John Trapp on Zechariah 2:8

Verſ. 8. For thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts] Sanchez referreth theſe words to thoſe aforegoing, q. d. Deliver thy ſelf, &c. for ſo the Lord commandeth. But herein he ſtands alone; the current of Interpreters carrying it againſt him. This preface ſeems prefixed for procuring more authority to the enſuing promiſe, which to the poor Jews might ſeem incredible. If Jehovah ſpeaketh it, and he that hath all power in his hand to effect what he ſpeaketh, why ſhould any one doubt, or deſpair?

After this glory] i. e. theſe glimmerings of glory, theſe out goings of grace begun amongſt you, and by degrees to be finiſhed.

hath he ſent me unto the Nations which ſpoiled you] Or, againſt the Nation[illegible: 1 letter] for it is a ſending in judgement: and perhaps againſt either the Caldeans deſtroyed by the Perſians (ſee the Note on verſe 7.) Or, the Perſians, afterwards deſtroyed by the Grecians, and by Alexander the Great. See Eſay 33.1. Now, whereas ſome object, that Chriſt is her ſaid to be ſent of his Father: and this ſeems to import an inferiority: It is anſwered: Firſt, that two equals by mutuall conſent may ſend one another. Miſſion doth not alwayes import inequality. Secondly, One may be inferiour to another, either by nature, and ſo Chriſt is not: or by condition, as he is the Mediatour, and as he did voluntarily abaſe himſelf; and ſo he is, Phil. 2.7.

For he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye] The little man that is in the eye, (as pupilla of pupa) Or, the black of the eye. God, Iſhon, of Iſh. It is here called Bath, the daughter of the eye: becauſe it is as dear to a man as an onely daughter. who at firſt drew light out of darkneſſe, doth by an admirable work, draw the light of the body out of the black apple of the eye. Philoſophers call it, the Chryſtalline bumour. It is the tendereſt piece of the tendereſt part: to expreſſe the inexpreſſible tenderneſſe of Gods love, ſaith Salvian. The eye is kept moſt diligently, and ſtrongly guarded by nature with tunicles. A man can better beat a thultch on the backs then a touch on the eye. Siquis digitum meum mordeat, ſiquis pungat brachium & crura, ſiquis etiam duriter vulneret, &c. ſaith Calvin here. If one bite my finger, prick my leg or arm, yea ſlaſh and wound me, I can better bear it, then if he thruſt his finger in mine eyes. Amida ſonne of Muleaſſes king of Tunis, cruelly put out his fathers eyes, by holding hot burning baſons before them.Turk hiſt. Robert de Behaſme, Earl of Shrewesbury, Anno 1111. playing with his own childe,Speed. 473. for a paſtime, put his thumbe in the boyes eyes, and thruſt out the balls thereof. We uſe to ſay, Oculus & fama non patiuntur jo[illegible: 1 letter]os. The eye and the good name. will endure no jeſts. Let perſecutours take heed how they meddle with Gods eyes. He is wiſe in heart, and mighty in ſtrength: who hath hardened himſelf againſt God and prospered? Job 94. Some read the text thus. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his own eye, that is, he very grievouſly hurteth himſelf, as procuring and pullingdown upon his own head, the ſharp wrath and vengeance of God. But the former is the better.