20 And Jehovah shewed me four workmen. Then 21 said I, What come these to do? And he § spake, saying: These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head: and these are come to make them afraid, to cast out the horns of the nations which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah, to scatter it. Or, fray; or, affright. § Hebr. said. 20.--four workmen] Vitringa supposes that the horns were iron, and that these were "fabri ferrarii malleis dolabrisque instructi." 66 21. And he spake [or said] saying] For saying, ó. MS. A. Arab. Syr. and one MS. read to me. One MS. omits S with ó. MS. Vat. ed. Ald, and Sixti Quinti. Two MSS. read 28 "And he spake unto me, saying." But see c. iii. 4. iv. 13. -scattered Judah] 6. add " and brake Israel." Instead of which addition Ar. has, "and destroyed Jerusalem." See v. 19. ". Forte Sed vid. Ezek. xxx. 9." Secker. "And these are come sharpening their coulter, for to use upon the horns of the nations, which lifted up a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it." Blaney. In his notes he observes that he agrees with Michalis in rendering maratores, plowmen, and not with the common version carpenters," nor with the author, who renders by the general name of "workmen." Parum placent fabri, cornua terrentes, says Michaelis, nor am I myself better satisfied with the idea of frightening horns, and therefore gladly accept an emendation offered by the 6. who instead 7 appears to have read. But it could not be meant that they came to sharpen the horns, which were sharp enough before, it should seem, to be offensive: OnN therefore is not to be rendered avra, them, but to be considered as a compound of the noun a coulter, and the plural affix; and thus On Twill signify, sharpening their coulter," a cutting iron belonging to a plow, and which a plowman might apply to the purpose of demolishing horns, that were lifted up with a mischievous intent. "For to use upon the horns." does not any where as far as I can perceive, bear the sense of dejicere, given it by some of the versions as suitable to the place. But as Taylor in his concordance observes, coming from the hand, it may signify to exercise the hand vigorously in any way, according to the sense and scope of the place, Jer. 1. 14. where 17 referring to the bow' there spoken of, signifies use, or employ it against her.' may signify for to use or' לידות את קרנות In like manner employ against the horns." 1 CHAP. II. AND I lifted up mine eyes and looked; and behold a man in whose hand was at measuring-line. 2 Then said I, Wither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem; to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me went forth and the other angel went forth to meet 4 him, and said unto him: Run, speak unto that young man, saying; 5 Jerusalem shall dwell in villages, For the multitude of men and of cattle within her. A wall of fire round about; And glory will I be § within her. Hebt. and in his hand. † a line of measuring. for glory. § Or, in the midst of 1. —a man] An angel in the form of a man; who advanced forward, v. 3, to meet the angel that talked with the prophet. 3. unto him] For eleven MSS. five ed. and Keri, אליו have 4. young man] See Jer. ii. 6; where we should translate youth, instead of child. -in villages] It shall overflow with inhabitants, who shall occupy spaces beyond the circuit of the walls. A city is then said to be inhabited nara was vicatim. That this was fact with regard to Jerusalem, see Jos. B. J. v. iv. 2. p. 328: where we learn that "the city, overflowing with its number of inhabitants, by degrees extended itself beyond its walls;" and that Herod Agrippa fortified the new part called Bezetha. Vitringa. “Or, shall inhabit villages. See Isai. xlix. 19, 20." Secker. 5. A wall of fire] This most sublime image strongly expresses the protection of the Deity. It must have reminded the Jews of the pillar of fire, by which God directed and defended their ancestors. -glory]. So y, a people, v. 11. See also c. viii. 8. An allusion to the symbol of the divine presence in the Holy of Holies. Rom. ix. 4. Vitringa refers the literal completion of this prophecy to the time of the Maccabees: but thinks that the protection and glory of the future Jerusalem may also be predicted. Apoc. xx. 9. S S 6. Ho! Ho! | flee From the land of the north, saith Jehovah. O thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: After the obtaining of glory hath he sent me For he that toucheth you Toucheth the apple of his eye. For behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, And they shall be a spoil unto their † servants: sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Sion: For, behold, I will come, Hebr. and flee. **Or, over. † Or, slaves. towards the four winds] Five MSS. and two ed. read לארבע and two more copies read so originally. Syr. has : בארבע V. in quatuor ventos. 