftrefies.

¥. 16. Therefore thus faith the Lord, I am returned to Ferufalem with mercies, &c.] Having returned the people of the Yews from their captivity to Ferufalem, in which he had fhown abundant mercy to them: my houfe foall be built in it, faith the Lord of bofts, meaning the temple, where he dwelt, and was worfhipped; the foundation of which had been laid two months before this prophecy was delivered, Hagg. ii. 18. and which fhould be raifed up, and finifhed, notwithftanding all the oppofition of the enemy, and the difcouragements of the people: and a line fhall be firetched forth upon Ferufalem, to meafure with it, and build b it, the wall, ftreets, and houfes of Ferufalem. The meaning is, that not only the temple fhould be built, but the city likewife, and that in great order, and with great exactnefs and fymmetry; fee ch. ii. 1,2, 3,4. The Targum paraphrafes it, upon the building of the walls of Ferufalem.

y. 17. Cry yet, faying, &c.] That is, propbe/y again, as the Targum paraphrafes it; publifh and declare openly before all: thus faith the Lord of hofts, my tities thro’ profperity fhall yet be fpread abroad; or, according to the Targum, the cities of my people foall be yet filled with good; and Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions, my cities fo the ball yet flow with good things; with all temporal profperity and happinefs; which was fulfilled in the times of Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, and the Maccabees, and efpecially in the times of the Meffiah, when, in a {piritual fenfe, they were filled with good; with him who is goodnefs itfelf, and with all bleflings of grace in him; and with the good news and glad tidings of the everlafting gofpel preached by him and his apoftles: or the meaning is, thro’ the increafe of men, and the affluence of all temporal mercies, not only the city of ‘Yerufalem, but other cities of Judea, called the Lord’s, becaufe of his peculiar regard unto them, fhould be enlarged, and be fpread here and there; or rather, abound with plenty of all good things, as the word in the Arabic * language fignifies: and the Lord foall yet comfort Zion, and foal yet chufe Ferufalem’, for his habitation, building again the city and temple in it: according to Capellus, tho’ the temple was fi- hifhed’ in the fixth year of Darius, Ezra vi. 15. ~~ yet the rebuilding of Feru/alem was not till feventy | years after; namely, in the twentieth year of 4rtaxerxes Longimanus, in which Nebemiah was fent to rebuild it, Ned. ii. 1. for Darius reigned thirtyfix years; Xerxes, who fucceeded him, reigned twenty years; and in the twentieth of driaxerxes, ee walls of Ferufelem were rebuilt by Nehemiah, |fo that from the finifhing of the temple, are to | be reckoned thirty years of the remainder of the reign of Darius, twenty years of Xerwes, and as many of Artaxerxes; and he obferves, that the feventieth number thrice occurs in the reftoratiog of the Fews; not without myftery, as it fhould feem: from the Babylonifh captivity under Feconiah, to the putting an end to it by Cyrus, were feventy years; from the taking of Ferujalem, and the deftruétion of the temple under Zedekzab, to the rebuilding of it under Darius Hyta/pis, were alfo feventy years; then from the rebuilding of the temple, to the rebuilding of Yerufalem under Artamerxes Longimanus, were likewife feventy years; fo that the walls of Ferufalem lay in ruins twice feventy years, that is, one-hundred and forty years; and it may be further obferved, that fram the decree granted to Nehemiah in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, feyen weeks, or forty-nine years are allowed in Deniel’s prophecy for the finifhing that event; namely, the building again the walls and {treets of Ferufalem in troublefome times, Dan. ix. 25. which carries the completion of this affair fo many years farther; which, when effected, would be a comfort to Zion, the inhabitants of it, and all that wifhed well. unto it; and be a proof and evidence of God’s choice of it for his worfhip and fervice; and efpecially this was fulfilled by bringing into Ferufalem, and the temple there, the mefiener of the covenant, the Meffiah, the confolation of J/rael,; and this may have a further reference to the latter day, when the people of the Yews fhall be converted, and all J/rael fhall be faved; which will be the confolation of them, and fhow that God has chofen them, and not caft them off.

