Notes on Zechariah
From the Original 1599 Geneva
Bible Notes
Zec 1:1
1:1 In the eighth month, in the
second year of {a} Darius, came the word of the LORD unto {b} Zechariah, the
son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
The Argument - Two months after
Haggai had begun to prophesy, Zechariah was also sent of the Lord to help him
in the labour, and to confirm the same doctrine. First therefore, he puts them
in remembrance for what reason God had so severely punished their fathers: and
yet comforts them if they will truly repent, and not abuse this great benefit
of God in their deliverance which was a figure of that true deliverance, that
all the faithful should have from death and sin, by Christ. But because they
remained still in their wickedness, and lack of desire to set forth God's
glory, and were not yet made better by their long banishment, he rebukes them
most sharply: yet for the comfort of the repentant, he ever mixes the promise
of grace, that they might by this means be prepared to receive Christ, in whom
all should be sanctified to the Lord.
(a) Who was the son of
Histaspis.
(b) This was not the Zechariah, of which mention is made in
2Ch 24:20 , but he had the same name, and is called the son of Berechiah, as
he was, because he came of those progenitors, as of Joiada or Berechiah, and
Iddo.
Zec 1:2
1:2 The LORD hath been {c} sore
displeased with your fathers
(c) He speaks this to make
them afraid of God's judgments, so that they should not provoke him as their
fathers had done, whom he so grievously punished.
Zec 1:3
1:3 Therefore say thou unto
them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; {d} Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of
hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
(d) Let your fruits declare
that you are God's people, and that he has wrought in you by his Spirit, and
mortified you: for otherwise man has no power to return to God, but God must
convert him; Jer 31:18 La 5:21 Isa 31:6 45:21
Zec 1:5
1:5 Your fathers, where {e}
[are] they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
(e) Though your fathers are
dead, yet God's judgments in punishing them ought still to be before your
eyes: and though the prophets are dead, yet their doctrine remains for ever;
2Pe 1:15 .
Zec 1:6
1:6 But my words and my
statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold
of {f} your fathers? and {g} they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts
thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so
hath he dealt with us.
(f) Seeing you saw the force
of my doctrine in punishing your fathers, why do you not fear the
threatenings contained in the same, and declared by my Prophets?
(g) As
men astonished with my judgments, and not that they were touched with true
repentance.
Zec 1:7
1:7 Upon the four and twentieth
day of the eleventh month, which [is] the month {h} Sebat, in the second year
of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the
son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
(h) Which includes part of
January and part of February.
Zec 1:8
1:8 I {i} saw by night, and
behold {k} a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees
that [were] in the bottom; and behind him [were there] {l} red horses,
speckled, and white.
(i) This vision signifies the
restoration of the Church: but as yet it would not appear to man's eyes,
which is here meant by the night, by the bottom, and by the myrtle trees,
which are black, and give a dark shadow. Yet he compares God to a King who
has his posts and messengers abroad, by whom he still works his purpose and
brings his matters to pass.
(k) Who was the chief among the rest of the
horsemen.
(l) These signify the various offices of God's angels, by whom
God sometimes punishes, and sometimes comforts, and brings forth his works
in various ways.
Zec 1:12
1:12 Then the {m} angel of the
LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on
Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation
these threescore and ten years?
(m) That is, Christ the
mediator prayed for the salvation of his Church, which was now troubled,
when all the countries about them were at rest.
Zec 1:14
1:14 So the angel that talked
with me said to me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am {n}
jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
(n) Though for a time God
defers his help and comfort from his Church, yet this declares that he still
loves them most dearly, as a most merciful father his children, or a husband
his wife, and when it is expedient for them, his help is ever ready.
Zec 1:15
1:15 And I am very greatly
displeased with the nations [that are] at ease: for I was but {o} a little
displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
(o) In destroying the
reprobate, I showed myself but a little angry toward my Church, but the
enemy would have destroyed them also, and did not consider the goal of my
chastisements.
Zec 1:16
1:16 Therefore thus saith the
LORD; I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in
it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line {p} shall be stretched forth upon
Jerusalem.
(p) To measure out the
buildings.
Zec 1:17
1:17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith
the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet {q} be spread
abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose
Jerusalem.
(q) The abundance will be so
great, that the places of storage will not be able to contain these
blessings that God will send, but will even break because of
fullness.
Zec 1:18
1:18 Then I lifted up my eyes,
and saw, and behold {r} four horns.
(r) Which signifies all the
enemies of the Church: east, west, north, and south.
Zec 1:20
1:20 And the LORD showed me four
{s} craftsmen.
(s) These craftsmen or smiths
are God's instruments, who with their mallets and hammers break these hard
and strong horns which would overthrow the Church, and declare that no
enemies' horn is so strong, but God has a hammer to break it in
pieces.
Zec 2:1
2:1 I lifted up my eyes again,
and looked, and behold a {a} man with a measuring line in his hand.
(a) This is the angel who was
Christ: for in respect of his office he is often called an angel, but in
respect of his eternal essence, is God, and so called.
Zec 2:4
2:4 And said to him, Run, speak
to this {b} young man, saying, {c} Jerusalem shall be inhabited [as] towns
without walls for the multitude of men and cattle in it:
(b) Meaning himself,
Zechariah.
(c) Signifying the spiritual Jerusalem and Church under
Christ, which would be extended by the Gospel through all the world, and
would need no material walls, nor trust in any worldly strength, but would
be safely preserved and dwell in peace among all their enemies.
Zec 2:5
2:5 For I, saith the LORD, will
be to her a wall of {d} fire on every side, and will {e} be the glory in the
midst of her.
