1Zechariah exhorteth to repentance. 7His vision of the horses and their angelic riders. 12At the prayer of the angel comforting promises are made to Jerusalem. 18The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters.
1IN 1the eighth month, in the second year 2of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of 3Berechiah, the son of Iddo 4the prophet, saying,
1 This was two months after that the prophet Haggai began to preach, Hag. 1:1.
2 The king of Persia. See Ezra 4 on verse 24.
3 Thus he is called in the Hebrew, but in the Greek Barachias. Some conceive that this is the same person of whom mention is made in Mat. 23:35. Others hold them to be distinct persons. Compare 2 Chron. 24:21 with the annotation. See further of the persons named in this verse Ezra 5:1.
4 Namely, Zechariah, or, according to others, Berechiah.
2The LORD hath been 5sore displeased with your fathers.
5 Hebr. angered with anger.
3Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; 6Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
6 God turns Himself to us when He causes us to feel the fruit of our prayers. We turn to the Lord, when in true faith and unfeigned repentance for our sins we beg for His mercy. Yet we have not this from ourselves, but God the Lord must give it to us, as it is expressed in Jer. 31:18, “… turn thou me, and I shall be turned.”
47Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom 8thea former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor 9hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
7 Namely, in impenitence. See 2 Chron. 36:15, 16.
8 Those who have prophesied before the Babylonian captivity.
a Isa. 31:6; Jer. 3:12; 18:11; Ezek. 18:30; Hosea 14:2.
9 They did not listen what I had announced to them through My prophets.
5Your fathers, 10where are they? and the prophets, 11do they live 12for ever?
10 As if He said: Though they are dead and gone, it behooves you, notwithstanding, to take warning by them. See 1 Cor. 10:5, 6.
11 Other, do they live eternally? That is, although the previous prophets are dead, yet their prophecies remain for all times. See verse 6, and compare 2 Peter 1:15. Others translate and interpret these words thus: as being the words of wicked men: But the prophets (who have reproved them) did they live always? Where are they now? They have passed away already in the meantime.
12 That is, always.
6But my words and my statutes, which I 13commanded my servants the prophets, 14did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, 15Like asb the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
13 Namely, that they would proclaim them to the people.
14 That is, have those punishments not come upon them wherewith I had threatened them? Yes, they have. Therefore ye ought to have taken a warning from them.
15 This they spoke as convinced in their conscience, when the Lord punished them as with other plagues and calamities, especially with the Babylonian captivity, wherewith He had often threatened them. Compare Psalm 106:6.
b Lam. 1:18.
7¶Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is 16the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of 17Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
16 Answering mostly with our January, as having the moon that fall partly in January and partly in February; insomuch that this prophecy followed three months after the former.
17 Hebr. Berechjahu.
8I saw by night, and behold 18a man riding 19upon a red horse, and 20he stood among the myrtle trees 21that were in the bottom;c and 22behind him were there 23red horses, speckled, and white.
18 This was the Son of God in the shape of a man. Yet others think it was a created angel. Christ has more than once taken a human shape upon Him for a short time, as Ezek. 1:26; 40:3; Dan. 7:13.
19 Hereby is shown that the Son of God consumes His enemies like fire. Or, as others understand it, the sins of His people. See Isa. 63:1, 2, 3.
20 Or, he kept still among the myrtle trees. The believers are represented by the myrtles. They flourish before God and they give a pleasant fragrance, similar to the myrtle trees; and by the standing still of this Man is signified the ready and ever-present help and assistance of the Lord.
21 That is, in a deep moist place; whereby is typified the condition of the Jewish people, which at that time were, partly yet in the Babylonian captivity and partly in their own land, in great trouble.
c valley
22 That is, behind the Man Who sat on the red horse.
23Red, speckled, white horses, whereon angels sat attending the Lord Christ, verse 10. And this signifies all kinds of ministers of the Lord, who serve Him to execute His judgments, whether it be for delivering His children, or for punishing their enemies.
9Then said I, O my lord, 24what are these? And the angel that talked 25with me said unto me, I will shew thee 26what these be.
24 Or, who are these? Namely, those who are behind Thee? The sense is: What does this mean that they, mounted on horseback, stand behind Thee?
25 Other, in me, as the Hebrew particles properly signify, implying an inward revelation of the things which he had seen outwardly. Also verses 13, 14; Zech. 2:3; 4:1, 4, 5; 5:5, 10; 6:4. See also Num. 12:2; 2 Sam. 23:2; Hosea 1:2, etc.
26 Or, who these be, that is, what is their intend?
10And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom 27the LORD 28hath sent 29to walk to and fro through the earth.