y. 18. Then I lift up mine eyes, &c.] To be- Kold another vifion, which follows: aud Jaw, and behold four horns; either iron ones, fuch as Zedekiab the fon of Chenaanabh made to puth the Syrians with, 1 Kings xxii. 11. or horns of beafts, as the horns of unicorns, to which the horns. of Fa/epb are compared, Deut. xxxiii. 17. and. fignify kingdoms or kings, and thefe very powerful and mighty; and fo the Zargum interprets them, of four kixgdoms; and which Kimchi and Abarbinel underftand of the four monarchies, Babylonian, Perfian, Grecian, and Roman; fo ten horns, in Daz. vil. 24. and Rév. xvii. 12. defign ten kings or kingdoms; unlefs rather, feeing thefe horns were fuch who had already diftrefled and fcatvered Fudah, Lrael, and Feru/alem; and two of the above monarchies were not yet in being, the Grecian and Roman, when this vifion was feen; and one of thofe that wete, were friends to the Fews, as the Perfians; they may in general fignify all the enemies of the ¥ews that were round about them, on the four corners of them;, aS the Syrians, Affyrians, and Babylonians on the north; the Ammonites and Moabites on the eaft; the Adomites and Egyptians on the fouth; and the Philiftines on the welt, as Funius thinks. Cocceius interprets them of four kings, Salmanefer, Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, and apg = the firft, called Longimanus; and may be applied to the antchriftian ftates, pagan and papal, in the feveral parts of the world, called horns, Daz. vil. 24. Rev. xii. 3. and xiii. 1.;

¥. 19. And I faid unto the angel that talked with me, &c.] Ver. 9, 13, 14: what be thefe? that is, who do thefe horns fignify? and what or whom do they reprefent? azd he anfwered me, thefe are the horns which have fcattered Fudah, Ifrael, and Ferufalem; which may defign the diftreffes, vexations, and captivities of the people of J/rael by their enemies, as by the Moabites, Ammonites, &c. in the times of the Fudges; and the captivity of the ten tribes of J/rael by Salmanefér, and of the two tribes of Benjamin and Fudab, and of the deftruction of Ferufalem by Nebuchadnezzar, when they were ventilated, or fanned, as the word * fignifies, and fo fcattered abroad; fee Fer. iv. 11. and xv. 7. and alfo their troubles in the times of the Medes and Perfians under Cambyfes, until this fecond year of Darius; and may likewife have reference prophetically to their after-troubles and captivity by the Romans; and to Rome pagan, ~ which perfecuted and fcattered the churches of Chrift, and people of God, in the feveral parts of the world; and the antichriftian ftates, the perfecutors of the fame.

¥. 20. And the Lord fhewed me four carpenters. | To faw and cut in pieces the four horns; or rather, four black/miths *; thefe horns were horns of iron; fo the word is rendered a fmith in 1 Sam. xill. rg. and indeed it fignifies both a worker in wood, and a worker in iron; and who are fometimes diftinguifhed by what they work in, whether wood or iron; fee Jf xliv. 12,13. The Fews fay *, thefe four carpenters are, Meffiah ben David, Meffiah ben Epkraim, Elijab, and the prieft of righteoufnefs; or, as elfewhere *, Elijah, the king Me - fiah, Melchizedek, and he that was anointed for war; tho’ Kimchi much better interprets them of the kings, the princes above, who prefide over kingdoms, that is, the angels; and fo Yerom and Theodoret; who have been fometimes employed in the deftruction of the enemies of God’s people, or in preventing them doing the mifchief they otherwife would; and even the feveral monarchies themfelves have been the means of deftroying each other; fo the Babylonians were deftroyed by the Medes and Perfians, the Perfians by the Grecians; the Grecians by the Romans, and the Romans by the Goths, Hunns, Vandals, &c. in the weftern part of the empire; and by the Saracens and Turks in the eaftern part of it: and they may be applied to the apoftles of Chrift, who were chiefly mechanics, mean and illiterate perfons,. yet workmen in the gofpel, that need not to be afhamed; and who were fent by Chrift into the four parts of the world, to fpread his gofpel, fet up his intereft, and pull down the kingdom of fatan: and fince the Fews make the Meffiah himfelf one of thefe carpenters, they have no reafon to upbraid, or be offended at Jefus our Meffiah being a carpenter, and a carpenter’s fon, as in Matt. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 3. and Kimchi owns, that their ancient Radbins explain this verfe of the days of the Meffiah..