(d) To defend my Church, to
strike fear in the enemies, and to destroy them if they approach
near.
(e) In me they will have their full felicity and glory.
Zec 2:6
2:6 Ho, ho, [come {f} forth],
and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you
abroad as the four {g} winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
(f) He calls to those who
partly for fear, and partly for their own case, remained still in captivity,
and so preferred their own personal benefits to the benefits of God promised
in his Church.
(g) As it was I that scattered you, so I have power to
restore you.
Zec 2:7
2:7 {h} Deliver thyself, O Zion,
that dwellest [with] the daughter of Babylon.
(h) By fleeing from Babylon,
and coming to the Church.
Zec 2:8
2:8 For thus saith the LORD of
hosts; After the {i} glory hath he sent me to the nations which wasted you:
for he that toucheth you toucheth the {k} apple of his eye.
(i) Seeing that God had begun
to show his grace among you by delivering you, he continues the same still
toward you, and therefore sends me his angel and his Christ to defend you
from your enemies, so that they will not hurt you, neither along the way nor
at home.
(k) You are so dear to God, that he can no more allow your
enemies to hurt you, than a man can endure to be thrust in the eye; Ps 17:8
.
Zec 2:9
2:9 For, behold, I will shake my
hand {l} upon them, and {m} they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye
shall know that the LORD of hosts hath {n} sent me.
(l) Upon the heathen your
enemies.
(m) They will be your servants, as you have been theirs.
(n)
This must necessarily be understood of Christ, who being God equal with his
Father, was sent, as he was Mediator to dwell in his Church and to govern
them.
Zec 3:1
3:1 And he showed me Joshua the
high priest {a} standing before the angel of the LORD, and {b} Satan standing
at his right hand to resist him.
(a) He prayed to Christ the
Mediator for the state of the Church.
(b) Which declares that the
faithful do not only war with flesh and blood, but with Satan himself, and
spiritual wickedness; Eph 6:12 .
Zec 3:2
3:2 And the {c} LORD said to
Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem
rebuke thee: [is] not this a {d} brand plucked out of the fire?
(c) That is, Christ speaks to
God as the mediator of his Church, that he would rebuke Satan: and here he
shows himself to be the continual preserver of his Church.
(d) Meaning
that Joshua was wonderfully preserved in the captivity, and now Satan sought
to afflict and trouble him when he was doing his office.
Zec 3:3
3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with
{e} filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
(e) With regard to the
glorious garments and precious stones that the priests wore before the
captivity: and by this contemptible state the Prophet signifies, that these
small beginnings would be made excellent when Christ will make the full
restitution of his Church.
Zec 3:4
3:4 And he answered and spoke to
those that stood before him, saying, Take away the {e} filthy garments from
him. And to him he said, Behold, I have {f} caused thy iniquity to pass from
thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
(e) See Geneva "Zec
3:3"
(f) He shows of what apparel he speaks, which is, when our filthy
sins are taken away, and we are clothed with God's mercies, which refers to
the spiritual restitution.
Zec 3:5
3:5 And I said, Let them {g} set
a clean mitre upon his head. So they set a clean mitre upon his head, and
clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
(g) The Prophet prays that
besides the raiment, the Priest might also have attire for his head
accordingly, that is, that the dignity of the priesthood might be perfect:
and this was fulfilled in Christ, who was both Priest and King. And here all
those are condemned, that can content themselves with any average
reformation in religion, seeing the Prophet desires the perfection, and
obtains it.
Zec 3:7
3:7 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then
thou shalt also {h} judge my house, and shalt also keep my {i} courts, and I
will give thee places to walk among {k} these that stand by.
(h) That is, have rule and
government in my Church, as your predecessors have had.
(i) By which he
means to have the whole charge and ministry of the Church.
(k) That is,
the angels, who represented the whole number of the faithful: signifying
that all the godly would willingly receive him.
Zec 3:8
3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high
priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they {l} [are] men
wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the {m}
BRANCH.
(l) Because they follow my
word, they are condemned in the world, and esteemed as monsters. See Geneva
"Isa 8:18"
(m) That is, Christ, who did so humble himself, that he not
only became the servant of God, but also the servant of men: and therefore
in him they should have comfort, even though in the world they are
condemned; Isa 11:1 Jer 23:5 33:14-15 .
Zec 3:9
3:9 For behold the {n} stone
that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone [shall be] seven eyes: behold,
I {o} will engrave the engraving of it, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will
{p} remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
(n) He shows that the
ministers cannot build before God lay the first stone, which is Christ, who
is full of eyes, both because he gives light to all others, and that all
ought to seek light from him; Zec 4:10 .
(o) That is, I will make perfect
in all points, as a thing done by the hand of God.
(p) Though I have
punished this land for a time, yet I will even now be pacified, and punish
their sins no more.
Zec 3:10
3:10 In that day, saith the LORD
of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the {q} vine and under
the fig tree.
(q) You will then live in
peace and quietness, that is, in the kingdom of Christ; Isa 2:2 Mic 4:4 Ha
2:9 .
Zec 4:2
4:2 And said to me, What seest
thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a {a} lamp stand all [of] gold,
with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps, and seven {b} pipes to
the seven lamps, which [were] upon the top of it:
(a) Which was ever in the
midst of the temple, signifying that the graces of God's Spirit would shine,
here in most abundance, and in all perfection.
(b) Which conveyed the oil
that dropped from the trees into the lamps, so that the light never went
out: and this vision was to strengthen and encourage the faithful that God
had sufficient power in himself to continue his graces, and to bring his
promise to pass even though he had no help from man.
Zec 4:6
4:6 Then he answered and spoke
to me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD to {c} Zerubbabel, saying, Not
by {d} might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of
hosts.
