Zechariah 1 commentary

God's almighty power and sovereign dominion, should engage and encourage sinners to repent and turn to Him. It is very desirable to have the Lord of hosts for our friend, and very dreadful to have him for our enemy. Review what is past, and observe the message God sent by his servants, the prophets, to your fathers. Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings. Be persuaded to leave your sins, as the only way to prevent approaching ruin. What is become of our fathers, and of the prophets that preached to them? They are all dead and gone. Here they were, in the towns and countries where we live, passing and repassing in the same streets, dwelling in the same houses, trading in the same shops and exchanges, worshipping God in the same places. But where are they? When they died, there was not an end of them; they are in eternity, in the world of spirits, the unchangeable world to which we hasten apace. Where are they? Those of them who lived and died in sin, are in torment. Those who lived and died in Christ, are in heaven; and if we live and die as they did, we shall be with them shortly and eternally. If they minded not their own souls, is that a reason why their posterity should ruin theirs also? The prophets are gone. Christ is a Prophet that lives for ever, but all other prophets have a period put to their office. Oh that this consideration had its due weight; that dying ministers are dealing with dying people about their never-dying souls, and an awful eternity, upon the brink of which both are standing! In another world, both we and our prophets shall live for ever: to prepare for that world ought to be our great care in this. The preachers died, and the hearers died, but the word of God died not; not one jot or title of it fell to the ground; for he is righteous.

The prophet saw a dark, shady grove, hidden by hills. This represented the low, melancholy condition of the Jewish church. A man like a warrior sat on a red horse, in the midst of this shady myrtle-grove. Though the church was in a low condition, Christ was present in the midst, ready to appear for the relief of his people. Behind him were angels ready to be employed by him, some in acts of judgment, others of mercy, others in mixed events. Would we know something of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must apply, not to angels, for they are themselves learners, but to Christ himself. He is ready to teach those humbly desirous to learn the things of God. The nations near Judea enjoyed peace at that time, but the state of the Jews was unsettled, which gave rise to the pleading that followed; but mercy must only be hoped for through Christ. His intercession for his church prevails. The Lord answered the Angel, this Angel of the covenant, with promises of mercy and deliverance. All the good words and comfortable words of the gospel we receive from Jesus Christ, as he received them from the Father, in answer to the prayer of his blood; and his ministers are to preach them to all the world. The earth sat still, and was at rest. It is not uncommon for the enemies of God to be at rest in sin, while his people are enduring correction, harassed by temptation, disquieted by fears of wrath, or groaning under oppression and persecution. Here are predictions which had reference to the revival of the Jews after the captivity, but those events were shadows of what shall take place in the church, after the oppression of the New Testament Babylon is ended.

The enemies of the church threaten to cut off the name of Israel. They are horns, emblems of power, strength, and violence. The prophet saw them so formidable that he began to despair of the safety of every good man, and the success of every good work; but the Lord showed him four workmen empowered to cut off these horns. With an eye of sense we see the power of the enemies of the church; look which way we will, the world shows us that; but it is only with an eye of faith that we see it safe. The Lord shows us that. When God has work to do, he will raise up some to do it, and others to defend it, and to protect those employed in doing it. What cause there is to look up in love and praise to the holy and eternal Spirit, who has the same care over the present and eternal interests of believers, by the holy word bringing the church to know the wonderful things of salvation!

CHAPTER 1

Lecture One Hundred and Thirty-fourth

Zechariah 1:1-3

1. 1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

1. Mense octavo, “This month, according to the sacred reckoning, which begins the year with the month Abib or Nizan, (Exodus 12:2,) falls in with the latter part of October and the beginning of November.” — Blayney. anno secundo Darii, fuit sermo Iehovae ad Zachariam, filium Barachiae, filii Addo (Iddo, ad verbum) prophetae, (vel, prophetam,) This refers no doubt to Zechariah, and not to Ido, according to the usual order adopted in Hebrew, and also because the object is to show that Zechariah, and not Ido, was a prophet. It is a name give, as Cocceius observes, not only to him who announces future things, but to every one who as God’s minister proclaims his words, explains spiritual things, and applies them to the conscience. — Ed. dicendo,

2. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

2. Iratus est Iehova erga patres vestros ira.

3. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

3. Dices igitur ad eos, Sic dicit Iehova exercituum, Revertimini ad me, dicit Iehova exercituum; et revertar ad vos, dicit Iehova exercituum.

We here learn what we have already stated, — that Haggai and Zechariah were by God joined together, that they might confirm each other’s doctrine, for they had to do with a refractory people: besides, the people had to endure hard and arduous trials, so that they needed more than a common testimony to confirm them. Haggai commenced the work of his office in the sixth month; Zechariah shortly followed him, in the eighth month of the same year. It has already been shown who was the Darius mentioned here; though some interpreters dissent, we may yet learn from certain and indubitable proofs, that he was the son of Hystaspes. We shall again speak of this Darius, when a better occasion will offer itself: I wished only in passing to say thus much.

The word of Jehovah came to Zechariah. We have already said that the word of God comes in two ways to men. God addresses all from the least to the greatest; but in the first place he sends his word especially to his Prophets, to whom he commits the office of teaching. The word of God thus comes to private individuals, and it comes also to teachers, who sustain a public character, and become God’s interpreters or messengers. It was thus that God’s word came to Zechariah, not that he might keep to himself what God had said, but that he might be a faithful dispenser of his truth.

With regard to Zechariah, they are mistaken who regard him as the son of Jehoiadah, they are mistaken by Christ in Matthew 23:35. Zechariah is indeed said there to have been killed between the temple and the altar, and he is called the son of Barachiah: He is called the son of Ezra, chapter 5:1; but the word son, in Hebrew, means often a grandson or a descendant: “Omnes qui in gradibus descendentibus sunt Hebraei filios vocant.” — Grotius. but the counting of years will easily prove their mistake, who would have him to be the same Zechariah. The former, who is called in sacred history the son of Jehoiadah the priest, was slain under Joash. Let us now see how many kings succeeded him, and also how many years he reigned. That Zechariah must have been almost two hundred years old at the Babylonian exile, if he was alive, had be been a boy when he was stoned. Now this Zechariah, of whom we now speak, performed the office of a Prophet after the return of the people from exile. He must then have been not only more than a hundred and fifty years of age, but must have exceeded two hundred years when he died. The idea respecting the renascence of men, being a reverie of the Jews, is not worthy of a record, much less of a refutation. He is however called the son of Barachiah; but the probable conjecture is that Jehoiadah the priest had two names, and it does not appear that he was a prophet. However this may be, the Zechariah who was stoned in the temple by the order of the king, was the son of the high priest, and died more than a hundred years before the Babylonian exile. For we have said that this Darius was not the Mede who reigned with Cyrus, but the son of Hystaspes, who reigned a long time after, that is, after Cambyses and the Magi. Their want of knowledge is easily proved, who think that these Prophets were sent by God before the completion of the time mentioned by Jeremiah. As then the seventy years had elapsed, this Prophet was no doubt born after the time when the city was destroyed, the temple pulled-down, and the people led captive into Babylon. I come now to the doctrine itself.

INTRODUCTION

The name Zechariah means one whom Jehovah remembers: a common name, four others of the same name occurring in the Old Testament. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he was a priest as well as a prophet, which adapts him for the sacerdotal character of some of his prophecies (Zec 6:13). He is called "the son of Berechiah the son of Iddo" (Zec 1:1); but simply "the son of Iddo" in Ezr 5:1; 6:14. Probably his father died when he was young; and hence, as sometimes occurs in Jewish genealogies, he is called "the son of Iddo," his grandfather. Iddo was one of the priests who returned to Zerubbabel and Joshua from Babylon (Ne 12:4).

Zechariah entered early on his prophetic functions (Zec 2:4); only two months later than Haggai, in the second year of Darius' reign, 520 B.C. The design of both prophets was to encourage the people and their religious and civil leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, in their work of rebuilding the temple, after the interruption caused by the Samaritans (see Introduction to Haggai). Zechariah does so especially by unfolding in detail the glorious future in connection with the present depressed appearance of the theocracy, and its visible symbol, the temple. He must have been very young in leaving Babylonia, where he was born. The Zechariah, son of Barachias, mentioned by our Lord (Mt 23:35) as slain between the porch and the altar, must have been the one called the son of Jehoiada in 2Ch 24:21, who so perished: the same person often had two names; and our Lord, in referring to the Hebrew Bible, of which Second Chronicles is the last book, would naturally mention the last martyr in the Hebrew order of the canon, as He had instanced Abel as the first. Owing to Mt 27:9 quoting Zec 11:12, 13 as the words of Jeremiah, Mede doubts the authenticity of the ninth through the fourteenth chapters, and ascribes them to Jeremiah: he thinks that these chapters were not found till after the return from the captivity, and being approved by Zechariah, were added to his prophecies, as Agur's Proverbs were added to those of Solomon. All the oldest authorities, except two manuscripts of the old Italian or Pre-Vulgate version, read Jeremiah in Mt 27:9. The quotation there is not to the letter copied from Zechariah, Jr 18:1, 2; 32:6-12, may also have been in the mind of Matthew, and perhaps in the mind of Zechariah, whence the former mentions Jeremiah. Hengstenberg similarly thinks that Matthew names Jeremiah, rather than Zechariah, to turn attention to the fact that Zechariah's prophecy is but a reiteration of the fearful oracle in Jr 18:1-19:15, to be fulfilled in the destruction of the Jewish nation. Jeremiah had already, by the image of a potter's vessel, portrayed their ruin in Nebuchadnezzar's invasion; and as Zechariah virtually repeats this threat, to be inflicted again under Messiah for the nation's rejection of Him, Matthew, virtually, by mentioning Jeremiah, implies that the "field of blood" [Mt 27:8, 9], now bought by "the reward of iniquity" [Ac 1:18] in the valley of Hinnom, was long ago a scene of prophetic doom in which awful disaster had been symbolically predicted: that the present purchase of that field with the traitor's price renewed the prophecy and revived the curse--a curse pronounced of old by Jeremiah, and once fulfilled in the Babylonian siege--a curse reiterated by Zechariah, and again to be verified in the Roman desolation. Lightfoot (referring to B. Bathra and Kimchi) less probably thinks the third division of Scripture, the prophets, began with Jeremiah, and that the whole body of prophets is thus quoted by the name "Jeremiah." The mention of "Ephraim" and "Israel" in these chapters as distinct from Judah, does not prove that the prophecy was written while the ten tribes existed as a separate kingdom. It rather implies that hereafter not only Judah, but the ten tribes also, shall be restored, the earnest of which was given in the numbers out of the ten tribes who returned with their brethren the Jews from captivity under Cyrus. There is nothing in these characters to imply that a king reigned in Judah at that time. The editor of the Hebrew canon joined these chapters to Zechariah, not to Jeremiah; the Septuagint, three hundred years B.C., confirms this.

The prophecy consists of four parts: (1) Introductory, Zec 1:1-6. (2) Symbolical, Zec 1:7, to the end of the sixth chapter, containing nine visions; all these were vouchsafed in one night, and are of a symbolical character. (3) Didactic, the seventh and eighth chapters containing an answer to a query of the Beth-elites concerning a certain feast. And (4) Prophetic, the ninth chapter to the end. These six last chapters predict Alexander's expedition along the west coast of Palestine to Egypt; God's protection of the Jews, both at that time and under the Maccabees; the advent, sufferings, and reign of Messiah; the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome, and dissolution of the Jews' polity; their conversion and restoration; the overthrow of the wicked confederacy which assailed them in Canaan; and the Gentiles' joining in their holy worship [Henderson]. The difference in style between the former and the latter chapters is due to the difference of subject; the first six chapters being of a symbolical and peculiar character, while the poetical style of the concluding chapters is adapted admirably to the subjects treated. The titles (Zec 9:1; 12:1) accord with the prophetic matter which follows; nor is it necessary for unity of authorship that the introductory formulas occurring in the first eight chapters should occur in the last six. The non-reference in the last six chapters to the completion of the temple and the Jews' restoration after the captivity is just what we should expect, if, as seems likely, these chapters were written long after the completion of the temple and the restoration of the Jews' polity after the captivity, in circumstances different from those which engaged the prophet when he wrote the earlier chapters.

The style varies with the subject: at one time conversational, at another poetical. His symbols are enigmatical and are therefore accompanied with explanations. His prose is like that of Ezekiel--diffuse, uniform, and repetitious. The rhythm is somewhat unequal, and the parallelisms are not altogether symmetrical. Still, there is found often much of the elevation met with in the earlier prophets, and a general congruity between the style and the subjects. Graphic vividness is his peculiar merit. Chaldæisms occur occasionally. Another special characteristic of Zechariah is his introduction of spiritual beings into his prophetic scenes.

CHAPTER 1

Zec 1:1-17. Introductory Exhortation to Repentance. The Visions. 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 Jr 3:12; Eze 18:30; Mi 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 (Jr 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; Is 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, 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; 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 (Psa 34:7; 91:11; 103:20, 21; He 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; He 7:25). Compare Psa 102:13-20; Is 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" (Jr 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, Jr 29:10, 11 (compare Is 57:18; Ho 11:8).

14. Cry--Proclaim so as to be heard clearly by all (Is 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 (Jr 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 (Is 47:6; Eze 25:3, 6; Ob 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--(Is 40:1, 2; 51:3).

choose--(Zec 2:12; 3:2; Is 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 (Jr 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 (Psa 75:4, 5) tyrannizing over Judah (Eze 34:21).

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius - This was Darius Hystaspes; and from this date we find that Zechariah began to prophecy just two months after Haggai.

Son of Iddo - There are a number of various readings on this name, ידו Iddo, and עדוא Iddo, both in MSS. and in editions; but they are only different ways of writing the same name.

The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers - For their ingratitude idolatry, iniquity, and general rebellion.

Turn ye unto me - This shows that they had power to return, if they would but use it.

And I will turn unto you - I will show you mercy and grant you salvation, if you will use the grace I have already given you. Men are lost, because they turn not unto God; but no man is lost because he had not power to return. God gives this, and he will require it.

Your fathers, where are they? - Israel has been destroyed and ruined in the bloody wars with the Assyrians; and Judah, in those with the Chaldeans.

The prophets, do they live for ever? - They also, who spoke unto your fathers, are dead; but their predictions remain; and the events, which have taken place according to those predictions, prove that God sent them.

Did they not take hold of your fathers? - Every thing happened according to the predictions, and they were obliged to acknowledge this; and yet they would not turn from their evil way.

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month - This revelation was given about three months after the former, and two months after they had recommenced the building of the temple.

Sebat - Answers to a part of our February. See Hag 2:18.

I saw by night - The time was emblematical of the affliction under which the Jews groaned.

A man - An angel in the form of a man: supposed to have been the Lord Jesus; who seems to have appeared often in this way, as a prelude to his incarnation; see Jos 5:13; Eze 1:26; Dan 7:13; Dan 10:6. The same, probably, that appeared to Joshua with a drawn sword, as the captain of the Lord's host. Jos 5:13-15.

A red horse - An emblem of war and bloodshed.

Among the myrtle trees - This tree was an emblem of peace; intimating that all war was shortly to end. But some think these trees are emblematical of the true followers of Christ.

And behind him were there red horses - Probably pointing out the different orders of angels in the heavenly host, which are employed by Christ in the defense of his Church. The different colors may point out the gradations in power, authority, and excellence, of the angelic natures which are employed between Christ and men.

O my lord, what are these - The angel here mentioned was distinct from those mentioned in the eighth verse; he who talked with the prophet, Zac 1:13.

The man that stood among the myrtle trees - The angel of the Covenant, as above, Zac 1:11.

Whom the Lord hath sent - Who are constituted guardians of the land.

All the earth sitteth still, and is at rest - There is general peace through the Persian empire, and other states connected with Judea; but the Jews are still in affliction; their city is not yet restored, nor their temple built.

Then the angel of the Lord - He who was among the myrtles - the Lord Jesus.

O Lord of hosts, how long - Jesus Christ was not only the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," but was always the sole Mediator and intercessor between God and man.

These threescore and ten years? - This cannot mean the duration of the captivity for that was nearly twenty years past. It must mean simply the time that had elapsed from the destruction of the temple to the time in which the angel spoke. As the temple was destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and this vision took place in the second year of Darius, the term of seventy years was completed, or nearly so, between these two periods.

The Lord answered the angel - And the angel told the prophet that the answer was gracious and comfortable. This answer is given in the next verse.

I am jealous for Jerusalem - I have for them a strong affection; and indignation against their enemies.

I was but a little displeased - I was justly displeased with my people, and I gave their enemies a commission against them; but they carried this far beyond my design by oppression and cruelty; and now they shall suffer in their turn.

I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies - Before, he came to them in judgments; and the principal mercy is, the house of the Lord shall be rebuilt, and the ordinances of' the Lord re-established.

And a line shall be stretched forth - The circuit shall be determined, and the city built according to the line marked out.

By cities - shall yet be spread abroad - The whole land of Judea shall be inhabited, and the ruined cities restored.

And behold four horns - Denoting four powers by which the Jews had been oppressed; the Assyrians, Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians. Or these enemies may be termed four, in reference to the four cardinal points of the heavens, whence they came: -

1. North. The Assyrians and Babylonians.

2. East. The Moabites and Ammonites.

3. South. The Egyptians.

4. West. The Philistines.

See Martin.

Four carpenters - Four other powers, who should defeat the powers intended by the horns. These are the same as the four chariots mentioned Zac 6:1-3, Zac 6:6, Zac 6:7. The first was Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, who overturned the empire of the Assyrians. The second was Cyrus, who destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. The third was Alexander the Great, who destroyed the empire of the Persians. And the fourth was Ptolemy, who rendered himself master of Egypt. Some of these had already been cast down; the rest were to follow. Calmet gives this interpretation, and vindicates it at length.

These are come to fray them - To break, pound, and reduce them to powder. Fray, from the French, frayer, to rub. חרשים charashim signifies either carpenters or smiths; probably the latter are here intended, who came with hammers, files, and such like, to destroy these horns, which no doubt seemed to be of iron.

From a sensible correspondent I have received the following note: - "The word we translate carpenters, חרשים charashim, is a root which, according to Mr. Parkhurst, denotes silent thought or attention; and in kal and hiphil, to contrive, devise secretly, or in silence; hence applied as a noun to an artificer of any kind, and to any work which disposes to silent attention. Thus, to potters' ware, Lev 6:28; Job 2:8; and in many other places. So also to ploughing, Deu 22:10; Pro 20:4, which requires constant attention to make 'the right-lined furrow.' Let it be remembered that in ancient times such works were more esteemed than the useless ones we have learned to admire. So again, in Gen 24:21, and elsewhere, it implies to be silent, as in deep thought or great attention. "Now it is evident that the purport of this vision is the same with the gracious declarations which precede it, viz., to express the return of the protecting mercies of God to his people, delivering them from their enemies. I should therefore be inclined to render חרשים charashim here, watchers or inspectors, in the sense which our translators have rendered the Chaldee עיר ir, a watcher, in the fourth chapter of Daniel, Dan 4:13; understanding thereby 'spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth,' Zac 6:6, and are described in the first vision as 'sent to walk to and fro through the earth.' This gives to the whole narrative a sublime and important sense, affording us some glimpse of the Divine government by the ministration of angels, such as Jacob was favored with in his vision at Beth-el, and which our Savior himself informed Nathanael constituted part of the glory of his mediatorial kingdom." - M. A. B.

In the eighth month - Two months after Haggai began to encourage the Jews to build the temple. Zechariah - Probably this is that Zechariah whom the Jews slew between the temple and the altar, Matt 23:35.

Where are they - But where are your disobedient fathers? Were they not consumed with famine and sword, as I threatened them? Do they live - The prophets died as others; they must not live always to warn you.

My words - The dreadful menaces which I spake. My statutes - The decreed judgments which I resolved to execute on them, which by my prophets I proclaimed. Take hold - Overtake as a pursuing enemy overtakes, and seizeth on his enemy. They returned - By this it should seem that Zechariah gave them time to consider what answer to give. So hath he dealt - It is true, as God said he would do, so he hath done against us.

A man - Christ Jesus in the shape of a man. Riding - In a posture of readiness. A red horse - This colour is a symbol of his coming to avenge himself on his enemies. The myrtle - trees - He posted himself in a convenient place to observe and be ready, among verdant, fragrant trees, emblems of the saints of God. In the bottom - This bottom or valley in which the myrtles grew, is an emblem of the church in a low, afflicted state. Behind him - Christ was, as becomes a captain, at the head, the rest, as his soldiers, are behind attending on him. Red horses - Horses and horsemen, and those are angels, ver.10. And the colour of these horses is red, probably denoting the bloody condition of states and kingdoms, by wars one against another when God punisheth his church, or when he avengeth himself. Speckled - Of a mixt colour; perhaps an emblem of affairs, not all dark, nor all light, such as those during the last seventy prophetic weeks. White - An emblem of the best days of the church.

O my Lord - This was Christ, the Lord of hosts. What are these - What is the meaning of these appearances. The angel - Christ, the angel of the covenant.

These - Horsemen, are angels, who are ministers of the Divine Providence in the government of the world.

Is at rest - All men sit still to take their ease. All is peaceable. This was the state of the empire which at that time ruled all.

Angel of the Lord - The angel, the Lord Christ.

Cry thou - Now publish what thou hearest, and assure my poor captive church, that God will do good for her.

A little displeased - With mine own people, that is, in comparison of the anger I bear against the Heathen. Helped forward - Attempted to destroy whom I would but correct.

A line - The builder's measuring line shall be stretched out, to mark out the walls, gates, streets, and houses in Jerusalem.

Through prosperity - Through increase of families, they shall send forth colonies, and plant new cities, and thro' increase of wealth, and cattle, be able to build their cities, and stock their colonies.

Four horns - Emblems of the enemies of the Jews.

The horns - Powers, states, and kingdoms, which have from all sides pushed at, broken and tossed my people. Judah - The two tribes. Israel - The ten tribes.

He - Christ. These - He first points to the four horns. But these - These carpenters are emblems of those instruments God will employ in breaking those destroyers. Who lift up - Who employed their arms and strength against the kingdom of Judah, to drive them out of God's inheritance.

1 IN the eighth moneth , in the second year of Darius , came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah the son of Barachiah , the son of Iddo the prophet , saying,

Called both Maris[illegible: 2 letters]uan, and Bul, by Hebr. and answers to part of our October and November. Two Moneths after Haggai began to encourage the Iews to build the Temple.

Son of Hystaspes, and the third Persian Monarch. vid. Hag. 1. ver. 1. let. a. and again chap. 1. ver. 15. let. f. at large.

Here is his Warrant, and Divine Call, the Lord communicated to him what he was to communicate to others.

His Name bespeaks him a remembrancer of God, or it may speak God remembring him, and the rest of this people.

The Iews call'd the Descendents in right line Sons, though they were Grand-Sons, or great Grand-Sons; and in this sense s[illegible: 1 letter]me say Zechariah is the Son of Baruch, and the Son of Iddo. This Zechariah is not he that is mentioned 2 Chron. 24.20. this is too early by many years, nor is this Zechariah the Father of Iohn Baptist, this is a[illegible: 1 letter] much too late, but most likely 'tis that Zechariah whom the Iews slew between the Temple and the Altar, Matth. 23.35.

