Matthew Poole and continuators on Zechariah 10

1 ASk ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain , so the LORD shall make bright clouds , and give them showers of rain to every one grass in the field.

It was a time of great scarcity with the Iews while the Temple and City lay waste, and the Prophets from God assure them 'tis for neglecting to rebuild the Temple, to which work the Lord doe's earnestly call by Haggai and Zechariah, with promises of great Blessings which forthwith God would give to them, if they set to this work, and seek the Lord by Prayer, to which Duty he doth direct them in this chap. to the building of City and Temple they must add Prayer, for the Blessing is prepared, and shall be given when asked.

Iews returned from Babylon, setled in your City, and return'd to the Worship of God, and to whom many excellent promises are made you must pray.

Which usually came about Spring to fill the eared Corn, and to bring forth the grass to make the Trees and plants with their Fruit to be full and large, this latter rain made plenty of all provision, and is proverbially used to signifie a great blessing, Hos. 6.3.

By making the Vapours ascend from the Earth, he will cover the Heavens with clouds, see how Iob 38.28. doth elegantly describe this work of God.

Clouds which bring rain, and pour it out abundantly, when they are opened with Thunders and Lightnings, which do as it were broach the Clouds, they unstop these Bottles, and they are bright Clouds through the Lightnings which break from them. Iob 28.26. and 38.25, 26.

The Iews his people.

Plentiful showers of rain that shall fatten the Earth, and make it fruitful.

None shall miss it, nor the effect of it on Corn, or Grass; Corn for Man, and Grass for the Beast.

Marginal references: Jer. 14.22.; Or, lightnings.

2 For the idols have spoken vanity , and the diviners have seen a lie , and have told false dreams : they comfort in vain : therefore they went their away as a flock, they were troubled , because there was no shepherd .

Images which before the Captivity they venerated, and at them consulted their Idols about plenty, or barrenness, and concerning future events, Iudg. 10.14. Isa. 19.3.

Their predictions were vain, nothing of certainty in them.

Southsayers, and consulters with familiar Spirits.

Foretold good, when all issued in evil, no good came.

They pretended a revelation from Heaven, but 'twas a dream of their own head, or a cheat put on them by the Father of lies.

Their lies for the present comfort the deceived, but the vanity of these comforts soon appears in the disappointment which followeth.

Either they that consulted, or those who sent them, indeed almost all the Iews were thus foolish in consulting, and believing these Lyars, and so confounded at last, fell into all the misery they thought to escape.

They went into Captivity into Babylon,

miserably oppressed and afflicted,

without guide, or protection: without Ecclesiastical or Civil Governours, that would faithfully do their duty, and this was one reason that they were so afflicted and captivated.

Marginal references: Jer. 10.8. Hab. 2.18.; Heb. teraphims.; Or, answered that, &c.

3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds , and I punished the goats : for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the of battel .

Though 'twas justly kindled against all, yet 'twas more hot, and fierce against the chief sinners among them.

Officers in Church and State, who neglected to keep the flock from straying, who were ring-leaders in Idolatry, and south-saying.

The wanton, lustful, and petulant Officers among them, which like he goats push, and wound, and trample under foot the feebler cattle, as Ezek. 34.16, 17. these were more grievously punished, Ier. 29.22. and 39.6.

In favour and mercy.

With change of State hath changed their sheepish weakness and cowardise into strength, courage, and gallantry, like that of a goodly Horse, this appeared in the Maccabees Wars,

When all his courage is stir'd up, and he appears as Iob brings him forth with neck clothed with thunder, Iob 39.19, to 26.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]

4 Out of him came forth the corner , out of him the nail , out of him the battel-bow , out of him every oppressour together.

Or out from him,

from Iudah, rather from the God of Iudah,

which in buildings is strength and beauty, here 'tis the Prince or Ruler, which is in a polity as a corner stone in Buildings.

