THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. CHAP. I. 1 IN The eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying. Jehovah hath been greatly* angry with your fathers: 3 But say thou unto them: 2 4 5 Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: Turn ye unto me, saith Jehovah God of hosts: Unto whom the former prophets called, Saying; Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: Turu ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, But they heard not, nor hearkened unto me, saith Jehovah, Your fathers, where are they? * Hebr. angry with anger. 1. Darius] The son of Hystaspes. Therefore this prophecy was delivered between the times mentioned Haggai ii. 1, 10. -of Iddo] Nineteen MSS. and two editions, read Ty, as .7: and, v. 7, eight MSS. read 17, as here. Chald. v. 7. has .ערוא -saying:]" Blaney conjectures, that some words have been omitted by the carelessness of transcribers. It is certainly unusual for a prophet to begin the exercise of his office, in denouncing the judgments of God, or in giving assurances of the divine favour, without specifying the object of his address. Hence he supplies from chap. vii. 5. Speak unto all the people of the land, saying." 3. unto them] For One, twenty-eight MSS. and three אליהם editions read 5. Your fathers-] Your fathers are dead, and the prophets who prophesied to them: but the testimony of facts to the truth of my predictions remains, 6 7 And the prophets, do they live for ever? Which I commanded my servants the prophets, And did they not return and say; Like as Jehovah God of hosts thought to do unto us, : On the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, this is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the 8 prophet and † he said: I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse; and he stood between the myrtles which were in the valley; and 9 after him were red, dun and white horses. Then I + Hebr. saying. Or, depth; or, bottom. 6. overtake] As an enemy does one whom he pursues. "Post" addunt ó. Vezi μs?" Secker. 7. Sebat] A Chaldee or a Syriac name. Græcorum, i. e. Februarius." Gol. lex. "Mensis Syro 8. --and he said] "Blaney renders in this wise, and observes that it is frequently used as the Latin adverbs nempe, scilicet; or as in English to wit, namely, that is to say; so as to denote a specification in what follows of what had before been mentioned in more general terms. Vitringa translates in hunc modum." -a man] An angel in the shape of a man. Luke xxiv. 4. See v. 11, and -red horse] So Rev. vi. 4. and Theocritus Aduvia. 1. 53, Όρθος ανέςα ο πυρρος. The bay, chesnut, and sorrel, approach this colour, -myrtles] This was an emblem of peace. -valley] In depressa valle. Houb. Many MSS. and four .במצולה editions read -dun] Bochart prefers gilvus: i. e. subflavus, ad mellis colorem accedens. Hieroz. p.. i. I. i. c. vii. Some translate, spotted. Blaney, brown. -horses] With riders, who were angels. v, 11. They had horses to shew their power and celerity and horses of different colours, to intimate the difference of their ministries. See Capellus. said, What are these, O my lord? And the angel, who talked with me, said unto me; I will shew thee 10 what these are. And the man who stood among the myrtles answered and said; These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to go to and fro through the 11 earth. And they answered the angel of Jehovah who stood among the myrtles, and said: We have gone to and fro through the earth; and behoid, all the earth remaineth still and is at rest. 12 Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said: O Jehovah God of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these 13 seventy years? And Jehovah answered the angel 9. the angel] Distinct from those represented v. 8: he who talked with the prophet: v. 13. Angelus comes et interpres. Vitringa. -I will shew thee] I will cause that it shall be explained to thee by the angel who stands first among the myrtles. This may have been done by a sign given to that angel, or by words omitted in the relation. 10. hath sent] They are the messengers, or ministering spirits, of Jehovah. 