7. flec-escape] The Jews, who still remained in Persia, Chaldea and Babylon, are called on to hasten into their own land. See Ezra vii. viii. "Prideaux thinks this exhortation relates to the siege of Babylon under Darius Hystaspis." Secker. 8. After the obtaining of glory] Syr. renders the Hebrew literally post honorem. The Latin translator in the London polyglot gives his sense of this; ad prosequendum honorem. Chald. has: post honorem quem vobis adducturum se dixit. The other versions represent the Hebrew as it now stands. Houbigant reads in, He who possesseth glory. For Secker proposes ; v. 5. "I will be glory. He hath sent &c." The best sense which I can make of this obscure place is; Jehovah hath sent me to follow after glory; i. e. for the purpose of acquiring glory to his people in restraining and humbling their enemies. A great calamity was soon to befal Babylon, when Darius the son of Hystaspes besieged and took it. -his eye] "Mine eye:" Vulg. reading "y. 9. unto their servants] As the Babylonians to the Medes and Persians, who were subdued by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon. See on Haggai ii. 23. 1 And I will dwell † within thee, saith Jehovah. And shall be my people. And I will dwell & within thee, and thou shalt know And will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, O all flesh, before Jehovah : For he is raised up from his holy habitation. CHAP. III. AND he shewed me Joshua the highpriest standing before the angel of Jehovah : and Satan stand2 ing at his right hand to be his adversary. And [the angel of] Jehovah said unto Satan, Or, in the midst of. Hebr. land of holiness. 10. Hebr. unto me for a people. § Or. in the midst of. the habitation of his holiness. † the adversary. dwell within thee] As thy mighty defender. See v. 5. 11. -be joined unto Jehovah] Many were made proselytes to Judaism. The Edomites were converted in the time of John Hyrcanus. 12. will possess] He will again be worshipped in his temple at Jerusalem; and hereafter will gloriously display himself in his holy city, Rev, xxi, 3, 11, 23. 13. Be silent] God's interposition in behalf of his people shall be manifest, strike their adversaries dumb, and impress all with awe and wonder. CHAP, III, 1. -he shewed] the angel mentioned in the former part of c. ii. 3. But ổ. Ar. V. render, " And the Lord shewed me." This may be accounted for by supposing that the text stood ,, that is, "And Jehovah shewed me." 2. the angel of] Syr. adds the word angel: and I think that it ought to be admitted into the text. Compare Jude 9. said unto Satan] "It appears to me the most probable, that by Satan, or the Adversary, is here meant the adversaries of the Jewish nation in a body, or perhaps some leading person among them, Sanballat for instance, who strenuously opposed the rebuilding of the temple, and of course the restoration of the service of the sanctuary, and the reestablishment of Joshua in the exercise of his sacerdotal ministry." Blaney. 3 Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; Even Jehovah,who chooseth Jerusalem,rebuke thee, Is not this man a firebrand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, 4 and standing before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those who stood before him, saying; Take the filthy garments off him. Then he said unto him; See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from 5 thee, and will clothe thee with goodly apparel. And he said: Let them set a fair mitre on his head. And they set a fair mitre on his head; and clothed him with garments. And the angel of Jehovah stood by. 6 And the angel of Jehovah testified unto Joshua, saying: ‡ Or, pure. -a firebrand] May not Joshua, and those who returned with him from Babylon, be compared to firebrands with difficulty preserved from the fire? And shall God permit a flame to be again kindled to devour them? 3. with filthy garments] Appeared in the vision clothed with the squalid and polluted garments of a captive. -before the angel]" Ayy. Addit Copt. Mr. Woide. Arab. has the same addition. Kup, sicut Syr." 4. he answered] The angel of Jehovah. See v. 2. -thine iniquity] The effect, or punishment, of national iniquity; which partly consisted in the cessation of sacred rites. So v. 9. --will clothe thee] V. Syr. Chald. translate in the first person, ,וחלבשתיך which I prefer to ; ואלבש and read with Houbigant because nineteen MSS. and one ed. read IN. goodly apparel] Bishop Lowth translates the word "embroidered robes." Isai. iii. 22. The Arabic root in Cast. lex. signifies Bonus et exquisitus fuit, bene habuit. The vision imports that the priestly office was to be resumed, and exercised with decency and splendor. 5. And he said]"Sic. Syr. Vulg. Omittunt 6. et vau voci sequenti præfigunt. Sed Ch. dixi, licet versio habeat dixit." Secker. 6. testified] Strongly affirmed, as a witness does an important truth. |