From God the nail which fastens the Tents of War, or fastens the Timber together in a house.

All Warlike Provision both of Men and Arms, Synechdochically exprest by Bow.

Or Officer, Exactor, Collector of Tribute. It was from God that Nebuchadnezzar mightily prevailed, and in the course of his Victories opprest Israel, and it is from God also that Iudah is at last made free, grows up to such power, as to be able to cope with his Adversaries, to beat them, and to impose Tribute on them. He sets up, and pulls down as he pleaseth, Psal. 60. tot.

5 ¶ And they shall be as mighty men , which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battel : and they shall fight , because the LORD is with them : and the riders on horses shall be confounded .

The Iews under the Conduct of their Captains, such as the Maccabees

shall be valiant, mighty Warriours,

Shall take Cities, and beat down those that oppose them, and as usual in such cases tread the conquer'd as mire in the streets;

thus valiantly and successfully

fighteth for them, and against their Enemies.

This is the Character of the Iews Enemies, they came with armed men, and a mighty Cavalry, as Antiochus, and others did in which they trusted; but this availed little, these Horsemen were consounded, beaten, or fled away from a beating, when God was with Iudah's Enemies, so they behaved themselves, and trod down Iudah, now he is reconciled to Iudah, and fighteth for Iudah, Iudah shall behave himself, and succeed against his Enemies as before they did against him.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]; [illegible: 1 paragraph]

6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah , and I will save the house of Joseph , and I will bring them again to place them ; for I have mercy upon them : and they shall be as though I had not cast them off : for I am the LORD their God , and will hear them .

God will give both courage and strength, courage to attempt, and also strength to go through and finish the attempt; in this they of the house of Iudah were famous in the Wars of the Iews against the Seleucidae, in which Wars they had wonderful difficulties, and as wonderful courage and success.

The remnant of the Kingdom of Israel, the residue of the ten Tribes, called the house of Joseph, for that Ephraim and Manasseh part of that Kingdom were the sons of Joseph.

Both Iudah and Ioseph out of Babylonish Captivity,

To settle them in their own Land, and in their own Cities, how far this doth warrant the expectation of an universal gathering of this people, I do not undertake to determine.

I pity them in what they have already suffered, and my mercy is not clean gone from them, I have yet rich mercy for them, and will shew it when they have built City and Temple, and restored Religion.

In every respect they shall so multiply, thrive, and prosper, that though they remember it with grief, and shame, yet the generations to come shall discern no sad marks of a rejected people

in a perpetual Covenant which I never can, nor will break; I am and will be their God, they should, yea, shall be my people, as chap. 8.8.

They will pray, and I will hear, for they are mine, they will seek me as their God, and I will save them as my people.

7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man , and their heart shall rejoice as through wine yea, their children shall see it, and be glad , their heart shall rejoice in the LORD .

Vid. verse 6. let. o.

See verse 5. let. h.

Which warmeth the blood, cheareth the spirits, and adds Life greatly, where a good and joyful success concurreth as here it doth.

Either thus in the dayes of your Children this shall be, or rather when the time comes for these things they shall continue through your generations to Children that shall be born.

The goodness, power, wisdom and faithfulness of God shall be the cause of this Joy, and many of these people shall indeed rejoice in the Lord, and in the Messiah.

8 I will hisse for them , and gather them for I have redeemed them : and they shall increase as they have increased .

Though they are now scattered far off I will cause them to return, I will whistle, as a Shepherd, and they, as scattered Sheep, shall run with speed back to the flock, I called their Enemies so once and they came, Isa. 5.26. and 7.18, 19, and my people will come when thus I call to them.

This shall be enough to bring them together, or it shall be done as soon as spoke, so soon as I whistle they shall return.

I have been at the care and charge of Redeeming, I raised Cyrus to do it, I bestow'd all Nations and Kingdoms on him, and afterwards on Darius Hystaspis to do this, to restore my exiles, to replant Iudah, to rebuild the City and Temple, and I will do this also which is much less, I will as a Shepherd with his Pastoral whistle, call them in.

