Zechariah 14:18

And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that 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. IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT GO NOT UP, AND COME NOT, THAT HAVE NO RAIN, THERE SHALL BE THE PLAGUE - specified as Israel's ancient foe. Also, in the Persian times, wherein Zechariah lived, Egypt, by her perpetual efforts to throw off the Persian yoke, would naturally be in opposition to Judah, which was under Persia's protection. This would suggest the language and imagery under which this prophecy of events, still future now, is couched. If Egypt go not up, and so there be no rain on them (a judgment which Egypt would contemn, as depending on the Nile's overflow, not on rain), there shall be the plague, etc. Because the guilty are not affected by one judgment, let them not think to escape, because God...

But Zechariah speaks expressly of the Egyptians: and we indeed know that they were most inveterate enemies to true religion; and he might have also mentioned the Assyrians and the Chaldeans; but as the Egyptians were nearer and more contiguous to the holy land, their hatred towards the Jews was more virulent. This is the reason why Zechariah speaks of them particularly. It may at the same time appear strange that he threatens them with want of rain; for we know that Egypt expects no rain from above, because of the peculiar condition of the country; for according as the Nile overflows, do the inhabitants look for a fruitful produce of corn and of all other things. The Prophet then ought not to have thus threatened the Egyptians, for they might have justly laughed at him for saying that there would be no rain for them, the want of which is not much felt there. But the Prophet’s intention w...

16-21 As it is impossible for all nations literally to come to Jerusalem once a year, to keep a feast, it is evident that a figurative meaning must here be applied. Gospel worship is represented by the keeping of the feast of tabernacles. Every day of a Christian's life is a day of the feast of tabernacles; every Lord's day especially is the great day of the feast; therefore every day let us worship the Lord of hosts, and keep every Lord's day with peculiar solemnity. It is just for God to withhold the blessings of grace from those who do not attend the means of grace. It is a sin that is its own punishment; those who forsake the duty, forfeit the privilege of communion with God. A time of complete peace and purity of the church will arrive. Men will carry on their common affairs, and their sacred services, upon the same holy principles of faith, love and obedience. Real holiness shall...

Verse Zechariah 14:18. _IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT_] This may allude to those Jews who, flying from the persecution of _Antiochus Epiphanes_, settled in Egypt, 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....

AND IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT GO NOT UP, AND COME NOT, THAT HAVE NO RAIN - Rather, “and there shall not be.” It may be that the prophet chose this elliptical form, as well knowing that the symbol did not hold as to Egypt, which, however it ultimately depended on the equatorial rains which overfilled the lakes which supply the Nile, did not need that fine arrangement of the rains of Autumn and Spring which were essential to the fruitfulness of Palestine. The omission leaves room for the somewhat prosaic supply of Jonathan, “The Nile shall not ascend to them.” More probably the words are left undefined with a purposed abruptness, “there shall not be upon them,” namely, whatever they need: the omission of the symbol in these two verses might the more suggest, that it is a symbol only. Egypt, the ancient oppressor of Israel, is united with Judah as one, in the same worship of God, as Isaiah had...

EXPOSITION ZECHARIAH 14:1, ZECHARIAH 14:2 § 5. The afflictions of the people and their results are set forth in figure and symbol. _Jerusalem is represented as taken and plundered._ ZECHARIAH 14:1 THE DAY OF THE LORD; _a day of _(or, _to_) _Jehovah cometh. _The Greek and Latin Versions have the plural, "days of the Lord come." It is a time when he will specially manifest his glory and power, and be recognized as allowing the trial of his people for wise purposes. It is impossible to fix on any historical fulfilment of this prophecy. The details suit neither Maccabean no

AND IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT GO NOT UP, AND COME NOT,.... To Jerusalem, the church of God; do not go thither to worship the Lord, attend his ordinances, and keep them in their purity; nor walk as becomes the people of God: by "the family of Egypt" are meant the Papists, so called for their tyranny, cruelty, and idolatry, Revelation 11:8: THAT [HAVE] NO [RAIN]; have not the pure word of God, and the ordinances thereof, only the traditions of men; yea, the doctrines of devils, and lies in hypocrisy: the allusion is to the land of Egypt, which was watered, not so much by rain as by the overflowing of the river Nile: or it may be rendered, "and upon them there shall be no rain" w; or that which is equivalent to it. So the Targum paraphrases it, "the Nile shall not ascend unto them.'' The sense is, as they are without the pure Gospel of Christ, the

CHAPTER 14 _ 1. The last conflict and the manifestation of the Lord (Zechariah 14:1) _ 2. The complete salvation (Zechariah 14:6) 3. The punishment of the enemies (Zechariah 14:12) 4. The conversion of the world (Zechariah 14:16) 5. The holiness of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:20) Zechariah 14:1. Post-millennialism has tried to find some explanation of this chapter, but has failed. Th

ZECHARIAH 14. THE TRIBULATION OF THE STRUGGLE AGAINST HEATHENISM AND THE GLORIOUS FUTURE WHICH MAY BE ANTICIPATED. It is noteworthy that the writer considers the plundering of Jerusalem as a day of the Lord. Zechariah 14:1 f. describes the affliction of Jerusalem up to the time of the Maccabæ an successes which are referred to in Zechariah 14:3. The sense of what follows is hopelessly obscure in MT and EV owing to the mispronunciation of the Heb. consonants in Zechariah 14:5. The thought of flight is here altogether out of place. Following the pro nunciation adopted in LXX, we may render Zechariah 14:5 as follows: And the vall

THAT HAVE NO RAIN. This react with Zechariah 14:17 makes no sense. Modern critics (with Revised Version margin) at once say "the text is probably corrupt". The _Ellipsis_ must be supplied by repeating the words from the end of Zechariah 14:17 thus "if... come not, [not upon them shall be no rain, but] upon them there shall be the plague" as aforesaid in Zechariah 14:12). Egypt has no rain; hence this elliptical expression, Reference to Pant. (Deuteronomy 11:10). App-92. THE. Some codices, with five early printed editions (one Rabbinic, in margin), Sept Syriac, and Vulgate, read "all the"....