THE EIGHTH VISION. THE SYMBOLIC CROWNING 1-8. Four war-chariots, with variously coloured horses, go forth to execute God's judgments against the enemies of oppressed Israel in different parts of the earth. Two, in particular, go. northwards, to 'quiet His spirit' (i.e. to satisfy His anger) upon Ba... [ Continue Reading ]
GRISLED AND BAY] lit. 'spotted, vigorous.' It is difficult to explain the two adjectives. The first etymologically means 'spotted as with a hailstorm'; and those who see a significance in the colours of the horses connect hail with the judgment which the fourth chariot carries: cp. Revelation 8:7; R... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOUR SPIRITS OF THE HEAVENS] RV 'winds' (the word for 'wind' in Heb. means also 'spirit,' i.e. breath); but would the prophet speak of winds 'standing before the Lord'? The addition of a single letter in the Heb. gives the following reading: 'These (i.e. the chariots and horses) go forth to the... [ Continue Reading ]
NORTH COUNTRY] Babylonia. SOUTH COUNTRY] Egypt. Egypt, like Babylon, was at this time part of the Persian empire, Cambyses having overcome the Egyptians in the battle of Pelusium in 527 b.c. Two of the chariots go NORTH, a double doom on Babylon. But some scholars consider that the HEB. words for 'b... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE EARTH] as a reserve force to go wherever they may be required, but some scholars read 'to the west.' BAY] or 'strong.' Some read 'red,' see RM. The reading of the vision is somewhat complicated, but its meaning is clear. Jehovah will defend Judah against her enemies, and especially He w... [ Continue Reading ]
QUIETED MY SPIRIT IN] lit. 'caused my spirit to rest in.' The meaning may be either, (1) 'brought peace to,' or (2) 'sated my fury by stirring up trouble in.' The historical situation supports the second interpretation. Even while Cambyses was yet alive (in 522 b.c.) the magician Gautama, who preten... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TAKE SILVER] RV 'yea, take of them silver.' CROWNS] some read 'a crown.'... [ Continue Reading ]
13. These vv. are somewhat difficult. The simplest way out of the difficulty is to suppose that, after the word HEAD in Zechariah 6:11, the words 'of Zerubbabel and' have accidentally fallen out. This explains the use of the plural 'crowns' in Zechariah 6:11; Zechariah 6:14, but it does not explain... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL BE A PRIEST] RM 'there shall be a priest.' If the preceding clauses refer to Zerubbabel, this would refer to Joshua. We should then have a clear meaning for the following sentence, 'and the counsel of peace shall be between them both,' i.e. these two (Joshua and Zerubbabel) would rule t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CROWNS (RV 'crown') are to be laid up in the Temple, as a memorial of the generosity of the deputation which brought the silver and gold. HELEM should probably be 'Heldai'; Hen seems to be a corruption of 'Josiah': see Zechariah 6:10. 15. As a sign of the fulfilment of Zechariah's word, more pe... [ Continue Reading ]