1The Jews having sent to enquire concerning the set fasts, 4Zechariah reproveth the hypocrisy of their fasts. 8They are exhorted by repentance to remove the cause of their calamity.
1AND it came to pass in the fourth year of king 1Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in 2Chisleu;
1 See Zech. 1 on verse 1.
2 Agreeing mostly with our November. See Neh. 1 on verse 1.
2When they had 3sent 4unto the house of God 5Sherezer and Regem-melech, 6and their men, to pray before the LORD,
3 Namely, in the name and behalf of the people, as appears from verse 5, which was returned out of the Babylonian captivity; or, as others conceive, on behalf of the people which was still in Babylon.
4 That is, to the temple, where the priests and the prophets were, as appears by verse 3. Other, when Bethel, that is, the church of God, had sent Sherezer.
5 This one and Regemmelech were beyond all doubt of the most excellent men among the Jews at that time.
6 That is, together with other men, who were joined in this embassy, or commission. Or, with their men, that is, with their servants.
3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and 7to the prophets, saying, Should I 8weep 9in the fifth month, 10separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
7 Namely, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
8 That is, to be sad, to be sorrowful and to fast. The sense is: Is one to be involved to maintain this fasting-day with weeping and sorrowing (at the time the temple is almost rebuilt), which in former times was instituted in remembrance of the destruction of the temple? See 2 Kings 25:8, 9 and Jer. 52:13.
9 Agreeing partly with our July. The temple and city have become destroyed in this month, 2 Kings 25:9 and Jer. 52:12.
10 That is, abstaining myself, namely, from eating and drinking and other bodily comfort, and afflicting my soul. See Joel 2:15, etc.
4¶Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned 11in the fifth and 12seventh month, 13even those seventy years, did ye 14at all fast unto 15me, even to me?
11 In remembrance of the destruction of the temple. Jer. 52:12.
12 This fasting-day was instituted in remembrance of Gedaliah, who was treacherously assassinated in this month, 2 Kings 25:25; Jer. 41:2.
13 Namely, as long as the Babylonian captivity has lasted, and after that until this time.
14 Hebr. fasting fasted?
15 That is, to please Me, or, to do Me pleasure thereby? Or, as if some special honor and worship were conferred thereby upon Me? The sense is: The true worship of God does not really consist in fasting, nor in eating and drinking, but in the keeping of God’s commandments.
6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, 16did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
16 That is, have ye not eaten and drunk for yourselves? I did not have any benefits from it, but ye only.
717Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried 18by the former prophets, 19when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited 20the south and the plain?
17 As if He said: Your question is easy to be answered; read what the prophets have often times preached previously, then ye shall find there what I think of your fasting. See Isa. 58:3, 4. But others translate the words of the text thus: Ought ye not to do the words which the LORD proclaimed by, etc. Or, Have ye not heard, etc.
18 Hebr. by the hand of, etc., as verse 12.
19 Namely, before the Babylonian captivity; or, when Jerusalem was still flourishing.
20 See Joshua 15:1, 2. The sense is: when the kingdom of Judah was still in existence, and those tribes in their entirety.
8¶And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
9Thus 21speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, 22Execute 23true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions 24every man to his brother:
21 Namely, unto your fathers.
22 The sense is: This indeed is a true fast which is well-pleasing to Me. See further of a true fast, Isa. 1:16, 17, 18; Mat. 23:23.
23 Hebr. a judgment of truth, or, faithfulness.
24 Hebr. the man with his brother, or, with his neighbor.
10And oppress not thea widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and 25let none of you imagine 26evil against 27his brother in your heart.
a Exod. 22:22.
25 For, one also sins with his thoughts.
26 That is, adversity, damage.
27 Hebr. the man of his brother.
11But 28they refused to hearken, and 29pulled away the shoulder, and 30stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
28 Namely, your fathers and forefathers. See Zech. 1:4.
29 That is, they did not want to bear the yoke of the Lord. Hebr. they gave a backsliding shoulder. See Neh. 9 on verse 29.
30 Compare Isa. 6:10.
12Yea, they 31made their hearts 32as an adamant stone, lest they should hear 33the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent 34in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
31 Hebr. put, set.
32 That is, exceeding hard and refractory. Compare Isa. 48:4; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26. Hebr. as a durable stone. See the annotation Jer. 17 on verse 1.
33 Namely, the law of the Lord.
34 From this it appears that they were refractory, not so much against the prophets, as against the Spirit of God, Who spoke in and by the prophets.
13Therefore it is come to pass, that as 35he cried, and they would not hear; sob they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
35 Namely, the Lord, or the prophet of the Lord. See verse 7; Hosea 11:2; Micah 3:4.
b Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 11:11; 14:12.
14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land 36was desolate after them, 37that no man passed through nor returned: for 38they laid 39the pleasant land desolate.
36 And it remained desolate a long time, namely, after they were carried away captive.
37 We would say according to our manner of speech: So that none went in or out. And this lasted all that time until I brought you therein again.
38 Namely, your fathers, as verse 11. Other, so they laid it.
39 Namely, the land of the Jews. The sense is: They were themselves the cause through their disobedience and obstinacy that such an excellent country, as God had given them for their inheritance, was made so lamentably desolate, as they confessed at length themselves, Dan. 9:16.