Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Ood Defendeth His Church. ZECHAKIAII IX. The Coming of ChrUt Furttold, his ohominafne sacrifices to Idols: and cvenhc, the se«miingly ignoble remnant of the Jews, sliall be sacred to oar God (consecrated by His favour); and though so long l)ereft of dignity, I will make them to be as governors luling others, and Ekron shall be a tributary bond-servani as the Jebusite." Thus tlie antithesis is between tlie Jew that remaineth (the elect remnant) and the Ekronite. 8. encamp about—(Psalm 34. 7.) mine house viz., the Jewish people {ch. 9.7 ; Hosea, S. I.) [Maurer.] Or, the temple: reassuring the Jews engaged iu building, who might otherwise fear their work would be undone by the conqueror. [Moore.] The Jews were, in agreement with this prophecy, uninjured by Alexander, thougli he punished the Samaritans. Typical of their final deliverance from ev(!ry foe. passcth by . . . rcturnetli—Alexiiiidcr, when advancing against Jerusalem, was arrested by a dream, so that neither in " passing by" to Egypt, nor in "returning," did lie injure the Jews, but conferred on them great privileges, na oppressor. . .pass throngli
12, 17). On Alexander's expressing liis wish to sacrifice
In Hercules' temple in New Tyrr on the island, she Khowed her wisdom in sending a fe.)lden crown, and replying that the true and ancient temple of Hercules was at Old Tyre on the mainland. With all her wisdom she cannot avert her doom. 3. The heathen liistorian, DioDOKUS Sicui-us (17.40), confirms this. " Tyre had tlie greatest confidence owing to her insular position and fortifications, and the abundant stores she had prepared." New Tyre was on an island 700 paces from the shore. As
Isaiah's and Ezeliiel's (Ezekiel 27.) prophecies were directed against Old Tyre on the mainland, and were fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar, so Zechariah's are against New Tyre, which was made seemingly impregnable by a double wall 150 feet high, as well as the sea on all sides.
4. (Kzekiel 26. 4, 12; 27. 27), cast her out — Hebrew, dixposscsf tier, i. e., will cast her inhabitants into exile. [Grotius.] Alexander, though without a navy, by incredible labour constructed a mole of the ruins of Old Tyre (fulfilling Ezekiel 26.4-12, &a., by "scraping her dust from her," and "la.ying her stones, timber, and. . . anymore—The prophet passes from the immediate future to the final deliverance to come (Isaiah 00. 18; Ezekiel 28. 24). seen witii mlue eyes viz., how Jerusalem has been oppressetl by tier foes [Kosenmuller] (Pxodus 3.
in the midst of the water"), from the shore to the island, and, after a seven mouths' siege, took the city by storm, slew with the sword about 8000, enslaved
7; 2. 25). God is said noto to have seeti, because He now begins to bring the foe to judgment, aiid manifests to the world His sense of His people's wrongs. 9. From the coming of the Grecian conqueror, Zechariali makes a sudden transition, by the prophetical law of suggestion, to the coining of King Messiah, a very different character, dnnglitor of Zion—Tiie theocratic people is called to " re-
13,000, crucified 2000, and set the city on "lire," as here foretold. [CUBTIUS, B. 4.] smite Uer power iu tli« sea— —situated though she be in the sea, and so seeming impregnable (cf. Ezekiel 28. 2, " I sit in the seat of God, in tite midnt of the sea"). "Her power" includes not only her fortifications, but her fleet, all of which Alexander sunk joice" at the coming of Iier King (Psalm 2. U). unto thee —He comes not for His own gain or pleasure, as earthly kings come, but for the sake of His Church : especially ill Die sea before her very walls. [Cuktius, B. 4.] Ezekiel
20.17 corresponds, "How art thou destroyed which wast strong in tlie sea!" 5. AsUkelon, &c. — Galh alone is omitted, perliaps as being somewhat inland, and so out of the route of the advancing conqueror. Ekroii . . . expectation . . . ashamed — Ekron, the farthest north of the Philistine cities, had expected Tyre would withstand Alexander, and so check his progress southward tli rough for tlie .lews' sake, at His second coming (Romans II. 26). he is just—righteous : a.i\ attribute constantly given to Messiah (Isaiah 4.5. 21; 53. 11; Jeremiah 23.5, 6) in connection with salvation. He does not merely pardon by conniving at sin, but He justifies by becoming tlie Lord our righteousne.^s-fulfiller, so that not merely mercy, but jus-