27 That is, God the Father, for here speaks the Son of God.
28 Or, had sent out. For they had then passed through the land, and were returned.
29 To see and observe how things were conditioned everywhere, and to bring in the report thereof. This is said by way of similitude, having regard to the custom of kings and great ones, sending forth their servants everywhere. Compare Job 1:7; 2:2. All things are known to God, Psalm 113:6; Jer. 23:24; Heb. 4:13. Yet He is pleased to make use of His angels, to manifest and make known His wisdom and government.
11And they 30answered 31the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through 32the earth, and, behold, 33all the earth 34sitteth still, and is at rest.
30To answer is here and elsewhere to say: to speak, or, to begin to speak, as verse 12, and in other places.
31 That is, Christ the Lord, Who is the Supreme Head of all the angels.
32 Namely, the land of Chaldea. Other, the earth, that is, every land.
33 That is, all the inhabitants of the land, as may be gathered from verse 15. Or, the whole earth, except the poor land of the Jews, which has been pitifully wasted and spoiled by its enemies; or, except the Jews, who had been captive in Babel for many years, and were still in a suffering condition.
34 That is, the Babylonians and other nations have rest and peace.
12¶Then 35the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on 36Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation 37these threescore and ten years?
35Christ Jesus, the Mediator and Advocate of His church near His heavenly Father, the said church being in trouble and under persecution, while all other countries round about her enjoyed peace and rest.
36 By the names of Jerusalem and Judah, the church of God is meant here, although it is also applicable in the literal sense.
37 From this some gather that Zechariah spoke this soon after the end of the Babylonian captivity, out of which the Jews were delivered through the intercession of Christ; the time now being fulfilled, spoken of in 2 Chron. 36:14, 15, 21; Jer. 25:3, 4, 5, 12; 29:10.
13And the LORD answered the angel that talked 38with me with 39good words and 40comfortable words.
38 Or, in me. See verse 9, and understand that the Lord, that is, God the Father, speaks to His Son and the Son to the prophet of the love of God to His church, and His wrath against the enemies thereof, as is further explained, verses 14, 15.
39 That is, affable, pleasant and sweet words.
40 Namely, comfortable for His church.
14So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous 41for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
41 Namely, to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. See Zech. 8:2; Isa. 9:8; Jer. 31:20; Zeph. 1:16. Though the Lord had withheld His help and assistance from His church for a time, nevertheless He loved the same still as a father does his children, or a husband his wife; and in due time He did deliver her out of all her troubles and distresses.
15And I am very sore displeased 42with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little 43displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
42 That is, against the Chaldeans or Babylonians and their adherents, who now sit still and are at rest and ease, whiles My people is afflicted. See verse 11.
43 Namely, with the Jews. As if God said: They do not look to My will or purpose, which was but to chastise Fatherly My people to bring them to repentance and amendment, but all their deeds and endeavors point in that direction to destroy and to extirpate totally My people. See Isa. 10:7; 47:6. See also Psalm 83:4, 5; Jer. 30:11; Ezek. 25:3, 6.
16Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and 44a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
44 As carpenters do, when they shall make a new building. The sense is: Jerusalem shall be built again. Let the enemies plot and practice to the contrary whatever they are able. This was accomplished by the management and encouragement of Nehemiah. Compare Neh. 2:3, 4, etc.; Hag. 1:13. Under the erection of the city of Jerusalem, there are promised also to the godly all manner of spiritual graces and benefits.
1745Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; 46My cities 47through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet 48choose Jerusalem.
45 Or, Preach further.
46 That is, the cities of Judah shall be too narrow; they must needs be enlarged and expanded.
47 That is, because of the great and abundant blessings which the Lord shall give them. Spiritually it signifies that God shall so bless and increase His church that the land of the Jews would be too little and narrow to contain her, but that she shall be spread throughout the entire world with their gifts. Compare Isa. 49:18, etc.; and the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles.
48 Namely, unto His people. The sense is: He shall so abundantly bless them with all manner of good things that it shall sufficiently appear, that God has chosen them for His people; especially shall He bless them with the restoration again of the pure worship.
18¶Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold 49four horns.
49 Signifying the people and nations, who in an hostile manner made war upon and molested the people of God from all corners and quarters of the world. See verse 19.
19And I said unto the angel that talked with me, 50What be these? And he answered me, 51These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
50 What mean these horns? What do they signify?
51 That is, they signify the Babylonians and other mighty nations who are confederates with them.
20And the LORD shewed me four 52carpenters.
52 Or, smiths. This also means certain people and nations, who are as God’s fellow laborers whom God would gather together from all the corners of the world to break and destroy those strong horns, that is, the enemies of God, while they hindered the restoration of the temple and the church of God.
21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to frayd53them, to cast out 54the horns of the Gentiles, 55which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
d frighten
53 Namely, horns, that is, kingdoms.
54 That is, to destroy the violence, power and kingdom.
55 That is, who have overtaken the land of Judah with military force and dominated it. Compare Ezek. 34:21.