This Name is expresly mentioned Mat. 23. and his time exactly suits the time, pointed at by the Evangelist.

One of this name you have 2 Chron. 9.29. but this is too old to be this in the Text, [illegible: 1 letter]or there will be found (as Wolphius in Ezram notes) 450 years distance between Iddo the Seer, and this Iddo mentioned in the Text.

Whether Zechariah, or Iddo, I determine not.

Marginal references: Ezra 4.24.; Ez. 5.1.

2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers .

The Holy, the Mighty one, your God, the just Governour of the World.

So long provoked, that his displeasure at last enkindled within his Breast, and broke out into that flame which hath consumed your Land, City, and Temple.

All that were Progenitors, [illegible: 1 letter]ore-Fathers to the return'd Captives, from their entrance into Canaan, but specially since the Apostacy in Ierob[illegible: 1 letter]am's time, for many hundred years your Predecessours have provoked God by their notorious sins, even to the days of their Captivity.

Marginal references: Heb. with [illegible: 1 letter]spans[illegible: 1 letter].

3 Therefore say thou unto them , Thus saith the LORD of hosts , Turn ye unto me , saith the LORD of hosts , and I will turn unto you , saith the LORD of hosts .

And, Heb.

Command, and Require.

Of the Captivity who are returned to their own land.

In my Name, by the Authority I have over them as Lord of Hosts, require they hear, and obey.

Repent ye of all your sins, leave them, set your hearts on my Law to obey it, on my Worship to give me it, on my Temple to reedifie it.

Who can punish your refusal, who can protect you in your return, and reward your Obedience

with blessings, with all blessings, which my presence brings to a repenting people. It was woe with you, and your Fathers, when I departed from them, but it shall be as well with them, when I return unto them.

That you may be assured hereof, I promise it to you, and will be engaged to perform, as Lord of hosts, as having all things at my disposal.

Marginal references: Jer. 25.5. [illegible: 1 word] 35.14. [illegible: 1 word]. 7.19. [illegible: 1 word]. 3.7.

4 Be ye not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets have cryed , saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, turn ye now from your evil wayes , and from your evil doings : but they did not hear , nor hearken unto me , saith the LORD.

You who have seen the sorrows of a long Captivity, who are wonderfully brought back, who are under the teachings of Rod and Staff.

All the former Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.15, 16.

Preached earnestly, frequently, and compassionately.

Now to day, yet before 'tis too late: O! turn from vitious, sinful courses and wayes; from your Atheism, Idolatry, Murthers, Oppressions, and Adulteries.

It is repeated that it might be more impressive upon them. The Prophets importunately intreated them to cease from evil, Isa. 1.16. and 31.6. Ier. 3.12. Ezek. 18.30. and Hos. 14.1.

They did not, because they would not, they regarded not what I said by my Prophets, neither could they be perswaded to it.

This obstinate disobedience is twice together charged on them, to make their sin appear in its greatness.

Marginal references: Jer. 18.11.

5 Your fathers: where are they ? and the prophets , do they live c for ever?

But where are your disobedient Fathers? Are they not buried in a strange Land? Did they not die of those Diseases? Were they not consumed with Famine, and the Sword, as was menaced against them?

Some apply this to the false Prophets who promised peace, but where are they now? But 'tis better understood of the true Prophets, who died as others; they do not, nor must live always to warn you.

6 But my words , and my statutes which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said , Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us according to our wayes, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us .

The dreadful Menaces which I spake by my Prophets.

The d[illegible: 1 letter]creed Judgments which my provoked Justice resolved to execute on them,

which by my Prophets as my Heraulds I proclaimed, and published.

Overtake as a pursuing Enemy overtakes, and se[illegible: 2 letters]eth on his Enemy, and spoileth him; have not my Judgments thus taken hold both on your Fathers, and on you?

By this it should seem that Zechariah gave them time to consider what answer to give.

It is true as God said he would do, so he hath done against us, our Fathers, our Families, our Ci[illegible: 1 letter]ies and Temples. God's words have not failed▪ they dyed not, though our Fathers did: This may be an abstract of their Repentance.

Marginal references: Or, overtake.; [illegible: 1 letter]am. 1.18.

7 ¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh moneth, which is the moneth Sebat , in the second year of Darius , came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo the prophet , saying,

Which answers to part of our Ianuary.

Vid. Hag 1.1. let. a. b. and ver. 15. let. f.

See ver. 1. let. c.

Vid. ver. 1. let. d. e. f. g. The first Sermon Zechariah preacht, was three Moneths before this, and that Sermon was reproof, which probably had good effect, as ver. 6. let. k. l.

8 I saw by night , and behold a man riding upon a red horse , and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom : and behind him were there red horses , speckled and white .

In a Vision God communicates his Word, Mind, or Will to the Prophet.

Either litera[illegible: 1 letter]ly, it was by night that Zechariah had this Vision, or with this it may note the obscurity and misteriousness of the Vi[illegible: 2 letters]on, for it may be emblematical, as the Myrtles, and the bottom are.

Mark well what I saw, as now I relate it to you.

One in a humane shape, Christ Jesus in shape of a Man, so he appeared to Ezek. 1.26. and 40.3. and to Daniel, chap. 7.13.

In a posture of readiness, speed and resolution to help his people, and to appear for them in some tokens of greatness and majesty, Psal. 45.4.

Both the Beast is noted, Horse, bold, strong, speedy, and gallant; and the colour is noted also in the same colour he appeared to Isaiah, chap. 63. ver. 1, 2, 3. and Revel. 6.4. This colour is a symbol of his coming to avenge his own just quarrel, and the uniust dealings of his, and his peoples Enemies.

he posteth himself in a convenient place to observe and be ready, (as needful) among humble, verdant, fragrant, pleasant, and much valued Trees, emblem of the flourishing, fruitful, and excell[illegible: 1 letter]nt Saints, and Servants of God.

This bottom or low Valley in which the Myr[illegible: 1 letter]les grew, (proba[illegible: 1 letter]ly on some Rivers bank) is an emblem of the Church in a low, mourning, afflicted State, then 'tis most verdant, and fragrant [illegible: 1 word] these Trees; or as Spices bruised in a Mortar.

Christ was [illegible: 1 word] beseems a Captain, in the head, the rest as his Souldiers or Sevan[illegible: 1 letter]s are behind attending on him.

Horses of the same colour, not without their riders, though they are not exprest, but 'tis a Synechdoche, Horses, and Horse-men are both intended, and these are Angel[illegible: 1 letter], ver. 10. now the colour of these Horses is 1. Red, denoting probably the bloody condition of States and K[illegible: 1 letter]ngdoms by Wars one against another, either when God punisheth his Church, or when he avengeth himself, and his Church on his Enemies, and hers, which will appear on a survey of the times past, when Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Gr[illegible: 1 letter]cia[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ or Roman Empires, did successively by Wars do Gods w[illegible: 1 letter]rk, his strange work, &c. Isa. chap. 10. and chap. 14.

A mixt colour, made up partly of white, red and black, as some guess, an Emblem of Affairs of different complexion, not all prosperous, nor all unprosperous; not all dark, nor all light, as the day the Prophet describes neither day nor night, such times did the Iews know, during the 70 Prophetick weeks, from the beginning of them, to the Messiah's coming.

An Emblem of the best dayes and State the Church should be in, so Revel. 19.11.14. and the Empire too with it.

Marginal references: Josh. 5.13.; chap 6.1. to 7.; Or, bay.

9 Then said I , O my lord , what are these ? And the angel that talked with me, said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

So soon as he had seen and observed,

Zechariah,

This was Christ the Lord of Hosts.

What is the me[illegible: 1 letter]n[illegible: 1 letter]ng of these Appearances or Visions?

Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, so I take this Angel that promiseth to inform the Prophet to be the same that appears as a Man on the Red Horse among the Myrtles.

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees , answered , and said, these are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to, and fro through the earth .

Vid. ver. 8. let. t. u. x. y.

Gave answer to what I asked.

Horsemen.

A periphrasis of Angels, who are Servants, and Ministers of the Divine Providence in the Government of the World.

God is pleas'd a[illegible: 1 letter]ter the manner of men to speak of his managing the affairs of the World; men must employ others, because they need them, God will employ Angels, though he needs them not.

The Empires which his Churches were either help'd or injur'd by; These were partly by the Pride of their Emperours, partly by the flattery of their Servants and Ministers, and partly by the Ignorance of the World at that time in matters of Geography thought to be the whole Earth; and the Scripture sometimes useth phrases, used and well known among men, though there be some impropriety in them.

11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the Myrtle trees s, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth , and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest .

The ministerial Angels, signified by the horses and horsemen.

Or rather the Angel, the Lord, the uncreated Angel, who sent them out, and receives account what they had done.

As men who would give an exact account, survey every part, so we have search'd all Nations, and Kingdoms; walk'd the length and breadth of them.

The World, but chiefly through the Babylonish Empire, which accounts it self Lord of all the Earth.

'Tis wonderful to be seen, and therefore we beseech thee, O Lord, to behold, and consider this.

As having ended their Toil, or weather'd the storm, composed their differences, and shea[illegible: 1 letter]h'd their Swords, are full of peace, and sit still to take their case.

Either the same thing repeated, to heighten the quiet of these states, or to confirm the Truth of the thing, or to express the inward quiet of mind the people had with their outward quiet. The publick peaceable, and every ones mind satisfied, this is the state of the Earth, the Empire which at that time ruled all.

12 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD answered and said , O LORD of hosts , how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem , and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years ?

When the surveying Angels had made their report of the Prosperity of the Heathen.

The Angel, the Lord Christ, Mediator of the Church, and head of the Church.

Prays as one interceding.

Christ speaks to his Father, speaks as one much affected with the state of his afflicted Church.

It is the expostulation that well befits a praying Soul, it is not the enquiry of a discontented mind, but the request of one longing for mercy. So David, Psal. 13.1, 2. and the souls under the Altar, Rev. 6.10.

Ierusalem, thy chosen Mountain, heir of Promises to be re-edified, and on Iudah's Cities too, of whose rebuilding, peace and pr[illegible: 1 letter]sperity thou hast, O Lord, spoken great things, Ier. 30.31.32. and 33. Chapters, and Ezek. 36. and 37, &c. chapters.

They have felt thine anger and hot displeasure, it was just, and is so still; but it is not to be perpetual; thine anger hath smoaked against the sheep of thy Pasture.

The term prefixt for the captivity is fully come, 'tis the seventieth year of thei[illegible: 1 letter] miserable captivity; now shew mercy, build Sion, and glorifie thy self in doing it, for the set time is come. It is now 70 years since thy Temple was burnt, and Ierusalem sack'd. And full 80 years since Ieconias with many of thy people were carried captive into Babylon, and somewhat more, since many were carried with Iehoiachim, from which to the second of Darius are much about eighty eight, or nine years.

Marginal references: Dan. 9.2.

13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me, with good words, and comfortable words.

God the Father.

Christ, the uncreated Angel, Lord of Angels and Redeemer of Israel.

Who had first talked by signs and Visions, and next by explaining the mind, and meaning of them, and answering the enquiries Zechariah made.

Suitable, and seasonable.

The words minister'd comfort to Ierusalem and the Captives, the words imported deliverance and blessings.

14 So the angel that communed with me , said unto me, Cry thou , saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts , I am jealous for Jerusalem , and for Zion with a great jealousie .

i. e. When the Father had heard the Son and answered him; this is spoken to our apprehension, and so must be understood.

Of the Covenant, the Lord Christ.

Vid. ver. 13. let. k.

Now publish what thou hearest, preach by commission from me, and assure my poor, captive, impoverish'd Church, that God, my God and her God, will do good for her.

Publish what God, Lord of hosts, and Father of his People, promised to do for them.

I have been jealous against, but now am jealous for Ierusalem; my love is now heightened to a very high degree of compassion for my People, and of Indignation against her Enemies and Oppressors.

The City called by my name.

Where my Temple stood; those Gates of Zion, which I loved more than all the dwellings of Iacob.

That Zeal I bear, and now will shew for them is great, to a wonder; it is the Zeal of a God who infinitely loves and pitieth his people.

Marginal references: chap. 8.2.

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease : for I was but a little displeased , and they helped forward the affliction .

The Lord of hosts, God of Israel.

Exceedingly angry and will shew it that they may see and feel it, my displeasure is grown up to the highest against them.

Secure in their strength, sing a requiem to themselves and trouble to Israel. See ver. 11. let. y. z,

With mine own people, i. e. in comparison with the anger I bear against the heathen, 'twas little, Psal. 137. tot.

The Heathen, Babylonians.

Attempted to destroy whom I would but correct, Isa. 10. & 14. I whipt to smart, you wounded to blood, I did wound to bind up, you did wound to kill, &c. It is an Anthropopath[illegible: 1 letter]ia.

It was more than they could do to provoke me more against them than their own sins did; but what I permitted for a while, they did, and added to the Affliction of Israel. I would prune, but they struck at the root.

Marginal references: Isa. 47.6.

16 Therefore , thus saith the LORD, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies : my house shall be built in it , saith the LORD of hosts , and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Because the Enemy hath so barbarously and inhumanely added affliction to the afflicted, 'tis time to save and relieve.

When I was departed, and had withdrawn my Presence, thus cruelly were my people handled; but now I will return, I will be with them, my presence shall restrain the violent, and protect the innocent.

With tender, abundant, and promised Mercies now they shall be comforted indeed.

The Temple of God, the Excellency of Iacob.

Shall be finish'd, the impediments shall be removed, what glory I have promised by Haggai, chap. 2.9. I will put upon this house of mine in Ierusalem.

This confirms the promise, and establisheth our Faith, if we know the import hereof.

The builders measuring line shall be stretch'd out, to mark out Walls, Gates, Palaces, Streets, and Houses in Ierusalem, that they may be built again in beauty, and strength, with skill, and art; and shall be once more the glory of the Earth, and Joy of Israel.

17 Cry yet , saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad , and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion , and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

The Prophets Commission is either enlarged, or more full instructions given to him, to raise the hope and stablish the Faith of the People of God.

Jerusalem, and the Cities of Judah are mine, saith the Lord, and as mine I'le build, beautifie, enrich, fortifie, defend, and enlarge them.

Through increase of Families and Persons, they shall send forth Colonies, and plant new Towns and Cities, and through increase of Wealth, and Cattel be able to build their cities, and stock their Colonies.

Swarm as Bees, and send out their young ones.

Their God.

Zion his Church, with comforts fit for a Church.

Type of the civil State as here joyn'd with Zion; the Kingdom shall be blest in it self, and be a blessing to others, much like that Hos. 14.4, 5. all this an effect of my choosing it, and dwelling in it.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]; Isa. 1[illegible: 1 letter].[illegible: 1 letter]. chap. 2.11.

18 ¶ Then lift I up mine eyes , and saw , and behold four horns .

After I had seen those things, and heard those comfortable words, and received commission to publish all the good news I had heard.

He was so intent before, that he look'd on nothing else; now he lifts up his eyes.

Clearly, certainly, and distinctly.

Emblems of the Enemies of the Jewes, for strength, fierceness, and pride, and for their number, from all parts of the World.

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me , What be these ? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah , Israel , and Jerusalem.

The Prophet prays for Information from the Angel, from Christ, who is the best Teacher.

What may be the meaning of these horns, which I see, and know to be horns, and four in number.

Powers, States and Kingdoms, which have from all sides push'd at, broken and tossed my people, sorely bruised some, and destroy'd others, these Horns are probably on the North, the Syrians, Assyrians, and Babylonians; on the East, the Moabites and Ammonites; on the South, Edomites and Egyptians; on the West the Philistines. All which had many a time spoiled the Jewes.

The Two Tribes which were the Kingdom of Judah.

The Ten Tribes carried away by Salmaniser, or the Reliques of Israel, which adhered to the house of David.

20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters .

Jehovah, who before is the Angel, i. e. Christ, he is the Eternal one, the great God.

Both proposed the thing to be seen, and gave eyes to see, and discern it.

Known by their Garb and Tools to be Carpenters or Smiths, as the Hebrew bears it.

21 Then said I , What come these to do ? and he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head : but these are come to fray them , to cast out the horns of the Gentiles which lift up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it .

So soon as I could propose the question, immediately upon sight of the Carpenters.

Zechariah.

He saw they were men, enquires not who they were, but what was their business, and design; perhaps 'tis fittest for us to rest also in the knowledge of what they are to do, and enquire no farther who they were.

The Lord Christ inform'd the Prophet.

Christ doth in order to satisfie the enquiry first point to the four horns of which ver. 18, 19, as if he should have said look you there are four horns which have done mischief to Judah.

Kept them so under, none had either strength or courage to lift up the head, and thus these horns proudly and cruelly destroy'd my People.

These Carpenters or Smiths are Emblems of those Instruments God will employ in breaking these destroyers. Here are four carpenters to break the four Horns.

To strike a fear into them first; these Kingdoms signified by horns, shall lose their courage.

Then their Authority, and power shall be cast out easily.

Heathen round about Judea.

Have employ'd their Arms and strength against.

The whole Kingdom of Judah, Gods people.

To drive them out of Gods inheritance. See ver. 19. let. d.

Zechariah

Introduction

The Prophet. - Zechariah, זכריה - i.e., not μνήμη Κυρίου, memoria Domini, remembrance of God (Jerome and others), nor God’s renown (Fürst), but he whom God remembers (lxx Ζαχαρίας, Vulg. Zacharias) - is a name of frequent occurrence in the Old Testament. Our prophet, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, was of priestly descent, - a son of Berechiah, and grandson of Iddo (Zec 1:1, Zec 1:7), the chief of one of the priestly families, that returned from exile along with Zerubbabel and Joshua (Neh 12:4). He followed his grandfather in that office under the high priest Jehoiakim (Neh 12:16), from which it has been justly concluded that he returned from Babylon while still a youth, and that his father died young. This also probably serves to explain the fact that Zechariah is called bar 'Iddo', the son (grandson) of Iddo, in Ezr 5:1 and Ezr 6:14, and that his father is passed over. He commenced his prophetic labours in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, only two months later than his contemporary Haggai, in common with whom he sought to stimulate the building of the temple (Ezr 5:1; Ezr 6:14), and that while he was still of youthful age, as we may infer partly from the facts quoted above, and partly from the epithet הנּער הלּז (the young man) in Zec 2:8 (4), which refers to him. On the other hand, the legends handed down by the fathers, which are at variance with the biblical accounts, to the effect that Zechariah returned from Chaldaea at an advanced age, that he had previously predicted to Jozadak the birth of his son Joshua, and to Shealtiel the birth of Zerubbabel, and had shown to Cyrus his victory over Croesus and Astyages by means of a miracle (Ps. Dor., Ps. Epiph., Hesych., and others), are not worth noticing. It is impossible to determine how long his prophetic labours lasted. We simply know from Zec 7:1, that in the fourth year of Darius he announced a further revelation from God to the people, and that his last two oracles (ch. 9-14) fall within a still later period. All that the fathers are able to state with regard to the closing portion of his life is, that he died at an advanced age, and was buried near to Haggai; whilst the contradictory statement, in a Cod. of Epiph., to the effect that he was slain under Joash king of Judah, between the temple and the altar, has simply arisen from our prophet being confounded with the Zechariah mentioned in 2Ch 24:20-23. 2. The Book of Zechariah contains, besides the brief word of God, which introduces his prophetic labours (Zec 1:1-6), four longer prophetic announcements: viz., (1) a series of seven visions, which Zechariah saw during the night, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, in the second year of Darius (Zechariah 1:7-6:8), together with a symbolical transaction, which brought the visions to a close (Zec 6:9-15); (2) the communication to the people of the answer of the Lord to a question addressed to the priests and prophets by certain Judaeans as to their continuing any longer to keep the day appointed for commemorating the burning of the temple and Jerusalem by the Chaldaeans as a fast-day, which took place in the fourth year of Darius (Zec 7:1-14 and 8); (3) a burden, i.e., a prophecy of threatening import, concerning the land of Hadrach, the seat of the ungodly world-power (ch. 9-11); and (4) a burden concerning Israel (ch. 12-14). The last two oracles, which are connected together by the common epithet massȧ', are distinguished from the first two announcements not only by the fact that the headings contain neither notices as to the time, nor the prophet’s name, but also by the absence of express allusions to the circumstances of Zechariah’s own times, however unmistakeably the circumstances of the covenant nation after the captivity form the historical background of these prophecies also; whilst there is in general such a connection between their contents and the prophetic character of the night-visions, that ch. 9-14 might be called a prophetic description of the future of the kingdom of God, in its conflict with the kingdoms of the world, as seen in the night-visions. For example, in the night-visions, as a sequel to Haggai, who had predicted two months before the overthrow of the might of all the kingdoms of the world and the preservation of Zerubbabel in the midst of that catastrophe (Hag 2:20-23), the future development of the kingdom of God is unfolded to the prophet in its principal features till its final completion in glory. The first vision shows that the shaking of the kingdoms of the world predicted by Haggai will soon occur, notwithstanding the fact that the whole earth is for the time still quiet and at rest, and that Zion will be redeemed from its oppression, and richly blessed (Zec 1:7-17). The realization of this promise is explained in the following visions: in the second (Zec 2:1-4), the breaking in pieces of the kingdoms of the world, by the four smiths who threw down the horns of the nations; in the third (Zec 2:5-13), the spread of the kingdom of God over the whole earth, through the coming of the Lord to His people; in the fourth (Zec 3:1-10), the restoration of the church to favour, through the wiping away of its sins; in the fifth (Zec 4:1-14), the glorifying of the church through the communication of the gifts of the Spirit; in the sixth (Zec 5:1-11), the sifting out of sinners from the kingdom of God; in the seventh (Zec 6:1-8), the judgment, through which God refines and renews the sinful world; and lastly, in the symbolical transaction which closes the visions (Zec 6:9-15), the completion of the kingdom of God by the Sprout of the Lord, who combines in His own person the dignity of both priest and king. If we compare with these the last two oracles, in ch. 9-11 we have first of all a picture of the judgment upon the kingdoms of the world, and of the establishment of the Messianic kingdom, through the gathering together of the scattered members of the covenant nation, and their exaltation to victory over the heathen (ch. 9, Zec 10:1-12), and secondly, a more minute description of the attitude of the Lord towards the covenant nation and the heathen world (ch. 11); and in ch. 12-14 we have an announcement of the conflict of the nations of the world with Jerusalem, of the conversion of Israel to the Messiah, whom it once rejected and put to death (Zec 12:1-14, Zec 13:1-9); and lastly, of the final attack of the heathen world upon the city of God, with its consequences, - namely, the purification and transfiguration of Jerusalem into a holy dwelling-place of the Lord, as King over the whole earth (ch. 14); so that in both oracles the development of the Old Testament kingdom of God is predicted until its completion in the kingdom of God, which embraces the whole earth. The revelation from God, which stands between these two principal parts, concerning the continuance of the fast-days (Zec 7:1-14, 8), does indeed divide the two from one another, both chronologically and externally; but substantially it forms the connecting link between the two, inasmuch as this word of God impresses upon the people the condition upon which the attainment of the glorious future set before them in the night-visions depends, and thereby prepares them for the conflicts which Israel will have to sustain according to the announcement in ch. 9-14, until the completion of the kingdom of God in glory.

