@Zec 1:1-17. INTRODUCTORY EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE. THE VISION. The man among the myrtles: Comforting explanation by the angel, an encouragement to the Jews to build the city and temple: The four horns and four artificers.
1. See Introduction.
2. God fulfilled His threats against your fathers; beware, then, lest
by disregarding His voice by me, as they did in the case of former
prophets, ye suffer like them. The special object Zechariah aims at
is that they should awake from their selfish negligence to obey God's
command to rebuild His temple (@Hag 1:4-8).
sore displeased--Hebrew, "displeased with a displeasure," that is,
vehemently, with no common displeasure, exhibited in the destruction of
the Jews' city and in their captivity.
3. saith the Lord of hosts--a phrase frequent in Haggai and Zechariah,
implying God's boundless resources and universal power, so as to inspire
the Jews with confidence to work.
Turn ye unto me . . . and I will turn--that is, and then, as the
sure consequence, "I will turn unto you" (@Mal 3:7 Jas 4:8; compare
also @Jer 3:12 Eze 18:30 Mic 7:19). Though God hath brought you back
from captivity, yet this state will not last long unless ye are really
converted. God has heavier scourges ready, and has begun to give
symptoms of displeasure [CALVIN]. (@Hag 1:6).
4. Be ye not as your fathers--The Jews boasted of their fathers; but he shows that their fathers were refractory, and that ancient
example and long usage will not justify disobedience (@2Ch 36:15,16).
the former prophets--those who lived before the captivity. It
aggravated their guilt that, not only had they the law, but they had
been often called to repent by God's prophets.
5. Your fathers . . . and the prophets, do they live for ever?--In contrast to "My words" (@Zec 1:6), which "endure for ever" (@1Pe 1:25). "Your fathers have perished, as was foretold; and their fate ought to warn you. But you may say, The prophets too are dead. I grant it, but still My words do not die: though dead, their prophetical words from Me, fulfilled against your fathers, are not dead with them. Beware, then, lest ye share their fate."
6. statutes--My determined purposes to punish for sin.
which I commanded my servants--namely, to announce to your fathers.
did they not take hold--that is, overtake, as a foe overtakes one
fleeing.
they returned--Turning from their former self-satisfaction, they
recognized their punishment as that which God's prophets had foretold.
thought to do--that is, decreed to do. Compare with this verse
@La 2:17.
our ways--evil ways (@Jer 4:18 17:10 23:2).
7. The general plan of the nine following visions (@Zec 1:8-6:15)
is first to present the symbol; then, on a question being put, to
subjoin the interpretation. Though the visions are distinct, they form
one grand whole, presented in one night to the prophet's mind, two or
three months after the prophet's first commission (@Zec 1:1).
Sebat--the eleventh month of the Jewish year, from the new moon in
February to the new moon in March. The term is Chaldee, meaning a
"shoot," namely, the month when trees begin to shoot or bud.
8. by night--The Jews begin their day with sunset; therefore the night
which preceded the twenty-fourth day of the month is meant (@Zec 1:7).
a man--Jehovah, the second person of the Trinity, manifested in
man's form, an earnest of the incarnation; called the "angel of
Jehovah" (@Zec 1:11,12), "Jehovah the angel of the covenant"
(@Mal 3:1; compare @Ge 16:7 with @Zec 1:13;
@Ge 22:11 with @Zec 1:12;
@Ex 3:2 with @Zec 1:4). Being at once divine and human, He must
be God and man in one person.
riding--implying swiftness in executing God's will in His providence;
hastening to help His people.
red horse--the color that represents bloodshed: implying vengeance
to be inflicted on the foes of Israel (compare
@2Ki 3:22 Isa 63:1,2 Re 6:4); also fiery zeal.
among the myrtle trees--symbol of the Jewish Church: not a stately
cedar, but a lowly, though fragrant, myrtle. It was its depressed state
that caused the Jews to despond; this vision is designed to cheer them
with better hopes. The uncreated angel of Jehovah's presence standing (as His abiding place, @Ps 132:14) among them, is a guarantee
for her safety, lowly though she now be.
in the bottom--in a low place or bottom of a river; alluding to Babylon
near the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, the scene of Judah's captivity.