(c) Who was a figure of
Christ, and therefore this doctrine was directed to all the Church who are
his body and members.
(d) He shows that God's power alone is sufficient
to preserve his Church, even though he does not use man's help to do
it.
Zec 4:7
4:7 Who [art] thou, O {e} great
mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou shalt become] a plain: and {f} he shall
bring forth its headstone [with] shoutings, [crying], Grace, grace to
it.
(e) He compares the power of
the adversaries to a great mountain, who thought the Jews were nothing with
regard to them, and would have hindered Zerubbabel, who represented Christ,
whom the enemies daily labour to stop in the building of his spiritual
Temple, but all in vain.
(f) Though the enemies think to stop this
building, yet Zerubbabel will lay the highest stone of it, and bring it to
perfection, so that all the godly will rejoice, and pray to God that he
would continue his grace and favour toward the Temple.
Zec 4:9
4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have
laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and {g}
thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me to you.
(g) Meaning, the Prophet,
that I am Christ sent from my Father for the building and preservation of my
spiritual temple.
Zec 4:10
4:10 For who hath despised the
day of {h} small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the {i} plummet
in the hand of Zerubbabel [with] those seven; {k} they [are] the eyes of the
LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
(h) Signifying that all were
discouraged at the small and poor beginnings of the temple.
(i) By which
he signifies the plummet and line, that is, that Zerubbabel who represented
Christ, would go forward with his building to the joy and comfort of the
godly, though the world was against him, and though his own for a while were
discouraged, because they do not see things pleasant to the eye.
(k) That
is, God has seven eyes: meaning, a continual providence, so that neither
Satan nor any power in the world, can go about to bring anything to pass to
hinder his work; Zec 5:9 .
Zec 4:14
4:14 Then said he, These [are]
the two {l} anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole
earth.
(l) Which were always green
and full of oil, so that still they poured forth oil into the lamps:
signifying, that God will continually maintain and preserve his Church, and
endue it still with abundance and perfection of grace.
Zec 5:2
5:2 And he said to me, What
seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying {a} scroll; its length [is] twenty
cubits, and its breadth ten cubits.
(a) Because the Jews had
provoked God's plagues by condemning his word, and casting off all judgment
and equity, he shows that God's curses written in this book had justly
happened both to them and their fathers. But now if they would repent, God
would send the same among the Chaldeans and their former enemies.
Zec 5:3
5:3 Then said he to me, This
[is] the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every
one that {b} stealeth shall be cut off [as] on this {c} side according to it;
and every one that {d} sweareth shall be cut off [as] on that side according
to it.
(b) That is, does any injury
toward his neighbour.
(c) Meaning, wherever he is in the world.
(d) He
that transgresses the first table of the ten commandments, and does not
serve God correctly but abuses his name.
Zec 5:6
5:6 And I said, What [is] it?
And he said, This [is] an {e} ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This
[is] their {f} resemblance through all the earth.
(e) Which was a measure in
dry things, containing about five gallons.
(f) That is, all the
wickedness of the ungodly is in God's sight, which he keeps in a measure,
and can shut it or open it at his pleasure.
Zec 5:7
5:7 And, behold, there was
lifted up a {g} talent of lead: and this [is] a {h} woman that sitteth in the
midst of the ephah.
(g) To cover the
measure.
(h) Which represents iniquity, as in the next verse.
Zec 5:8
5:8 And he said, This [is] {i}
wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight
of lead upon its mouth.
(i) Signifying that Satan
would not have such power against the Jews to tempt them, as he had in times
past, but that God would shut up iniquity in a measure as in a
prison.
Zec 5:9
5:9 Then I lifted up my eyes,
and looked, and, behold, there came out two {k} women, and the wind [was] in
their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up
the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
(k) Which declared that God
would execute his judgment by the means of the weak and infirm.
Zec 5:11
5:11 And he said to me, To build
for it an house in the land of {l} Shinar: and it shall be established, and
set there upon her own base.
(l) To remove the iniquity
and affliction that came from Judah because of the judgment, to place it
forever in Babylon.
Zec 6:1
6:1 And I turned, and lifted up
my eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four {a} chariots out from
between {b} two mountains; and the mountains [were] mountains of
brass.
(a) By chariots here, as by
horses before, he means the swift messengers of God to execute and declare
his will.
(b) By the mountains he means the external counsel and
providence of God, by which he has from before all eternity declared what
will come to pass, and that which neither Satan nor all the world can
alter.
Zec 6:2
6:2 In the first chariot [were]
{c} red horses; and in the second chariot {d} black horses;
(c) Which signifies the great
cruelty and persecution that the Church had endured under different
enemies.
(d) Signifying that they had endured great afflictions under the
Babylonians.
Zec 6:3
6:3 And in the third chariot {e}
white horses; and in the fourth chariot {f} spotted and bay horses.
(e) These represented their
state under the Persians, who restored them to their liberty.
(f) Which
signified that God would sometimes give his Church rest, and pour his
plagues upon their enemies, as he did in destroying Nineveh and Babylon, and
other of their enemies.
Zec 6:5
6:5 And the angel answered and
said to me, These [are] the four {g} spirits of the heavens, which go forth
from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
(g) Meaning, all the actions
and motions of God's Spirit, whom according to his unchangeable counsel he
causes to appear through all the world.
Zec 6:6
6:6 The black horses which [are]
in it go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and
the spotted go forth toward the {h} south country.
(h) That is, towards Egypt,
and other countries there about.
Zec 6:7
6:7 And the {i} bay went forth,
and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he
said, Go from here, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and
fro through the earth.