Thus all the parts of the book hang closely together; and the objection which modern critics have offered to the unity of the book has arisen, not from the nature of the last two longer oracles (ch. 9-14), but partly from the dogmatic assumption of the rationalistic and naturalistic critics, that the biblical prophecies are nothing more than the productions of natural divination, and partly from the inability of critics, in consequence of this assumption, to penetrate into the depths of the divine revelation, and to grasp either the substance or form of their historical development, so as to appreciate it fully.For the history of these attacks upon the genuineness of the last part of Zechariah, and of the vindication of its genuineness, with the arguments pro and con, see my Lehrbuch der Einleitung, 103, and Koehler’s Zechariah, ii. p. 297ff.

The current opinion of these critics, that the chapters in question date from the time before the captivity - viz. ch. 9-11 from a contemporary of Isaiah, and ch. 12-14 from the last period before the destruction of the kingdom of Judah - is completely overthrown by the circumstance, that even in these oracles the condition of the covenant nation after the captivity forms the historical ground and starting-point for the proclamation and picture of the future development of the kingdom of God. The covenant nation in its two parts, into which it had been divided since the severance of the kingdom at the death of Solomon, had been dispersed among the heathen like a flock without a shepherd (Zec 10:2). It is true that Judah had already partially returned to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; but the daughter Zion had still “prisoners of hope” waiting for release (Zec 9:11-12, compared with Zec 2:10-11), and the house of Joseph or Ephraim was still to be gathered and saved (Zec 10:6-10). Moreover, the severance of Judah and Ephraim, which lasted till the destruction of both kingdoms, had ceased. The eye of Jehovah is now fixed upon all the tribes of Israel (Zec 9:1); Judah and Ephraim are strengthened by God for a common victorious conflict with the sons of Javan (Zec 9:13); the Lord their God grants salvation to His people as a flock (Zec 9:16 compared with Zec 8:13); the shepherd of the Lord feeds them both as a single flock, and only abolishes the brotherhood between Judah and Israel by the breaking of his second staff (Zec 11:14). Hence the jealousy between Judah and Ephraim, the cessation of which was expected in the future by the prophets before the captivity (cf. Isa 11:13; Hos 2:2; Eze 37:15.), is extinct; and all that remains of the severance into two kingdoms is the epithet house of Judah or house of Israel, which Zechariah uses not only in ch. 9-11, but also in the appeal in Zec 8:13, which no critic has called in question. All the tribes form one nation, which dwells in the presence of the prophet in Jerusalem and Judah. Just as in the first part of our book Israel consists of Judah and Jerusalem (Zec 1:19, cf. Zec 2:12), so in the second part the burden pronounced upon Israel (Zec 12:1) falls upon Jerusalem and Judah (Zec 12:2, Zec 12:5., Zec 14:2, Zec 14:14); and just as, according to the night-visions, the imperial power has its seat in the land of the north and of the south (Zec 6:6), so in the last oracles Asshur (the north land) and Egypt (the south land) are types of the heathen world (Zec 10:10). And when at length the empire of the world which is hostile to God is more precisely defined, it is called Javan, - an epithet taken from Dan 8:21, which points as clearly as possible to the times after the captivity, inasmuch as the sons of Javan never appear as enemies of the covenant nation before the captivity, even when the Tyrians and Philistines are threatened with divine retribution for having sold to the Javanites the prisoners of Judah and Jerusalem (Joe 3:6).

On the other hand, the differences which prevail between the first two prophecies of Zechariah and the last two are not of such a character as to point to two or three different prophets. It is true that in ch. 9-14 there occur no visions, no angels taking an active part, no Satan, no seven eyes of God; but Amos also, for example, has only visions in the second part, and none in the first; whilst the first part of Zechariah contains not only visions, but also, in Zec 1:1-6, Zec 7:1-14 and 8, simple prophetic addresses, and symbolical actions not only in Zec 6:9-15, but also in Zec 11:4-17. The angels and Satan, which appear in the visions, are also absent from Zec 7:1-14 and 8; whereas the angel of Jehovah is mentioned in the last part in Zec 12:8, and the saints in Zec 14:5 are angels. The seven eyes of God are only mentioned in two visions (Zec 3:9 and Zec 4:10); and the providence of God is referred to in Zec 9:1, Zec 9:8, under the epithet of the eye of Jehovah. This also applies to the form of description and the language employed in the two parts. The visionary sights are described in simple prose, as the style most appropriate for such descriptions. The prophecies in word are oratorical, and to some extent are rich in gold figures and similes. This diversity in the prophetic modes of presentation was occasioned by the occurrence of peculiar facts and ideas, with the corresponding expressions and words; but it cannot be proved that there is any constant diversity in the way in which the same thing or the same idea is described in the two parts, whereas there are certain unusual expressions, such as מעבר וּמשּׁב (in Zec 7:14 and Zec 9:8) and העביר in the sense of removere (in Zec 3:4 and Zec 13:2), which are common to both parts. Again, the absence of any notice as to the time in the headings in Zec 9:1 and Zec 12:1 may be explained very simply from the fact, that these prophecies of the future of the kingdom are not so directly associated with the prophet’s own time as the visions are, the first of which describes the condition of the world in the second year of Darius. The omission of the name of the author from the headings no more disproves the authorship of the Zechariah who lived after the captivity, than the omission of the name from Isa 15:1; Isa 17:1; Isa 19:1, disproves Isaiah’s authorship in the case of the chapters named. All the other arguments that have been brought against the integrity or unity of authorship of the entire book, are founded upon false interpretations and misunderstandings; whereas, on the other hand, the integrity of the whole is placed beyond the reach of doubt by the testimony of tradition, which is to be regarded as of all the greater value in the case of Zechariah, inasmuch as the collection of the prophetic writings, if not of the whole of the Old Testament canon, was completed within even less than a generation after the prophet’s death.

Zechariah’s mode of prophesying presents, therefore, according to the cursory survey just given, a very great variety. Nevertheless, the crowding together of visions is not to be placed to the account of the times after the captivity; nor can any foreign, particularly Babylonian, colouring be detected in the visions or in the prophetic descriptions. The habit of leaning upon the prophecies of predecessors is not greater in his case than in that of many of the prophets before the captivity. The prophetic addresses are to some extent rich in repetitions, especially in Zec 7:1-14 and 8, and tolerably uniform; but in the last two oracles they rise into very bold and most original views and figures, which are evidently the production of a lively and youthful imagination. This abundance of very unusual figures, connected with much harshness of expression and transitions without intermediate links, makes the work of exposition a very difficult one; so that Jerome and the rabbins raise very general, but still greatly exaggerated, lamentations over the obscurity of this prophet. The diction is, on the whole, free from Chaldaisms, and formed upon the model of good earlier writers. For the proofs of this, as well as for the exegetical literature, see my Lehrbuch der Einleitung, p. 310ff. Complete Redemption of the People of God. - This chapter contains no new promise, but simply a further expansion of the previous section, the condition on which salvation is to be obtained being mentioned in the introduction (Zec 10:1 and Zec 10:2); whilst subsequently, more especially from Zec 10:6 onwards, the participation of Ephraim in the salvation in prospect is more elaborately treated of. The question in dispute among the commentators, viz., whether Zec 10:1 and Zec 10:2 are to be connected with the previous chapter, so as to form the conclusion, or whether they form the commencement of a new address, or new turn in the address, is to be answered thus: The prayer for rain (Zec 10:1) is indeed occasioned by the concluding thought in Zec 9:17, but it is not to be connected with the preceding chapter as though it were an integral part of it, inasmuch as the second hemistich of Zec 10:2 can only be separated with violence from Zec 10:3. The close connection between Zec 10:2 and Zec 10:3 shows that Zec 10:1 commences a new train of thought, for which preparation is made, however, by Zec 9:17.

Zec 1:1-4

The first word of the Lord was addressed to the prophet Zechariah in the eighth month of the second year of the reign of Darius, and therefore about two months after Haggai’s first prophecy and the commencement of the rebuilding of the temple, which that prophecy was intended to promote (compare Zec 1:1 with Hag 1:1 and Hag 1:15), and a few weeks after Haggai’s prophecy of the great glory which the new temple would receive (Hag 2:1-9). Just as Haggai encouraged the chiefs and the people of Judah to continue vigorously the building that had been commenced by this announcement of salvation, so Zechariah opens his prophetic labours with the admonition to turn with sincerity to the Lord, and with the warning not to bring the same punishment upon themselves by falling back into the sins of the fathers. This exhortation to repentance, although it was communicated to the prophet in the form of a special revelation from God, is actually only the introduction to the prophecies which follow, requiring thorough repentance as the condition of obtaining the desired salvation, and at the same time setting before the impenitent and ungodly still further heavy judgments.“The prophet is thus instructed by God, that, before exhibiting to the nation the rich blessings of God for them to look at under the form of symbolical images, he is to declare the duty of His people, or the condition upon which it will be becoming in God to grant them an abundant supply of these good things.” - Vitringa, Comm. in Sach. p. 76.

Zec 1:1. Bachōdesh hasshemı̄nı̄ does not mean “on the eighth new moon” (Kimchi, Chr. B. Mich., Koehl.); for chōdesh is never used in chronological notices for the new moon, or the first new moon’s day (see at Exo 19:1). The day of the eighth month is left indefinite, because this was of no importance whatever to the contents of this particular address. The word of the Lord was as follows: Zec 1:2. “Jehovah was angry with wrath concerning your fathers. Zec 1:3. And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye to me, is the saying of Jehovah of hosts, so will I return to you, saith Jehovah of hosts. Zec 1:4. Be not like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Turn now from your evil ways, and from your evil actions! But they hearkened not, and paid no attention to me, is the saying of Jehovah.” The statement in Zec 1:2 contains the ground for the summons to turn, which the prophet is to address to the people, and is therefore placed before ואמרתּ in Zec 1:3, by which this summons is introduced. Because the Lord was very angry concerning the fathers, those who are living now are to repent with sincerity of heart. The noun qetseph is added as the object to the verb, to give it greater force. The nation had experienced the severe anger of God at the destruction of the kingdom of Judah, and of Jerusalem and the temple, and also in exile. The statement in Zec 1:15, that Jehovah was angry מעט, is not at variance with this; for מעט does not refer to the strength of the anger, but to its duration. ואמרתּ is the perf. with Vav consec., and is used for the imperative, because the summons to repentance follows as a necessary consequence from the fact stated in Zec 1:2 (cf. Ewald, §342, b and c). אלהם does not refer to the fathers, which might appear to be grammatically the simplest interpretation, but to the contemporaries of the prophet, addressed in the pronoun your fathers, the existing generation of Judah. שׁוּבוּ אלי does not presuppose that the people had just fallen away from the Lord again, or had lost all their pleasure in the continuance of the work of building the temple, but simply that the return to the Lord was not a perfect one, not a thorough conversion of heart. So had Jehovah also turned to the people again, and had not only put an end to the sufferings of exile, but had also promised His aid to those who had returned (compare אני אתּכם in Hag 1:13); but the more earnestly and the more thoroughly the people turned to Him, the more faithfully and the more gloriously would He bestow upon them His grace and the promised salvation. This admonition is shown to be extremely important by the threefold “saith the Lord of Zebaoth,” and strengthened still further in Zec 1:4 by the negative turn not to do like the fathers, who cast the admonitions of the prophets to the winds. The “earlier prophets” are those before the captivity (cf. Zec 7:7, Zec 7:12). The predicate ראשׁנים points to the fact that there was a gap between Zechariah and his predecessors, namely the period of the exile, so that Daniel and Ezekiel, who lived in exile, are overlooked; the former because his prophecies are not admonitions addressed to the people, the latter because the greater part of his ministry fell in the very commencement of the exile. Moreover, when alluding to the admonitions of the earlier prophets, Zechariah has not only such utterances in his mind as those in which the prophets summoned the people to repentance with the words שׁוּבוּ וגו (e.g., Joe 2:13; Hos 14:2-3; Isa 31:6; Jer 3:12., Zec 7:13, etc.), but the admonitions, threatenings, and reproofs of the earlier prophets generally (compare 2Ki 17:13.). The chethib מעליליכם is to be read מעליליכם, a plural form עלילים from עלילה, and is to be retained, since the preposition min is wanting in the keri; and this reading has probably only arisen from the offence taken at the use of the plural form ‛ălı̄lı̄m, which does not occur elsewhere, in the place of ‛ălı̄lōth, although there are many analogies to such a formation, and feminine forms frequently have plurals in ־ים, either instead of those in ־ות or in addition to them.

Zec 1:5-6

A reason for the warning not to resist the words of the Lord, like the fathers, is given in Zec 1:5, Zec 1:6, by an allusion to the fate which they brought upon themselves through their disobedience. Zec 1:5. “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, can they live for ever? Zec 1:6. Nevertheless my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers, so that they turned and said, As Jehovah purposed to do to us according to our ways and our actions, so has He done to us?” The two questions in Zec 1:5 are meant as denials, and are intended to anticipate the objection which the people might have raised to the admonitions in Zec 1:4, to the effect that not only the fathers, but also the earlier prophets, had died long ago; and therefore an allusion to things that had long since passed by could have no force at all for the present generation. Zechariah neutralizes this objection by saying: Your fathers have indeed been long dead, and even the prophets do not, or cannot, live for ever; but notwithstanding this, the words of the earlier prophets were fulfilled in the case of the fathers. The words and decrees of God uttered by the prophets did reach the fathers, so that they were obliged to confess that God had really done to them what He threatened, i.e., had carried out the threatened punishment. אך, only, in the sense of a limitation of the thing stated: yet, nevertheless (cf. Ewald, §105, d). דּברי and חקּי are not the words of Zec 1:4, which call to repentance, but the threats and judicial decrees which the earlier prophets announced in case of impenitence. דּברי as in Eze 12:28; Jer 39:16. חקּי, the judicial decrees of God, like chōq in Zep 2:2. Hissı̄g, to reach, applied to the threatened punishments which pursue the sinner, like messengers sent after him, and overtake him (cf. Deu 28:15, Deu 28:45). Biblical proofs that even the fathers themselves did acknowledge that the Lord had fulfilled His threatenings in their experience, are to be found in the mournful psalms written in captivity (though not exactly in Psa 126:1-6 and Psa 137:1-9, as Koehler supposes), in Lam 2:17 (עשׂה יהוה אשׁר זמם, upon which Zechariah seems to play), and in the penitential prayers of Daniel (Dan 9:4.) and of Ezra (Ezr 9:6.), so far as they express the feeling which prevailed in the congregation.

Zec 1:7

Three months after his call to be a prophet through the first word of God that was addressed to him, Zechariah received a comprehensive revelation concerning the future fate of the people and kingdom of God, in a series of visions, which were given him to behold in a single night, and were interpreted by an angel. This took place, according to Zec 1:7, “on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, i.e., the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius,” that is to say, exactly five months after the building of the temple had been resumed (Hag 1:15), with which fact the choice of the day for the divine revelation was evidently connected, and two months after the last promise issued through Haggai to the people, that the Lord would from henceforth bless His nation, and would glorify it in the future (Hag 2:10-23). To set forth in imagery this blessing and glorification, and to exhibit the leading features of the future conformation of the kingdom of God, was the object of these visions, which are designated in the introduction as “word of Jehovah,” because the pictures seen in the spirit, together with their interpretation, had the significance of verbal revelations, and are to some extent still further explained by the addition of words of God (cf. Zec 1:14., Zec 2:10-13). As they were shown to the prophet one after another in a single night, so that in all probability only short pauses intervened between the different views; so did they present a substantially connected picture of the future of Israel, which was linked on to the then existing time, and closed with the prospect of the ultimate completion of the kingdom of God.

Zec 1:8-17

Zec 1:8. “I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtles which were in the hollow; and behind him red, speckled, and white horses. Zec 1:9. And I said, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these are. Zec 1:10. And the man who stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to go through the earth. Zec 1:11. And they answered the angel of Jehovah who stood among the myrtles, and said, We have gone through the earth, and, behold, the whole earth sits still, and at rest. Zec 1:12. Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have compassion upon Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with whom Thou hast been angry these seventy years? Zec 1:13. And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me good words, comforting words. Zec 1:14. And the angel that talked with me said to me, Preach, and say, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I have been jealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great jealousy, Zec 1:15 and with great wrath I am angry against the nations at rest: for I had been angry for a little, but they helped for harm. Zec 1:16. Therefore thus saith Jehovah, I turn again to Jerusalem with compassion: my house shall be built in it, is the saying of Jehovah of hosts, and the measuring line shall be drawn over Jerusalem. Zec 1:17. Preach as yet, and say, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, My cities shall yet swell over with good, and Jehovah will yet comfort Zion, and will yet choose Jerusalem.” The prophet sees, during the night of the day described in Zec 1:7 (הלּילה is the accusative of duration), in an ecstatic vision, not in a dream but in a waking condition, a rider upon a red horse in a myrtle-bush, stopping in a deep hollow, and behind him a number of riders upon red, speckled, and white horses (sūsı̄m are horses with riders, and the reason why the latter are not specially mentioned is that they do not appear during the course of the vision as taking any active part, whilst the colour of their horses is the only significant feature). At the same time he also sees, in direct proximity to himself, an angel who interprets the vision, and farther off (Zec 1:11) the angel of Jehovah also standing or stopping among the myrtle-bushes, and therefore in front of the man upon a red horse, to whom the riders bring a report, that they have gone through the earth by Jehovah’s command and have found the whole earth quiet and at rest; whereupon the angel of Jehovah addresses a prayer to Jehovah for pity upon Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and receives a good consolatory answer, which the interpreting angel conveys to the prophet, and the latter publicly proclaims in Zec 1:14-17.

The rider upon the red horse is not to be identified with the angel of Jehovah, nor the latter with the angelus interpres. It is true that the identity of the rider and the angel of Jehovah, which many commentators assume, is apparently favoured by the circumstance that they are both standing among the myrtles (‛ōmēd, stood; see Zec 1:8, Zec 1:10, and Zec 1:11); but all that follows from this is that the rider stopped at the place where the angel of Jehovah was standing, i.e., in front of him, to present a report to him of the state of the earth, which he had gone through with his retinue. This very circumstance rather favours the diversity of the two, inasmuch as it is evident from this that the rider upon the red horse was simply the front one, or leader of the whole company, who is brought prominently forward as the spokesman and reporter. If the man upon the red horse had been the angel of Jehovah Himself, and the troop of horsemen had merely come to bring information to the man upon the red horse, the troop of horsemen could not have stood behind him, but would have stood either opposite to him or in front of him. And the different epithets applied to the two furnish a decisive proof that the angel of the Lord and “the angel that talked with me” are not one and the same. The angel, who gives or conveys to the prophet the interpretation of the vision, is constantly called “the angel that talked with me,” not only in Zec 1:9, where it is preceded by an address on the part of the prophet to this same angel, but also in Zec 1:13 and Zec 1:14, and in the visions which follow (Zec 2:2, Zec 2:7; Zec 4:1, Zec 4:4; Zec 5:5, Zec 5:10; Zec 6:4), from which it is perfectly obvious that הדּבר בּי denotes the function which this angel performs in these visions (dibber be, signifying the speaking of God or of an angel within a man, as in Hos 1:2; Hab 2:1; Num 12:6, Num 12:8). His occupation, therefore, was to interpret the visions to the prophet, and convey the divine revelations, so that he was only an angelus interpres or collocutor. This angel appears in the other visions in company with other angels, and receives instructions from them (Zec 2:5-8); and his whole activity is restricted to the duty of conveying higher instructions to the prophet, and giving him an insight into the meaning of the visions, whereas the angel of Jehovah stands on an equality with God, being sometimes identified with Jehovah, and at other times distinguished from Him. (Compare the remarks upon this subject in the comm. on Genesis, Pent. pp. 118ff.) In the face of these facts, it is impossible to establish the identity of the two by the arguments that have been adduced in support of it. It by no means follows from Zec 1:9, where the prophet addresses the mediator as “my lord,” that the words are addressed to the angel of the Lord; for neither he nor the angelus interpres has been mentioned before; and in the visions persons are frequently introduced as speaking, according to their dramatic character, without having been mentioned before, so that it is only from what they say or do that it is possible to discover who they are. Again, the circumstance that in Zec 1:12 the angel of the Lord presents a petition to the Supreme God on behalf of the covenant nation, and that according to Zec 1:13 Jehovah answers the angelus interpres in good, comforting words, does not prove that he who receives the answer must be the same person as the intercessor: for it might be stated in reply to this, as it has been by Vitringa, that Zechariah has simply omitted to mention that the answer was first of all addressed to the angel of the Lord, and that it was through him that it reached the mediating angel; or we might assume, as Hengstenberg has done, that “Jehovah addressed the answer directly to the mediating angel, because the angel of the Lord had asked the question, not for his own sake, but simply for the purpose of conveying consolation and hope through the mediator to the prophet, and through him to the nation generally.”

There is no doubt that, in this vision, both the locality in which the rider upon the red horse, with his troop, and the angel of the Lord had taken up their position, and also the colour of the horses, are significant. But they are neither of them easy to interpret. Even the meaning of metsullâh is questionable. Some explain it as signifying a “shady place,” from צל, a shadow; but in that case we should expect the form metsillâh. There is more authority for the assumption that metsullâh is only another form for metsūlâh, which is the reading in many codd., and which ordinarily stands for the depth of the sea, just as in Exo 15:10 tsâlal signifies to sink into the deep. The Vulgate adopts this rendering: in profundo. Here it signifies, in all probability, a deep hollow, possibly with water in it, as myrtles flourish particularly well in damp soils and by the side of rivers (see Virgil, Georg. ii. 112, iv. 124). The article in bammetsullâh defines the hollow as the one which the prophet saw in the vision, not the ravine of the fountain of Siloah, as Hofmann supposes (Weissagung u. Erfüllung, i. p. 333). The hollow here is not a symbol of the power of the world, or the abyss-like power of the kingdoms of the world (Hengstenberg and M. Baumgarten), as the author of the Chaldee paraphrase in Babele evidently thought; for this cannot be proved from such passages as Zec 10:1-12 :16, Isa 44:27, and Psa 107:24. In the myrtle-bushes, or myrtle grove, we have no doubt a symbol of the theocracy, or of the land of Judah as a land that was dear and lovely in the estimation of the Lord (cf. Dan 8:9; Dan 11:16), for the myrtle is a lovely ornamental plant. Hence the hollow in which the myrtle grove was situated, can only be a figurative representation of the deep degradation into which the land and people of God had fallen at that time. There is a great diversity of opinion as to the significance of the colour of the horses, although all the commentators agree that the colour is significant, as in Zec 6:2. and Rev 6:2., and that this is the only reason why the horses are described according to their colours, and the riders are not mentioned at all. About two of the colours there is no dispute. אדום, red, the colour of the blood; and לבן, white, brilliant white, the reflection of heavenly and divine glory (Mat 17:2; Mat 28:3; Act 1:10), hence the symbol of a glorious victory (Rev 6:2). The meaning of seruqqı̄m is a disputed one. The lxx have rendered it ψαροὶ καὶ ποικίλοι, like בּרדּים אמצּים in Zec 6:3; the Itala and Vulgate, varii; the Peshito, versicolores. Hence sūsı̄m seruqqı̄m would correspond to the ἵππος χλωρός of Rev 6:8. The word seruqqı̄m only occurs again in the Old Testament in Isa 16:8, where it is applied to the tendrils or branches of the vine, for which sōrēq (Isa 5:2; Jer 2:21) or serēqâh (Gen 49:11) is used elsewhere. On the other hand, Gesenius (Thes. s.v.) and others defend the meaning red, after the Arabic ašqaru, the red horse, the fox, from šaqira, to be bright red; and Koehler understands by sūsı̄m seruqqı̄m, bright red, fire-coloured, or bay horses. But this meaning cannot be shown to be in accordance with Hebrew usage: for it is a groundless conjecture that the vine branch is called sōrēq from the dark-red grapes (Hitzig on Isa 5:2); and the incorrectness of it is evident from the fact, that even the Arabic šaqira does not denote dark-red, but bright, fiery red. The Arabic translator has therefore rendered the Greek πυῤῥός by Arab. ašqaru in Sol 5:9; but πυῤῥός answers to the Hebrew אדום, and the lxx have expressed sūsı̄m 'ădummı̄m by ἵπποι πυῤῥοί both here and in Zec 6:2. If we compare this with ch. Zec 6:2, where the chariots are drawn by red ('ădummı̄m, πυῤῥοί), black (shechōrı̄m, μέλανες), white (lebhânı̄m, λευκοί), and speckled (beruddı̄m, ψαροί) horses, and with Revelation 6, where the first rider has a white horse (λευκός), the second a red one (πυῥῥός), the third a black one (μέλας), the fourth a pale horse (χλωρός), there can be no further doubt that three of the colours of the horses mentioned here occur again in the two passages quoted, and that the black horse is simply added as a fourth; so that the seruqqı̄m correspond to the beruddı̄m of Zec 6:3, and the ἵππος χλωρός of Rev 6:8, and consequently sârōq denotes that starling kind of grey in which the black ground is mixed with white, so that it is not essentially different from bârōd, speckled, or black covered with white spots (Gen 31:10, Gen 31:12).