The myrtle delights in low places and the banks of waters
[PEMBELLUS].
MAURER translates, from a different root, "in a shady place."
red horses--that is, horsemen mounted on red horses; @Zec 1:10,11, confirm this view.
speckled . . . white--The "white" implies triumph and victory for
Judah; "speckled" (from a root "to intertwine"), a combination of the
two colors white and red (bay
[MOORE]), implies a state of
things mixed, partly prosperous, partly otherwise
[HENDERSON]; or, the
connection of the wrath (answering to the "red") about to fall on the
Jews' foes, and triumph (answering to the "white") to the Jews
themselves in God's arrangements for His people
[MOORE]. Some angels
("the red horses") exercised offices of vengeance; others ("the white"),
those of joy; others ("the speckled"), those of a mixed character
(compare @Zec 6:2,3). God has ministers of every kind for promoting
the interests of His Church.
9. the angel that talked with me--not the "man upon the red horse,"
as is evident from @Zec 1:10, where he (the Divine Angel) is
distinguished from the "angel that talked with me" (the phrase used of
him, @Zec 1:13,14 Zec 2:3 4:1,4,5 5:5,10 6:4), that is, the
interpreting angel. The Hebrew for "with me," or, "in me"
(@Nu 12:8), implies internal, intimate communication
[JEROME].
show thee--reveal to thy mental vision.
10. answered--The "angel of the covenant" here gives the reply instead
of the interpreting angel, to imply that all communications through the
interpreting angel come from Him as their source.
Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth--If "Satan walks
to and fro in the earth" (implying restless activity) on errands of
mischief to God's people (@Job 1:7), the Lord sends other angels
to "walk to and fro" with unceasing activity everywhere to counterwork
Satan's designs, and to defend His people
(@Ps 34:7 91:11 103:20,21 Heb 1:14).
11. The attendant angels report to the Lord of angels, "the
earth . . . is at rest." The flourishing state of the heathen "earth,"
while Judah was desolate and its temple not yet restored, is the
powerful plea in the Divine Angel's intercession with God the Father in
@Zec 1:12. When Judah was depressed to the lowest point, and the
heathen elated to the highest, it was time for Jehovah to work for His
people.
sitteth still--dwells surely.
12. Not only does Messiah stand among His people (the "myrtles,"
@Zec 1:8), but intercedes for them with the Father
("Lord," or "Jehovah of hosts") effectively
(@Zec 1:13 Heb 7:25). Compare
@Ps 102:13-20 Isa 62:6,7, as to Judah's restoration in answer to
prayer.
answered and said--said in continuation of the discourse:
proceeded to say.
how long--Messiah's people pray similarly to their Head. @Re 6:10,
"How long," &c. Heretofore it was vain to pray, but now that the
divinely appointed "threescore and ten years" (@Jer 25:11 29:10) are
elapsed, it is time to pray to Thee for the fulfilment of Thy promise,
seeing that Thy grace is not yet fully manifested, nor Thy promise
fulfilled. God's promises are not to make us slothful, but to quicken
our prayers. HENDERSON, dating the seventy years from the destruction of
Jerusalem (588 B.C.), supposes two years of the seventy had yet to run
(520 B.C.).
13. the Lord--JEHOVAH, called "the angel of the Lord (Jehovah)"
(@Zec 1:12).
good words and comfortable words--literally, "words, consolations."
The subject of these consolatory words is stated in @Zec 1:14, &c.;
the promise of full re-establishment, @Jer 29:10,11 (compare
@Isa 57:18 Ho 11:8).
14. Cry--Proclaim so as to be heard clearly by all
(@Isa 40:6 58:1).
I am jealous for Jerusalem--As a husband jealous for his wife, wronged
by others, so Jehovah is for Judah, who has been injured wantonly by the
heathen (@Zec 8:2 Nu 25:11,13 1Ki 19:10 Joe 2:18).
15. very sore displeased with the heathen--in contrast with "I was
but a little displeased" with My people. God's displeasure with His
people is temporary and for their chastening; with the heathen
oppressors, it is final and fatal (@Jer 30:11). God's instruments
for chastising His people, when He has done with them, He casts into the
fire.
are at ease--carnally secure. A stronger phrase than "is at rest"
(@Zec 1:11). They are "at ease," but as I am "sore displeased" with
them, their ease is accursed. Judah is in "affliction," but as I love
her and am jealous for her, she has every reason to be encouraged in
prosecuting the temple work.
helped forward the affliction--afflicted My people more than I desired.