(i) That is, those of
different colours, which ask permission, to signify that Satan has no power
to hurt or afflict, until God gives it to him; Job 1:12 .
Zec 6:8
6:8 Then he cried upon me, and
spoke to me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have
quieted my {k} spirit in the north country.
(k) By punishing the
Chaldeans my anger ceased, and you were delivered.
Zec 6:10
6:10 Take of [them of] the
captivity, [even] of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who are come from
Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of {l} Josiah the
son of Zephaniah;
(l) To receive from him and
the other three, money to make the two crowns: who were men of great
authority among the Jews, and doubted of the restitution of the kingdom, and
of the priesthood, and hurt others by their example.
Zec 6:11
6:11 Then take silver and gold,
and make crowns, and set [them] upon the {m} head of Joshua the son of
Josedech, the high priest;
(m) Because this could not be
attributed to any one according to the Law, therefore it follows that Joshua
must represent the Messiah, who was both Priest and King.
Zec 6:12
6:12 And speak to him, saying,
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The
{n} BRANCH; and he shall grow {o} up out of his place, and he shall {p} build
the temple of the LORD:
(n) Meaning Christ, of whom
Joshua was the figure: for in Greek they were both called Jesus.
(o) That
is, of himself without the help of man.
(p) Which declares that no one
could build this temple of which Haggai speaks, but only Christ: and
therefore it was spiritual, and not material; Ha 2:9 .
Zec 6:13
6:13 Even he shall build the
temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the {q} glory, and shall sit and rule
upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of
peace shall be between {r} them both.
(q) Of which Joshua had but a
shadow.
(r) The two offices of the kingdom and priesthood, will be joined
together in such a way, that they will no longer be separated.
Zec 6:14
6:14 And the crowns shall be to
{s} Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to {t} Hen the son of
Zephaniah, for a {u} memorial in the temple of the LORD.
(s) Who was also called
Heldai.
(t) He was also called Joshias.
(u) That they may acknowledge
their infirmity, who thought that all things would be restored immediately:
and of this their infidelity these two crowns will remain as tokens; Ac 1:6
.
Zec 6:15
6:15 And they [that are] {x} far
off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the
LORD of hosts hath sent me to you. And [this] shall come to pass, if ye will
diligently {y} obey the voice of the LORD your God.
(x) That is, the Gentiles by
the preaching of the Gospel, will help toward the building of the spiritual
temple.
(y) If you will believe and remain in the obedience of
faith.
Zec 7:1
7:1 And it came to pass in the
fourth year of king Darius, [that] the word of the LORD came to Zechariah in
the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [even] in {a} Chisleu;
(a) Which contained part of
November and part of December.
Zec 7:2
7:2 When {b} they had sent to
the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the
LORD,
(b) That is, the rest of the
people that yet remained in Chaldea, sent to the Church at Jerusalem for the
resolution of these questions, because these feasts were consented upon by
the agreement of the whole Church, the one in the month that the temple was
destroyed, and the other when Gedaliah was slain; Jer 41:2 .
Zec 7:3
7:3 [And] to speak to the
priests who [were] in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets,
saying, Should I {c} weep in the fifth month, {d} separating myself, as I have
done these so many {e} years?
(c) By weeping and mourning
are shown what exercises they used in their fasting.
(d) That is, prepare
myself with all devotion to his fast.
(e) Which had been since the time
the temple was destroyed.
Zec 7:5
7:5 Speak to all the people of
the land, and to the {f} priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the
fifth and seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast to me,
{g} [even] to me?
(f) For there were both of
the people, and of the priests, those who doubted with regard to this
controversy, besides those who as yet remained in Chaldea, and argue about
it, as of one of the chief points of their religion.
(g) For they thought
they had gained favour with God because of this fast, which they invented by
themselves: and though fasting of itself is good, yet because they thought
it a service toward God, and trusted in it, it is here reproved.
Zec 7:6
7:6 And when ye ate, and when ye
drank, did ye not eat {h} [for yourselves], and drink [for
yourselves]?
(h) Did you not eat and drink
for your own benefit and necessity, and so likewise you abstained according
to your own imaginings, and not after the command and direction of my
Law.
Zec 7:7
7:7 [Should ye] not [hear] the
words which the LORD {i} hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was
inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities around her, when [men] inhabited
the south and the plain?
(i) By this he condemns their
hypocrisy, who thought by their fasting to please God, and by such things as
they invented, and in the meantime would not serve him as he had
commanded.
Zec 7:9
7:9 Thus speaketh the LORD of
hosts, saying, {k} Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every
man to his brother:
(k) He shows that they did
not fast with a sincere heart, but because of hypocrisy, and that it was not
done from a pure religion, because they lacked these offices of charity
which should have declared that they were godly; Mt 23:23 .
Zec 7:11
7:11 But they refused to
hearken, and {l} withdrew the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they
should not hear.
(l) And would not carry the
Lord's burden, which was sweet and easy, but would bear their own, which was
heavy and grievous to the flesh, thinking to gain merit by it: which
metaphor is taken from oxen, which shrink at the yoke; Ne 9:29 .
Zec 7:12
7:12 Yea, they made their hearts
[as] an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the
LORD of hosts hath sent in his {m} spirit by the former prophets: therefore
came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
(m) Which declares that they
did not only rebel against the Prophets, but against the Spirit of God that
spoke in them.
Zec 7:14
7:14 But I scattered them with a
whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate
{n} after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the
pleasant land {o} desolate.
(n) That is, after they were
taken captive.
(o) By their sins by which they provoked God's
anger.
Zec 8:2
8:2 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; I was {a} jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for
her with great fury.
(a) I loved my city with a
singular love, so that I could not endure that any should do her any
injury.
