& Isai. 62. II. 5. John 12. an ass. of him that passeth by, and because ass, and upon a colt the foal of eyes. 9¶Rejoice greatly, O daughter Matth. 21. of Zion; shout, Ŏ daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and 'having himself salvation; lowly, and riding upon an 15. I Or, saving from a host, and from him that pass- The appropriateness of this promise at a oppressor] (=épyodikтηs, exactor operarum). Comp. Exod. iii. 7, where the word is rendered taskmasters. The Hebrew is nogés, which may be compared with negûs, a title of the kings of Abyssinia, as Tobba is a royal title in Arabia Felix, from a verb signifying to demand, to exact. for now have I seen with mine eyes] Supr. v. I. This is a reiteration of the fact of God's supervision of all human events; but implies also favour on the part of God. Comp. the use of raah in Ezek. viii. 12, ix. 9, where the LXX. have the compound verb popav: here they have ἑώρακα. IX. 9-X. 12. Compare this whole passage carefully with Isai. Ixii. and with Zeph. iii. 14-20. Dathe treats it as a section com IO And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and Psal. 72. from the river even to the ends of the earth. 8. warrior, as is intimated by the animal on which He was to ride; see Judg. v. 10. foal of an ass] Rather, foal of a she ass, the Hebrew word not being the same as that rendered ass just before. St Matthew (xxi. 5) in quoting the passage distinguishes the two words, éπɩßeßηкás éπì ŏvov, kai πwλov viov vno vylov, but A.V. repeats the error of its rendering from the Hebrew, in translating the Greek, giving the word ass both for ovos and for Toytov. St John (xii. 15) quotes the passage more briefly, and changes Rejoice greatly into Fear not. 10. And I will cut off] Not in judgment, but in mercy. The chariot will be taken from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, because no longer needed. Comp. Hos. ii. 18; Micah v. 9-11. chariot]=war-chariot. horse]=war-horse. In the visions of Zechariah and the Apocalypse horses are the regular symbol of war. Comp. Virg. Æn.' III. 540, "Bello armantur equi: bellum hæc armenta minantur." The expressions in this verse indicate a temporal, as well as a spiritual, fulfilment of the prophecy; and this fulfilment has been referred by the maintainers of the ante-captivity date to that part of Hezekiah's reign, when remnants of the ten tribes accepted the proclamation in which he invited them to return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (2 Chro. xxx. 5, 6, xxxii. 8, 27—30). plete in itself, predictive of the prosperity of 9. shout] The Hebrew word often implies a war-shout, a shout of victory (Hos. v. 8; Joel ii. 1); but here, as in Zeph. iii. 14, it signifies a shout of joy. In this latter passage the Hebrew is shout ye, O Israel, but the LXX. render it κήρυσσε, θύγατερ ἹερουσαAnu, as here. See note on Zeph. 1. c. thy King] meaning Christ. He was to be lowly, i.e. a gentle and peaceable Ruler, not a Ephraim] This mention of Ephraim, redifficulties met with in assigning a post-captivity date to the last six chapters of Zechariah. It is not solved by reference to i. 19, where Israel is spoken of in connection with Judah and Jerusalem. The term Israel is frequently applied to the returned exiles in post-captivity writings, e. g. Ezra ii. 59; Neh. vii. 61, xii. 47; Mal. i. 1, ii. 11; but Ephraim does not occur in acknowledged post-captivity writings, unless these three passages of Zechariah be so regarded. from sea even to sea] i.e. from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean = from east to west: see Amos viii. 12. to the ends of the earth] Rather, to the borders of the land, either the northern or the southern borders, according as we take the Wady el Arish or the Euphrates to be the river referred to. Comp. Gen. xv. 18 with Exod. xxiii. 31. The reference in the margin to one verse of the 72nd Psalm might well have been extended to the whole psalm, which presents many points of resemblance to the passage before us. The 72nd Psalın refers to Solomon, and it is clear that the prophet was inspired to foretell a king of the type of Solomon, a peaceful king, not a man of war like David. 