Commentary on Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah and Malachi John Calvin (continued)
MINOR PROPHETS
Zechariah says could hardly be believed, he prescribes to the Jews the best remedy
--- they were to raise upwards their eyes, and then to turn them to the earth. The expanse of the heavens constrains us to admire him; for however stupid we may be, we cannot look on the sun, and the moon and stars, and on the whole bright expanse above, without some and even strong emotions of fear and of reverence. Since then God exceeds all that men can comprehend in the very creation of the world, what should hinder us from believing even that which seems to us in no way probable? for it is not meet for us to measure God's works by what we can understand, for we cannot comprehend, no, not even the hundredth part of them, however attentively we may apply all the powers of our minds.
Nor is it yet a small matter when he adds, that God had formed the spirit of man; for we know that we live; the body of itself would be without any strength or motion, were it not endued with life; and the soul which animates the body is invisible. Since then experience proves to us the power of God, which is not yet seen by our eyes, why should we not expect what he promises, though the event may appear incredible to us, and exceed all that we can comprehend. We now then understand why the Prophet declares, that God expanded thee heavens, and founded the earth, and formed the spirit of man 305 By saying ``in the midst of him'', he means, that the spirit dwells within; for the body, we allow, is as it were its tabernacle. Let us proceed
Zechariah 12:2
2. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
2. Ecce ego pono Ierusalem postem contritionis (vel, calicem veneni, aut, mortiferum; alii vertunt, crapulae) omnibus populis per circuitum; atque etiam super
Iehudah, erit in obsidionem contra Ierusalem.
Zechariah begins here to teach us what I have briefly explained, that Jerusalem would be under the protection of God, who would render it safe and secure against all enemies. But he uses here figurative terms, which make the point more evident.
He says, that Jerusalem would be a threshold of bruising, or breaking. The word
means a threshold almost everywhere in Scripture. But some think that it means here a cup, and then they translate {,}רעלrol, drunkenness, or fury.
But as this word also means breaking, it is not unsuitable to say that Jerusalem is here called a threshold at which people stumble, so that he who comes against this 305It is usual to render the verbs here in the present tense. They are participles in Hebrew, which may often be rendered in the past tense. Dathius and Blayney so render them, "stretched out — founded — formed." The verse then would be as follows — The burden of the word of Jehovah on Israel, Saith Jehvovah, who expounded the heavens, And founded the earth, And formed the spirit of man within him. Though Marckius objects to the view taken by Calvin of the first line, yet the literal rendering, as given above, will admit of no other. It is a "burden" on, [{,[{עלIsrael. It is true that ``burden'' may not always mean a judgment, but a weighty and important prediction; yet when followed by on, it can mean nothing else. See 1 Kings 13:29, and 2 Kings 9:25. It means a judgment too when another word comes after it, as in 9:25. It means a judgment too when another word comes after it, as, ``The burden of Babylon,''
Isaiah 13:1. It is therefore rendered here improperly ``Prophecy'' by Newcome, and ``sentence'' by Henderson. It is not indeed necessary to confine the word ``Israel'' to the ten tribes, for it is often used in a general sense, denoting the descendants of Israel generally, when the word ``Judah'' is not introduced. The persons referred to were, it may be, those who continued in exile, many of whom returned afterwards with Ezra, though I think they were the people of the land. We ought to remember that Zechariah prophesied between the two returns, and that though the temple was built at this time, yet Jerusalem was not protected by walls, and continued so till the time of Nehemiah, about 90 years after the first return. --- Ed.
JOHN CALVIN
threshold either breaks a bone or receives some other injury. At the same time the Prophet seems to express something more, that whosoever ascended to attack
Jerusalem would meet with a stumbling block, by which he might have his legs broken or bruised. The meaning then is, that access to Jerusalem would be closed up, so that enemies would not overcome it, though they reached the walls and the gates, for they would stumble, as it is said, at the threshold.
If the other rendering be approved, the sense would be suitable, --- that all the ungodly, while devising schemes against God's Church, would be inebriated by their own counsels; yea, that their drink would be deadly to them: for the passions of men produce effects like drunkenness. When therefore the ungodly gather their forces against the Church, it is the same as though they were greedily swallowing down wine; for the drunken meet together to indulge in excesses. The meaning then would be, --- that this immoderate drinking would be fatal to the nations. But I prefer the former view, --- that though the gates of the holy city were open, or even an easy access were made through the walls, yet God would on every side be a defense, so that enemies would stumble, as we have said, at the very threshold and bruise themselves. And this promise was very necessary then, for Jerusalem was exposed to the assaults of all, as it could not have defended itself by moats or walls or mounds: but the Lord here promises that it would be a threshold of bruising
He then adds, Also against Judah, or over Judah, it shall be during the siege against
Jerusalem. The Prophet, as I think, extends the promise to the whole land, as though he had said, ``Though the compass of Jerusalem should not contain all the inhabitants, yet they shall be everywhere safe; for God will take them under his protection.'' I wonder why some interpreters have omitted the preposition {,}עלol, and have translated thus, ``Judah also shall be in the siege against Jerusalem:'' and they elicit a meaning wholly different, even that some of the Jews themselves would become perfidious, who would not spare their brethren and friends, but become hostile to them, and unite their forces to those of heathen nations. But I consider the meaning to be the reverse of this, --- that when Jerusalem shall be besieged, the Lord will put impediments everywhere, which will hinder and prevent the assaults of enemies.
When God, he says, shall defend the holy city, even this very thing, (for I apply this phrase to God's protection,) even this very thing shall be through the whole land; as though he had said, ``God will not only be the guardian of the city alone, but also of the whole of the holy land.'' 306 Now this must have sharply goaded the Israelites, seeing that they were excluded from having God's aid, inasmuch asthey had not thought proper to return to their own country when liberty was freely given them. It
306This has been found a difficult verse. The former part, as given in our version, "I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling," etc., has been adopted by most, Drusius, Grotius, Marckius, Newcome, and Henderson, only some of them adopt "intoxication" instead of "trembling." The word [{[{סףmeans both a threshold and a bowl or a cup. The Septuagint have taken the former sense, and the Targum the latter: but as [{]}רעלmeans shaking, trembling, confusion, occasioned by inebriety, it is more consistent to take the latter sense.
The latter part cannot certainly be construed according to our version, which is that of Piscator. Newcome's rendering is literal, and according to the sense given by Jerome, Drusius, Castalio, Grotius, and Marckius; and it is the following --- And for Judah shall it (the cup) be, In the siege against Jerusalem. This implies that Judah would turn traitorous to Jerusalem. It is somewhat singular that many MSS. read ``shall be'' in the feminine gender, ,[{]}תהיהand ,[{]}סףwhen it means a cup or bowl, is of that gender.
Dathius proposes another view. He takes [{]}מצורagreeably to the Septuagint, [{περιοχη}], in the sense of a fortress, stronghold, or defense; and then the version would be, And also with regard to Judah, He will be for a defense to Jerusalem. But the most natural and obvious meaning is the previous one. --- Ed.