Zec 8:3
8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I have
returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem
shall be called a {b} city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the
holy mountain.
(b) Because she will be
faithful and loyal toward me her husband.
Zec 8:4
8:4 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; There shall yet old {c} men and old women dwell in the streets of
Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
(c) Though their enemies did
greatly molest and trouble them, yet God would come and dwell among them,
and so preserve them as long as nature would allow them to live, and
increase their children in great abundance.
Zec 8:6
8:6 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; If it is {d} marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in
these days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes? saith the LORD of
hosts.
(d) He shows in what our
faith consists, that is, to believe that God can perform that which he has
promised, though it seem ever so impossible to man; Ge 13:14, Rom 4:20
.
Zec 8:8
8:8 And I will bring them, and
they shall {e} dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people,
and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
(e) So that their return will
not be in vain: for God will accomplish his promise, and their prosperity
will be sure and stable.
Zec 8:9
8:9 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; Let your {f} hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by
the mouth of the prophets, who [were] in the day [when] the foundation of the
house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be
built.
(f) Let neither respect of
your personal benefits, neither counsel of others, nor fear of enemies,
discourage you in the going forward with the building of the temple, but be
steadfast and obey the Prophets, who encourage you to that.
Zec 8:10
8:10 For before these days there
was no hire for {g} man, nor any hire for beast; neither [was there any] peace
to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men
every one against his neighbour.
(g) For God cursed your work,
so that neither man nor beast had profit from their labours.
Zec 8:14
8:14 For thus saith the LORD of
hosts; As I thought to punish {h} you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath,
saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
Zec 8:15
8:15 So again have I thought in
these days {i} to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye
not.
(i) Which declares that man
cannot turn to God until he changes man's heart by his Spirit, and so begin
to do good to them, which is to pardon his sins and to give him his
graces.
Zec 8:19
8:19 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; The fast of the fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast
of the seventh, and the fast of the {k} tenth, shall be to the house of Judah
joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and
peace.
(k) Which fast was appointed
when the city was besieged, and was the first fast of these four. And here
the prophet shows that if the Jews will repent, and turn wholly to God, they
will have no more occasion to fast, or to show signs of heaviness, for God
will send them joy and gladness.
Zec 8:20
8:20 Thus saith the LORD of
hosts; [It shall] yet [come to pass], that there shall come {l} people, and
the inhabitants of many cities:
(l) He declares the great
zeal that God would give the Gentiles to come to his Church, and to unite
with the Jews in his true religion, which would be in the kingdom of
Christ.
Zec 9:1
9:1 The burden of the word of
the LORD in the land of {a} Hadrach, and Damascus [shall be] the {b} rest of
it: when the {c} eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, [shall be]
toward the LORD.
(a) By which he means
Syria.
(b) God's anger will remain upon their chief city, and not spare
even as much as that.
(c) When the Jews will convert and repent, then God
will destroy their enemies.
Zec 9:2
9:2 And Hamath also shall border
{d} by it; Tyre, and Zidon, though it be {e} very wise.
(d) That is, by Damascus:
meaning, that Harnath or Antiochia would be under the same rod and
plague.
(e) He secretly shows the cause of their destruction, because
they deceived all others by their craft and subtilty, which they cloaked
with this name of wisdom.
Zec 9:4
9:4 Behold, the LORD will cast
her out, and he will smite her {f} power in the sea; and she shall be devoured
with fire.
(f) Though those of Tyre
think themselves invincible by reason of the sea that surrounds them, yet
they will not escape God's judgments.
Zec 9:6
9:6 And a {g} bastard shall
dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
(g) Meaning, that all would
be destroyed, save a very few, that would remain as strangers.
Zec 9:7
9:7 And I will take away his
blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his {h} teeth: but
he that remaineth, even he, [shall be] for our God, and he shall be as a
governor in Judah, and {i} Ekron as a Jebusite.
(h) He promises to deliver
the Jews when he will take vengeance on their enemies for their cruelty, and
the wrongs they did to them.
(i) As the Jebusites had been destroyed, so
would Ekron and all the Philistines.
Zec 9:8
9:8 And I will encamp about {k}
my house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of
him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now
{l} have I seen with my eyes.
(k) He shows that God's power
alone will be sufficient to defend his Church against all adversaries, be
they ever so cruel, or assert their power ever so often.
(l) That is, God
has now seen the great injuries and afflictions with which they have been
afflicted by their enemies.
Zec 9:9
9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter
of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh to thee: {m}
he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a {n} donkey, and
upon a colt the foal of a donkey.
(m) That is, he has
righteousness and salvation in himself for the use and benefit of his
Church.
(n) Which declares that they should not look for such a king as
would be glorious in the eyes of man, but should be poor, and yet in himself
have all power to deliver his own: and this is meant of Christ, as in Mt
21:5 .
Zec 9:10
9:10 And I will cut off the {o}
chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall
be cut off: and he shall speak peace to the nations: and his dominion [shall
be] from {p} sea to sea, and from the {q} river to the ends of the
earth.
(o) No power of man or
creature will be able to stop this kingdom of Christ, and he will peaceably
govern them by his word.
(p) That is, from the Red Sea, to the Sea called
Syriacum: and by these places which the Jews knew, he meant an infinite
space and area over the whole world.
(q) That is, from the
Euphrates.
Zec 9:11
9:11 {r} As for thee also, by
the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy {s} prisoners out of the pit
in which [is] no water.
(r) Meaning Jerusalem, or the
Church which is saved by the blood of Christ, of which the blood of the
sacrifices was a figure. And it is here called the covenant of the Church,
because God made it with his Church: and left it with them because of the
love that he had for them.
