Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Qoua Works Required by God. ZECIIARIAH IX God Defenddh His Church.
Church of all ages being regarded as an organic whole (cf.
ing the assembli,« of the Church (1 Corinthians 14. 'JS), But primarily, that produced on the nations in witnessing the deliverance of the Jews by Cyruh. Finally, that to be produced on the nations by the future grand interposition of Messiah in behalf of His people.
Hag;ai 2. 5; Matthew 2:>. 31, o2). repented not— I changed not niy purpose, because they changed not their mind (2 f'hronicles 36. 16). With the I'roward God shows Ilinisell" froward (Psalm 18. 26). If the threatened punishment lias
Lieen so unchangeably inflicted, much more will God surely give the piomised blessing, which is so much more consonant to His nature (Jeremiah 31. 28). 10, 17. The j)romised blessings are connected with obedience. God's «:0venanted grace will lead those truly blessed by it to holiness, not licentiousness, trutli to . . . nelg Ubonr— not that the truth should not be spoken to foreigners loo; but he makes it an aggravation of their sin, that tliey spared not even their brethren. Besides, and above all outward ordinances (eh. 7. 3), God requires truth and jus-
CHAPTER IX.
Ver. 1-17. Chai's. 9. to 11. aue PKOPHETicAii. Written long after the previous portions of the book, wlienc«> arise the various features wliich have been made grounds for attacking theirauthenticity, notwitlistanding the testimony of the LXX. and of the compilers of tlie Jewish canon in their favour. See Introduction. Alexandkk's Conquests in Syria (i'. 1-8). God's People Safe because HER King cometh i.owly, hut a Saviouk (w. 9-lU). The Maccabean Deliverance a type theiu;ok (v. 11- tice, judgment of . . . peace—Equitable decisions tend to allay feuds and produce peace, gates—the place wliere courts of judicature in the East were held. 17. all tliesc
17). 1. In . . . Hadracli — rather, concernnig or against Hadrach (cf. Isaiah 21.13). "Burden" means a prophecy buudened with ivrath against the guilty. Mauueh, not so well, explains it. What is taken up and uttered, the utterance, a solemn declaration. Batlrach-a part ol Syria, neai Damascus. As the name is not mentioned in ancient liistories, it probably was the less-used name of a region having two names (Hadrach and Bilcathaven, Margin, Amos. . . I liate—therefore ye too ought to hate them. Religion consists in conformity to God's nature, that we should love what God loves, and hate what God hates. 18, 19. The prophet answers the query (ch. 7. 3) as to the fast in the fifth month, by a reply applying to all their fasts: these are to be turned into days of rejoicing. So Jesus replied to His disciples when similarly consulting Him as to why fasting was not Imposed by Him, as it was by John the Baptist. When the Sun of righteousness shines, tears are dried up (Matthew 9. 15). So hereafter (Isaiah 35. 10). fast of . . . foiirtli montU—On the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, on the ninth day, Jerusalem was taken (Jeremiah 39. 2; 52. 6, 7).
1.5); hence it passed into oblivion. An ancient Rabbi Jose is, however, stated to have .expressly mentioned it. A.i Arab, Jos. Abassi, also in 1768 declared to MicHaelis, that there was then a town of the name, and th;it it was capital of the region Hadrach. The name means enclosed in Syrian, i. e., the west interior part of Syria, enclosed by
It was therefore made a fast day. fifth . . . seventH hills, the Ccelo-Sj'ria of Strabo. (M.4UREit.] Jekojie considers Hadrach to be the metropolis of C(jelo-Syria, as Damascus was of tlie region about that city. Hengstenbekq regards Hadrach as a symbolical name of Persia, which Zechariah avoids designating by its proper name, not to offend the government uniter which he lived. But the context seems to refer to the Syrian region. GESBNiue thinks that the name is that of a Syrian king, which mightmore easily pass iutooblivion than tliatof a region.