By comparing these passages with one another, we obtain so much as certain with regard to the meaning of the different colours, - namely, that the colours neither denote the lands and nations to which the riders had been sent, as Hävernick, Maurer, Hitzig, Ewald, and others suppose; nor the three imperial kingdoms, as Jerome, Cyril, and others have attempted to prove. For, apart from the fact that there is no foundation whatever for the combination proposed, of the red colour with the south as the place of light, or of the white with the west, the fourth quarter of the heavens would be altogether wanting. Moreover, the riders mentioned here have unquestionably gone through the earth in company, according to Zec 1:8 and Zec 1:11, or at any rate there is no intimation whatever of their having gone through the different countries separately, according to the colour of their respective horses; and, according to Zec 6:6, not only the chariot with the black horses, but that with the white horses also, goes into the land of the south. Consequently the colour of the horses can only be connected with the mission which the riders had to perform. This is confirmed by Revelation 6, inasmuch as a great sword is there given to the rider upon the red horse, to take away peace from the earth, that they may kill one another, and a crown to the rider upon the white horse, who goes forth conquering and to conquer (Rev 6:2), whilst the one upon the pale horse receives the name of Death, and has power given to him to slay the fourth part of the earth with sword, famine, and pestilence (Rev 6:8). It is true that no such effects as these are attributed to the riders in the vision before us, but this constitutes no essential difference. To the prophet’s question, mâh-'ēlleh, what are these? i.e., what do they mean? the angelus interpres, whom he addresses as “my lord” ('ădōnı̄), answers, “I will show thee what these be;” whereupon the man upon the red horse, as the leader of the company, gives this reply: “These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to go through the earth;” and then proceeds to give the angel of the Lord the report of their mission, viz., “We have been through the earth, and behold all the earth sitteth still and at rest.” The man’s answer (vayya‛an, Zec 1:10) is not addressed to the prophet or to the angelus interpres, but to the angel of the Lord mentioned in Zec 1:11, to whom the former, with his horsemen (hence the plural, “they answered,” in Zec 1:11), had given a report of the result of their mission. The verb ‛ânâh, to answer, refers not to any definite question, but to the request for an explanation contained in the conversation between the prophet and the interpreting angel. חארץ, in Zec 1:10 and Zec 1:11, is not the land of Judah, or any other land, but the earth. The answer, that the whole earth sits still and at rest (ישׁבת ושׁקטת denotes the peaceful and secure condition of a land and its inhabitants, undisturbed by any foe; cf. Zec 7:7; 1Ch 4:40, and Jdg 18:27), points back to Hag 2:7-8, Hag 2:22-23. God had there announced that for a little He would shake heaven and earth, the whole world and all nations, that the nations would come and fill His temple with glory. The riders sent out by God now return and report that the earth is by no means shaken and in motion, but the whole world sits quiet and at rest. We must not, indeed, infer from this account that the riders were all sent for the simple and exclusive purpose of obtaining information concerning the state of the earth, and communicating it to the Lord. For it would have been quite superfluous and unmeaning to send out an entire troop, on horses of different colours, for this purpose alone. Their mission was rather to take an active part in the agitation of the nations, if any such existed, and guide it to the divinely appointed end, and that in the manner indicated by the colour of their horses; viz., according to Revelation 6, those upon the red horses by war and bloodshed; those upon the starling-grey, or speckled horses, by famine, pestilence, and other plagues; and lastly, those upon the white horses, by victory and the conquest of the world.

In the second year of Darius there prevailed universal peace; all the nations of the earlier Chaldaean empire were at rest, and lived in undisturbed prosperity. Only Judaea, the home of the nation of God, was still for the most part lying waste, and Jerusalem was still without walls, and exposed in the most defenceless manner to all the insults of the opponents of the Jews. Such a state of things as this necessarily tended to produce great conflicts in the minds of the more godly men, and to confirm the frivolous in their indifference towards the Lord. As long as the nations of the world enjoyed undisturbed peace, Judah could not expect any essential improvement in its condition. Even though Darius had granted permission for the building of the temple to be continued, the people were still under the bondage of the power of the world, without any prospect of the realization of the glory predicted by the earlier prophets (Jer. 31; ; Isaiah 40), which was to dawn upon the nation of God when redeemed from Babylon. Hence the angel of the Lord addresses the intercessory prayer to Jehovah in Zec 1:12 : How long wilt Thou not have compassion upon Jerusalem, etc.? For the very fact that the angel of the Lord, through whom Jehovah had formerly led His people and brought them into the promised land and smitten all the enemies before Israel, now appears again, contains in itself one source of consolation. His coming was a sign that Jehovah had not forsaken His people, and His intercession could not fail to remove every doubt as to the fulfilment of the divine promises. The circumstance that the angel of Jehovah addresses an intercessory prayer to Jehovah on behalf of Judah, is no more a disproof of his essential unity with Jehovah, than the intercessory prayer of Christ in John 17 is a disproof of His divinity. The words, “over which Thou hast now been angry for seventy years,” do not imply that the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity predicted by Jeremiah (Jer 25:11 and Jer 29:10) were only just drawing to a close. They had already expired in the first year of the reign of Cyrus (2Ch 36:22; Ezr 1:1). At the same time, the remark made by Vitringa, Hengstenberg, and others, must not be overlooked, - namely, that these seventy years were completed twice, inasmuch as there were also (not perhaps quite, but nearly) seventy years between the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, and the second year of Darius. Now, since the temple was still lying in ruins in the second year of Darius, notwithstanding the command to rebuild it that had been issued by Cyrus (Hag 1:4), it might very well appear as though the troubles of the captivity would never come to an end. Under such circumstances, the longing for an end to be put to the mournful condition of Judah could not fail to become greater and greater; and the prayer, “Put an end, O Lord, put an end to all our distress,” more importunate than ever.

Jehovah replied to the intercession of the angel of the Lord with good and comforting words. Debhârı̄m tōbhı̄m are words which promise good, i.e., salvation (cf. Jos 23:14; Jer 29:10). So far as they set before the people the prospect of the mitigation of their distress, they are nichummı̄m, consolations. The word nichummı̄m is a substantive, and in apposition to debhârı̄m. Instead of the form nichummı̄m, the keri has the form nichumı̄m, which is grammatically the more correct of the two, and which is written still more accurately nichūmı̄m in some of the codd. in Kennicott. The contents of these words, which are addressed to the interpreting angel either directly or through the medium of the angel of Jehovah, follow in the announcement which the latter orders the prophet to make in Zec 1:14-17. קרא (Zec 1:14) as in Isa 40:6. The word of the Lord contains two things: (1) the assurance of energetic love on the part of God towards Jerusalem (Zec 1:14, Zec 1:15); and (2) the promise that this love will show itself in the restoration and prosperity of Jerusalem (Zec 1:16, Zec 1:17). קנּא, to be jealous, applied to the jealousy of love as in Joe 2:18; Num 25:11, Num 25:13, etc., is strengthened by קנאה גדולה. Observe, too, the use of the perfect קנּאתי, as distinguished from the participle קצף. The perfect is not merely used in the sense of “I have become jealous,” expressing the fact that Jehovah was inspired with burning jealousy, to take Jerusalem to Himself (Koehler), but includes the thought that God has already manifested this zeal, or begun to put it in action, namely by liberating His people from exile. Zion, namely the mountain of Zion, is mentioned along with Jerusalem as being the site on which the temple stood, so that Jerusalem only comes into consideration as the capital of the kingdom. Jehovah is also angry with the self-secure and peaceful nations. The participle qōtsēph designates the wrath as lasting. Sha'ănân, quiet and careless in their confidence in their own power and prosperity, which they regard as secured for ever. The following word, אשׁר, quod, introduces the reason why God is angry, viz., because, whereas He was only a little angry with Israel, they assisted for evil. מעט refers to the duration, not to the greatness of the anger (cf. Isa 54:8). עזרוּ לרעה, they helped, so that evil was the result (לרעה as in Jer 44:11), i.e., they assisted not only as the instruments of God for the chastisement of Judah, but so that harm arose from it, inasmuch as they endeavoured to destroy Israel altogether (cf. Isa 47:6). It is no ground of objection to this definition of the meaning of the words, that לרעה in that case does not form an appropriate antithesis to מעט, which relates to time (Koehler); for the fact that the anger only lasted a short time, was in itself a proof that God did not intend to destroy His people. To understand עזרוּ לרעה as only referring to the prolonged oppression and captivity, does not sufficiently answer to the words. Therefore (lâkhēn, Zec 1:16), because Jehovah is jealous with love for His people, and very angry with the heathen, He has now turned with compassion towards Jerusalem. The perfect שׁבתּי is not purely prophetic, but describes the event as having already commenced, and as still continuing. This compassion will show itself in the fact that the house of God is to be built in Jerusalem, and the city itself restored, and all the obstacles to this are to be cleared out of the way. The measuring line is drawn over a city, to mark off the space it is to occupy, and the plan upon which it is to be arranged. The chethib קוה bihtehc , probably to be read קוה, is the obsolete form, which occurs again in 1Ki 7:23 and Jer 31:39, and was displaced by the contracted form קו (keri). But the compassion of God will not be restricted to this. The prophet is to proclaim still more (“cry yet,” Zec 1:17, referring to the “cry” in Zec 1:14). The cities of Jehovah, i.e., of the land of the Lord, are still to overflow with good, or with prosperity. Pūts, to overflow, as in Pro 5:16; and תּפוּצנּה for תּפוּצינה (vid., Ewald, §196, c). The last two clauses round off the promise. When the Lord shall restore the temple and city, then will Zion and Jerusalem learn that He is comforting her, and has chosen her still. The last thought is repeated in Zec 2:1-13 :16 and Zec 3:2.

In this vision it is shown to the prophet, and through him to the people, that although the immediate condition of things presents no prospect of the fulfilment of the promised restoration and glorification of Israel, the Lord has nevertheless already appointed the instruments of His judgment, and sent them out to overthrow the nations of the world, that are still living at rest and in security, and to perfect His Zion. The fulfilment of this consolatory promise is neither to be transferred to the end of the present course of this world, as is supposed by Hofmann (Weiss. u. Erfüll. i. 335), who refers to Zec 14:18-19 in support of this, nor to be restricted to what was done in the immediate future for the rebuilding of the temple and of the city of Jerusalem. The promise embraces the whole of the future of the kingdom of God; so that whilst the commencement of the fulfilment is to be seen in the fact that the building of the temple was finished in the sixth year of Darius, and Jerusalem itself was also restored by Nehemiah in the reign of Artaxerxes, these commencements of the fulfilment simply furnished a pledge that the glorification of the nation and kingdom of God predicted by the earlier prophets would quite as assuredly follow.

Zec 1:18-21

The second vision is closely connected with the first, and shows how God will discharge the fierceness of His wrath upon the heathen nations in their self-security (Zec 1:15). Zec 1:18. “And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. Zec 1:19. And I said to the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he said to me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. Zec 1:20. And Jehovah showed me four smiths. Zec 1:21. And I said, What come these to do? And He spake to me thus: These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no one lifted up his head; these are now come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations which have lifted up the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.” The mediating angel interprets the four horns to the prophet first of all as the horns which have scattered Judah; then literally, as the nations which have lifted up the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. The horn is a symbol of power (cf. Amo 6:13). The horns therefore symbolize the powers of the world, which rise up in hostility against Judah and hurt it. The number four does not point to the four quarters of the heaven, denoting the heathen foes of Israel in all the countries of the world (Hitzig, Maurer, Koehler, and others). This view cannot be established from Zec 1:10, for there is no reference to any dispersion of Israel to the four winds there. Nor does it follow from the perfect זרוּ that only such nations are to be thought of, as had already risen up in hostility to Israel and Judah in the time of Zechariah; for it cannot be shown that there were four such nations. At that time all the nations round about Judah were subject to the Persian empire, as they had been in Nebuchadnezzar’s time to the Babylonian. Both the number four and the perfect zērū belong to the sphere of inward intuition, in which the objects are combined together so as to form one complete picture, without any regard to the time of their appearing in historical reality. Just as the prophet in Zec 6:1-15 sees the four chariots all together, although they follow one another in action, so may the four horns which are seen simultaneously represent nations which succeeded one another. This is shown still more clearly by the visions in Daniel 2 and 7, in which not only the colossal image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar (ch. 2), but also the four beasts which are seen by Daniel to ascend simultaneously from the sea, symbolize the four empires, which rose up in succession one after the other. It is to these four empires that the four horns of our vision refer, as Jerome, Abarb., Hengstenberg, and others have correctly pointed out, since even the picturing of nations or empires as horns points back to Dan 7:7-8, and Dan 8:3-9. Zechariah sees these in all the full development of their power, in which they have oppressed and crushed the people of God (hence the perfect zērū), and for which they are to be destroyed themselves. Zârâh, to scatter, denotes the dissolution of the united condition and independence of the nation of God. In this sense all four empires destroyed Judah, although the Persian and Grecian empires did not carry Judah out of their own land.

The striking combination, “Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem,” in which not only the introduction of the name of Israel between Judah and Jerusalem is to be noticed, but also the fact that the nota acc. את is only placed before Yehūdâh and Yisrâ'ēl, and not before Yerūshâlaim also, is not explained on the ground that Israel denotes the kingdom of the ten tribes, Judah the southern kingdom, and Jerusalem the capital of the kingdom (Maurer, Umbreit, and others), for in that case Israel would necessarily have been repeated before Judah, and 'ēth before Yerūshâlaim. Still less can the name Israel denote the rural population of Judah (Hitzig), or the name Judah the princely house (Neumann). By the fact that 'ēth is omitted before Yerūshâlaim, and only Vav stands before it, Jerusalem is connected with Israel and separated from Judah; and by the repetition of 'ēth before Yisrâ'ēl, as well as before Yehūdâh, Israel with Jerusalem is co-ordinated with Judah. Kliefoth infers from this that “the heathen had dispersed on the one hand Judah, and on the other hand Israel together with Jerusalem,” and understands this as signifying that in the nation of God itself a separation is presupposed, like the previous separation into Judah and the kingdom of the ten tribes. “When the Messiah comes,” he says, “a small portion of the Israel according to the flesh will receive Him, and so constitute the genuine people of God and the true Israel, the Judah; whereas the greater part of the Israel according to the flesh will reject the Messiah at first, and harden itself in unbelief, until at the end of time it will also be converted, and join the true Judah of Christendom.” But this explanation, according to which Judah would denote the believing portion of the nation of twelve tribes, and Israel and Jerusalem the unbelieving, is wrecked on the grammatical difficulty that the cop. ו is wanting before את־ישׂראל. If the names Judah and Israel were intended to be co-ordinated with one another as two different portions of the covenant nation as a whole, the two parts would necessarily have been connected together by the cop. Vav. Moreover, in the two co-ordinated names Judah and Israel, the one could not possibly stand in the spiritual sense, and the other in the carnal. The co-ordination of 'eth-Yehūdâh with 'eth-Yisrâ'ēl without the cop. Vav shows that Israel is really equivalent to the Jerusalem which is subordinated to it, and does not contain a second member (or part), which is added to it, - in other words, that Israel with Jerusalem is merely an interpretation or more precise definition of Yehūdâh; and Hengstenberg has hit upon the correct idea, when he takes Israel as the honourable name of Judah, or, more correctly, as an honourable name for the covenant nation as then existing in Judah. This explanation is not rendered questionable by the objection offered by Koehler: viz., that after the separation of the two kingdoms, the expression Israel always denotes either the kingdom of the ten tribes, or the posterity of Jacob without regard to their being broken up, because this is not the fact. The use of the name Israel for Judah after the separation of the kingdoms is established beyond all question by 2Ch 12:1; 2Ch 15:17; 2Ch 19:8; 2Ch 21:2, 2Ch 21:4; 2Ch 23:2; 2Ch 24:5, etc.Gesenius has correctly observed in his Thesaurus, p. 1339, that “from this time (i.e., from the severance of the kingdom) the name of Israel began to be usurped by the whole nation that was then in existence, and was used chiefly by the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Deutero(?)-Isaiah, and after the captivity by Ezra and Nehemiah; from which it came to pass, that in the Paralipomena, even when allusion is made to an earlier period, Israel stands for Judah,” although the proofs adduced in support of this from the passages quoted from the prophets need considerable sifting.

Jehovah then showed the prophet four chârâshı̄m, or workmen, i.e., smiths; and on his putting the question, “What have these come to do?” gave him this reply: “To terrify those,” etc. For the order of the words מה אלּה בּאים לעשׂות, instead of מה לעשׂות אלּה בּאים, see Gen 42:12; Neh 2:12; Jdg 9:48. אלּה הקּרנות is not a nominative written absolutely at the head of the sentence in the sense of “these horns,” for that would require הקרנות האלּה; but the whole sentence is repeated from Zec 1:2, and to that the statement of the purpose for which the smiths have come is attached in the form of an apodosis: “these are the horns, etc., and they (the smiths) have come.” At the same time, the earlier statement as to the horns is defined more minutely by the additional clause כּפי אישׁ וגו, according to the measure, i.e., in such a manner that no man lifted up his head any more, or so that Judah was utterly prostrate. Hachărı̄d, to throw into a state of alarm, as in 2Sa 17:2. Them ('ōthâm): this refers ad sensum to the nations symbolized by the horns. Yaddōth, inf. piel of yâdâh, to cast down, may be explained as referring to the power of the nations symbolized by the horns. 'Erets Yehūdâh (the land of Judah) stands for the inhabitants of the land. The four smiths, therefore, symbolize the instruments “of the divine omnipotence by which the imperial power in its several historical forms is overthrown” (Kliefoth), or, as Theod. Mops. expresses it, “the powers that serve God and inflict vengeance upon them from many directions.” The vision does not show what powers God will use for this purpose. It is simply designed to show to the people of God, that every hostile power of the world which has risen up against it, or shall rise up, is to be judged and destroyed by the Lord.

Zechariah

This prophet was colleague with the prophet Haggai, and a worker together with him in forwarding the building of the second temple (Ezra v. 1); for two are better than one. Christ sent forth his disciples two and two. Zechariah began to prophesy some time after Haggai. But he continued longer, soared higher in visions and revelations, wrote more, and prophesied more particularly concerning Christ, than Haggai had done; so the last shall be first: the last in time sometimes proves first in dignity. He begins with a plain practical sermon, expressive of that which was the scope of his prophesying, in the first five verses; but afterwards, to the end of ch. vi., he relates the visions he saw, and the instructions he received immediately from heaven by them. At ch. vii., from an enquiry made by the Jews concerning fasting, he takes occasion to show them the duty of their present day, and to encourage them to hope for God's favour, to the end of ch. viii., after which there are two sermons, which are both called burdens of the word of the Lord (one begins with ch. ix., the other with ch. xii.), which probably were preached some time after; the scope of them is to reprove for sin, and threaten God's judgments against the impenitent, and to encourage those that feared God with assurances of the mercy God had in store for his church, and especially of the coming of the Messiah and the setting up of his kingdom in the world.

In this chapter, after the introduction (ver. 1), we have, I. An awakening call to a sinful people to repent of their sins and return to God, ver. 2-6. II. Great encouragement given to hope for mercy. 1. By the vision of the horses, ver. 7-11. 2. By the prayer of the angel for Jerusalem, and the answer to that prayer, ver. 12-17. 3. By the vision of the four carpenters that were employed to cut off the four horns with which Judah and Jerusalem were scattered, ver. 18-21.

Repentance Urged. (b. c. 520.)

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord . 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

Here is, I. The foundation of Zechariah's ministry; it is laid in a divine authority: The word of the Lord came to him. He received a divine commission to be God's mouth to the people and with it instructions what to say. He received of the Lord that which also he delivered unto them. The word of the Lord was to him; it came in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, as a real thing, and not a fancy. For the ascertaining of this, we have here, 1. The time when the word of the Lord came first to him, or when the word that next follows came to him: it was in the second year of Darius. Before the captivity the prophets dated their writings by the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel; but now by the reigns of the kings of Persia, to whom they were subjects. Such a melancholy change had sin made of their circumstances. Zerubbabel took not so much state upon him as to have public acts dated by the years of his government, and in things of this nature the prophets, as is fit, complied with the usage of the time, and scrupled not to reckon by the years of the heathen kings, as Dan. vii. 1; viii. 1. Zechariah preached his first sermon in the eighth month of this second year of Darius; Haggai preached his in the sixth month of the same year, Hag. i. 1. The people being readily obedient to the word of the Lord in the mouth of Haggai, God blessed them with another prophet; for to him that has, and uses well what he has, more shall be given. 2. The name and family of the prophet to whom the word of the Lord came; He was Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, and he was the prophet, as Haggai is called the prophet, Hag. i. 1. For, though in former ages there was one Iddo a prophet (2 Chron. xii. 15), yet we have no reason to think that Zechariah was of his progeny, or should be denominated from him. The learned Mr. Pemble is decidedly of opinion that this Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, is the same that our Saviour says was slain between the temple and the altar, perhaps many years after the rebuilding of the temple (Matt. xxiii. 35), and that our Saviour does not mean (as is commonly thought) Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, for why should Jehoiada be called Barachiah? And he thinks the manner of Christ's account persuades us to think so; for, reckoning up the innocent blood shed by the Jews, he begins at Abel, and ends even in the last of the holy prophets. Whereas, after Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, many prophets and righteous men were put to death by them. It is true there is no mention made in any history of their slaying this Zechariah, but Josephus might industriously conceal that shame of his nation. Perhaps what Zechariah spoke in his prophesying concerning Christ of his being sold, his being wounded in the house of his friends, and the shepherd being smitten, was verified in the prophet himself, and so he became a type of Christ. Probably, being assaulted by his persecutors, he took sanctuary in the court of the priests (and some think he was himself a priest), and so was slain between the porch and the altar.