(s) God shows that he will deliver his Church
out of all dangers, no matter how great they may seem.
Zec 9:12
9:12 Turn ye to the {t} strong
hold, ye {u} prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare [that] I will render
{x} double to thee;
(t) That is, into the holy
land where the city and the temple are, where God will defend you.
(u)
Meaning the faithful, who seemed to be in danger of their enemies on every
side, and yet lived in hope that God would restore them to liberty.
(x)
That is, double benefits and prosperity, in respect of that which your
fathers enjoyed from David's time to the captivity.
Zec 9:13
9:13 When I have bent Judah for
me, filled the {y} bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against
thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
(y) I will make Judah and
Ephraim, that is, my whole Church, victorious against all enemies, which he
here means by the Greeks.
Zec 9:15
9:15 The LORD of hosts shall
defend them; and they shall devour, {z} and subdue the sling stones; and they
shall drink, [and] make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like
bowls, [and] as the corners of the altar.
(z) He promises that the Jews
will destroy their enemies, and have abundance and excess of all things, as
there is abundance on the altar when the sacrifice is offered. And these
things are not to move them to excess, but to sobriety, and a thankful
remembrance of God's great liberality.
Zec 9:16
9:16 And the LORD their God
shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they [shall be as]
the {a} stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
(a) The faithful will be
preserved, and reverenced by all, that their very enemies will be compelled
to esteem them: for God's glory will shine in them, as Josephus declares of
Alexander the great when he met Jadi the high priest.
Zec 10:1
10:1 Ask ye of the {a} LORD rain
in the time of the latter rain; [so] the LORD shall make bright clouds, and
give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
(a) The Prophet reproves the
Jews, because by their own infidelity they turn away God's promised graces,
and so famine came by God's just judgment. Therefore to avoid this plague,
he exhorts them to turn to God, and to pray in faith to him, and so he will
give them abundance.
Zec 10:2
10:2 For the {b} idols have
spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams;
they comfort in vain: therefore {c} they went their way as a flock, they were
troubled, because [there was] no shepherd.
(b) He calls to remembrance
God's punishments in times past, because they trusted not in him, but in
their idols and sorcerers who always deceived them.
(c) That is, the Jews
went into captivity.
Zec 10:3
10:3 My anger was kindled
against the shepherds, and I punished the {d} goats: for the LORD of hosts
hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as {e} his
majestic horse in the battle.
(d) Meaning, the cruel
governors who did oppress the poor sheep; Eze 34:16-17 .
(e) He will be
merciful to his Church, and cherish them as a king or prince does his best
horse, which will be for his own use in war.
Zec 10:4
10:4 Out {f} of him came forth
the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every
{g} oppressor together.
(f) Out of Judah will the
chief governor proceed, who will be as a corner to uphold the building, and
as a nail to fasten it together.
(g) Over their enemies.
Zec 10:6
10:6 And I will strengthen the
house of Judah, and I will save the {h} house of Joseph, and I will bring them
again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I
had not cast them off: for I [am] the LORD their God, and will hear
them.
(h) That is, the ten tribes,
which would be united under Christ to the rest of the Church.
Zec 10:8
10:8 I will {i} hiss for them,
and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they
have increased.
(i) By which he declares the
power of God, who needs no great preparation when he will deliver his own:
for with a gesture or hiss he can call them suddenly from all places.
Zec 10:9
10:9 And I will {k} sow them
among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall
live with their children, and {l} turn again.
(k) Though they will yet be
scattered and seem to be lost, yet it will be profitable to them: for there
they will come to the knowledge of my name, which was accomplished under the
Gospel, among whom it was first preached.
(l) Not that they would return
into their country, but be gathered and joined in one faith by the doctrine
of the Gospel.
Zec 10:11
10:11 And he {m} shall pass
through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all
the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought
down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart.
(m) He alludes to the
deliverance of the people out of Egypt, when the angel smote the floods and
rivers.
Zec 11:1
11:1 Open thy doors, O {a}
Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
(a) Because the Jews thought
themselves so strong by reason of this mountain, that no enemy could come to
hurt them, the Prophet shows that when God sends the enemies, it will show
itself ready to receive them.
Zec 11:2
11:2 Wail, {b} fir tree; for the
cedar is fallen; because the mighty are laid waste: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan;
for the forest of the {c} vintage is come down.
(b) Showing that if the
strong men were destroyed, the weaker were not able to resist.
(c) Seeing
that Lebanon was destroyed, which was the strongest fortress, the weaker
places could not hope to hold out.
Zec 11:3
11:3 [There is] a voice of the
wailing of the shepherds; for their {d} glory is destroyed: a voice of the
roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is laid waste.
(d) That is, the fame of
Judah and Israel would perish.
Zec 11:4
11:4 Thus saith the LORD my God;
Feed the flock of the {e} slaughter;
(e) Which being now destined
to be slain, were delivered as out of the lion's mouth.
Zec 11:5
11:5 Whose possessors slay them,
and hold themselves {f} not guilty: and they that sell them say, {g} Blessed
[be] the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them
not.
(f) Their governors destroy
them without any remorse of conscience, or yet thinking that they do
evil.
(g) He notes the hypocrites, who always have the name of God in
their mouths, though in their life and doings they deny God, attributing
their gain to God's blessings, which comes from the wealth of their
brethren.
Zec 11:6
11:6 For I will no more pity the
inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, {h} I will deliver the men
every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his {i} king: and
they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver
[them].
(h) I will cause one to
destroy another.
(i) Their governors will execute cruelty over
them.