Phiiistia to Egypt. This hope being confounded (" put lo shame"), Ekron shall " fear." kiug shall perish from Ga*a--its government shall be overthrown. In literal fulfilment of this prophecy, after a two months' siege, Gaza was taken by Alexander, 10,000 of its inhabitants tice, requires the justification of the sinner who by faitli becomes one witli Christ. God's justice is not set aside by the sinner's salvation, but is magnified and made honourable by it (Isaiah 42. 1, 21). His future reign " in righteousness," also, is especially referred to (Isaiah 32. 1). Iiaving salvation—not passively, as some interpret it, "saved," which the context, referring to a " king" coining to reign, forbids; also the old versions, LXX., <Si/rirtc, and Vulgate, give Saviour. Tlie Hebrew is reflexive in sense, " sliowing Himself a Saviour;"' "having salvation in Himself" slain, and the rest sold as slaves. Betis the satrap, or petty "king," was bound to a cliariot by thongs thrust through the soles of his feet, and dragged round the city. 6. bastard—not the rightful heir; vile and low men, such as are bastards (Deuteronomy 23. 2). [Grotius.] An alien so LXX. ; implying the desolation of the region wherein men shall not settle, but sojourn in only as aliens passing through, [Calvin.] 7. take . . . his blood out of . . . moutli Blood was forbidden as food (Genesis 9. 4; Leviticus 7. 26). abominations—things sacrificed to idols and then partaken of by the worshippers (Numbers 25. 2; Acts for us. Endowed with a salvation wliich He bestows as a king. Cf. 3/ar(7i»i, " saving Himself." CI. Matthew 1. 21, in the Greek, " Himself shall save His people;" f. e., not by any other, but by Himself sliall He save. [Pearson onihe
Creed.] His "having salvation" for others manifested that He had in Himself that righteousness which was Indispensable for the justification of the unrigl Ueous (1 Corinthians 1. .30; 2 Corinthians 5.21; 1 John 2.1). This contrasts beautifully with the haughty Grecian conqueror who came to destroy, whereas Messiah came to save.
15. 29). The .sense is, " I will cause the Philistines to cease from the worship of idols." even he shall be for our God —"even he," like Hamath, Damascus, Tyre, &c., which, these words imply, shall also be converted to God (Isaiali
56. 3, "son of tlie stranger joined himself to the Lord"). [RosENMliLLEU.] The "even," however, may mean. Be-
Still, Messiah shall come to take "just" vengeance on His tides the Hebrews, "even" the Philistine shall worsliip Jefoes, previous to His reign of peace (Malachi 4. 1, 2). lowly—mild, gentle: corresponding to His "riding onan ass" (not a despised animal, as witli us; nor a badge of humiliation, for princes in the East rode on asses, as well as low persons. Judges 5. 10), i.e., coming as "Prince of peace" (v. 10; Isaiah 9.6); the " horse," on the contrary is the emblem of war, and shall tlierelore be " cut oflT." Perhaps the Hebrew includes both tlie " lov/liness" of His outward state (which applies to His first coming) and His "meekness" of disposition, as Matthew 21.5 quotes it (cf. Matthew 11.29), which applies to both His comings. Both adapt Him for loving sympathy with us men ; and at the same time are the ground of His coming manifested exaltation (John 5. 27; Philippians 2. 7-0). colt — untamed, " whereon yet never man sat" (Luke 19. .30). The symbol of a triumphant conqueror and judge (Judges 5. 10; 10. 4; hovah (so Isaiah 50. 8). [Mauker.] he shall be as a governor in Judali—On the conversion of the Philistine prince, he shall have the same dignity "in Judah as a governors;" there shall be no distinction. [Henderson.] The Philistine princes with their respective states sliall equally belong to the Jews'' communion, as if tliey were among the " governors" of states "in Judah." [Maurer.] Eron as a Jebusite—Tile Jebusites, the original inliabitants of Jerusalem, who, wlien subjugated by David, were incorporated with the Jews (2 Samuel 21. 16; Ac), and enjoyed their privileges: but in a subordinate po.'^ition civilln (\ Kings 9.20,21). The Jebusites' condition under Solomon being that of bond-servants and tributaries, Cai-vin explains the verse dil Terently: "I will rescue the Jew/rc« the teeth of tlic Philistine foe (image from wild beasts rending their prey with their teeth), who would nave devoured him, as he would devour blood or flesh of
12. 11). foal of an asa— lit., asses: in Hebrew idiom, the indefinite plural for singular (so Genesis 8. 4, " mountaiiis of