Zechariah
Zechariah 1
Chapter I · Vol. III, p. 1484
1 Zechariah exhorteth to repentance. 7 The vision of the horses and their angelic riders. 12 At the prayer of the angel, comfortable promises are made to Jerusalem. 18 The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters.
1 In thea eighth month, in the second year of Darius,b camec the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo the prophet,1 saying,
A.M. cir. 3484. B.C. cir. 520.
a Hag.1.1,15;2.1,10, 20. Ezr.5.2;6.14.
b Ezr.2.5;5.5;6.1,15. Es.1. Hag.2.3. ch.7.1; ver.12.
c Ezr.5.1. Mat.23.35. 2 Pe.1.21. 2 Ti.3.10.
1 Zechariah was thus of priestly descent. His grandfather Iddo was the head of one of the families of priests which returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel. In Ezr. 5.1 he is called 'the son of Iddo' because Iddo was a man of note.—P.
2 The LORD dhath been sore displeased2 with your fathers.
d Ps.60.1. La.1.15. Da.9.12. Je.44.6. 2 Ch.36.14-21.
2 Heb. with displeasure.
3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, eTurn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and gI will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
e Ho.14.1-4. Is.31.6. Je.18.11; 25.5; 35.15. Eze.33.11. Mal.3.7.
g Ho.14.4. Je.3.14,22. Ja.4.8,10. Lu.15.20-22. 2 Ch.15.2; 30.6. Mi.7.19,20.
4 Be ye not has your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, iTurn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: jbut they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
h 2 Ch.36.15,16. Ac.7.51. Je.44.4,5. ch.7.11-13. Ps.106.6.
i Is.31.6. Je.3.13;18.11. Eze.18.30. Ho.14.1. ver.3.
j 2 Ch.36.16. Ne.9.5,30-35. Je.7.23-26. ch.7.11-13.
5 Yourk fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
k He.9.27. Ec.12.7. Eze.18.4. Je.28.16,17.
6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of3 your fathers? and they returned and said, lLike 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.
3 Or, overtake, Da.9.11,12. Ps.50.21,22. Eze.12.28. Ho.6.5.
l La.1.18;2.17. Is.55.10,11. Ps.106. Eze.16; 20; 23. Je.39; 52. 2 Ch.36. 2 Ki.24; 25.
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat,4 in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
4 Sebat—corresponding to parts of January and February. The word is Syriac or Chaldee.—C.
8 I saw by night, and behold a nman riding upon a red horse, and he ostood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there pred horses, speckled,5 and white.
9 Then said I, O my lord, qwhat are these? And the angel rthat talked with me6 said unto me, I will show thee what these be.
10 And the sman that stood among the myrtle-treest answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath usent to walk to and fro through the earth.
s ver.8. Jn.1.14. ch.13.7. Is.7.14;9.6. Ga.4.4. Ro.8.3.
t Zep.2.12. Ps.72.12,13. Is.55.13;61.3;43.19.
u Ps.103.20,21. Da.10.13,20,21. Ps.91.11. He.1.14. ch.6.7.
11 And they answered the vangel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, xWe have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold all the earth sitteth still, and is yat rest.
12 Then zthe angel of the LORD7 answered and said, O LORD of hosts, ahow long wilt thou not have mercy on bJerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
z ver.8,10,11. Is.63.9. Ezr.1.3;6.3. Ne.1.3; 2.3;6.1-7;7.4. He.7.25.
7 'The Angel of the LORD' is JEHOVAH, God manifested to the senses. (See Ju. 6.12, comp. with ver. 14,22. Ho.12.3-5.) This appeal represents the Son interceding with the Father. See ch. 2.8.—C.
14 So the dangel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I am ejealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are gat ease: for I was but ha little displeased, and they ihelped forward the affliction.
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD, jI am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: kmy house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
j Is.12.1;54.8-10. Ho.2.19,20;5.15;6.1.
k Hag.1.14. Is.44.26,28. Je.30.18. ch.2.2,4. Ezr.6.15. Ne.2-6; 11; 12.