Zec 11:7
11:7 And I will feed the flock
of slaughter, [even] you, {k} O poor of the flock. And I took to me {l} two
staffs; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the
flock.
(k) That is, the small
remnant, whom he though worthy to show mercy to.
(l) God shows his great
benefits toward his people to convince them of greater ingratitude, who
would neither be ruled by his most beautiful order of government, neither
continue in the bands of brotherly unity, and therefore he breaks both the
one and the other. Some read "Destroyers" instead of "Bands", but in Zec
11:14 the second reading is confirmed.
Zec 11:8
11:8 {m} Three shepherds also I
cut off in one month; and my soul lothed {n} them, and their soul also
abhorred me.
(m) By which he shows his
care and diligence that he would not allow them to have evil rulers, so that
they would consider his great love.
(n) Meaning, the people, because they
would not acknowledge these great benefits of God.
Zec 11:11
11:11 And it was broken in that
day: and so the {o} poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it [was]
the word of the LORD.
(o) He shows that the least
always profit by God's judgments.
Zec 11:12
11:12 And I said to them, If ye
think good, give [me] {p} my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for
my price thirty [pieces] of silver.
(p) Besides their
ingratitude, God accuses them of malice and wickedness, who did not only
forget his benefits, but esteemed them as nothing.
Zec 11:13
11:13 And the LORD said to me,
Cast it to the {q} potter: a glorious price that I was valued at by them. And
I took the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house
of the LORD.
(q) Showing that it was too
little to pay his wages with, which could hardly suffice to make a few tiles
to cover the temple.
Zec 11:15
11:15 And the LORD said to me,
Take to thee yet {r} the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
(r) Signifying that they
should have a certain type of regiment and outward show of government: but
in effect it would be nothing, for they would be wolves, and devouring
beasts instead of shepherds.
Zec 11:16
11:16 For, lo, I will raise up a
shepherd in the land, [who] shall not visit those that are cut off, neither
shall seek the young one, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which
{s} standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their
claws in pieces.
(s) And is in health and
sound.
Zec 11:17
11:17 Woe to the idle shepherd
that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his {t} arm, and upon his
right eye: his arm shall be wholly dried up, and his right eye shall be
utterly darkened.
(t) By the arm he signifies
strength, as he does wisdom and judgments by the eye: that is, the plague of
God will take away both your strength and judgment.
Zec 12:1
12:1 The burden of the word of
the LORD for {a} Israel, saith the LORD, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and
layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within
him.
(a) That is, the ten tribes,
which neglected God's benefit in delivering their brethren, and had rather
remain in captivity, than to return home when God called them.
Zec 12:2
12:2 Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a {b} cup of trembling to all the people around, when they shall be
in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem.
(b) Jerusalem will be
defended against all her enemies: so will God defend all Judah also, and
will destroy the enemies.
Zec 12:5
12:5 And the governors of Judah
shall say in their heart, The {c} inhabitants of Jerusalem [shall be] my
strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
(c) Every captain, that had
many under him before, will now think that the small power of Jerusalem will
be sufficient to defend them against all enemies, because the Lord is among
them.
Zec 12:7
12:7 The LORD also shall save
the {d} tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the
glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not magnify [themselves] against
Judah.
(d) The people who are now as
it were dispersed by the fields, and lie open to their enemies, will be
preserved by my power just as if they were under their kings (which is meant
by the house of David), or in their defended cities.
Zec 12:10
12:10 And I will pour upon the
house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of {e} grace
and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have {f} pierced,
and they shall mourn for {g} him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his]
firstborn.
(e) They will have the
feeling of my grace by faith, and know that I have compassion on
them.
(f) That is, whom they have continually vexed with their obstinacy,
and grieved my Spirit. In Joh 19:37 it is referred to Christ's body, whereas
here it is referred to the Spirit of God.
(g) They will turn to God by
true repentance, whom before they had so grievously offended by their
ingratitude.
Zec 12:11
12:11 In that day shall there be
a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the {h} mourning of {i} Hadadrimmon in the
valley of Megiddon.
(h) They will exceedingly
lament and repent for their offences against God.
(i) Which was the name
of a town and place near to Megiddo, where Josiah was slain; 2Ch 35:22
.
Zec 12:12
12:12 And the {k} land shall
mourn, every family {l} apart; the family of the {m} house of David apart, and
their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives
apart;
(k) That is, in all places
where the Jews will remain.
(l) Signifying, that this mourning or
repentance would not be a vain ceremony: but every one touched with his own
griefs will lament.
(m) Under these certain families he includes all the
tribes, and shows that both the kings and the priests had by their sins
pierced Christ.
Zec 12:13
12:13 The family of the house of
Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of {n} Shimei apart, and their
wives apart;
Zec 12:14
12:14 All the families that {o}
remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
(o) That is, who were elect
by grace, and preserved from the common destruction.
Zec 13:1
13:1 In that day there {a} shall
be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
for sin and for uncleanness.
(a) He shows what will be the
fruit of their repentance, that is, remission of sins by the blood of
Christ, which will be a continual running fountain, and purge them from all
uncleanness.
Zec 13:2
13:2 And it shall come to pass
in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, [that] I will cut off the {b} names of
the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I
will cause the {c} prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the
land.
(b) He promises that God will
also purge them from all superstition, and that their religion will be
pure.
(c) Meaning, the false prophets and teachers, who are the
corrupters of all religion, whom the Prophet here calls unclean
spirits.
Zec 13:3
13:3 And it shall come to pass,
[that] when any shall yet {d} prophesy, then his father and his mother that
begat him shall say to him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the
name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him {e} shall
thrust him through when he prophesieth.
(d) That is, when they will
prophesy lies, and make God, who is the author of truth, a cloak for
them.