II. The first-fruits of Zechariah's ministry. Before he came to visions and revelations, and delivered his prophetic discourses, he preached that which was plain and practical; for it is best to begin with that. Before he published the promises of mercy, he published calls to repentance, for thus the way of the Lord must be prepared. Law must be first preached, and then gospel. Now,

1. The prophet here puts them in mind of the controversy God had had with their fathers (v. 2): "The Lord has been sorely displeased with your fathers, and has laid them under the tokens of his displeasure. You have heard with your ears, and your fathers have told you of it; you have seen with your eyes the woeful remains of it. God's quarrel with you has been of long standing, and therefore it is time for you to think of taking it up." Note, The judgments of God, which those that went before us were under, should be taken as warnings to us not to tread in their steps, and calls to repentance, that we may cut off the entail of the curse and get it turned into a blessing.

2. He calls them, in God's name, to return to him, and make their peace with him, v. 3. God by him says that to this backsliding people which he had often said by his servants the prophets: "Turn you to me in a way of faith and repentance, duty and obedience, and I will turn to you in a way of favour and mercy, peace and reconciliation." Let the rebels return to their allegiance, and they shall be taken under the protection of the government and enjoy all the privileges of good subjects. Let them change their way, and God will change his. See Mal. iii. 7. But that which is most observable here is that God is called here the Lord of hosts three times: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts. It is he that speaks, and therefore you are bound to regard what he says." Turn you to me, saith the Lord of hosts (this intimates the authority and obligation of the command), and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts—this intimates the validity and value of the promise; so that it is no vain repetition. Note, The consideration of God's almighty power and sovereign dominion should both engage and encourage sinners to repent and turn to him. It is very desirable to have the Lord of hosts our friend and very dreadful to have him our enemy.

3. He warns them not to persist in their impenitence, as their fathers had done (v. 4): Be you not as your fathers. Instead of being hardened in their evil courses by the example of their fathers' sins, let them rather be deterred from them by the example of their fathers' punishment. We are apt to be governed very much by precedent, and we are well or ill governed according to the use we make of the precedents before us. The same examples to some are a savour of life unto life, to others a savour of death unto death. Some argued, "Shall we be wiser than our fathers? They never minded the prophets, and why then should we mind them? They made laws against them, and why should we tolerate them?" But they are here taught how they should argue: "Our fathers slighted the prophets, and God was sorely displeased with them for it; therefore let us the more carefully regard what God says to us by his prophets." "Review what is past, and observe,"

(1.) "What was the message that God sent by his servants the prophets to your fathers: The former prophets cried to your fathers. cried aloud, and did not spare, not spare themselves, not spare your fathers; they cried as men in earnest, as men that would be heard; they spoke not as from themselves, but in the name of the Lord of hosts; and this was the substance of what they said, the burden of every song, the application of every sermon—Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; the very same that we now preach to you. Be persuaded to leave your sins; resolve to have no more to do with them. A speedy reformation is the only way to prevent an approaching ruin: Turn you now from sin to God without delay."

(2.) "How little this message was regarded by your fathers: But they did not hear, they did not heed. They turned a deaf ear to these calls: They would not hearken unto me, saith the Lord. They would not be reclaimed, would not be ruled, by the word I sent them; say not then that you will do as your fathers did, for they did amiss;" see Jer. xliv. 17. Note, We must not follow the examples of our dear fathers unless they were God's dear children, nor any further than they were dutiful and obedient to him.

(3.) "What has become both of your fathers and of the prophets that preached to them? They are all dead and gone," v. 5. [1.] Your fathers, where are they? The whole generation of them is swept away, and their place knows them no more. Note, When we think of our ancestors, that have gone through the world and gone out of it before us, we should think, Where are they? Here they were, in the towns and countries where we live, passing and repassing in the same streets, dwelling in the same houses, trading in the same shops and exchanges, worshipping God in the same churches. But where are they? They are somewhere still; when they died there was not an end of them. They are in eternity, in the world of spirits, the unchangeable world, to which we are hastening apace. Where are they? Those of them that lived and died in sin are in torment, and we are warned by Moses and the prophets, Christ and his apostles, to look to it that we come not to that place of torment, Luke xvi. 28, 29. Those of them that lived and died in Christ are in paradise; and, if we live and die as they did, we shall be with them shortly, with them eternally. [2.] The prophets also, did they live for ever? No, they are gone too. The treasure is put into earthen vessels, the water of life into earthen pitchers, often cracked, and brought home broken at last. Christ is a prophet that lives for ever, but all other prophets have a period put to their office. Note, Ministers are dying men, and live not for ever in this world. They are to look upon themselves as such, and to preach accordingly, as those that must be silenced shortly, and know not which sermon may be the last. People are to look upon them as such, and to hear accordingly, as those that yet a little while have the light with them, that they may walk and work while they have the light. Oh that this weighty consideration had its due weight given it, that we are dying ministers dealing with dying people about the concerns of immortal souls and an awful eternity, which both they and we are standing upon the brink of! It concerns us to think of the prophets that are gone, that were before us of old, Jer. xxviii. 8. Those that were the glory of men withered and fell; but the word of the Lord endures for ever, 1 Pet. i. 24, 25. The prophets that are now, do we live for ever? (so some read it); no, Haggai and Zechariah will not be long with you, and prophecy itself shall shortly cease. In another world both we and our prophets shall live for ever; and to prepare for that world ought to be our great care and business in this.

(4.) "What were the effects of the word which God spoke to them by his prophets, v. 6. The preachers died, and the hearers died, but the word of God died not; that took effect, and not one iota or tittle of it fell to the ground." As the rain and snow from heaven, it shall not return void, Isa. lv. 11. He appealed to themselves; they knew very well, [1.] That the judgments God had threatened were executed upon their fathers, and they were made to feel what they would not believe and fear: "My statutes which I commanded my servants the prophets, the precepts with the penalties annexed, which I charged them with the delivery of, did they not take hold of your fathers?" Though God's prophets could not fasten convictions upon them, the calamities threatened overtook them, and they could not escape them, nor get out of the reach of them. God's words took hold of them as the bailiff arrests the debtor, and takes him in execution for contempt. Note, The unbelief of man cannot make the threatenings of God's word of no effect, but, sooner or later, they will take place, if the prescribed course be not taken to prevent the execution of them. God's anger will certainly take hold of those that will not be taken hold of by his authority; for when he judges he will overcome. [2.] That they themselves could not but own the accomplishment of the word of God in the judgments of God that were upon them, and that therein he was righteous, and had done them no wrong: They returned, and said (they changed their mind, and when it was too late to prevent the ruin of their nation they acknowledged), Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and doings, to reckon with us for them, so has he dealt with us, and we must acknowledge both his truth and his justice, must blame ourselves only, and have no blame to lay to him. Sero sapiunt Phryges—It is late before the Phrygians become wise. This after-wit, as it is a proof of the truth of God, so it is a proof of the folly of men, who will look no further than they can see. They would never be persuaded to say in time, "God will be as good as his word, for he is faithful; he will deal with us according to our deserts, for he is righteous." But now they see both plainly enough when the sentence is executed; now he that runs may read, and publish the exact agreement that appears between the present providences and the former predictions which then were slighted, between the present punishments and the former sins which then were persisted in. Now they cannot but say, The Lord is righteous, Dan. ix. 11-13.

The Vision of the Horse and Myrtles; Intercession for Jerusalem. (b. c. 520.)

7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. 12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord ; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

We not come to visions and revelations of the Lord; for in that way God chose to speak by Zechariah, to awaken the people's attention, and to engage their humble reverence of the word and their humble enquiries into it, and to fix it the more in their minds and memories. Most of the following visions seem designed for the comfort of the Jews, now newly returned out of captivity, and their encouragement to go on with the building of the temple. The scope of this vision (which is as an introduction to the rest) is to assure the Jews of the care God took of them, and the eye of his providence that was upon them for good, now in their present state, when they seem to be deserted, and their case deplorable. The vision is dated (v. 7) the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, three months after he preached that sermon (v. 1), in which he calls them to repentance from the consideration of God's judgments. Finding that that sermon had a good effect, and that they returned to God in a way of duty, the assurances he had given them are confirmed, that God would return to them in a way of mercy. Now observe here,

I. What the prophet saw, and the explication of that. 1. He saw a grove of myrtle-trees, a dark shady grove, down in a bottom, hidden by the adjacent hills, so that you were not aware of it till you were just upon it. This represented the low, dark, solitary, melancholy condition of the Jewish church at this time. They were over-topped by all their neighbours, buried in obscurity; what friends they had were hidden, and there appeared no way of relief and succour for them. Note, The church has not been always visible, but sometimes hidden, as the woman in the wilderness, Rev. xii. 6. 2. He saw a man mounted upon a red horse, standing in the midst of this shady myrtle-grove. This man is no other than the man Christ Jesus, the same that appeared to Joshua with his sword drawn in his hand as captain of the host of the Lord (Josh. v. 13, 14) and to John with his bow and his crown, Rev. vi. 2. Though the church was in a low condition, yet Christ was present in the midst of it. Was it hidden by the hills? He was much more hidden in the myrtle-grove, yet hidden as in an ambush, ready to appear for the seasonable relief of his people, to their happy surprise. Compare Isa. xlv. 15, Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, and yet Israel's God and Saviour at the same time, their Holy One in the midst of them. He was riding, as a man of war, as a man in haste, riding on the heavens for the help of his people, Deut. xxxiii. 26. He rode on a red horse, either naturally so or dyed red with the blood of war, as this same victorious prince appeared red in his apparel, Isa. lxiii. 1, 2. Red is a fiery colour, denoting that he is jealous for Jerusalem (v. 14) and very angry at her enemies. Christ, under the law, appeared on a red horse, denoting the terror of that dispensation, and that he had yet his conflict before him, when he was to resist unto blood. But, under the gospel, he appears on a white horse (Rev. vi. 2, and again ch. xix. 11), denoting that he has now gained the victory, and rides in triumph, and hangs out the white, not the bloody flag. 3. He saw a troop of horse attending him, ready to receive and obey his orders: Behind him there were some red horses, and some speckled, and some white, angels attending the Lord Jesus, ready to be employed by him for the service of his church, some in acts of judgment, others of mercy, others in mixed events. Note, The King of the church has angels at command, not only to do him honour, but to minister for the good of those that are his. 4. He enquired into the signification of this vision. He had an angel talking with him, as his instructor, besides those he saw in the vision; so had Ezekiel (ch. xl. 3), and Daniel, ch. viii. 16. Zechariah asked him (v. 9), O my Lord! what are these? And, it should seem this angel that talked with him was Christ himself, the man on the red horse, whom the rest were attendants on; to him immediately Zechariah addresses himself. Would we be acquainted with the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must make our application, not to angels (they are themselves learners), but to Christ himself, who is alone able to take the book, and open the seals, Rev. v. 7. The prophet's question implies a humble acknowledgment of his own ignorance and an earnest desire to be informed. O let me know what these are! This he desired, not for the satisfying of his curiosity, but that he might be furnished with something proper for the comfort and encouragement of the people of God, in their present distress. 5. He received from the angel that talked with him (v. 9), and from the man that stood among the myrtle-trees (v. 10), the interpretation of this vision. Note, Jesus Christ is ready to instruct those that are humbly desirous to be taught the things of God. He immediately said, I will show thee what these are. What knowledge we have, or may have, concerning the world of spirits, we are indebted to Christ for. The account given him was, These are those whom the Lord has sent: they are his messengers, his envoys, appointed (as his eyes are said to do, 2 Chron. xvi. 9) to walk, to run, to fly swiftly through the earth, to observe what is done in it and to execute the divine commands. God needs them not, but he is pleased to employ them, and we need the comfort arising from the doctrine of their administration.

II. What the prophet heard, and what instructions were thereby given him. Faith comes by hearing, and, generally, in visions there was something said.

1. He heard the report or representation which the angels made to Christ of the present state of the world, v. 11. They had been out abroad, as flying posts (being hastened by the King of kings' commandment, Esth. iii. 15), and, having returned, they give this account to the Angel that stood among the myrtle-trees (for to the Lord Jesus angels themselves are accountable): We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold all the earth sits still and is at rest. We are taught to pray that the will of God may be done by men on earth as it is done by the angels in heaven; and here we see what need we have to pray so, for it is far from being so. For, (1.) We find the world of angels here very busy. Those that are employed in the court above rest not day nor night from praising God, which is their business there; and those that are employed in the camp below are never idle, nor lose time; they are still ascending and descending upon the Son of man (John i. 51, as on Jacob's ladder, Gen. xxviii. 12); they are still walking to and fro through the earth. Thus active, thus industrious, Satan owns himself to be in doing mischief, Job i. 7. It is well for us that good angels bestir themselves as much to do good, and that here in this earth we have guardians going about continually seeking to do us a kindness, as we have adversaries which, as roaring lions, go about continually, seeking to devour us. Though holy angels in this earth meet with a great deal that is disagreeable, yet, while they are going on God's errands, they hesitate not to walk to and fro through it. Their own habitation, which those that fell liked not, they will like the better when they return. (2.) We find the world of mankind here very careless: All the earth sits still, and is at rest, while all the church is made uneasy, tossed with tempests and not comforted. Those that are strangers to the church are secure; those that are enemies to it are successful. The Chaldeans and Persians dwell at ease, while the poor Jews are continually alarmed; as when the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city Shushan was perplexed. The children of men are merry and jovial, but none grieve for the affliction of God's children. Note, It is sad to think what a deep sleep the world is cast into, what a spirit of slumber has seized the generality of mankind, that are under God's wrath and Satan's power, and yet secure and unconcerned! They sit still and are at rest, Luke xvii. 26, &c.

2. He heard Christ's intercession with the Father for his afflicted church, v. 12. The angels related the posture of affairs in this lower world, but we read not of any prayers they made for the redress of the grievances they had made a remonstrance of. No; it is the Angel among the myrtle-trees that is the great intercessor. Upon the report of the angels he immediately turned heavenward, and said, Lord, wilt thou not have mercy on thy church? (1.) The thing he intercedes for is mercy; as Ps. lxxxv. 7, Show us thy mercy, O Lord! Note, God's mercy is all in all to the church's comfort; and all his mercy must be hoped for through Christ's mediation. (2.) The thing he complains of is the delay of this mercy: How long wilt thou not have mercy! He knows that mercies through him shall be built up for ever (Ps. lxxxix. 2), but thinks it long that the building is deferred. (3.) The objects of compassion recommended to the divine mercies are, Jerusalem, the holy city, and the other cities of Judah that were now in ruins; for God had had indignation against them now threescore and ten years. He mentions seventy years because that was the time fixed in the divine councils for the continuance of the captivity; so long the indignation lasted, and though now for a little space grace had been shown them from the Lord their God, to give them some reviving (Ezra ix. 8), yet the scars of those seventy years' captivity still remained so deep, so painful, that this is the melancholy string they still harp upon—the divine indignation during those seventy years. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that whereas the seventy years of the captivity were reckoned from Jehoiakim's fourth year, and ended in the first of Cyrus, these seventy years are to be computed from the eleventh of Zedekiah, when Jerusalem and the temple were burnt, about nineteen years after the first captivity, and which ended in this second year of Darius Hystaspes, about seventeen years after Cyrus's proclamation, as that seventy years mentioned ch. vii. 5 was about nineteen years after; the captivity went off, as it came on, gradually. "Lord, we are still under the burden of the seventy years' wrath, and wilt thou be angry with us for ever?"

3. He heard a gracious reply given to this intercession of Christ's for his church; for it is a prevailing intercession, always acceptable, and him the Father heareth always (v. 13): The Lord answered the angel, this angel of the covenant, with good words and comfortable words, with promises of mercy and deliverance, and the perfecting of what he had begun in favour to them. These were comfortable words to Christ, who is grieved in the grievances of his church, and comfortable to all that mourn with Zion. God often answers prayer with good words, when he does not immediately appear in great works; and those good words are real answers to prayer. Men's good words will not feed the body (Jam. ii. 16), but God's good words will feed the faith, for saying and doing with him are not two things, though they are with us.

4. He heard that reply which was given to the angel repeated to himself, with a commission to publish it to the children of his people, for their comfort. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him he signified to his servant John, and by him to the churches, Rev. i. 1, 4. Thus all the good words and comfortable words of the gospel we receive from Jesus Christ, as he received them from the Father, in answer to the prayer of his blood, and his ministers are appointed to preach them to all the world. Now that God would speak comfortably to Jerusalem, Zechariah is the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord. The voice said, Cry. Cry then. The prophets must now cry as loudly to show God's people their comforts as ever they did formerly to show them their transgressions, Isa. xl. 2, 3, 6. And if he ask, What shall I cry? he is here instructed. (1.) He must proclaim the wrath God has in store for the enemies of Jerusalem. He is jealous for Zion with great jealousy, v. 14. He takes himself to be highly affronted by the injuries and indignities that are done to his church, as he had been formerly by the iniquities found in his church. The earth sat still and was at rest (v. 11), not relenting at all, nor showing the least remorse, for all the mischief they had done to Jerusalem, as Joseph's brethren, who, when they had sold him, sat down to eat bread; and this God took very ill (v. 15): I am very sorely displeased with the heathen, that are at ease, and have no concern for the afflicted church. Much more will he be displeased with those that are at ease in Zion (Amos vi. 1), with Zion's own sons, that sympathize not with her in her sorrows. But this was not all; they were not only not concerned for her, but they were concerned against her: I was but a little displeased with my people, and designed to correct them moderately, but those that were employed as instruments of the correction cast off all pity, and with the greatest rage and malice helped forward the affliction and added to it, persecuting those whom God had smitten (Ps. lxix. 26) and insulting over those whom he had troubled. See Isa. xlvii. 6; x. 5; Ezek. xxv. 12, 15. Note, God is displeased with those who help forward the affliction even of such as suffer justly; for true humanity, in such a case, is good divinity. (2.) He must proclaim the mercy God has in store for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, v. 16. He must cry, "Thus saith the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. I was going away in wrath, but I am now returning in love. Cry yet to the same purport," v. 17. There must now be line upon line for consolation, as formerly there had been for conviction. The Lord, even the Lord of hosts, assures them, [1.] That the temple shall be built that is now but in the building. This good work which they are now about, though it meet with much discouragement, shall be perfected, and they shall have the tokens of God's presence, and opportunities of conversing with him, and worshipping him, as formerly. Note, It is good news indeed to any place to hear that God will build his house in it. [2.] That Jerusalem shall again be built as a city compact together, which had formerly been its glory, Ps. cxxii. 3. A line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem, in order to the rebuilding of it with great exactness and uniformity. [3.] That the nation shall again become populous and rich, though now diminished and impoverished. Not only Jerusalem, but other cities that are reduced and lie in a little compass, shall yet spread abroad, or be diffused; their suburbs shall extend far, and colonies shall be transplanted from them; and this through prosperity: they shall be so numerous, and so wealthy, that there shall not be room for them; they shall complain that the place is too strait, Isa. xlix. 20. As they had been scattered and spread abroad, through their calamities, so they should now be through their prosperity. Let thy fountains be dispersed, Prov. v. 16. The cities that should thus increase God calls his cities; they are blessed by him, and they are fruitful and multiply, and replenish the land. [4.] That all their present sorrows should not only be balanced, but for ever silenced, by divine consolations: The Lord shall yet comfort Zion. Yet at length, though her griefs and grievances may continue long, God has comforts in reserve for Zion and all her mourners. [5.] That all this will be the fruit of God's preventing distinguishing favour: He shall yet choose Jerusalem, shall renew his choice, renew his covenant, shall make it appear that he has chosen Jerusalem. As he first built them up into a people when he brought them out of Egypt, so he will now rebuild them, when he brings them out of Babylon, not for any worthiness of theirs, but in pursuance of his own choice, Deut. vii. 7, 8. Jerusalem is the city he has chosen, and he will not cast it off.

Comfort for Jerusalem. (b. c. 520.)

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20 And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

It is the comfort and triumph of the church (Isa. lix. 19) that when the enemy shall come in like a flood, with mighty force and fury, then the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Now, in this vision (the second which this prophet had), we have an illustration of that, God's Spirit making a stand, and making head, against the formidable power of the church's adversaries.

I. We have here the enemies of the church bold and daring, and threatening to be its death, to cut off the name of Israel; such the people of God had lately been insulted by: I looked and behold four horns (v. 18), which are explained v. 19. They are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, that is, the Jews both in the country and in the city, because they were the Israel of God. They have tossed them (so some read it), as furious bulls with their horns toss that which they are enraged at. They have scattered them, so that no man did lift up his head, v. 21. No man durst show his face for fear of them, much less give them any opposition, or make head against them. They are horns, denoting their dignity and dominion—horns exalted, denoting also their strength, and power, and violence. They are four horns, for the Jews are surrounded with them on every side; when they avoid one horn that pushes at them they run upon another. The men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many of Israel that joined themselves to them, set about the building of the temple; but the enemies of that work from all sides pushed at them, and drove them from it. Rehum, and Shimshai, and the other Samaritans that opposed the building of the temple, were these horns, Ezra iv. 8. So were Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Ammonites and Arabians, that opposed the building of the wall, Neh. iv. 7. Note, The church's enemies have horns, and use them to the hindrance of every good work. The great enemy of the New-Testament church has seven heads and ten horns (Rev. xvii. 3), so that those who endeavour to do the church any service must expect to be pushed at.

II. We have here the friends of the church active and prevailing. The prophet did himself lift up his eyes and see the four horns, and saw them so formidable that he began to despair of the safety of every good man, and the success of every good work; but the Lord then showed him four carpenters, or smiths, who were empowered to cut off these horns, v. 20, 21. With an eye of sense we see the power of the enemies of the church; look which way we will, the world shows us that. But it is with an eye of faith that we see it safe, notwithstanding; it is the Lord that shows us that, as he opened the eyes of the prophet's servant to see the angelic guards round about his master, 2 Kings vi. 17. Observe, Those that were to fray or break the horns of the Gentiles, and to cast them out, were, 1. Carpenters or smiths (for they are supposed by some to have been horns of iron), men who had skill and ability to do it, whose proper business it was, and who understood their business and had tools at hand to do it with. Note, God calls those to serve the interests of his church whom he either finds, or makes, fit for it. If there be horns (which denote the force and fury of beasts) against the church, there are carpenters (which denote the wisdom and forecast of men) for the church, by which they find ways to master the strongest beasts, for every kind of beasts is tamed, and has been tamed, of mankind, Jam. iii. 7. 2. They were four carpenters, as many horns so many hands to saw them off. Note, Which way soever the church is threatened with mischief, and opposition given to its interests, God can find out ways and means to check the force, to restrain the wrath, and make it turn to his praise. Some by these four carpenters understand Zerubbabel and Joshua, Ezra and Nehemiah, who carried on the work of God in spite of the opposition given to it. Those horned beasts broke into God's vineyard to tread it down; but the good magistrates and the good ministers whom God raised up, though they had not power to cut off the horns of the wicked (as David did, Ps. lxxv. 5, 10), yet frightened them and cast them out. Note, When God has work to do he will raise up some to do it and others to defend it and protect those that are employed in the doing of it.

