Zechariah 9:6

And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. AND A BASTARD SHALL DWELL IN ASHDOD - "bastard," not the rightful heir; vile and low men such as are bastards (Deuteronomy 23:2). (Grotius.) An alien; so the Septuagint; implying the desolation of the region, wherein men shall not settle, but sojourn only as aliens passing through (Calvin). [ Mamzeer (H4464), from maazar, to be illegitimately born: born of an alien woman.] Perowne (Smith, 'Bible Dictionary') explains it: during the exile Arabs had established themselves in Southern Palestine, and the prophet foresees they would occupy Ashdod. Hence, we learn, from Nehemiah 13:24, 'the spee...

In this verse the Prophet denounces a similar ruin on Azotus, and the whole land of the Philistines, or on the whole land of Palestine. For what interpreters say, that the Jews would dwell at Azotus as strangers, that is, though they had previously been counted aliens, is to reach neither heaven nor earth. The Prophet on the contrary means, that after the destruction of these cities, if any inhabitants remained, they would be like strangers, without any certain habitation. The Prophet then mentions the effect, in order to show that the country would be waste and desolate, so as to contain no safe or fixed dwellings for its inhabitants. Some render it spurious, as it is rendered in some other places; and they understand it of the Jews, because they had been before in a mean condition, as though they were like a spurious race. But their opinion is probable, who derive ממזר, _memezar_, from...

1-8 Here are judgements foretold on several nations. While the Macedonians and Alexander's successors were in warfare in these countries, the Lord promised to protect his people. God's house lies in the midst of an enemy's country; his church is as a lily among thorns. God's power and goodness are seen in her special preservation. The Lord encamps about his church, and while armies of proud opposers shall pass by and return, his eyes watch over her, so that they cannot prevail, and shortly the time will come when no exactor shall pass by her any more....

Verse Zechariah 9:6. _A BASTARD SHALL DWELL IN ASHDOD_] This character would suit Alexander very well, who most certainly was a _bastard_; for his mother Olympia said that Jupiter Ammon entered her apartment in the shape of a dragon, and begat Alexander! Could her husband Philip believe this? The word signifies a _stranger_....

AND A BASTARD SHALL DWELL AT ASHDOD - o The “mamzer” was one born unlawfully, whether out of marriage, or in forbidden marriage, or in adultery . Here it is, probably, like our “spurious brood” ; whether it was so itself or in the eyes of the Ashdodites; whence he adds. I WILL CUT OFF THE PRIDE OF THE PHILISTINES - Pride would survive the ruin of their country, the capture of their cities, the less of independence. It would not survive the loss of their nationality; for they themselves would not be the same people, who were proud of their long descent and their victories over Israel. The breaking down of nationalities, which was the policy of Alexander, was an instrument in God’s hands in cutting off their pride....

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-14:21 Part III. THE FUTURE OF THE POWERS OF THE WORLD AND OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. VERSE 1-11:17 A. THE FIRST BURDEN. ZECHARIAH 9:1 § 1. _To prepare the land for Israel, and to prove God's care for his people, the neighbouring heathen shall be chastised, while Israel shall dwell in safety and independence._ ZECHARIAH 9:1 THE BURDEN (see not

AND A BASTARD SHALL DWELL IN ASHDOD,.... Some p take "mamzer", the word for "bastard", to be the name of a people that should dwell in Ashdod; this is the same place with Azotus, Acts 8:40 and was also one of the five lordships of the Philistines, Joshua 13:3 some, by the "bastard" here, understand Alexander the great, who gave out that he was not the son of Philip, but of Jupiter Ammon: others think Jonathan the Maccabee is intended, who took this place and burnt it with fire, and the temple of Dagon in it, "83 The horsemen also, being scattered in the field, fled to Azotus, and went into Bethdagon, their idol's temple, for safety. 84 But Jonathan set fire on Azotus, and the cities round about it, and took their spoils; and the temple of Dagon, with them that were fled into it, he burned wit

As we read these ancient prophecies, we will not only notice how exactly they have been fulfilled, but we will also try to learn the lesson that they are intended to teach us. Zechariah 9:1. _The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD. And Hamath also shall border thereby, Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. And Tyrus did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire._ Alexander the Great besieged Tyre, and utterly overthrew it. The citizens thought that their «strong hold» was impregnable, but they had at last to surrender to the mighty monarch whose attacks t

II. THE TWO PROPHETIC BURDENS--THE GREAT PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE I. The First Burden (9-11) CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The burden of the land of Hadrach (Zechariah 9:1) _ 2. Zion's King of Peace (Zechariah 9:9) 3. The near-event of the invasion by Antiochus Ephiphanes (Zechariah 9:13; Zechariah 10:1) Zechariah 9:1. The final section of Zechariah is of still greater interest. The Deliverer, King Messiah, is revealed in this section as suffering, rejected, pierced, slain. The great finale leads us up to the

This paragraph, of which the beginning is mutilated and the text is otherwise corrupt, is written in verse, lines of three beats each, arranged in tristichs. This form of verse is unusual, the more common consisting of lines of six beats falling into two parallel members of three beats each arranged in distichs. The burden of the word of the Lord is the editorial heading (_cf._ 12:1, Malachi 1:1). The greater part of the first tristich is lost. It has been conjectured that it ran originally somewhat as follows: The Ló rd hath sé nt a wó rd, And it hath lí ghted on the lá nd of Há drach (_cf._ Isaiah 9:8) And Damá scus hath becó me its ré sting place. The land of Hadrach (probably the place called Hazrach in an Aram, inscription _c_. 800) is mentioned on the Assyrian monuments in connex