(e) He shows what zeal the godly will have under the kingdom of
Christ; De 13:6,9 .
Zec 13:4
13:4 And it shall come to pass
in that day, [that] the prophets shall {f} be ashamed every one of his vision,
when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to
deceive:
(f) God will make them
ashamed of their errors and lies, and bring them to repentance, and they
will no more wear prophet's apparel to make their doctrine seem more
holy.
Zec 13:5
13:5 But he shall say, I [am] no
{g} prophet, I [am] a farmer; for man taught me to keep cattle from my
youth.
(g) They will confess their
former ignorance, and be content to labour for their living.
Zec 13:6
13:6 And [one] shall say to him,
What [are] these {h} wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with
which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends.
(h) By this he shows that
though their parents and friends dealt more gently with them, and did not
put them to death, yet they would so punish their children that became false
prophets, that the marks and signs would remain forever.
Zec 13:7
13:7 Awake, O sword, against my
{i} shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of
hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn
my hand upon the little ones.
(i) The Prophet warns the
Jews, that before this great comfort under Christ would come, there would be
a horrible dissipation among the people: for their governors and pastors
would be destroyed, and the people would be as scattered sheep. And the
evangelist applies this to Christ, because he was the head of all pastors;
Mt 26:31 .
Zec 13:8
13:8 And it shall come to pass,
[that] in all the land, saith the LORD, {k} two parts in it shall be cut off
[and] die; but the third shall be left in it.
(k) The greatest part will
have no portion of these blessings, and yet they that will enjoy them will
be tried with great afflictions, so that is will be known that only God's
power and his mercies preserve them.
Zec 14:1
14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD
cometh, and thy spoil shall be {a} divided in the midst of thee.
(a) He arms the godly against
the great temptations that would come, before they enjoyed this prosperous
estate promised under Christ, that when these dangers came, they might know
that they were warned of them before.
Zec 14:3
14:3 Then shall the LORD go
forth, and fight against those nations, as when he {b} fought in the day of
battle.
(b) As your fathers and you
have had experience both at the Red Sea, and at all other times.
Zec 14:4
14:4 And his feet shall stand in
that day upon the {c} mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the
east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst of it toward the east
and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great {d} valley; and half of
the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the
south.
(c) By this manner of speech
the Prophet shows God's power and care over his Church, and how he will as
it were by a miracle save it.
(d) So that out of all the parts of the
world, they will see Jerusalem, which was before his with this mountain: and
this he means of the spiritual Jerusalem the Church.
Zec 14:5
14:5 And ye shall flee [to] the
{e} valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to
Azal: yea, ye shall flee, as ye fled from before the {f} earthquake in the
days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD {g} my God shall come, [and] all
the saints with thee.
(e) He speaks of the
hypocrites, who could not abide God's presence, but would flee into all
places, where they might hide themselves among the mountains.
(f) Read Am
1:1 .
(g) Because they did not credit the Prophet's words, he turns to
God and comforts himself in that that he knew that these things would come,
and says, "You, O God, with your angels will come to perform this great
thing."
Zec 14:7
14:7 But it shall be one day
which shall be known to the LORD, {h} not day, nor night: but it shall come to
pass, [that] at evening it shall be light.
(h) Signifying, that there
would be great troubles in the Church, and that the time of it is in the
Lord's hands, yet at length (which is here meant by the evening) God would
send comfort.
Zec 14:8
14:8 And it shall be in that
day, [that] living {i} waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward
the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in
winter shall it be.
(i) That is, the spiritual
graces of God, which would always continue in most abundance.
Zec 14:9
14:9 And the LORD shall be king
over all the earth: in that day shall there be one {k} LORD, and his name
one.
(k) All idolatry and
superstition will be abolished, and there will be one God, one faith, and
one religion.
Zec 14:10
14:10 All the land shall be
turned {l} as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be
lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of
the first gate, to the corner gate, and [from] the tower of Hananeel to the
king's winepresses.
(l) This new Jerusalem will
be seen through all the world, and will excel the first in excellency,
wealth, and greatness.
Zec 14:13
14:13 And it shall come to pass
in that day, [that] {m} a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and
they shall lay hold every one on {n} the hand of his neighbour, and his hand
shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
(m) God will not only raise
up war outside, but sedition at home to test them.
(n) To hurt and
oppress him.
Zec 14:14
14:14 And Judah also shall fight
at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations around shall be gathered
together, {o} gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
(o) The enemies are rich, and
therefore will not come to entreat, but to destroy and shed blood.
Zec 14:15
14:15 And so shall be the plague
of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the donkey, and of all the
beasts that shall be in these tents, as this {p} plague.
(p) As the men would be
destroyed, Zec 14:12 .
Zec 14:18
14:18 And if the family of {q}
Egypt shall not go up, and shall not come, that [have] no [rain]; there shall
be the plague, with which the LORD will smite the nations that come not up to
keep the feast of tabernacles.
(q) By the Egyptians, who
were the greatest enemies to true religion, he means all the
Gentiles.
Zec 14:20
14:20 In that day there shall be
upon the {r} bells of the horses, HOLINESS TO THE LORD; and the {s} pots in
the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
(r) Signifying to whatever
service they were put now
whether to labour, or to serve in war), they
were now holy, because the Lord had sanctified them.
(s) The one as
precious as the other, because they will be sanctified.
Zec 14:21
14:21 Yea, every pot in
Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts: and all they
that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil in them: and in that day
there shall be no more the {t} Canaanite in the house of the LORD of
hosts.
(t) But all will be pure and
clean, and there will neither by hypocrites, nor any that will corrupt the
true service of God.
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