11. As for thee] meaning the daughter of Zion addressed in v. 9. On this use of the emphatic pronoun see sup. vii. 5 and Hagg. i. 4. by the blood of thy covenant] i.e. because of the blood sprinkled by Moses on the people, when Jehovah made a covenant with the Israelites at Sinai (Exod. xxiv. 8). I have sent forth] The prophetic perfect equivalent to a future. thy prisoners] Literally, thy fettered ones. The word occurs several times in the Psalms, once in Isaiah (xiv. 17), and once in Lam. (iii. 34). If we take the ante-captivity date, these prisoners were the captives of the Israelitish kingdom, together with men of Judah whom Sennacherib may have taken captive before his discomfiture before the walls of Jerusalem; and also those taken by the Edomites and Philistines (2 Chro. xxviii. 17, 18). Comp. v. 14 with Isai. xxxvii. 7; 2 K. xix. 7. Also v. 8 supr. with 2 K. xix. 32-34. out of the pit, &c.] is a periphrasis for a prison; comp. Gen. xxxvii. 22; Exod. xii. 29; Jer. xxxvii, 16. The Bór and the Sóbar are different names for the same place (comp. Gen. xxxix. 20 with Gen. xl. 15), implying, the one the subterranean character, the other the circular form, of the pit in which the prisoners were confined; see note on Gen. xxxix. 20. 12. Omit and place a full stop at the end of the verse, which is closely connected with v. II. the strong hold] is the rendering of a Heb. word which occurs only in this passage. It signifies a fortified place; and here in the literal sense of the prophecy it points to Jerusalem, but in a metaphorical sense to Christ. stones of prisoners of hope] i.e. prisoners to whom God has just given the hope and promise of release (v. 11). Comp. Isai. li. 14, The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit. do I declare that] Literally, declaring am I. double] Comp. Isai. lx. 1, 7; Jer. xvi. 18. 13. The construction is very obscure in the Hebrew, though the general meaning is sufficiently obvious, viz. that God will use Judah and Ephraim as weapons of offence against the heathen powers of the earth. Comp. Ps. xxi. 13. and raised up] Rather, I will even raise up-will stir up to revolt. This begins the apodosis of the sentence. O Greece] Rather, O Javan, as in Isai. lxvi. 19. Javan here may mean the GræcoSyrian empire, but since in Isai. 1. c. it is named with Tubal and with the isles afar off as representative of the Gentile world, it may perhaps have the same force here, especially if the prophecy has reference to a time when the Macedonian empire should have superseded Persia and Egypt as the great heathen power. The reason for the promise here made appears from Joel iii. 6; Amos i. 6, 9. 14. shall be seen over them] Rather, shall shew Himself to them, i.e. as a protector. as the lightning] Comp. Nahum iii. 3; Hab. iii. 11, where see notes. I. whirlwinds of the south] Comp. Isai. xxi. In Palestine storms from the south were the most violent, as coming from the Arabian desert; comp. Hos. iv. 19, xiii. 15; Jer. iv. 11, 12, xxiii. 19. 15. and subdue with sling stones] Rather, and shall tread upon the stones slung against them, i.e. disregard the weapons of their adversaries, and treat them with contempt. The same expression occurs in the description of Leviathan in Job xli. 28, the arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble, i.e. he disregards them. and they shall be filled] i.e. with blood, as is shewn by the context; see Exod. xxix. 12; Lev. iv. 18. To be wet with blood is an image of victory; see Isai. lxiii. 1—3. like bowls] These were the vessels in which the blood of the victims was received, and then sprinkled upon the corners of the altar. The law of this sprinkling is written in Lev. i. 5, 11, iii. 2, &c. The corners terminated in the horns of the altar. Josephus (‘B. J.' v. 5, 6) calls them κερατοειδεῖς γωνίαι. The word occurs in a different connection in Ps. cxliv. 12. 16. stones of a crown] Rather, select stones, or dedicated stones, according to the meaning of the root názar. The expression probably suggested itself to the pro 1. phet's mind in contrast to the sling-stones of the previous verse. lifted up as an ensign] Rather, shining forth from afar. So Maurer, Keil, and other commentators. The idea of an ensign was probably borrowed from Ps. lx. 4. 17. his goodness] i.e. his prosperity, the good which accrues to him from the favour of Jehovah; comp. Hos. x. 11; Jer. ii. 7. his beauty] The Heb. word so rendered is used of personal beauty in Prov. xxxi. 30; Esther i. II; of the beauty of cities in Ps. 1. 2 (where see note); Lam. ii. 15; Ezek. xxvii. 