Zechariah
Zechariah 8
Chapter VIII · Vol. III, pp. 1492–1493
1 The restoration of Jerusalem. 9 They are encouraged to the building by God's favour to them. 16 Good works are required of them. 18 Joy and enlargement of the church promised.
1 Again thea word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
a He.1.1. 2 Ti.3.16. 2 Pe.1.21. Eze.2.7; 3.17.
* In answer to the questions put through the priests, the Lord replies in substance, that the fasting of the people had been a mere form. The fasting which God approves is not mere abstinence from meat or drink, but obedience to his command, devotion to his will, purity of heart, and righteousness of life.—P.
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, bI was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her cwith great fury.1
3 Thus saith the LORD, dI am returned2 unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called, eA city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, There shall yet gold men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.3
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, If it be marvellous4 in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be hmarvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
4 Or, hard or difficult.
h Ge.18.14. Lu.1.37; 18.27. Ro.4.20,21. Je.32.17,27.
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, iI will save my people from the east country, and from the west5 country;6
i Is.11.11, 12; 27.12, 13; 41.6; 43.5, 6; 49.12. Ps.50.1; 113.3. Mal.1.11. Ho.11.10. Eze.37.16,19.
5 East and west. The Babylonian captivity were carried to the north, and the Roman dispersion sent them chiefly to the east and west—from which regions God promises to gather them.—C.
6 Heb. the country of the going down of the sun.
8 And jI will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and kthey shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
j Je.3.18; 23.3; 30.3, 18. Eze.37.25,26. Am.9.14. Ro.11.25-27.
k ch.13.9. Le.26.12. Je.4.2; 30.22; 31.1,33. Eze.11.20; 36.28; 37.27. Ho.2.19,20,23.
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, lLet your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts nwas laid, that the temple might be built.
10 For before these days 7there was ono hire for man, nor any hire for beast; pneither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the affliction: for I set8 all men every one against his neighbour.
7 Or, the hire of man became nothing, &c.
o Hag.1.6,9-11; 2.16,17.
p Ezr.iv. 2 Ch.15.2,5. Is.45.7. Am.3.6. Mat.10.34-36.
8 I set. Not that God infused a contentious disposition—'for God is not tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man'—but that he 'gave them over (judicially) to (their own) reprobate mind,' whence came those 'wars and fightings, even from the lusts that warred in their members,' Ja.1.13; 4.1.—C.
11 But qnow I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 For rthe seed shall be prosperous;9 the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the sremnant of this people tto possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were ua curse among the heathen, vO house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be xa blessing: yfear not, but let your hands be strong.
u Je.24.9; 29.22; 42.18. Is.65.15. De.28.37; 29.28.
v ch.1.19; 9.13; 10.6, with 2 Ch.11.16; 34.33. Ezr.4.17.
A.M. cir. 3487. B.C. cir. 517.
x Zep.3.20. Is.19.24,25. Mi.5.7.
y ver.9. Is.41.10,15,16. 1 Co.16.13. Ep.6.10.
14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, zAs I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
z ch.1.6. Je.31.28. 2 Ch.36.16. Je.15.1-4.
15 Soa again have I thought in these days1 to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
a Je.29.11; 31.28. 2 Ch.10.19. Ps.34.15. Is.43.1, 2, ver.13. Lu.12.32.
1 These words convey a gracious promise to the remnant that returned with Zerubbabel.—C.
16 These are the things that ye shall do, Speakb ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the cjudgment of truth and peace2 in your gates:
17 Andd let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour: and elove no false oath: for all these are things that gI hate, saith the LORD.
d Pr.3.29. Je.4.14. ch.7.10. Ro.7.14,23,24. Mat.5.28.
e ch.5.3,4. Je.4.2.
g Je.44.4. Pr.6.16-19. Ps.5.4-6. Hab.1.13.
18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, hThe fast of the fourth month,3 and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to ithe house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful jfeasts:4 therefore love the truth and peace.5
h ch.7.5. Je.52.4,6,12; 41.1,2. 2 Ki.25.1,4,8,25.
3 Of the fourth month—in remembrance of the city being broken up. Of the fifth and of the seventh month: see ch.7.5. Of the tenth month: the day on which Jerusalem was invested by Nebuchadnezzar.—C.
i Es.8.17. Ps.30.11. Is.35.10; 51.11.
j Lu.1.74,75. Tit.2.11,12. Mat.23.23.
4 Heb. solemn or set times.
5 The days formerly dedicated to fasting and mourning would now, under the divine blessing, be dedicated to joy and festivity. The note of Luther is appropriate and characteristic:—'Keep only what I command, and let fasting alone. Yea, if ye keep my commandments, not only shall such fasts come to an end; but because I will do so much good to Jerusalem, all the affliction, for which ye have chosen and kept such fasting, shall be soon so forgotten, that ye will be transported with joy when ye think of your fasting, and of the heart's grief on account of which ye fasted.'—P.
20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, kIt shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, lLet us go speedily6 to pray before the LORD,7 and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will go also.
22 Yea, nmany people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
n Is.60.3, &c.
23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass, that oten men8 shall take hold, pout of all languages of the nations, even shall qtake hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, rWe will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.
o Many, Ec.11.2. Is.4.1. Mi.5.5. Ge.31.7,41. Nu.14.22. Da.1.20.
p Re.7.9. Ro.2.28,29. ch.2.11.
r Is.60.3; 2.3. 1 Co.14.25. Nu.10.29,32.
8 Ten men. The phrase is not used, as some imagine, for an indefinite number, but to indicate order, arrangement, and discipline, Ex.18.21. De.1.15. Ten composed the Jewish jury; that number being, most probably, adopted from the ten commandments, see Ex.34.28. Ru.4.2. The prophecy may well represent ten Gentile converts following one Jewish teacher. Lord, hasten the time!—C.
Notes
Reflections.—God's new spiritual relations, gracious presence, and everlasting love, are sources of abundant benefits to his people: and the blessings of time, as well as of eternity, inseparably and closely follow sincere reformation from sin. Great is the mercy when children are so healthy, so safe from alarms of war, so well nourished, and so kindly affectioned, as in companies to follow their innocent diversions; and when none other amuse themselves with such trifles: and especially when God gathers sinners to his church, and solemnly and practically acknowledges them his people. God can easily reverse the unhappy state of nations and churches, and turn their howlings into shouts of praise and transports of joy. And he will delightfully gather believers out of all kindreds, tongues, and languages. Why then should we ever doubt of his power or will to fulfil the most astonishing promises? Powerfully ought these to engage our hearts to our duty, however difficult or dangerous. And nothing should be dearer to us than the worship of God, and the winning of others to Christ.