CHAP. I.

Verſe 1. IN the eighth moneth, in the ſecond year of Darius] Two moneths after Haggai began to propheſie. See the Note on Hagg. 1.1. Theſe two Prophets did jointly together reprove the Jews, for their ſloth in reedifying the Temple, and incite them to ſet forward the work, Ezra 5.1. contributing their utmoſt help thereunto, verſ. 2. They were alſo a ſingular help the one to the other, in the execution of their office. For two are better then one; and why, ſee Eccleſ. 4.9. with the Note. For which cauſe alſo Chriſt ſent out firſt the twelve, and then the ſeventy, by two and two, Mar. 6.7. Luk. 10.1. So Paul and Barnabas were ſent abroad; the two faithfull witneſſes, Revel. 11.3. [non-Latin text not transcribed], as the Poet ſpeaks of Vlyſſes, and Diomedes ſent to fetch in the Palladium. Acts & Mon, Exod. 4.16 One good man may be an Angel to another, (as Bradford was to his fellow-Martyr Dr. Taylour) nay, a God to another, as Moſes was to Aaron. And for others; in the mouth of two or three witneſſes a truth is better beleeved by them: and a twiſted cord not eaſily broken. Haggai layes down the mind of God to the people more plainly in direct and down-right termes: Zachary flies an higher pitch, abounding with types and viſions; and is therefore worthily reckoned among the abſtruſeſt and profoundeſt Pen-men of holy Scripture.Praecaeteris obſcurus eſt profundus, varius, prolixus, & aeigmaticus, Cor. a Lapid. For it muſt be underſtood (and let it here be prefaced) that albeit all Scripture is given by inſpiration of God, and is proſitable to inſtruct, 2 Tim. 3.16. pure, precious, and profitable, every leaf, line, and letter of it, Pſal. 12.6. Prov. 30.5. Yet, between ſcripture and ſcripture there is no ſmall difference; ſome pieces of Gods Book for their antiquity, and ſome other for their obſcurity do juſtly challenge our greater attention and induſtry. Of the former ſort famous for their antiquity, are the five Books of Moſes; whom Theodoret fitly calleth the great Ocean of divinity, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the fountaine of the following ſcriptures. Of the ſecond ſort, noted for their difficulty, and that will not be acquainted with us but upon further ſuit, ſome are hard through their fulneſſe of matter in fewneſſe of words, as the Poeticall bookes, wherein (no doubt) the verſe alſo hath cauſed ſome cloud: And others againe, by the ſublimity of the ſubject they handle: ſuch as are the bookes of Ezechiel, and Daniel, and this of Zachary, who is totus ferè ſymbolicus, and is much followed by St. Iohn in his Revelation. Hence Hierome in his prologue to this Prophet ſaith,Hieron. Ab obſcuris ad obſcuriora tranſimus, & cum Moſe ingredim[illegible: 1 letter]r ad nubem & caliginem. Abyſſus abyſſum invocat &c. We paſſe from dark prophecyes to that which is much more dark: and with Moſes we are entring into the cloud and thick darkneſſe. Here one deep calleth upon another; and being in a Labyrinth, we hope to get out by Chriſts golden clue: concerning whoſe Paſſion, Reſurrection and glory he ſpeaketh more like an Evangeliſt then a Prophet, and may therefore be rightly ſtiled, The Evangelicall Prophet.

came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah the ſon of Barachiah] Therefore the ſame that our Saviour ſpeaketh of Mat. 23.35. Luk 11.51. though I once thought otherwiſe, after Hierome, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Glaſſius, Grotius &c. But 1. the name of his Father Berechiah. 2. the manner of Chriſts account (reckoning from Abel the firſt Martyr to this, penultimus Prophetarum laſt ſave one of the Prophets, and laſt of all that was ſlaine by the Jewes, after the reedifying of the Temple,Zach. 11.1, 13 whither being aſſaulted, he ran for ſanctuary) eaſily perſwades me to alter mine opinion. As for thoſe that hold that our Saviour there ſpcaketh of Zachary the Father of Iohn Baptiſt Luk 1. ſlaine by the Jewes, becauſe he preached Virginis partum & Chriſti ortum, Chriſt born of a Virgin, Baronius, Tolet, and others, as they affirme it without reaſon, ſo they may be diſmiſſed without refutation. Hoc, quia de ſcripturis non habet authoritatem, eâdem facilitate contemnitur, quâ probatur, ſaith Hierome.

the ſon of Iddo the Prophet] Whether the word Prophet be to be referred to Zechariah, 2 Chr. 22.15. or to Iddo, is uncertaine. That there was a Prophet Iado we read, and Zechary might well be of his line, after many deſcents. He is here mentioned (as alſo Ezr. 5.1.) ut nepoti ſuo Zachariae nomen & decus conciliet, for an honout to his ab-nephew Zechary; according to that of Solomon, The glory of children are their fathers, Prov. 17.6. to wit if they be godly and religious. What an honour was it to Jacob, that he could ſweare by the feare of his father Iſaac? to David, that he could ſay,Pſal. 116.16. 2 Tim. 1.5. Truly, Lord, I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, the ſon of thine handmaid? to Timothy, that he had ſuch a mother as Lois, ſuch a grandmother as Eunice? to the children of the Elect Lady, to the poſterity of Latimer, Bradford, Ioh 8.33. Mat. 3.9. Ridley, and other of thoſe men of God, who ſuffered for the truth? If the degenerate Jewes ſo boaſted of Abraham their father, how much more might Zechary (no degenerate plant, [non-Latin text not transcribed] no baſtardly brood as they were Mat. 12.39.) boaſt and beare himſelf bold on his father Berechiah (the bleſſing of God) and his grandfather Iddo (Gods Witneſſe, Confeſſour, or Ornament) ſith he trod in their holy ſteps, and was adorned with their gifts and virtues? The Papiſts brag much of Peter, and other Apoſtles their founders and predeceſſours: But this is but an empty title, to talk of perſonall ſucceſſion (which yet cannot be proved) unleſſe they could alſo ſhew us their gifts and graces, as all the world may ſee they cannot. We read of a painter, who being blamed by a Cardinall, for colouring the viſages of Peter and Paul too red, tartly replyed, that he painted them ſo, as bluſhing at the lives of their ſucceſſours.

Verſe 2. The Lord hath been ſore diſpleaſed with your fathers] Heb. He hath boyled againſt your fathers with foaming anger, with height of heate. There are degrees of anger, ſee Mat. 5.22. and Deut. 29.28. The Lord rooted them out of their land in Anger, and in wrath, and in great Indignation. Surgit hic oratio: and the laſt of thoſe three words is the ſame here uſed in the text: noting an higher degree then the two former, even ſuch a fervour and fierceneſſe of Gods wrath, as maketh him ready to kill and cut off (ſee 2 King. 6 6. and note the affinity of that word with this) like as he had much adoe to forbeare killing of Moſes, Exod. 4. when he met him in the Inne; and as Nebuchadnezzar was not only angry, but very furious, and commanded to deſtroy all the wiſe men of Babylon Dan. 2.12. Now if the wrath of a king be as many meſſengers of death Prov. 16.14. what ſhall we think of the foming and frothing wrath of God, which burnes unto the loweſt hell, and ſets on fire the foundations of the mountains, Deut. 32.22. After which followeth, in the next verſe, I will heape miſchiefs upon them, Deut. 32.23. I will ſpend minc arrowes upon them &c. He had done ſo upon the Anceſtours of theſe refractary Jewes, who had been ſaepius puncti & repuncti, minimè tamen ad reſipiſcentiam compuncti, oſt puniſhed, but could never be reclaimed; ſo incorrigibly flagitious, ſo ſhameleſly, ſo prodigiouſly wicked were they, till there was no remedy. This their vile ſtubbornneſſe made him ſore diſpleaſed with them: and put thunder-bolts into his hands to deſtroy them; For though Fury be not in God Iſay 27.5. to ſpeak properly, he is free from any ſuch paſſions as we are ſubject to, yet if briars and thornes ſet againſt him in battle, if a rabble of rebels conſpire to caſt him out of his throne, ſaying We will not have this man to rule over us &c. I would go through them, I would burn them together, ſaith he, in the ſame breath. Abuſed mercy turneth into fury. Nothing ſo cold as lead, & yet nothing ſo ſcalding, if molten. Nothing more blunt then iron: & yet nothing ſo keen, if ſharpened. The ayre is ſoft & tende: yet out of it are ingendered thunder and lightenings. The ſea is calme, and ſmooth: but if toſſed with tempeſts, it is rough above meaſure. The Lord, as he is Father of mercies, ſo he is God of recompenſes: and it is a fearefull thing to fall into his puniſhing hands. If his wrath be kindled, yea but a little, Heb. 10. Pſal. 2. woe be to all thoſe upon whom it lights: how much more when he is ſore diſpleaſed with a people or perſon as here? For who knoweth the power of thine anger, ſaith Moſes? even according to thy feare, ſo is thy wrath: that is, let a man feare thee never ſo much,Pſal. 90.11 he is ſure to feel thee much more, if once he fall into thy fingers. And this is here urged by the Prophet as a motive to true repentance: ſith by their fathers example, they might ſee there was no way to eſcap[illegible: 1 letter] the dint of the divine diſpleaſure, but to ſubmit to Gods Juſtice and to implore his mercy: men muſt either turn or burn, For even our God is a conſuming fire Heb. 12.29.

Verſe 3. Therefore ſay thou unto them] Theſe Jewes, ſaith Cyrill, had neither ſeen their fathers wickedneſſes, nor heeded their calamities. mittitur ergo ad cos Zacharias quaſi paedagogus, Zachary therefore is ſent unto them as a ſchoolmaſter or Monitour: that by conſidering what had been, they might prevent what otherwiſe would be: and redeem their own ſorrowes.

thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts] A farr greater Lord and Potentate then that great King of Perſia, who was now their ſoveraigne. True it is that they had been commanded by a former King to deſiſt from building the city Ezr. 4.12, 21. But there was no one word in that letter to forbid the building of the Temple. There was alſo now another King ſet up, and of another family. They are therefore by this Prophet and by Haggai called upon again and again to turn to the Lord, and to return afreſh to their work Ezra 5.1. Wherein, becauſe they were ſure to meet with many enemies, therefore here and elſewhere (eighteen ſeverall times in that eight chapter) there is frequent mention made of the Lord of Hoſts, for their better encouragement. See the Note on Mal. 3.17.

turn ye unto me, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] This is the great Doctrine of the Old Teſtament: as Repent ye, is of the New. And this He purpoſely prefixeth, as a preface and preparative to the other Propheſies both of Mercies and Judgements, whereof the whole is fitly made up. Sowr and ſweet make the beſt ſauce. Promiſes and Menaces mixt, make the moſt fruitſull diſcourſe: and ſerve to keep the heart in the beſt temper. Hence Davids ditty was compoſed of diſcords, Pſal. 101.1. I will ſing of mercy and judgment, and ſo be both merry and wiſe. But, to the words of the Text;

turn ye unto me &c.] By ſin men run away from God (whereby it appeareth that ſin is the greateſt evill, becauſe it ſets us furtheſt off from the greateſt good) and by repentance they return unto him. Deut. 30.2, 8, 9, 10. Mal. 3.7. Ier. 4.1. Hoſ. 14.1. Act. 26.18. Hence Act, 3.19. Repent and be converted. Contrition is repentance for ſin 2 Cor. 12.21. Rev. 9.20. Converſion is repentance from ſin Act. 8.22. Heb. 6.1. Hereunto is required firſt a ſerious ſearch of our wayes (for it is a Metaphor taken from a traveller) Let us ſearch and try our wayes and turn againe to the Lord Lam. 3.39. I conſidered my wayes, and then (ſeeing my ſelf farr wide) I turned my feet to thy Teſtimonies. Pſal. 119.59. Satius eſt recurrere, quam malè currere, ſaid that Emperour in his ſymbol, It is better to ſtop or ſtep back, then run on, when out of the way: for here he that haſteth with his feet ſinneth Prov. 19.2. the faſter he runs, the farther he is out. But as the deceived traveller (when once he finds his errour) in his judgement he diſlikcth it, in his will he turneth from it, in his affections he grieveth at it, and is angry with his falſe guides, with his utmoſt endeavour he not only turns againe to the right way, but makes the more haſt that he be not benighted: So is it here, David not only turned his feet to Gods [illegible: 1 letter]eſtimonies, from which he had ſwarved, but he thenceforth made haſt and delayed not to keep his commandements Pſal. 119.59, 60. For, this true converſion we are ſpeaking of, this repentance never to be repented of, is an upright, earneſt and conſtant endeavour of an entire change of the whole man from all that is evill to all which is good. This is the doctrine of the Goſpell, Tit. 2.11. and this is all the fruit Iſaey 27.9. To turn from one ſin to another, is but to be toſſed from one hand of the devill to the other: it is but with Benhadad to recover of one diſeaſe, and dye of another: it is but to take paines to go to hell. See this in Saul, Iohn, Herod, Agrippa, and others, who gave but the half turn: turned not from Eaſt to Weſt, but from Eaſt to North onely: their change was not eſſentiall but only graduall: it is not a through change for ſubject and object, but partiall and temporall, as being but morall, or formall, or merely mentall. It proceedes from conviction of judgement onely, and not for averſion of will: from horrour of puniſhment, not from hatred of ſin; which they leave (haply) but loath not: leave it, I ſay, for the inconveniences that follow it, for the fire that is in it, not for the filthineſſe that is in it. Now all theſe ſeeming Converts, becauſe they caſt not away all their tranſgreſſions (All is a little word, but of large extent) are therefore to be reckoned among thoſe fooles of the people that paſſe on and are puniſhed, thoſe enemies of God that inſtead of turning againe (turning ſhort againe upon themſelves with the prodigall,Prov. 22.3. and returning to the Lord with Ephraim) go on ſtill in their treſpaſſes till their hairy ſcalp be wounded,Pſal. 68.21. till evident and inevitable judgements be incurred, till iniquity prove to be their utter ruine Ezek. 18.30. Wherefore now Turn ye unto me, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, Add not to all your other ſins that of Impenitency, for which there remaines no more ſacrifice (as Herod added to all his former abominations the beheading of the Baptiſt) but Turn you, Turn you, why will ye dye O houſe of Iſrael. And for this, conſider theſe enſuing particulars. 1. Who you are that are required to return: weake and worthleſſe creatures, the ſlime of your fathers loynes, duſt and aſhes, altogether unable to avert or avoid Gods judgements: beaten rebels you are: and have therefore no help left, but to fall down before God and implore his mercy. Turn and live, except ye repent ye ſhall all periſh. 2. Next, ſee who it is to whom ye are required to return: Not to ſome tyrant, or implacable enemy that having gotten us into his hands, will deale cruelly with us, (as the Duke of Alva roſted ſome to death, ſtarved others, and that even after quarter) but to the Lord your God, Hiſt. of Netherl. who is gracious and m[illegible: 1 letter]rcifull, ſlow to anger, and of great kindneſſe, and quickly repenteth him of the evill Ioel 2.13. He will ſurely both aſſiſt ſuch as have but a mind to return (why elſe doth he bid us turn, which he knowes we cannot do without him? and why doth he bid us pray to him to Turn us? when we bid our children ask us for this or that, it is becauſe we meane to give it them.) He will alſo accept us with all ſweetneſſe, as he did Ephraim, Ier. 31.19, 20. and the Prodigall Luk 15. The father met him ver. 20. ſo he will doe us Iſay 65.24. The Prodigall came, the Father ran Tantum velis, Baſil. & Deus tibi praeoecurret) he fell on his neck, as Jacob did on his deare Joſephs, he kiſſed him, when one would have thought he ſhould have kicked him,Ambroſ. or killed him rather for his former riotouſneſle. He calleth for the beſt robe, and for the gold-ring, and for the fatted calf. Filsus timet convitium, Pater adornat convivium, Pſal. 88.5. Let us eat and be merry ſaith He, For this my ſon was dead (given up for dead, free among the dead, free of that company) and is alive againe: He was loſt and is found. Of himſelf he leſt his father and ran riot: and yet he is called the loſt ſon, in the beſt ſenſe. Hunger drove the wolf out of the wood: and yet he is accepted, as if not neceſſitated. 3. Thirdly take notice from what you are required to turn. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evill wayes: for why will ye dye, ye houſe of Iſrael? Ezek. 33.11. It is your ſin only that you are to part with, and why ſhould ye be ſo fond of it? if you look upon it, either in the Authour of it, the devill, Ioh. 8.44. Or in the Nature of it, as it is an Offence againſt God (your rightfull Lord, your bountifull Benefactour) and a breach of his Law which is holy, and juſt, and good; Or in the horrid effects of it (as upon other creatures for mans ſake, ſo eſpecially) upon man himſelf, whom Sin hath excluded from the poſſeſſion of the lower paradiſe, and the poſſibility of the higher, into an eternity of all extremities, after many a little hell here afore-hand. Or (laſtly) in the ranſome of it, Chriſts blood and bitter ſufferings, that ſoule of ſufferings which his ſoule then ſuffered when God made our ſins to meet upon him Eſay 53.6. Oh think on theſe things ſadly, ſeriouſly, fixedly and copiouſly, and you will ſoon ſee caule enough to turn to him from whom theſe children of Iſrael had deeply revolred, Iſay 31.6. and were therefore grievouſly plagued, they and their fathers, that they might return to him that ſmote them. Which becauſe they did not, but ſtood ſtouting it out with God (which was their manner from their youth) therefore were the Syrians before, and the Philiſtines behind to devoure Iſrael with open mouth: and for all this his anger was not turned away, but his hand was ſtretched out ſtill Iſay 9.12, 13. Beſides the hinderance and hurt they did to others by ſtanding out: For ifye turn again to the Lord, your brethren ſhall find compaſſion, ſaid Hezekiah to his people, moving them to repent 2 Chr. 30.9. And ſhould not we lend them this friendly help.

and I will turn to you, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] And ſhould not ſuch a favour from ſuch a Lord melt them and make them malleable?Rom. 2.4. Ioel 2. If. 55.7. Mat. 3.3. Pſal. 130.4. Iam. 4.4. Luk[illegible: 1 letter] 15. Should not the goodneſſe of God lead them to repentance? Should they not rent their hearts becauſe God is gracious? return unto him becauſe he will multiply pardon? repent becauſe his kingdome is now at hand? feare him the rather, becauſe with him there is mercy? draw nigh to him, who thus drawes nigh to them? make haſt home with the prodigall, where there is bread enough? Surely nothing worketh ſo much as kindneſſe upon thoſe that are ingenuous. Thoſe Iſraelites at Mizpeh drew water, and powred it forth before the Lord, upon the return of the Ark. There is no mention of their lamenting after the Lord, while he was gone;1 Sam. 7. but when he was returned and ſettled in Kiriath-jearim 1 Sam 7.6.2 Cor. 5.14. Tit. 2.14. David argues from mercy to duty Pſal. 116.8, 9. Ezra from deliverance to obedience chap. 9.13, 14 The love of Chriſt conſtraineth us ſaith Paul, his grace that bringeth ſalvation teacheth us to denyungodlineſſe, and to live up to our principles.Rom. 12.1. I beſeech youby' the mercies of God, ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, as not having any more prevailing, more heart-attaching, attracting argument in the world to preſſe them with; I have loved thee with an everlaſting love, therefore with mercy have I drawn thee Ier. 31.3. And againe I drew them with the cords of a man, with bands of love, Hoſ. 11.4. that is, with reaſons and motives of mercy befitting the nature of a man, with rationall motives: to neglect mercy is to ſin againſt humanity: not to convert by kindneſſe, is to receive the grace of God in vaine: nay, it is to heape up wrath againſt the day of wrath. A ſon feeling his fathers love, creepes nearer under his wing. A Saul, ſenſible of Davids curteſy in ſparing him, when he might have ſpilt his blood, was ſtrangely mo[illegible: 2 letters]ified and melted into teares. Shall God offer to turn to us, and we refuſe to turn to him? Shall he beſeech us to be reconciled, and we go on in our animoſities and hoſtilities? Doth he offer to powre out his ſpirit even upon ſcorners, and to make known his words unto them, and all this, that they may turn at his reproof Prov. 1.23? And ſhall they yet turn their backs upon ſuch bleſſed and bleeding embracements? Had God given us but one Prophet, and forty dayes time only to turn unto him (as he dealt by Niniveh that great city) ſurely we ſhould have repented long agone in ſackcloth and aſhes. But how juſtly (alaſſe) may he complaine of us, as he did once of Jezabel Rev. 2.21. I gave them ſpace to repent, but they repented not. I have ſtriven with them by my ſpirit, and wooed them by my word. I have heaped upon them mercies without meaſure: and all to bring them back into mine own boſom. I have alſo ſmitten them with blaſting and mildew, with judgements publike and perſonall: and yet they have not turned unto me ſaith the Lord Am. 4.9. Ah ſinfull nation &c. If any ask, What can we do toward the turning of our ſelves to God? I anſwer:

Firſt you muſt be ſenſible of your own utter inability to do any thing at all toward it Ier. 10.23.Btza. Iob, 15.5. Philip. 2.12. Non minus difficile eſt nobis velle credere, quam cadaveri volare. It is no leſſe hard for us to be willing to beleeve, then for a dead carcaſe to fly upwards.

Secondly, know that yet it is poſſible, feiſable, by the uſe of theſe meanes that God hath appointed: who alſo hath promiſed to make it both poſſible and eaſie to us. He bad Moſes fetch his people out of Egypt: but himſelf effected it. He bad the Iſraelites go and blow down the walls of Jericho: they obeyed him, and it was done: So here.

Thirdly as our liberty in externall acts is ſtill ſome, (as to come to the publike ordinances, to ſet our ſelves under the droppings of a powerfull miniſtery, and there to lie, as he did, at the pool of Betheſda, waiting the good houre) ſo muſt our indeavours be anſwerable. The Bereans brought their bodyes to the Aſſembly, took the heads of St. Pauls ſermon, compared them with the ſcriptures Act. 17.11, 12. and yet they were unconverted.

Fourthly, make much of the leaſt beginnings of Grace, even thoſe they call Repreſſing: ſince they prepare the heart for converſion. See Luk. 11.32.

Fiftly, Pray, Turn us O God and we ſhall be turned, Draw us and we ſhall run after thee. And here remember to be earneſt. Ask, ſeek, knock, as the importunate neighbour that came to borrow two loaves, or as the widdow that came for juſtice,Luke 18.1. and would not away without it. He that heareth the young ravens that cry onely by implication, will he be wanting to his weake but willing ſervants?