3; and of Messiah in Isai. xxxiii. 17. It is nowhere used of Jehovah. shall make...cheerful] Rather, shall make ...to grow, shall make...full of life and energy; comp. Ps. xcii. 15. ADDITIONAL NOTES on CHAP. IX. 1, 7. May not the original reading have been in Josh. xv. 8. Jefet reads Josh. xviii. 28 taking it as the name of צלע האלף היבוסי,If so, it must be rendered ? אדם and not ארם The whole face of Syria, &c. a single city; and states that in his time was still the name of a quarter of Jerusalem, which contained the tomb of Zechariah. is mentioned in 2 S. xxi. 14. See also note on I S. X. 2, where if I ventured upon any correction of the text I should suggest Zelah for Zelzah. CHAP. X. This chapter connects itself so obviously with the preceding one, that they should properly form but a single chapter. The vision of temporal prosperity just revealed -peace and security from external oppression -suggests to the prophet's mind a warning that such blessings are God's gifts, to be sought from Him by prayer; and not to be obtained by resorting to idolatrous intercessions, and to false teachers. Compare x. I with ix. 17; X. 3, 4, 5, with ix. 13, 15; x. 6 a, with ix. 13 a; and x. 6 b, 8 sq. with ix. 11 sq. If the writer, when he penned the est verse of ch. ix., had the older prophecy of in his mind, the first verse of this chapter is probably drawn from the same source; comp. Joel ii. 23. 1. bright clouds] Rather (as in the margin), lightnings. The word strictly means lightning bolts, anything which pierces. Comp. its use in Job xxviii. 26, xxxviii. 25, where the bolt of His thunder is spoken of. shovers of rain] Literally, rain of the shower. The converse expression to that in Job xxxvii. 6. The periodical rains in Palestine are accompanied by thunder and lightning; comp. Jer. x. 13, where the ordinary word for lightnings is used. It may be inferred nings. from this, that if one passage is taken from the other, Jeremiah's is the later of the two. grass] Literally, vegetation, including not only green crops for the cattle, but also corn, and the fruits of the field, Gen. i. 29; Ps. civ. 14, where it is distinguished from the grass for the cattle. 2. idols] Rather, teraphim; see note on Gen xxxi. 19, and infr. xi. 17: Hos. iii. 4. The use of teraphim is denounced as a sin (1 S. xv. 23); and spoken of among the things which Josiah put away (2 K. xxiii. 24). With the exception of Ezek. xxi. 21, the present is the last passage in Scripture which speaks of teraphim. The mention of teraphim and diviners has been held to indicate a date earlier than the captivity at Babylon. have spoken vanity] Literally, have spoken nothingness. the diviners] The Heb. word is generally used in a bad sense. Comp. Deut. xviii. 10, 14; 2 K. xvii. 17, in reference to the Israelites in the time of Hoshea; and Ezek. xiii. 9, xxii. 28. have told] Rather, have spoken. in vain] The Heb. word is a noun, signifying a breath, anything light. It is used adverbially in the sense of in vain; comp. Job xxi. 34. they went their way] Rather, they migrate. Literally, they move their tents, as shepherds do when migrating with their flocks from pasture to pasture. If this refers to the deportation of captives after the death of Hoshea, the present tense of the verb would imply that the process was going on when the prophecy was being delivered. they were troubled, &c.] Rather, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd; i.e. they lead miserable lives, down-trodden because they have no king, no shepherd, to protect and defend them; comp. Hos. iii. 4. 3. the shepherds] i.e. the princes and great ones of the land. The immediate predecessors of Hoshea had perished in rapid succession; and in the revolutions caused by their rise and downfall many of the nobles and great men also. the goats] Rather, the chief ones, as the word is rendered in Isai. xiv. 9. See note on Jer. 1. 8. as his goodly horse] Rather, like His majestic horse, the horse being viewed as an emblem of strength and beauty. See Job xxxix. 19-25. 4. Out of him] i.e. out of the house of Judah. came forth] Rather, shall come forth; see Micah v. I; Jer. xxx. 21. the corner] i.e. the corner-stone; literally, that which projects, and so is prominent and conspicuous. Comp. Job xxxviii. 6; Ps. cxviii. 