See Introduction.
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.
Turn ye unto me . . . and I will turn--that is, and then, as the sure consequence, "I will turn unto you" (Mal 3:7; Jam 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).
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.
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 Lam 2:17.
our ways--evil ways (Jer 4:18; Jer 17:10; Jer 23:2).
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.
a man--Jehovah, the second person of the Trinity, manifested in man's form, an earnest of the incarnation; called the "angel of Jehovah" (Zac 1:11-12), "Jehovah the angel of the covenant" (Mal 3:1; compare Gen 16:7 with Zac 1:13; Gen 22:11 with Zac 1:12; Exo 3:2 with Zac 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 Kg2 3:22; Isa 63:1-2; Rev 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, Psa 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; Zac 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 Zac 6:2-3). God has ministers of every kind for promoting the interests of His Church.
show thee--reveal to thy mental vision.
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 (Psa 34:7; Psa 91:11; Psa 103:20-21; Heb 1:14).
sitteth still--dwells surely.
answered and said--said in continuation of the discourse: proceeded to say.
how long--Messiah's people pray similarly to their Head. Rev 6:10, "How long," &c. Heretofore it was vain to pray, but now that the divinely appointed "threescore and ten years" (Jer 25:11; Jer 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.).
good words and comfortable words--literally, "words, consolations." The subject of these consolatory words is stated in Zac 1:14, &c.; the promise of full re-establishment, Jer 29:10-11 (compare Isa 57:18; Hos 11:8).
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 (Zac 8:2; Num 25:11, Num 25:13; Kg1 19:10; Joe 2:18).
are at ease--carnally secure. A stronger phrase than "is at rest" (Zac 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, Eze 25:6; Oba 1:10-17).
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, Zac 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 (Neh 2:3, &c.; compare Zac 2:1-2). Also, as to the future temple and city, Eze 41:3; Eze. 42:1-44:31; Eze 45:6.
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 Pro 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; Isa 51:3).
choose-- (Zac 2:12; Zac 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.
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 (Rev 17:3, Rev 17:12). 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 (Neh 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 GrÃ&brvbr;co-Macedonia was to succeed (as Zac 9:13 foretells), and Rome the fourth and last, was to follow (Dan. 2:1-49; Dan. 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, Eze 5:12). 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 Zac 6:1 to the four world kingdoms.
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 (Psa 75:4-5) tyrannizing over Judah (Eze 34:21).
The city shall be fully restored and enlarged (Zac 2:2-5). Recall of the exiles (Zac 2:6-7). Jehovah will protect His people and make their foes a spoil unto them (Zac 2:8-9). The nations shall be converted to Jehovah, as the result of His dwelling manifestly amidst His people (Zac 2:10-13).