Laſtly wait for the firſt act of converſion, the infuſion of the ſap of Grace, which is wholy from God; our will prevents it not but followes it: and whenſoever the ſpirit imbreatheth you, turn about, like the mill; when God hath tuned and doth touch you, do you move and make melody: reſigning up your ſelves wholy to him, and putting your ſelves out, God into poſſeſſion. Thus if you turn to him, he will turn to you. The Lord is with you, whiles ye be with him. If ye ſeek him he will be found of you: but if ye forſake him, he will forſake you. 2 Chron. 15.2. See that ye refuſe not him that ſpeaketh in this text with ſo much affection and earneſtneſſe: [non-Latin text not transcribed] Heb. 12.25. ſee that ye ſlight him not, that ye ſhift him not of[illegible: 1 letter] (as the word ſignifieth:) for if they eſcaped not who refuſed him that ſpake on earth, much more ſhall not we eſcape, if we turn away from him that thus ſpeaketh from heaven, ſc. by his blood, Word, Sacraments, Mercyes, motions of his ſpirit, croſſes &c. When Phyſick, that ſhould remove the diſeaſe, doth cooperate with it, then death comes with the more paine and ſpeed. The ſtronger the conviction of ſin is, the deeper will be the wrath againſt it, if it be not by repentance avoyded. No ſurfet more dangerous then that of bread: no judgment more terrible then that which growes out of mercy offered, and deſpiſed.

Verſe 4. Be ye not as your fathers] Man is a creature apt to imitate, to be led more by his eyes then by his eares: and children think they may lawfully Be as their fathers. St. Peters converts had received their vaine converſation from their fathers, as it were ex traduce, or by tradition 1 Pet. 1.18. And St. Steven tells his perverſe hearers that they were as good at reſiſting the Holy Ghoſt as their fathers had been before them Act. 7.51. They uſed to boaſt much of their Anceſtours Ioh. 8.33. and to bind much upon their example and authority Ier. 44. 17. Mat. 5.21. They thought they were not much to be blamed, becauſe they did but as their fathers had done before them. The Prophet therefore dehorts or rather deterrs them from that folly: ſerting forth both the crime and doome of their forefathers, whom they ſo much admired, and ſo ſtifly imitated, and this he oſt repeateth that they might once conſider it, and be wrought upon by thoſé domeſtick examples.

have cryed] Loudly and luſtily;Eſ. 58.1. according to that, Cry aloud, ſpare not, Lift up thy voice like a trumpet: ſic clames ut ſtentora vincas, A miniſter ſhould be a Simon Zelotes, a ſon of thunder: as Baſil was ſaid to thunder in his preaching, lighten in his life; as Hierome for his vehemency was called Fulmen Eccleſiaſticum, the Churches light-bolt: as Harding, before his ſhamefull Apoſtaſy, wiſhed he could cry out againſt Popery, as loud as the belles of Oſeney: and as Farellus (that notable French Preacher) whoſe voice when the envious Monks ſought to drown by ringing the bells as he was preaching at Metis, he lifted up his voyce adravim uſque: and would not ſuffer himſelfe to be outroared. The Saints-bell (as they called it) Pierius uſeth for an hieroglyphick of a preacher, who muſt not ſpeak the word onely, but ſound it out into all the earth, Rom. 10.18. not preach it onely, but cry it, as the Apoſtles word ſignifieth, 2 Tim. 4.2. clangite, clamate, Jer. 4.5. Boâte, vociferate, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Boantis, Vociferantis. Mat. 3.3. Miniſters have to doe with deafe men, dead men, living carcaſſes, walking ſepulchers of themſelves. Now therefore as our Saviour lifted up his voice when he ſaid, Lazarus come forth: ſo muſt they ſtand over men and cry aloud, awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from the dead, that Chriſt may give thee light, Eph. 5.14.

turne you now from your evil wayes &c.] This was the conſtant cry of the Prophets as here, and Apoſtles as Acts 26.18. to open mens eyes (naturally cloſed up that they cannot ſee the evill of their wayes, Ier 2.35. Rev. 3.15.) to turn them from darkneſſe to light, and from the power of Satan to God.

and from your evill doings] Heb. Deſignes, geſts, or exerciſes enterprized adviſedly, and proſecuted ſtudiouſly, of natural diſpoſition and inclination as Prov. 20.11. and 1 Sam. 25.3. This St. Iohn uſually calleth committing of ſinne. 1 Epiſt. 3.4, 8, 9. Iohn 8.34. this is to adde rebellion to ſinne, Iob 34.37. impudence to impotence, browes of braſſe to iron ſinewes, Iſa. 48.4. This is wickedneſſe with a witneſſe, which if men could but ſee in its native colours, and curſed conſequents, they would ſoon be perſwaded to turn from it. As the eye cannot but be offended with a lothſome object: ſo neither can the underſtanding. Take rats-bane, it looketh not evil: bu[illegible: 1 letter] when a man feeles it boyle, burn, torture him, &c. he hates it extremely. So he ſhould doe ſinne: he will doe elſe at length, when it is too late. For prevention: take the counſell of a Martyr, get thee Gods law, as a glaſſe to look in — So ſhal you ſee your faces foul-arrayed, and ſo ſhamefull, mangy, pocky, and ſcabbed,Bradfords ſerm. of Repent. p. 20.26, 27. that you cannot but be ſory at the contemplation thereof, and ſeek out for cure: Eſpecially if you look to the tag tied to Gods law, the malediction: which is ſuch, as cannot but make us to caſt our curriſh tailes between our legs, if we beleeve it. But O faithleſſe hard hearts! O Iezabels gueſts, rocked and laid aſleep in her bed! O wicked wretches &c.

but they did not hear] Though the Prophets cryed, and ſpake loud enough to bee heard and heeded. An heavie eare is a ſingular judgement, Iſa. 6.10. An hearing eare, a precious mercy, Prov. 20.12. God muſt bee intreated to boare our eare Pſal. 40.6. and to make the boare ſo big that the word may enter; to ſay as Iſa. 42.18. Hear ye deaf, and looke ye blind, that ye may ſee.

Verſe 5. Your fathers where are they?] Is not the grave their houſe? have they not made their beds in the dark? are not they gone down to the Congregation houſe of all living Iob 30.23? Every man ſhould die the ſame day he is born; as being born a child of death: the wages of ſinne is death, and this wages ſhould bee paid him down preſently. But Chriſt beggs their lives for a ſeaſon 1 Tim. 4.10. he is the Saviour of all men, not of eternal preſervation, but of temporal reſervation. But what a ſad thing is it for men to dye in their ſinnes as theſe in the Text, and their Nephews did Iohn 8.21, 24. How may ſuch men, on their death-beds, ſay to their ſins, as Charles the fifth did of his honours, victories, riches, Abite hinc, abite longè, Go,Mornaeus. go, get you out of my ſight: or as Cornelius Agrippa the conjurer did to his familiar that uſed to accompany him in the ſhape of a dog, Abi à me perdit a beſtia, Joh. Manl. loc. com. 136. P. Sut. de vit. Caribuſian. quae me perdidiſti, Be gone thou wretched beaſt that haſt wrought my ruine: Petrus Sutorius ſpeaks of one that preaching a funeral ſermon on a religious man (as he calles him) and giving him large commendations, heard at the ſame time a voice in the Church, [non-Latin text not transcribed] mortuus ſum, judicat us ſum, damnat us ſum, I am dead, judged, and damned. The Devill preached Sauls funeral, 1 Sam. 28.19. though David made his Epitaph, 2 Sam. 1.

And do the Prophets live for ever?] Thoſe falſe Prophets (ſo Hierome ſenſeth it) that cryed peace, peace to your fathers, and made all fair weather before them, when the fierce wrath of God was even ready to burſt out upon them, as an overflowing ſcourge. But they doe better that underſtand it of Gods true Prophets, who are dead indeed (for wiſe men dye as well as fooles Pſal. 4[illegible: 1 letter].10. Good men dye as well as bad, Ezech. 21.4. yea good men oft, before the bad, Eſay 57.1.) but their words dyed not with them: the truth of their propheſies not onely lived for ever (for ever O Lord thy word is ſtabliſhed in heaven Pſal. 119.89.) but ſtruck in the hearts and fleſh of their perverſe hearers, like the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty throughout all eternity.Haeret lateri lethalis arundo Wicked men may, as the wounded Hart, frisk and skip up and down when the deadly arrow ſticks in their ribbes, but not ſo eaſily ſhake it off.

Verſe 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers] Overtake and catch them (as Huntſmen their prey, or as one enemy doth another in flight 1 King. 18.27. 2 King. 25.5.) to drag them down to the bottome of hell. A godly man, as he hath peace with God, with himſelfe, and with the creatures: ſo he hath alſo with the Ordinances, and may ſay as Hezekiah, Good is the Word of the Lord which thou haſt ſpoken. Are not my words alwaies good ſaith God, to them that walk uprightly, Mic. 2.7? Excellently Auguſtine, Adverſarius eſt nobis, quamdiu ſumus & ipſi nobis: quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es, inimicum habebis ſermonem Dei. Gods word is adverſary to none but ſuch as are adverſaries to themſelves: Neither doth it condemn any, but ſuch as ſhall be aſſuredly condemned by the Lord;Cor & anima Dei Greg. in 3. Reg. for what is the Word, but the heart and ſoul of God, as Gregory ſaith. And what ſaith the Eſſential Word of God, who came out of the boſome of his father and knew all his counſell? He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have ſpoken, the ſome ſhall judge him in the laſt day, Iohn 12.48? Oh conſider this ye that forget God, that ſlight his word as if it were but wind, that bely the Lord and ſay, It is not he neither ſhall the cvill (foretold) come upon us, neither ſhall we ſee ſword nor famine. And the Prophets ſhall become wind, and the word is not in them, thus ſhall it bee done unto them, Wherefore thus ſaith the Lord God of hoſts, becauſe ye ſpeak this word (and is there not ſuch language of many mens hearts now-adayes?) Behold I will make my words (not wind, but) fire and this people wood, and it ſhall devour them, Ier. 5.12, 13, 14. The Word of God in the mouths of his Miniſters may well be likened to Moſes his rod: which whiles he held it in his hand, it flouriſhed, and brought forth almonds: but being caſt upon the ground it became a ſerpent. Semblably, Gods words and ſtatutes, if laid to heart, they yeeld fruit and comfort: but if ſlighted or ſnuffed at (as Mal. 1.13.) ſerpent-like they will ſting the ſoul, and become a ſavour of death &c. This contempt will alſo call for a ſword, to revenge the quarrel of the Covenant: as it did upon theſe mens fathers for their inſtance, and admonition. It is reckoned by Daniel as a great aggravation of Belſhazzars ſinne Dan. 5.22. that hee was not ſenſible of his father Nebuchadnezzars pride and fall. And thou his ſ[illegible: 1 letter]nne Belſhazzar, haſt not humbled thine heart, though thou kneweſt all this. The ſinne of theſe Jewes in the Text was the greater, becauſe their Fathers and Elders (either out of ſound converſion, or at leaſt out of clear conviction of conſcience) had confeſſed and remonſtrated the truth and juſtice of God in threatening and executing his judgements upon themſelves, ſaying as Lam. 1.18. The Lord is righteous, for we have rebelled againſt his commandements: and as chap. 2.17. The Lord hath done that which he had deviſed, he hath fulfilled his word, he hath thrown down and hath not pittied &c. Hear them in their own words here like as the Lord of hoſts (whoſe power is irreſiſtible) thought (deviſed, determined with himſelfe,Zamam and accordingly denounced by his Prophets) to doe unto us (who did not the words which he commanded us, Ier. 11.8.) according to our wayes (which were alwaies grievous, Pſal. 10.5.) and according to our doings (that were not good, Ezek. 36.31.) ſo hath he dealt with us: for he loves to retaliate and to render to every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, a juſt recompence of reward, Heb. 2.2.

Verſe 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month] The third month after the former prophecy, when the Jewes probably had practiſed the doctrine of Repentance, ſo earneſtly preſſed upon them: and had humbled themſelves under the mighty hand of God, who was now ready to lift them up by this and the ſeven following moſt comfortable Viſions touching the reſtauration and reformation of the Church and State. The Devill and his impes love to bring men into the briars, and there to leave them, as familiars forſake their witches, when they have brought them once into fetters: as the Prieſts left Judas the traytour to look to himſelf, Mat. 27.4. and as the Papiſts caſt off Cranmer, after that, by ſubſcribing their Articles, he had caſt himſelf into ſuch a wretched condition, that there was neither hope of a better, nor place for a worſe;Melch. Ad. in vita. ut jam nec honeſtè mori nec vivere inhoneſtè liceret. But ſuch is not Gods manner of dealing with thoſe that tremble at his word, and humble at his feet. Deijcit ut relevet, premit ut ſolatia praeſtet, He comforteth thoſe that are caſt down, 2 Cor. 7.6. commandeth others to comfort the feeble-minded, 1 Theſ. 5.14. and noteth thoſe that do not with a black-coal,Nigro carbone notar. Job 6.14. See the workings of his bowels, the rowlings of his compaſſions kindled into repentance toward his penitentiaries, Jer. 31.20. Hoſ. 11.8. Eſay 40.1, 2. See how he comforts them with cordials according to the time wherein he had afflicted them, Pſal. 90.15. and in the very thing wherein he had abaſed them; as he once dealt with their Head, Philip. 2.7, 8.

Kerſe 8. I ſaw by night] The uſuall time for ſuch revelations. It may note (moreover) the obſcurity of the Prophecy: whence alſo the mention of myrtletrees (low and ſhady) and that in a bottom, as Calvin conceiveth: and all this, that he might give a taſte of good hope to the Jews by little and little.

and behold a man riding upon a red horſe] Not Alexander the Great, riding upon his horſe Bucephalus, and tranſlating the Empire from the Perſians to the Grecians, as Arias Montanus conceited it: But the Man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2.5. the Captain of the Lords Hoſt, Joſh. 4.14. and of our ſalvation, Heb. 2.10.

riding upon a red horſe] In the ſame ſenſe (ſaith One) that this colour is given to his garments, Eſay 63.1, 2, 3. and to the Angels horſe, Rev. 6.4. The wild Bull (ſaith Another) of all things, cannot abide any red colour. Therefore the hunter for the nonce, ſtanding before a tree, puts on a red garment; whom when the Bull ſeeth, he runneth at him as hard as he can drive. But the hunter ſtepping aſide, the bulls horns ſtick faſt in the tree: as when David ſlipped aſide, Sauls ſpear ſtuck faſt in the wall. Such an hunter is Chriſt: He lifted up upon the tree of his croſſe, had his garment dipt and died in his own blood, as one that cometh with red garments from Bozra. Therefore the Devil and his Angels (like wild bulls of Baſhan) ran at him with all their force, (in that three-hours darkneſſe eſpecially) but he delivering himſelf, as a mighty Conquerour, their horns ſtick faſt, as it were in his croſſe: as Abrahams ramme, by his horns ſtuck faſt in the brier, &c.

and he ſtood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom] Myrrhe-trees ſome render it. Here Chriſt, that horſeman and head of his Church, keepeth himſelf, as touched with the feeling of our infiunities, Heb. 4.15. as ſuffering and ſorrowing with his people, who are fitly compared to myrtles, that grow in a ſhady grove, in vallies and bottoms, and by waters ſides.— & amantes littorae myrtos. Virg. Georg. Bleſſed are ye that ſowe beſide all waters, Eſay 32.20. Myrtles alſo are odoriferous, and precious, Eſay 41.19. and 55.13. ſo are the Saints, Eſay 43.4. Coloſ. 4.6. they caſt a good ſcent where-ever they go, by the grace of God that is in them: as Alexander the Great is ſaid to do, by the excellent temperament of his body. Laſtly, Levit. 23.40. with Neh 8.15. the Jews at their joyfull feaſt of Tabernacles, uſed myrtle-branches among others, to teſtifie their thankfulneſſe for a ſettlement in the promiſed land, after ſo long wandring in the wilderneſſe. The Gentiles alſo in their ſolemn feaſts, enterludes, and —cingebant tempora myrto, wore garlands made of Myrtle.Virg. Georg: Let us keep the feaſt: Let us keep holy-day, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 5.8. [non-Latin text not transcribed] who himſelf did over-abound exceedingly with joy, had an exuberancy of it, at that conſtant feaſt of a good conſcience. Diogenes could ſay, that a good man keeps holy-day,2 Cor 7.4. all the yeer about: Chriſt crowneth the Kalendar of his peoples lives with continuall feſtivals here: how much more in heaven? Pliny tells us,Plin. lib. 15. cap. 29. that ex myrto facta eſt ovantium corona, ſubinde & triumphantium; of Myrtle was made, among the Romans, the crown or garland, of thoſe that did ſhout for victory, or ride in triumph.

and behind him were there red horſes] i. e. horſe-men: Nam nimis craſſum eſt illud commentum, fuiſſe locutos equos, ſaith Calvin here. Theſe horſe men are Angels, as verſe 10. deputed to ſeverall offices, and executions, for judgement, fo[illegible: 1 letter] mercy, or both; ſhadowed by the divers colours of their horſes.

Verſe 9. [illegible: 1 letter]alvin. Then ſaid I, O my Lord what are theſe?] Thus the Prophets enquired and ſearched diligently (as ſaith Saint, Peter, 11 Epiſt. 1.11.) for the truth of things, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as hunters ſeek for game, and as men ſeek for gold, in the very mines of the earth: who not content with the firſt oar that offereth it ſelf to their view, dig deeper, and deeper, till they are owners of the whole treaſure. See Prov. 2.4. and reſt not, till ye ſee that bliſſefull ſight, Epheſ. 1.18, 19.

and the Angel that talked with me,] Or, in me, as the Vulgar rendreth it. This was ſome created Angel, who might reveal things to the Prophet by working on the phantaſie, and ſpirit, by way of information and inſtruction, as Dan. 9.21. Luk. 1.11. Apoc. 1.1.

I will ſhew thee what theſe be] How ready are the holy Angels to ſerve the Saints, Heb. 1.14. rejoycing more in their names of office then of honour, of employment, then preferment, to be called Angels (that is, Meſſengers, or Internuntio's) then Principalities, Thrones, Dominions, Epheſ. 1.20. accounting it. better to do good, then to be great, to diſpenſe Gods benefits, then to enjoy them. Hence they are with, and about the Saints, as their companions, guides, protectours, monitours, and rulers of their actions, as here.

Verſe 10. And the man that ſtood among the myrtle-trees] The man Chriſt Jeſus, that is ever with his Church, and in the midſt of his people, that feedeth among the lill[illegible: 1 letter]es, and walketh in the middeſt of the ſeven golden candleſticks. He being asked by the foreſaid Angel, anſwered him (in Zacharies hearing) for he is Palmoni hammedabber, that excellent Speaker, as Daniel calleth him, and therefore asketh him of the viſion, Dan. 8.13.

Theſe are they whom the Lord hath ſent] As his Epoptai, or Overſeers and Intelligencers. Not that God needeth them, as Princes need the counſell and aid of their ſubjects. The holy Angels receive möre from God, then they performe, or bring to him. But he maketh uſe of their ſervice about us. 1. For the honour of his Majeſty, and comfort of our infirmity. 2. To make out his love unto us, by employing ſuch noble creatures for our good. 3. To make and maintain love and correſpondency between us and Angels, till we come to walk arm in arm with Angels, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as Zach. 3.7. and to be like unto them, yea their equals, Luke 20.36. if not more, Epheſ. 1.23.

Verſe 11. We have walked to and fro thorow the earth] Itavimus, we have courſed up and down with incredible ſwiftneſſe. Hence they are called the charrets of God, Pſal. 68.17. (Heb. Gods-charret, to note out their joynt-ſervice, as of one) as here, his horſemen, ready preſt to do his pleaſure.

and behold all the earth ſitteth ſtill, and is at reſt] excepting the Church alone, which like Noah's Ark, is ever toſſed up and down, till it reſt at laſt on the everlaſting mountain: then ſhe ſhall have her happy Halcyons: then ſhe ſhall ſee her enemies afar off, as Lazarus did Dives, or as the Iſraelites at the red-ſea did their perſecutours, dead upon the ſhore. Mean-while, ſhe muſt not expect to be calm, and quiet for any continuance.Joh. 16.33. Joh. 16.20. Eſth. 3.15. Eſay 21.10. 1 Cor. 3.9. In the world ye ſhall have trouble, And ye ſhall weep and lament: but the world ſhall rejoyce: they ſhall revel, and laugh themſelves fat. The king and Haman ſat down to drink: but the city Shuſhan was perplexed. The Church is called Gods threſhing-floor, becauſe threſhed with continuall croſſes: and Gods-husbandry, becauſe he will be ſure to plow his own ground, and to make long furrows upon their backs, whatſoever become of the waſte; and to weed his own garden, though the reſt of the world be let alone, and grow wild. Moab is not poured from veſſell to veſſell, Jer. 48. Job 10.10.[illegible: 1 letter] but ſetleth upon the lees: when the Iſrael of God is poured out as milk, and crudled like cheeſe, as Job ſpeaketh in another caſe.

Verſe 12. Then the Angel of the Lord] That Advocate with the Father, Jeſus the Juft One, 1 John 2.2. who appeareth for his afflicted people, and feelingly pleads for them, as being afflicted in all their afflictions, even the Angel of his preſence that ſaveth them, Eſay 63.9. It much moved him, to hear that Gods enemies were in better caſe then his people: and this put him upon the following paſſionate expoſtulation.