17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, lMy cities through prosperity8 shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet ncomfort Zion, and shall yet ochoose Jerusalem.
l Is.44.26. Je.30.18. Ne.11.25-35.
8 Heb. good.
n Is.40.1,2;51.3,11,12;60.19,20;52.1,9.
o 2 Sa.12.13. 2 Ch.6.6. ch.2.12;3.2. Is.6.5-7; 14.1.
18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four phorns.9
p Ezr.4.4-10;5.3. Ne.4.7. or Da.2.37-44;7.3-7,17; 8.9-14,23-25; 11.28-35.
9 Most probably the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman monarchies. C.—The horn is the emblem of power, and usually of political power. The horns here symbolize those earthly monarchs who were instrumental in overthrowing the kingdoms of Israel. The number four may not refer to the exact number of the kings; but rather to the four quarters of the heaven from which they came.—P.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, qWhat be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have rscattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have tscattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to 2fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which ulifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.3
* These cannot represent any powers that have yet arisen; for none has yet 'cast out the horns (power) of the Gentiles,' who still continue to tread down Jerusalem and scatter Judah. C.—A great truth, however, is here set forth; namely, that God will in his own time, and by his own agents, overthrow every power in the world which ventures to oppose his kingdom or oppress his people. Christ, our king, is now head over all things to the church.—P.
t Da.12.7.
2 Fray—to affright.—C.
3 See note * in first column.
Notes
Ver. 5, 6. Your wicked ancestors and false prophets have, according to my threatenings, perished in their sins. 8–10. The man riding on a red horse denotes Christ God-man redeeming us to God by his blood, and ready to execute his judgment on all who reject his mercy. The red, speckled, and white horses that attend him represent his angels and ministers as employed in executing or declaring his works of wrath or mercy. The myrtle-trees in the bottom denote the Jews and other saints preserved in debasement and trouble. 18–21. The horns may represent the Samaritans, Arabians, Ammonites, and Philistines; or the four empires of Chaldea, Persia, Greece, and Rome; and the carpenters may denote Joshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and other Jewish deliverers or protectors; or even the four empires which destroyed one another.
Ver. 3. Turn ye unto me, &c. From this and similar expressions some have concluded that the work of spiritual salvation must begin with man; but facts concur with Scripture in attributing the whole work of grace to God. When a house is on fire and the inmates asleep, who begins the work of temporal salvation—the people who awake, or the man whose voice awakes them? Even so the Lord calls to the sleeping sinner; and when he hears and arises, surely the work of spiritual salvation began not with the sinner, but with 'God that showeth mercy.' C.
Ver. 8. A man. The Son of God appearing as the leader or 'Captain of God's hosts.' Comp. ver. 11; see Jos. 5. 13, 14.—Riding: to denote the subserviency of the creatures, the celerity of his providential movements, and the irresistible power of his government. See Ps. 45. 4; Re. 6. 2; 19. 11, 14.—Red: an emblem of war.—Stood: at rest, but ready for action.—Myrtle-trees: emblems of peace.—Bottom: valley.—Red, speckled, white: various conditions of war—mingled war and peace—followed by the reign of righteousness. C.
Reflections.—The law must be preached as an introduction to the gospel. The past judgments of God upon sinners ought to be improved by us as warnings to avoid imitation of their sins; and the view of his almighty power ought to animate us to a speedy and serious repentance. It is happy to have him for a friend, but terrible to have him our adversary. No pattern ought to be copied in contempt of or disobedience to him; and no safety can be expected in obstinate wickedness. No unbelief can falsify God's word. If we receive not his promises, he will execute his threatenings upon us. But how closely Jesus Christ cleaves to his people in all their debasement and distress! He is ready to teach his servants, or employ his angels or ministers, for their relief. And while most of mankind remain unconcerned under the curse of God and the power of the devil, seasonably and effectually he intercedes for his people. Hereby is ensured to his church the destruction of all their cruel and brutal enemies, and comfort and happiness to themselves. And let Satan find as many and as powerful agents to oppress the church as he will, Christ will find enough to resist and destroy them.