(JVotes, ch. 7.3-5.) tentli—On the tenth month and tenth day, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the siege began (Jeremiah 52. 4). therefore love the truth—or, "oiili/ love." English Version is better. God's blessing covenanted to Israel is not made to depend on Israel s goodness: but
Israel's goodness should follow as the consequence of God's gracious promises (v. 16, 17 ; cli. 7.9, 10). God will bless, but not those who harden themselves in sin. 30. (Isaiah 2.3; Jlicah 4. 2.) Thus saith the Lord of hosts—A preface needed to assure the Jews, now disheartened by the perils surrounding them, and by the humble aspect of the temple "Unlikely as what follows may seem to yo\i, Jehovah of hosts, boundless in resources, saitli it, therefore it shall be so." Just before Christ's coming, a feeling grew up among the heathen of the unsatisfactoriuess of their systems of religion and philosophy; this disposed them favourably towards the religion of the Jew, so that proselytes embraced the worship of Jehovah fnun various parts of Asia; these again were predisposed to embrace Christianity when preached to them (Acts 2. 9-12, 41). But thefull accomplishment of the conversion of the Gentiles foretold here is reserved till " Jerusalem" (!>. 22) becomes the centre of Christianized Jewry (Romans 11. 12, 15). 31. Let M8 . . . I — manifesting zeal and love: converted themselves, they seek the conversion of others (Song of Solomon 1. 4). To exhortation in genei-al (" Let us go"), they add individual example (" I will go"). Or, the cliauge from plural to singular implies that the geiui-al consent in religious earnestness leads each individual to decide for God. go speedily—ia., go, going : implying intense earnestness, pray Hebrew, entreat the face (ch.7. 2); entreat His favour and grace. 23. many . . . strong nations ... In .lernsalem—in contrast to the few and weak Jews now building the temple and city, then such shall be their influence that many and strong nations shall come to worship Jehovah their God in Jerusalem (Isaiah GO. 3; 06.2'!). 23. ten—a definite number for an indefinite. So in Leviticus 22. 26; Numbers 14. 22. of all languages of the nations—2. e., of nations of all languages (cf. Isaiah 66. 18; Revelation 7. 9). take hold of the skirt—a gesture of suppliant entreaty as to a superior. Cf. Isaiah 3.6; 4.1, on a diflerent occasion. The Gentiles shall eagerly seek to Bliare the religious privileges of the Jew. Tlie skirt with a fringe and bli-.vj riband upon it (Numbers 15.38; Deuteronomy 22. 12) was a distinguishing badge of a Jew. God
Cf. the similar "land of silion," &c., Nehemiali I). '22. Damascus . . . rest thereof i.e., the place on which the " burden'' of the Lord's wrath shall rest. It shall be permanently settle on it until Syria is utterly prostrate.
I''ulfilled under Alexander the Great, wlio overcame Syria. [CUKTIUS, B. 3. and 4.] eyes of man, as of all . . . Israel . . . toward the Lord—the eyes of men in general, and of all Israel in particular, through consternation at the victorious progress of Alexander, shall be directed to Jehovah. The Jews, when threatened by him because of Jaddua the high priest's refusal to swear fealty to lum, prayed earnestly to the Lord, and so were delivered
(2 Chronicles '20. 12; Psalm 23. 2). Typical of the ett'ect of God's judgments hereafter on all men, and especially on the Jews in turning them to Him. MAUKEit, Pembellus, &c., less probably translate, " The eyes of the Lord are upon man, as they are upon all Israel," viz., to punisli the ungodly, and to protect His people. He who lias chastised His people, will not fail to punisli men f(>r their sins severely. The "all," I think, implies that whereas men's attention generally (whence "man" is the expression) was directed to Jehovah's judgments, itii Israel especiaily looks to Him. 2. Hamath—a Syrian kingdom with a capital of the same name, north of Damascus, shall boi-- deithereby—shall be joined to Damascus in treatment, as it is in position; shall share in the burden of wrath of which Damascus is the resting-place. Maureu understands "which ;" "Hamath, which borders on Damascus, also shall be the resting-place of Jehova/i's wrath" (the latter words being supplied from v. 1). Riblah, the scene of the Jews' sull'erings from their foe, was there: It therefore shall sufl Ter (2 Kings 23. 33; 25.6, 7, 20, 21). Tym« . . . Zldon—lying in the conqueror's way on his mnrdi along the Mediterranean to Egypt (cf. I«-aiali 23). Zidon, th« older city, surrendered, and Abdolonymus was made ila viceroy, very wise—In her own eyes. Referring to T.yre:
V. 3 shows wherein her wisdom consisted, viz., in building a stronghold, and heaping up gold and siiic/- (Ez.eklel 28. 3 5 l» with you—the effect produced on unbelievers In enter-