A promise made by Ier. 33.22. and Ezek. 36.10, 11, 37, 38. which see.

9 And I will sowe them among the people : and they shall remember me in far countreys , and they shall live with their children , and turn again .

It might seem impossible the Jews should so increase but to satisfie us herein God promiseth to sow them, so their increase should be like the increase of rich soil that hath much seed cast on it, Ier. 31.27. and Hos. 2.23. that Land shall soon be full of Men and Cattle, when God sows both.

The heathen; where dispersed, there they should multiply.

Whither soever they were driven in the farthest parts of the Persian Empire.

Though captives and poor, yet they nor their Children shall starve, nay their Children born to them shall live, and grow up with them, this young fry shall fill the Earth.

To me, my Temple, their City and Countrey. That this may also refer somewhat to the Conversion of the Jews to the Gospel, and to their spreading the Gospel unto others for multiplying of the seed of Israel according to the Faith, as I doubt not, so neither shall I particularly enquire, since the letter so fairly suits with history and matter of fact, as is evident from the multitudes that were gathered to the passeover when Titus Vespasianus coopt them up in a close siege.

There they shall think of me, and long for me, and desire to return to Ierusalem, and to my Temple.

10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt h, and gather them out of Assyria , and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon , and place shall not be found for them .

In which many yet did linger, loth to depart but when God hisseth for them they shall come.

Which was the Eastern frontier of the Land of Canaan.

This was the North Frontier of the Land, and both fruitful and pleasant, they are here mentioned as part for the whole, as before chap. 8. ver. 7.

The Land should be too narrow for them, so Isa. 49.20. and 54.2, 3. which was in part fulfilled according to the Historical, and Literal part but fully in the spiritual part.

Into which doubtless some hasted by an early flight from the Babylonians before they wasted Canaan, and others fled though forbidden, Ier. 43. chap. where also in after days some Jews sought a repose and where they wonderfully increased if Iosephus story be true of 120 thousand Jews set at liberty by Ptolomaeus Philadelphus when he procured the 72 Elders to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek. These Egyptian Jews shall be brought back.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 11.11.

11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.

The former part of this verse might be read in the Praeter-perfect tense, reporting what God hath done, and perhaps more agreeably with the context and design, which is no doubt to confirm the promise, and make it credible though so many, and great difficulties render it unlikely to reason; I will saith God, verse 10. I promise who am he that hath past through the Sea, the Red Sea, and brought my people through, who hath done this can do what he now promiseth. I am he that dried up the deeps of Iordan, (when at deepest by the floods, which was then upon the River) I can remove obstacles were they as great as these, and as easily lay low the pride of Enemies, or remove their Scepters as I did to Assyria and Egypt, so the whole verse is an allusion to what God had done in the two famous deliverances of his people under the hand of Moses and Ioshua bringing them out of Egypt through the Read Sea, and through Iordan, and destroying the Egyptians, and delivering them out of Assyrian bondage, and in order thereto destroying that Kingdom.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] Isa. 11.

12 And I will strengthen them in the LORD , and they shall walk up and down in his name , saith the LORD.

Vid. ver. 6. let. n.

Their God, in Christ say some; and 'tis true enough, whether these words so mean or no; God and Christ are the strength of the Church, and of all believers.

Shall manage all their affairs Civil, and Military, Secular and Ecclesiastical.

By Authority derived from, by power received of him, by Wisdom given from above, to the glory of our God, and our Redeemer. Thus far the great things promised to the Jewish Church and which were to be fulfilled in the time from the Rebuilding the Temple and City to the coming of Christ through some 490 years, in which times if ought fell short of promise it was because the sins of the people provoked God to alter the course of his Providence toward them.

Marginal references: Mi[illegible: 1 letter]h. 4.5.