INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 1 In this chapter, after the account of the prophet, and the time of the prophecy by him, are an exhortation of the people of the Jews to repentance; the vision of a rider upon a red horse, and the intercession of the angel of the Lord for Jerusalem; and another vision of... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE EIGHTH MONTH,.... The month Marchesvan, called the month Bul, in 1 Kings 6:38 which answers to part of our October, and part of November: this was but two months from the first prophecy of Haggai, Haggai 1:1 and but a few days after his second, Haggai 2:1 so near were the prophecies of these... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD HATH BEEN SORE DISPLEASED WITH YOUR FATHERS. Who lived before and at the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and which was manifest by their captivity; all which were occasioned by their sins, with which they provoked the Lord to sore displeasure against them; and this is ment... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SAY THOU UNTO THEM,.... This is an order from the Lord to Zechariah, to say unto them, in the name of the Lord: THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS; of the hosts above and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is said, that the greater regard might be ha... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE NOT AS YOUR FATHERS,.... Who lived before the captivity, and misused the prophets and messengers of the Lord, and despised his word, and fell into gross idolatry; the evil examples of parents and ancestors are not to be followed: UNTO WHOM THE FORMER PROPHETS HAVE CRIED: such as Hosea, Isaiah... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FATHERS, WHERE [ARE] THEY?.... They are not in the land of the living; they perished by the sword of the Chaldeans, or died in captivity: AND THE PROPHETS, DO THEY LIVE FOR EVER? meaning either the false prophets, as Hananiah and Shemaiah, Jeremiah 28:17 or the true prophets of the Lord; and t... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT MY WORDS AND MY STATUTES, WHICH I COMMANDED MY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS,.... That is, the predictions which he ordered his prophets to declare in his name, that their fathers should die by the sword, or famine, or pestilence, or be carried captive, which he purposed in himself, and threatened them... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH DAY OF THE ELEVENTH MONTH, WHICH IS THE MONTH SEBAT,.... Called Sabat in the Septuagint version, and in the Apocrypha: "Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the country, and taking care for the good ordering of them; at which time he came down himself to Jerich... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAW BY NIGHT,.... Or, "that night" m; the night of the twenty fourth of Sebat; a proper and usual time for visions; and it may denote the obscurity of the vision, as it was in some respects to the prophet; and the state of the church at this time, it being a night season with it, and in a low esta... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID I, O MY LORD,.... These are the words of the Prophet Zechariah to the angel that showed him this vision: WHAT ARE THESE? what is the meaning of this vision? particularly who are meant by the horses, red, speckled, and white, and those upon them? AND THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME; who see... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN THAT STOOD AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES ANSWERED AND SAID,.... And so 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 condescension in him, and was doing the prophet a singular honour: THESE [ARE THEY] WHOM THE LORD H... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ANSWERED THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, THAT STOOD AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES, AND SAID,.... That is, the ministering angels, signified by the red horses, speckled, and white, replied to what the Angel of the Lord had said concerning them; or rather agreed to and confirmed his account of them; or else... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ANSWERED AND SAID,.... The same that was among the myrtle trees in the bottom, Zechariah 1:8: O LORD OF HOSTS, HOW LONG WILT THOU NOT HAVE MERCY ON JERUSALEM, AND ON THE CITIES OF JUDAH; which were fallen to ruin, and had lain waste for many years. These words are express... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD ANSWERED THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME,.... See Zechariah 1:9 what was the effect of Christ's intercession for the people of the Jews, was communicated to a ministering angel, and by him to the Prophet Zechariah: [WITH] GOOD WORDS, AND COMFORTABLE WORDS; such as would be for the good a... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE ANGEL THAT COMMUNED WITH ME,.... Having an order from the other Angel, or the Lord of hosts: SAID UNTO ME, CRY THOU; proclaim, publish, declare in the hearing of the people, for their comfort and encouragement. The Targum renders it, "prophesy": SAYING, THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, I AM JE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I AM VERY SORE DISPLEASED WITH THE HEATHEN [THAT ARE] AT EASE,.... The Chaldeans and Persians, and other nations, enemies of the Jews, who were now free from war, and enjoyed great prosperity, when the state and condition of the Jews was very low and discouraging: FOR I WAS BUT A LITTLE DISPLEA... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD, I AM RETURNED TO JERUSALEM WITH MERCIES,.... Having returned the people of the Jews from their captivity to Jerusalem, in which he had shown abundant mercy to them: MY HOUSE SHALL BE BUILT IN IT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS; meaning the temple where he dwelt and was worsh... [ Continue Reading ]
CRY YET, SAYING,.... That is, "prophesy again", as the Targum paraphrases it; publish and declare openly before all: THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, MY CITIES THROUGH PROSPERITY SHALL YET BE SPREAD ABROAD; or, according to the Targum, "the cities of my people shall be yet filled with good"; and so th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I LIFTED UP MINE EYES,.... To behold another vision which follows: AND SAW, AND BEHOLD FOUR HORNS; either iron ones, such as Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made to push the Syrians with, 1 Kings 22:11 or horns of beasts, as the horns of unicorns, to which the horns of Joseph are compared, Deute... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAID UNTO THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME,.... Zechariah 1:9: WHAT [BE] THESE? that is, who do these horns signify? and what or whom do they represent? AND HE ANSWERED ME, THESE [ARE] THE HORNS WHICH HAVE SCATTERED JUDAH, ISRAEL, AND JERUSALEM; which may design the distresses, vexations, and c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SHOWED ME FOUR CARPENTERS. To saw and cut in pieces the four horns; or rather "four blacksmiths" y; these horns were horns of iron; so the word is rendered a "smith" in 1 Samuel 13:19 and indeed it signifies both a worker in wood and a worker in iron; and who are sometimes distinguished... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID I, WHAT COME THESE TO DO?.... That is, these four carpenters; for, being artificers or workmen, as the Targum renders the word, the prophet concluded there was some work for them to do: AND HE SPAKE, SAYING; meaning the angel that talked with him, and interpreted the visions to him: THES... [ Continue Reading ]