Zechariah 1:15

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. AND I AM VERY SORE DISPLEASED WITH THE HEATHEN - in contrast with "I was but a little displeased" with my people. God's displeasure with His people is temporary, and for their chastening; with the pagan oppressors it is final and fatal (). God's instruments for chastising His people, when He has done with them, He casts into the fire. THAT ARE AT EASE - carnally secure. A stronger phrase than "all the earth is at rest" (). They are "at ease," but, as I am "sore displeased" with them, their ease is accursed. Judah is in "affliction;" but as I love her, and am jealous for her, she has every reason, notwithstanding her...

God here obviates the doubt which might have easily crept into the minds of the godly. “Why should he then give up the miserable Jews to the will of the Gentiles, and suffer these heathens at the same time to be in a quiet state and to enjoy their pleasures?” This indeed at the first view seemed very strange: if God had such a zeal towards Jerusalem, why did he not give some token at least of his favor? He therefore gives this answer, — That though the condition of the Gentiles was now better, there was yet no reason for the Jews to be discontented in their troubles, because they were to look forward to the end that was to come. It must further be noticed, that God _speaks _only here, and is not going forth prepared to execute his vengeance: and it is a real and just trial of faith, when God bids us to depend on his word. The manner of speaking, used here deserves notice, God was _angry...

7-17 The prophet saw a dark, shady grove, hidden by hills. This represented the low, melancholy condition of the Jewish church. A man like a warrior sat on a red horse, in the midst of this shady myrtle-grove. Though the church was in a low condition, Christ was present in the midst, ready to appear for the relief of his people. Behind him were angels ready to be employed by him, some in acts of judgment, others of mercy, others in mixed events. Would we know something of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must apply, not to angels, for they are themselves learners, but to Christ himself. He is ready to teach those humbly desirous to learn the things of God. The nations near Judea enjoyed peace at that time, but the state of the Jews was unsettled, which gave rise to the pleading that followed; but mercy must only be hoped for through Christ. His intercession for his church prev...

Verse 15. _I WAS BUT A LITTLE DISPLEASED_] I was justly displeased with my people, and I gave their enemies a commission against them; but they carried this far beyond my design by oppression and cruelty; and now they shall suffer in their turn....

I AM SORE DISPLEASED - literally “with great anger am I angered against the nations which are at ease.” The form of the words shows that the greatness of the displeasure of God against those who oppress His people, is proportionate to the great and tender love toward themselves. God had been angered indeed with His people; with their enemies He was “angered with a great anger;” and that the more, because they were at ease, in unfeeling self-enjoyment amid the miseries of others. I WAS A LITTLE DISPLEASED - Little, in comparison with our deserts; little in comparison with the anger of the human instruments of His displeasure; little in comparison with theirs, who, in their anger, sought their own ends. THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION - o “He is wroth with the nations at ease, because He delivered His people to be corrected, but they used cruelty t

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-6:15 Part I. A SERIES OF EIGHT VISIONS, AND A SYMBOLICAL ACTION. ZECHARIAH 1:1 § 1. _Title of the book, and author. _THE EIGHTH MONTH. This was called Bul before the Captivity (1 Kings 6:38), and afterwards Marchesvan (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 1.3 3); it answered to parts of October and November, and was a time of rain. Haggai had first prophesied two months earlier. THE SECOND YEAR OF DARIUS. Being now under foreign rule, the prophet uses the regnal years of the king to whom his people were subject (see note on...

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 DISPLEASED: that is, with his people the Jews, for their ingratitude, idolatry, and immorality; and which displeasure he showed by suffering them to be carried into captivity; see Isaiah 54:8: AND THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION; that is, the heathens, among whom the Jews were carried captive; they added to their affliction; they oppressed them more than they ought to have done, and more than was agreeable to the will of God and right in his sight; and they insulted them in their misery, and rejoiced over them. The word עזר, in the Arabic language, signifies to "abo

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS 1. THE NIGHT VISIONS CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Zechariah 1:1) _ 2. The first night vision (Zechariah 1:7) 3. The second night vision (Zechariah 1:18) Zechariah 1:1. The first utterance of Zechariah concerns the past. “The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.” They were a disobedient, stiff-necked people. The pre-exilic prophets had called them to repentance, but they did not hearken. Then he gives the message to turn to the Lord, with the promise that He will turn to them; they should not be like their fathers. And their fathers, where w

This section, to which Zechariah 1:7 is an editorial introduction, either is not the beginning of Zechariah's allegories, or has not come down to us in its original form, for the interpreting angel is mentioned in Zechariah 1:9 as already known to the reader. A verse introducing him may, however, have been omitted between Zechariah 1:8 and Zechariah 1:9, since the opening words of Zechariah 1:8 imply that we have here the beginning of the allegorical prophecies. There are many corruptions in the text, several of which can, however, be easily corrected from the

HEATHEN. nations. AT EASE. indifferent (Isaiah 32:9; Isaiah 32:11.Amos 6:1; Amos 6:1). AFFLICTION. calamity. Hebrew. _raa_ '. App-44. Compare Isaiah 47:11.Jeremiah 44:11....