11. they answered] The rest of the angels, implied at the end of v. 8, and who came after the first. -all the earth-] Means the Persian empire, and the other nations connected with Judea, which enjoyed peace at that time. But the state of the Jews was unsettled: see v. 16: which circumstance gives occasion to the following intercession. -had indignation] Thirteen MSS. read nyi. -seventy years] See on Haggai ii. 3. According to Blair, if we compute from the destruction of the former temple, when Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar, the seventy years were not completed till the sixth of Darius; and the angel must be supposed to speak with latitude, though with sufficient exactness for popular language. Others assert that the computa tion in this place is exact. Est pulcherrimum Petavii alioruinque observatum, periodum lxx annorum, decretorum punitioni Judaicæ gentis, ad perfectum implementum prophetiæ bis repræ sentatum esse. A quarto Jehojachimi usque ad initia Babylo nica Cyri, quando dimissi sunt Judæi ex exilio, effluxerunt anni lxx. Rursus totidem anni effluxerunt ab excidio templi et urbis, quod accidit octodecim post anuis, usque ad secundum 14 15 who talked with me good words and comfortable words. And the angel who talked with me said unto me, Proclaim, saying: Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with a great jealousy. And with great anger am I angry with the nations that are at ease. Because I was but a little angry, Darii Hystaspis: intersunt enim rursus inter initia Cyri Babylonica et Dari secundum anni octodecim. Camp. Vitringa in Zech. proleg. 17. A primo anno Nebuchodonosori, quem scriptura copulat cum quarto Jehojachimi, ad xxii exeuntem Cyri, quo captivitas est soluta, anni sunt lxx. Adde Cyri viii, Cambysis et Magi viii, Darii ii, fiunt lxxxviii. Deductis annis xviii, restant lxx ab excidio urbis ad annum ii Darii, quo vaticinatus est Zacharias. Petav. doctr. temp. 1. xii. c. xxv. See Prideaux ann. 518. Bishop Newton on Proph. i. diss. viii. p. 203. 8vo. 13. —Jehovah answered] By a voice, or by impulse. And the angel communicated the reply to Zechariah. -who talked with me] Chald. rightly explains, py, mecum. See 1 Sam. xxv. 39. 14. I have been jealous] "It has been doubted whether the jealousy spoken of here and c. viii. 2. be Gods resentment against his people for their disloyalty towards him, or bis concern for their honour and welfare, mixed with indignation towards those who had persecuted them. The former is the more usual acceptation of the word , jealousy, which is defined to be 'the rage of a man,' or husband on account of his wife's infidelity. Prov. vi. 84. And with this rage God, speaking in the past tense, says here, he had been inflamed on account of the disloyalty of Jerusalem. This occasioned a temporary separation during which the neighbours were forward to distress the unprotected wife. Ps. cxxxvii. 7. But when God, like a pacified and relenting husband, was disposed to take her again, he would naturally be displeased with the nations for their malicious interference Accordingly it follows in the present tense, But now am I exceedingly angry with the nations,' &c." Blaney 15. am I angry] Six MSS. read Яy, irascens sum. -the nations that are at ease] The remnant of the Babylonians, Philistines, Edomites, &c. -a little angry] See Isai. liv. 7, 8. Mine anger did not 16 And they helped forward the affliction. I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies: Saith Jehovah God of hosts; And a line shall be stretched forth on Jerusalem. 17 Moreover proclaim, saying; 18 Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: My cities shall yet be spread abroad through prosperity; And Jehovah will yet comfort Sion, And will yet choose Jerusalem. Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked; and behold, 19 four horns. And I said unto the angel who talked with me, What are these? And he said unto me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. rise so high as the punishment which the enemies of my people inflicted. God was displeased with the instruments of his vengeance for their extreme cruelty to the Jews; and with the nations who insulted over them in their distress. -the affliction] ny. That the verby is used with after it see 1 Chron. xviii. 5. xxii. 17. "To her hurt, taking then for the feminine affix." Blaney. 16. with mercies] This has a reference to the words of the angel, v. 12. a line] "i. e. The architect's measuring line for laying out the building." Twelve MSS. one ed. and Keri read . proposes, 17. —be spread abroad] Over the face of Judea. See Gen. x. 18. Houbigant proposes on, affluent bonis. Schultens gives this very signification to D, from the Arab. Gen. ix. 19. See Animadv. phil. "Videntur Vulg. Ch. on legesse. Recte." Secker. "y. Non agnoscunt 6. Syr." Secker. .ערי ,ערים for עריו' The word seems to have been written 18. four horns] The emblems of power. Jer. xlviii. 25. Why four? To denote that See Am. vi. 13. these kingdoms had many enemies; enemies on every side. Ezra iv. 1. Neh. iv. 7. See on Mic. v. 5. 19 -Israel] And Israel. V. 6. Ar. Syr. Chald. -and Jerusalem] This is wanting in o. MS. A. " and in MS. Copt." Mr. Woide. |