The heathen sought the utter extinction of Judah to gratify their own
ambition and revenge (@Isa 47:6 Eze 25:3,6 Ob 1:10-17).
16. I am returned--whereas in anger I had before withdrawn from her
(@Ho 5:15).
with mercies--not merely of one kind, nor once only, but repeated
mercies.
my house shall be built--which at this time
(the second year of Darius, @Zec 1:1)
had only its foundations laid (@Hag 2:18). It was not
completed till the sixth year of Darius (@Ezr 6:15).
line--(@Job 38:5). The measuring-line for building, not hastily,
but with measured regularity. Not only the temple, but Jerusalem also
was to be rebuilt (@Ne 2:3, &c.; compare @Zec 2:1,2). Also, as
to the future temple and city, @Eze 41:3 42:1-44:31 45:6.
17. yet--though heretofore lying in abject prostration.
My cities--not only Jerusalem, but the subordinate cities of Judah.
God claims them all as peculiarly His, and therefore will restore them.
through prosperity . . . spread abroad--or overflow; metaphor from
an overflowing vessel or fountain (compare @Pr 5:16)
[PEMBELLUS].
Abundance of fruits of the earth, corn and wine, and a large increase of
citizens, are meant; also spiritual prosperity.
comfort Zion--(@Isa 40:1,2 51:3).
choose--(@Zec 2:12 3:2 Isa 14:1). Here meaning,
"show by acts of loving-kindness that He has chosen." His immutable
choice from everlasting is the fountain whence flow all such
particular acts of love.
@Zec 1:18-21. SECOND VISION. The power of the Jews foes shall be dissipated.
18. four horns--To a pastoral people like the Jews the horns of the strongest in the herd naturally suggested a symbol of power and pride of conscious strength: hence the ruling powers of the world (@Re 17:3,12). The number four in Zechariah's time referred to the four cardinal points of the horizon. Wherever God's people turned, there were foes to encounter (@Ne 4:7); the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Samaritan on the north; Egypt and Arabia on the south; Philistia on the west; Ammon and Moab on the east. But the Spirit in the prophet looked farther; namely, to the four world powers, the only ones which were, or are, to rise till the kingdom of Messiah, the fifth, overthrows and absorbs all others in its universal dominion. Babylon and Medo-Persia alone had as yet risen, but soon Græco-Macedonia was to succeed (as @Zec 9:13 foretells), and Rome the fourth and last, was to follow (@Da 2:1-49 7:1-28). The fact that the repairing of the evils caused to Judah and Israel by all four kingdoms is spoken of here, proves that the exhaustive fulfilment is yet future, and only the earnest of it given in the overthrow of the two world powers which up to Zechariah's time had "scattered" Judah (@Jer 51:2 Eze 5:10,12). That only two of the four had as yet risen, is an argument having no weight with us, as we believe God's Spirit in the prophets regards the future as present; we therefore are not to be led by Rationalists who on such grounds deny the reference here and in @Zec 6:1 to the four world kingdoms.
19. Judah, Israel--Though some of the ten tribes of Israel returned with Judah from Babylon, the full return of the former, as of the latter, is here foretold and must be yet future.
20. four carpenters--or "artificers." The several instrumentalities employed, or to be employed, in crushing the "Gentile" powers which "scattered" Judah, are hereby referred to. For every one of the four horns there was a cleaving "artificer" to beat it down. For every enemy of God's people, God has provided a counteracting power adequate to destroy it.
21. These are the horns--rather, Those, namely, the horns being
distinguished from the "carpenters," or destroying workmen ("skilful to
destroy," @Ex 21:31), intended in the "these" of the question.
no man . . . lift up his head--so depressed were they with a heavy
weight of evils (@Job 10:15).
to fray--to strike terror into them (@Eze 30:9).
lifted up . . . horn--in the haughtiness of conscious strength
(@Ps 75:4,5) tyrannizing over Judah (@Eze 34:21).