¥. 2%. Then faid I, what come thefe to do? &c.]} That is, thefe four carpenters; for being artificers or workmen, as the Yargum renders the word;

gofpel-churches; and, aboye all things the prophet concluded there was fome work for them to do: and. be fpake, faying, meaning the angel that talked with him, and interpreted the vifions to him: thefe are the horns which have feat - tered Fudah; not that the carpenters were the horns, for thefe two are diftinct from, and oppofite to one another. The words fhould rather be rendered, thefe horns which have fcattered Fudab, as before faid, ¥. 19: fo that no man did lift up his bead;

or, as the Zargum paraphrafes it, did not fuffer (a - man) /o go with an erect fiature, but thro’ oppreflion, forrow, and mifery was obliged to ftoop, and bow, and hang down his head: dut thefe are come to fray them, thefe carpenters are come to fright the horns, to put terror into thofe kings and kingdoms: #0 caft out the horns of the Gentiles; to deftroy their kingdoms, and take away their power from them: which lift up their horns over the land of Fudab to fcatter it; who make ufe.of their triumph and infult over them; fee’ Pf Ixxy. 4, 5. all which may be applied to the minifters of the gofpel, who are workmen; and whofe. bufinefs it is to fray or terrify the horns, wicked men, even men in power, the enemies of Chrift’s church and people; by their preaching, which has made a Felix to tremble; by their prayers, which they have been more afraid of, than an army of men, as Mary and.by their good lives and converfations, which made Herod ftand in fear of John the Baptifl; nay, even they have been a terror to the devil himfelf, and have been the means of cafting him, and his principalities and powers, out of the Gentile world, and out of both the bodies and fouls of men; and of cafting down the ftrong holds of fin, and of breaking in pieces the kingdom and intereft of fatan, and of building up the churches of Chrift: the work of thefe fpiritual carpenters is, to cut down. men, comparable to ftrong, fturdy and lofty trees, for the pride and haughtinefs of their hearts, the ftiffnefs and ftubbornnefs of their wills, and for their fhew of goodlinefs and beauty: this is done by the miniftry of the word, the cutting doctrines of it, accompanied with the Spirit and power of God; as it is faid, I have hewed them by the prophets, I have flain them by the words of my mouth,.

Hof. vi. 5. whereas, when before, they grew up, and ftood on their own bottom, their morality, civility, and works of righteoufnefs; now they are cut down, and die to all thefe things, as to any hope of. falvation by them; and then, as the carpenter {mooths and planes a timber he has hewed,

_and fitly frames it together, and joints it in; and’

lays it on.a good foundation; fo do gofpel-minifters; as inftruments in the. hands of God, after hewing and cutting work thro’ the miniftration of the law, the killing letter, and which works wraths fpeak comfortably to. fuch fouls, by directing them to the blood and righteoufnefs of Chrift, for pardon of fin, and juftification of life; and mini- {terially lay them in the fpiritual building, the church; or advife, and exhort them to fubmit to the ordinances of Chrift, and join themfelves to » inftrud them to. build on Chrift, the fure foundation ia Zion; and minifterially lay him as the alone-f dation to build upon for life and falvation, and not upon any works of righteoufnefs done by them;

power, and do hurt. to the people of J/rael, and.

queen of Scots faid of the prayers of Fobm Knox; °