22. It implies here the head man of the state, who is the corner-stone of the state-building; and in its highest sense is to be referred to Him who came out of the house of Judah to be the head-stone of the corner, Ps. cxviii. 22; Isai. xxviii. 16; Eph. ii. 20; I Pet. ii. 6. the nail] Rather, the staple, that which compacts and secures the defences of the building, used metaphorically of the nobles and counsellors of the king, just as the battlebow represents the chief warriors. This sense is most suitable in Ezra ix. 8. every oppressor] Rather, every leader, i.e. every one in authority, whose function it is to keep others up to their work, whether in the civil or the military administration of the state, if the word can have this general sense; see note on ix. 8. Keil takes it to mean every oppressor of Judah's enemies, every one who in the victorious career promised to the people of God shall be employed in ruling the vanquished, and exacting tribute from them; comp. Jer. xxx. 21, their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from...them. 5. There is no break here as implied in A. V. Or, they the riders on horses shall be con- and they shall increase as they have the riders founded. increased. shall make on horses ashamed. 6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. 7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: in the mire] Rather, as the mire, by the change of 2 into ; comp. Micah vii. 10. be confounded] Rather, be put to shame. 6. house of Joseph] i.e. the survivors of the kingdom of the ten tribes. The expres sion occurs in the same sense in Amos v. 6 and in Obad. 18, where see note; but not in Haggai or Malachi, nor elsewhere in Zechariah. and I will bring them again to place them] Expressed by a single Heb. word. as though I had not cast them off] Better, perhaps, as though I had not failed them, left them without support; comp. Ps. xliii. 2, lx. I. 7. like a mighty man] Rather, like a giant. as through wine] Comp. sup. ix. 15, where, as here, the gladness is a consequence of God's favour. The same word is used malo sensu in Hos. vii. 3. 8. I will biss for them] i.e. by way of invitation, as bees are enticed into the hive by tinklings. Comp. Isai. v. 26, vii. 18. The root is cognate of the Greek συρίζειν. redeemed them] Rather, set them free; comp. Isai. xxxv. 10, where the ransomed of the Lord those whom Jehovah sets free. and they shall increase as they have increased] Comp. Jer. xxx. 19, 20, which looks like an expansion of this passage. 9. among the people] Rather, among the peoples, for the plural noun denotes different peoples, separated by boundaries, as in Gen. xvii. 16; Isai. ii. 3, X. 13. in far countries] i.e. in lands remote from Judæa. In Isai. x. 3, and in Jer. v. 15, the 9 And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again. 10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. II And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought same noun denotes Assyria; and in Isai. xiii. 5, Media. shall live] i.e. the spiritual life of the people of God. 10. out of Assyria] Comp. 2 K. xv. 29 ; Isai. xi. 11, 16; Hos. xi. 11. into the land of Gilead and Lebanon] These localities indicate a special reference to the first captivity. and place shall not be found for them] Rather, and it (the land of Gilead and Lebanon) shall not be enough for them; comp. Josh. xvii. 16. 11. be] i.e. Jehovah, when He is leading His people back, as of old He led their forefathers out of Egypt. he shall pass through the sea with affliction] Rather, he shall pass over by the narrow sea, literally, by the sea, narrowness, meaning the Red Sea; and shall smite by the rolling sea, literally, by the sea, rollers; cp. Jonah ii. 3; Job xxxviii. II; Jer. li. 42; Ps. Ixv. 7. The prophet, predicting a future deliverance of God's people, draws his imagery from the great deliverance under Moses. Comp. Isai. xi. 15, 16, a passage which has so many points of contact with this verse that it is most probable that they both refer to the same event. The above rendering preserves the parallelism, which is so striking in the Hebrew of this and the following verse. all the deeps of the river] Rather, all the floods of the Nile. See note on Jonah ii. 3. The prophet, like Amos, was acquainted with the fact of the yearly overflow of the Nile; comp. Amos viii. 8 and note. The inundation of the Nile valley is an image of the ravages of a hostile invasion. |