O Lord of Hoſts, How long wilt thou not have mercy on Jeruſalem, &c.] Ʋſquequo Domine. Calvin had theſe words much in his mouth: thereby breathing out his holy deſires in the behalf of the afflicted Churches,Melch. Adam. in vita. with whoſe ſufferings hee was more affected then with any thing that befell himſelf. It is ſaid of Melan[illegible: 1 letter]thon, that the miſeries of the Church made him almoſt neglect the death of his deareſt children: and put him upon many prayers and tears; which,Idem in vita Melanch. like muſick upon the water, made a moſt melodious noiſe in the ears of God. When Luther in a certain Epiſtle checked him, and chod him for his exceeding great care of the Churches welfare, calling him pertinaciſſimam curarum hirudinem, &c. he meekly replied, Si nihil curarem, nihil orarem; If I ſhould not care ſo, I ſhould not pray ſo. God ſeemeth ſometimes to have loſt his mercy, (as here, How long wilt thou be unmercifull to Jeruſalem) and then we muſt find it for him. He ſeems to have forgot his people: we muſt remind him. He ſeems to ſleep, delay: we muſt waken, quicken him, with How long Lord? Thou ſhalt ariſe, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea the ſet time is come, ſaith Daniel, Pſal. 102.13, 14 who is (probably) held to be the Pen man of that excellent Pſal. 102. (Confer Dan. 9.2.) and he ſpeaks it with as much confidence, as if he had been in Gods bleſſed boſom the while. This alſo he ſpake, not now by a ſpirit of prophecy, or ſpeciall revelation; but by way of argumentation, or neceſſary demonſtration: For thy ſervants take pleaſure in her ſtones, and favour the duſt thereof; They pity her, and melt over her, therefore thou Lord much more: ſith all their tenderneſſe is but a ſpark of thy flame, a drop of thine Ocean.

againſt which thou haſt had indignation, theſe threeſcore and ten yeers] There is much ado among Interpreters about Jeremies 70 and Zacharies 70, whether one and the ſame: or different one from another. That of Scaliger is moſt unlikely, who reckoneth theſe yeers of the captivity, from the firſt year of Xerxes with his father Darius, unto the fourth year of Darius Nothus. Lib. 6. de Emend. Temp. How much better our countreyman Lydiat (whom yet Scaliger ſo much ſcorned, ſaying, Quis eſt ille ex ultima Britannia Canis, qui Ioſ. Scaligerum audeat allatrare?) who concludes it to be 70 years from the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem by the Chaldees,Lyd. Emend. Temp. Anno M. 3485. to this ſecond year of Darius Hyſtaſpes, wherein Zachariah prophecyed? That of A Lapide upon this Text, I cannot paſſe by, Moraliter idipſum dicamus, idipſum oremus & obſecremus pro Anglia, &c. Let us ſay the ſame, pray the ſame for England, Scotland, &c. that the Angel here doth for Jeruſalem; How long Lord wilt thou not have mercy upon England, where Hereſie hath prevailed now theſe hundred years and upwards? The Engliſh fugitives beyond-ſeas, write upon their Colledge and Church-doors, in great golden letters, Jeſu, Jeſu, converte Angliam: Fiat, Fiat. Jeſu convert England: Amen, Amen. Why, yet this is ſomewhat better then that of Pererius the Jeſuite, upon Geneſ. 15.16. If any man marvell ſaith He, why England continueth to flouriſh, notwithſtanding the over-flow of hereſie, and cruel perſecution of Catholikes, (juſt execution of Catholikes, he ſhould have ſaid) wee anſwer, becauſe their iniquity is not yet full, (God grant it, Ier. 28.6.) Sed veniet tandem iniquitat is complementum. But the time is not far off: and forbearance is no quittance, &c.

Verſ. 13. And the Lord anſwered the Angel] How ſhould God do otherwiſe then anſwer his welbeloved Son, with good and comfortable words, ſith he is all in all with the Father, and can do any thing with him? Father, ſaith he,Joh. 12. I know thou heareſt me alwayes. Did God hear Abraham for Iſmael, nay for Sodom? Did David hear Ioab, interceding for Abſolom? Acts 12.20. Did Herod hearken to Blaſtus making requeſt for thoſe of Tyre and Sidon, with whom he was highly diſpleaſed? And ſhall not God give ear to his Son, praying for his people, that are as dear to him as the apple of his eye? Good and comfortable words he doth ſurely anſwer him: ſuch as were once thoſe, Joh. 12.27, 28. when Chriſt had thus prayed; Now is my ſoul troubled, and what ſhall I ſay? Father ſave me from this hour: but for this cauſe came I to this hour. Father, glorifie thy Name. Then came there a voice from heaven (Bath-chol the Rabbins call it) ſaying, I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it again. So, when he ſhall ſay in his daily interceſſion (for he ever liveth to make requeſt for us, at the right hand of the Majeſty on high) It irketh me, that the whole earth is at reſt, and my Church at ſo much unreſt: Return, O Lord, Pſal. 90.13. how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy ſervants. Save now I beſeech thee O Lord:Pſal. 118.25. O Lord I beſeech thee ſend now proſperity. How can God do leſs then anſwer as Iſa. 33.10. Now will I ariſe, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up my ſelf: Or as in the words next following here (which indeed are all along good words and comfortable words) I am jealous for Jeruſalem &c. The Lord ſhall yet comfort Zion, and ſhall yet chuſe Jeruſalem; Yet for all the ſorrow he ſhall do it,Ier. 30.17. and for all that Others called her an outcaſt ſaying, This is Zion, whom no man ſeketh after: and ſhe her ſelf concludeth her dolefull ditty with, Thou haſt utterly rejected us: thou art very wroth againſt us. Lam. 4.22.

Verſe 14. So the Angell that communed with me] See the Note on ver. 10.

cry thou ſaying] q. d. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith your God, Speake ye comfortably to Jeruſalem, ſpeake ye to her heart and cry unto her ſaying, that her appointed time is accompliſhed, that her iniquity is pardoned, and ſo the quarrell is ended: for ſhe hath received of the Lords hands double for her ſins. Nothing ſo much as I have deſerved ſaith ſhe Ezra 9.13. twice ſo much as ſhe hath deſerved, ſaith He. O ſweet contradiction! O beautifull contention! The ſame Hebrew word ſignifieth to repent and to comfort 1 Sam. 15.35. Eſay 40.1. Gods care is to comfort thoſe that are caſt down. His command to his Prophet is to cry comfort to the penitent with an extraordiny earneſtneſſe, from the God of all conſolation.

I am jealous for Ieruſalem and for Zion with a great jealouſie] Love is ſtrong as death, zeal, or jealouſie (for the ſame word ſignifieth both) is hard as hell. Cant. 8.6. Non amat qui non zelat ſaith Auguſtine. He loves not that zeales not. And Baſil venturing himſelf very farr for his friend, and by ſome blamed for it, anſwered, Ego aliter amare non didici, I cannot love a man, but I muſt do mine utmoſt for him. When one deſired to know what manner of man Baſil was, it is ſaid there was preſented in a dreame to him a pillar of fire with this motto, Talis eſt Baſilius, Lo, ſuch an one is Baſil. It is certaine that our God is a conſuming fire, who would ſet the briars and the thorns ſaith He, that is the churches enemies, againſt me in battel? Eſ. 27.4. I would go through them, I would burn them together. And yet he ſaith in the ſame place, Fury is not in me: Prov. 6.34. What will he do then when jealouſie is in him as here? Iealouſie is the rage of a man, and hath theſe three properties.

Firſt it is exceeding watchfull, and quick-ſighted: hardly ſhall the Paramour eſcape the husbands eye, a wanton glance is ſoon noted and noticed. God is no leſſe ſenſible and obſervant of the leaſt indignity done to his deare ſpouſe, his Hephzibah, Gen. 4.6. Eſth. 7.8. be it but in a frown or a frump. Why is thy countenance caſt down, ſaith God to that dog-bolt Cain? Why doſt lowre upon my righteous Abel? What will he force the Queen alſo before me in the houſe? If Davids enemies mow and make mouths at him,Pſal. 40.15. if they cry Aha, Aha, ſo would we have it, God will reckon with them for it. If Edom ſay jearingly to the Prophet, Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night? If Ammon clap but his hands at Gods Iſrael, if he ſtamp with the feet, and rejoyce in heart only, when it goes ill with the church, God will ſtretch out his hand upon him, and cut him off out of his countrey, and he ſhall know that he is Jehovah, Ezek. 25.67. yea that the Lord God of Iſrael is a jealous God. He will be jealous for his land, and pitty his people Ioel 2.18.

Secondly jealouſie is violent: it is cruel as the grave, the coales thereof are coales of fire Cant. 8.6. The ſame word is elſewhere put for fiery thunderbolts, Pſal. 78.48. alſo for a carbuncle or burning feaver Deut. 32.24. Jealouſie puts a man into a feaver-fit of outrage: arms him with fiery darts, yea with lightbolts: makes him caſt firebrands, be ready to take any revenge: Think the ſame of God in a way of juſtice. He will ſpit in the face of a Miriam, that ſhall but mut[illegible: 1 letter]er againſt his Moſes: Num. 12.14. what then will he do, (or rather what will he not do) againſt Jezabel, Athaliah, Herodias &c?

Thirdly jealouſie is irreconcilable, implacable, Prov. 6.34, 35. He will not ſpare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ranſom, neither will he reſt content though thou give many gifts, what would not Balaac have given to have had his will upon Iſrael? What large offers made Haman? he would pay ten thouſand talents of ſilver to thoſe that had the charge of the buſineſſe to deſtroy the Jewes. Ahaſhueroſh yeelded: but ſo did not God.Eſth. 3.9. Eſth. 7.4. We are ſold (ſaid Eſther) I and my people to be deſtroyed, to be ſlain and to periſh: But God never conſented to the bargaine. He had warr with Amalec for ever, and laid his hand upon his own throne, as ſwearing to root him out Exod. 17.16. And this proud Agagite Haman ſhall feel the force of his curſe in his very bowels. Let the labouring Church but cry out, Help O King, heare O husband, give eare O ſhepheard of Iſrael, Iſa. 8.8. Iſa. 63.15: the enemy is come into thy land O Immanuel, and the ſtretching out of his wings filleth the whole bredth of it. Where is thy zeale (or jealouſie) and thy ſtrength, the ſounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? are they reſtrained? Doubtleſſe thou art our Father, our Redeemer, or neer kinſman, nay, our husband. Thy church is unto thee A ſiſter, a ſpouſe: Eſay 58.7. 1 Cor. 6.17. Gen. 14. 1 Sam. 30.18. Ier. 12.7. Ier. 4.10. And canſt thou hide thine eyes from thine own fleſh? from her that is joyned to the Lord, and is one ſpirit? ſhall Abraham venture for the reſcue of his kinſman, David of his two wives, and wilt thou do nothing for the dearely beloved of thy ſoule? ſhall ſhe be given up into the hand of her enemies? ſhall the ſword reach unto the ſoule. Let Chriſt but heare ſuch words from the mouth of his Spouſe: and he will ſoon gird his ſword upon his thigh, he will act Phineas his part and execute judgement:Pſal. 78.66. he will ſmite his enemies in the hinder parts (whip them, as men uſe to do boyes) and ſo put them to a perpetuall reproach; ſhame them for ever, as a company of punyes or Zanies.

Verſe 15. And I am very ſore diſpleaſed with the Heathen that are at eaſe] Heb. I am in ſuch a heate as cauſeth fuming and foaming. I am boyling-hot, and even ready to burſt out upon them, to deſtroy them: for the word here uſed hath great affinity with another word that ſignifieth to cut down, and to deſtroy 2 King. 6.6. and importeth an higher degree of diſpleaſure, a greater height of heate, then either Anger or wrath, as may be ſeen in that ſignall gradation Deut. 29.28. The Lord rooted them out of their land in Anger and in Wrath, and in great Indignation. The laſt of theſe three is this word in the Text, Fervore maximo ferveo, I am as hot as may be againſt thoſe Heathens that are at eaſe, at heartseaſe, that come not in trouble like other men, neither are they plagued as better men, Pſal. 73.5. and are therefore ſecure and inſolent above meaſure Iob 21.23. haughty and haunty, ſo that the Church cannot reſt for them: they thruſt with the ſhoulder, and puſh with the horn (as afterwards verſe 18.19. with Dan. 8.4.) yea they puſh the diſeaſed Ezek. 34.21. (which is a ſingular cruelty.)

they help forward the aſſliction] they fall like dogs upon the wounded Deere. This David complaines of as an unſufferable grievance Pſal. 69, 26.Eſay 27. For they perſecute him whom thou haſt ſmitten: and they talk to the grief of thoſe whom thou haſt wounded. God ſmiteth his in mercy and in meaſure, in the branches only, Aug. and not at the root, neque ad exitium ſed ad exercitium. Diſpleaſed he may be with his own, and make bloody wails upon their backs, if need be: but then he lookes that others ſhould pitty them, and not lay on more load and ſeek to bring them to utmoſt extremity. God puts his people ſometimes into the hands of his enemies, for correction ſake. Now they commonly being inraged with haughty, revengfull, and malicious deſires, exceed their commiſſion, and ſo derive the miſchief upon themſelves (See Prov. 24.17, 18,) they cannot doe but they muſt overdoe (as Nebuchadnezzar the rod in Gods hand Iſai 10.) and thereby utterly undoe themſelves for ever. For their cruelty comes up to heaven 2 Chron. 28.9. and God ſoon heareth the cry of his oppreſſed (for he is gracious) and avengeth himſelf on their pittileſſe enemies: ſtanding over them and ſaying as Iſa. 47.6. I was wroth with my people. I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didſt ſhew them no mercy: upon the ancient haſt thou heavily laid the yoke. And againe: Becauſe theſe Philiſtines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a deceitfull heart, to deſtroy it for the old hatred: Ezek. 25.15, 17. and 26.2. Therefore I will execute great vengeances upon them with furious rebukes, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord when I ſhall laymy vengeance upon them. 2 Sam. 13.39. Joab never pleaſed David better, then when he made interceſſion for baniſhed Abſolom: for the ſoule of king David longed to go forth unto Abſolom, whom yet he had very juſt cauſe to be greatly diſpleaſed with. God in a heat, as it were, againſt Iſrael, offereth Moſes a great fortune Exod. 32.10. but would have taken it very ill, that Moſ[illegible: 1 letter]s ſhould have taken him at his word.

He is but a little angry with his people] and ſoon repenteth him of the evill: But woe be to thoſe that help forward the indignation, that deale by Gods afflicted as the Herd of Deer do; which, when any of the herd is ſhot, the heſt puſh him out of their company.Camden. It is ſaid of Q. Eliſabeth, that ſhe hated ho leſſe then did Mithridates, ſuch as maliciouſly perſecuted vertue forſaken of fortune. Think the ſame of God. He weareth his rod to the ſtumps, and then throwes it into the fire. He ſets his horſe-leeches to his people (when he findes them ſick of a plethory of pride, when fulneſſe hath bred forgetfulneſſe, ſaturity ſecurity) and ſuffereth them to ſuck rill they burſt: and then treads them under his feet, and puts them away as droſſe Pſal 119.118, 119.

Verſe 16.Pſal 42.7. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord] Thus, one deep calleth another: the lower deep of our miſery, the higher deep of Gods mercy. As Craeſus his dumb ſon burſt out into Kill not king Craeſus: ſo, when enemies are ready to devoure the Church, Gods bowels work: he can hold no longer but cryes, Save my child, Handle the yong man gently for my ſake, See Ier. 31.20. Iſa. 57.16. I will not contend for ever; neither will I be alwayes wroth: for the ſpirit ſhould faile before me &c. when the child ſwoons in the whipping, God let falls the rod, and falls a kiſſing it, to fetch life into it againe. A Phyſitian, in ſome caſes purgeth his patient till nothing be leſt almoſt, but skin and bone or blooddeth him ad deliquium animae, till he faint and ſink, but yet his care is ſtill to maintain nature: ſo this heavenly Father and Phyſitian is carefull to keep up the ſpirits of his ſuffering Saints, by comforts and cordials, as here:

I am returned to Ieruſalem with mercies: Miſerationibus viſceralibus with multitudes of tender mercies that flow from the inwards, from the bowels, from the boſom and bottom of the heart: had that of a Parent, nay of a mother toward her child in an extremity as 1 King. 3.26. And here obſerves how fully and ſweetly the Angels prayer (verſe 12.) is anſwered even ad cardinem deſiderij. Aug. Confeſ. lib. 5. c. 8. God not only grants him according to his own heart, but fulfills all his counſell, as it is Pſal. 20.4. Lets it be to him even as he will, nay gives him an enlarged anſwer, preſſeth upon him (as Naaman did upon Gehezi's two talents when he deſired but one.) How long wilt thou not be mercifull to Jeruſalem ſaith He?

behold I am returned to Jeruſalem with many mercies ſaith God.] I went away and hid me from it in my anger Hoſ. 5.15. but am come again with many comforts, to relieve it. As all light is from the Sun, and all waters from the ſea: ſo is all comfort from God. In thy light ſhall we ſee light: but Thou diddeſt hide thy face and I was troubled Pſal. 30.7. as when the Sun is eclipſed, all creatures here flag and hang the head, there is a drooping in the whole frame or nature: and as when the extracting force of the Sun leaves the vapours that are drawn up, they fall down again to the earth; So ſares it with the Church: If God withdraw, ſhe lyes all amort, yea, ſhe lieth open to all ſorts of evils and enemies: for her ſhadow is departed from her. But he cannot be long abſent, ſuch is his love: he will repent for his people when he ſeeth their power is gone Dent. 32.36. when there is a dignus vindice nodus, an extremity fit for divine power to interpoſe: when miſery weighs down, & nothing but mercy turns the ſcale, then (at furtheſt) in the very turning and criticall point. He will return to Jeruſalem with mercies. He will return to her, not as the winter ſun, that caſts a goodly countenance when it ſhines, but gives little comfort and heat: but with a Cornu-copia of all manner of bleſſings will he come.

my houſe ſhall be built in it ſaith the Lord of Hoſts: and a line ſhall be ſtretched forth upon Jeruſalem] that is both Church and State ſhall flouriſh. God will both do good in his good pleaſure unto Sion: be will alſo build the walls of Jeruſalem Pſal. 51.18. but mark that he ſaith in his good pleaſure, as here in tender mercies; to teachus, that all the good we enjoy is merely of mercy, it is all of free grace: for otherwiſe, there ſhould not be ſo much as any face of Church or commonwealth, as we ſee in the Jewes at this day; a miſerable diſſected people, becauſe Lo-ruhamah, Hoſ. 1. ſuch as have not obtained mercy. Then Anceſtours acknowledged with all thankfulneſſe for ſo undeſerved a favour, that Except the Lord of Hoſts had left unto them a very ſmall remnant, Iſay 1.9. they ſhould have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrah. Had not the Angels laid hold upon Lots hand, and the good Lord been mercifull unto him Gen. 19.16. he alſo had periſhed amongſt thoſe ſinners againſt their own ſoules. Jehoſhua was a brand pluckt out of the fire Zech. 3.2. And when One ſaid to Mr. Bradford the Martyr God hath done much for you ſince I firſt knew you, and hath wrought wonderouſly in you to his glory; he thus anſwered, Truth it is, for He hath dealt favourably with me, Act. & Mon. 1473. Ezra 9.13. in that he hath not puniſhed me according to my ſins, but hath ſuffered me to live that I might ſeek repentance. Thou haſt puniſhed us leſſe then our iniquities deſerve, ſaith Ezra. And it is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed, ſaith the Church, becauſe his compaſſions faile not Lam. 3.22.

Verſe 17. Cry yet ſaying, Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts my cities] Here are foure Yets in this one verſe, and all very gracious ones: to break their hard harts, and to raiſe their faith in his promiſed mercies. For it is as if God ſhould ſay. Though I was ſore diſpleaſed with your Fathers, and ye are riſen up in their roomes a very rate of rebels, ſo that I have had indignation againſt you full ſeventy yeers, ver. 12. yet I do you to know, and by my Propher I proclaime with great earneſtneſs and evidence of truth, that I do yet own you my cities (ſo that ye are not diſcovenanted) and will yet proſper you (ſo that it ſhall no more be ſaid This is Zion whom no man careth for: for you ſhall have plentifull increaſe of men,Ier. 30.17. cattle and all manner fruits of the earth as chap. 2.4.) yea you ſhall have a fulneſſe of all things, not only repletive but diffuſive, not only of abundance, but of redundance too; your cup ſhall over flow into the leſſer veſſels of others.

my cities through proſperity ſhall yet be ſpread abroad] Diffundentur, diſſluent, aut effluent. You ſhall have not for neceſſity only, but for lawfull delight and honeſt affluence.

and the Lord ſhall yet comfort Zion] ſc. with ſpiritnall comforts, taking her into his wine-cellar Cant. 2. yea into the wilderneſſe, and there ſpeaking to her heart Hoſ. 2.13.

and ſhall yet chuſe Ieruſalem] That is, ſettle her in the ſound aſſurance of her. Election and Adoption, whereof thoſe outward bleſſings are both fruites and pledges. Hence David doubts not to conclude his ſpiritual good eſtate, and hopes of eternall happineſſe from his externall enjoyments Pſal. 23.5, 6. Thou prepareſt a table before me, thou anointeſt mine head, my cup runneth over. Hence he inferrs, Surely goodneſſe and mercy ſhall follow me all the dayes of my life: and I ſhall dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever. In all that is here ſaid, we may ſee that ſcripture fully made good Ier. 51.5. Iſrael hath not been forſaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of Hoſts: though their land was filled with ſin againſt the Holy one of Iſrael. And herein God dealt with his people according to hi[illegible: 1 letter] prerogative, and not according to his ordinary courſe. When the curſed Canaanites had fi[illegible: 1 letter]led their land from corner to corner with their uncloanneſies,Ezra 9.11. they were devoted to deſtruction. When the Edomites grew inſolent and ripe for ruine, they were called the border of wickedneſſe, and the people againſt whom the Lord had indignation for ever. Mal. 1.4. See the Note there.

Verſe 18. Then I lift up mine eyes and ſaw] That is, I gave good heed to this ſecond viſion alſo: which was added purpoſely for confirmation of the former promiſes; which ſhould be certainly accompliſhed to the Church, notwithſtanding her many and mighty enemies. Horns they are called for their might and miſchievouſnes: by a metaphor, à feris cornupetis from fierce beaſts, whoſe ſtrength and wrath lies in their horns; or elſe from warriers, who wore iron horns upon their helmets.

and behold four horns] Not the foure Monarchies (for the Grecians and Romanes were not yet: and this is ſpoken here for the preſent comfort of the afflicted Church) but the enemeis of Iſrael from all the four parts of the world (fee Pſal. 107.2, 3.) for they were ſurrounded; On the North were the Syrians, Aſſytians, and Babylonians. (Ab Aqu lone nihil boni, Ier. 4.6. and 6.1) On the Eaſt, the Ammonites and Moabites. On the South, the Edomites and Egyptians. On the Weſt, the Philiſtines, as may be gathered out of Ieremy and Ezekiel. Geneva is at this day a ſmall people, invironed with enemies, French, Spaniſh, Savoy, Pope, and barred out from all aid of neighbours, cit[illegible: 1 letter]es, and churches: yet, by the mighty arm of God, ſtrangely and ſtrongly upheld and deſended.

This Mr. Beza repreſented in a moſt elegant emblem of a city depainted as hanged by a twined threed;Melch. Ad. in vit. Bez. 227. ſuſtained and maintained by the mighty hand of God alone. Would any man take the Churches picture? ſaith Luther: then let him paint a a ſilly poor maid, ſitting in a wood or wilderneſſe, compaſſed about with hungry wolves,Loc. com. de perfec. verae Eccleſiae. lions, bores, and beares, and with all manner of cruel and hurtfull beaſts; and in the midſt of a great many ſurious men aſſaulting her every moment and minute, for this is her condition in the world.

Verſe 19 And I ſaid unto the Angel that talked with me, What be theſe?] Though the viſion be dark and myſterious, yet the Prophet deſpaireth not of a right underſtanding, neither doth he waywardly reject it with a Quod non vult intelligi, vult negligi. But, wanting wisdome he asketh it of God, as St. Iames alſo adviſeth us to do chap. 1.5. and as David practiſed. Teach me good judgment and knowledge ſaith He, give me underſtanding and I ſhall obſerue thy law. Thus Daniel prayed, and had an Angel ſent to informe him, not once but often in friendly and familiar manner Dan. 9.21. and 10.11. and 11.2, 3. So had Ioſeph, Cornelius, Paul, &c. And although Angels are not ſo ready now, or appear not, at leaſt, ſo viſibly to tell us the mind of God: yet He will not be wanting to his willing ſervants; but in the uſe of meanes they ſhall be all taught of God: as David was by repayring to the Sanctuary Pſal. 73.13. and as the Eunuch was by Philip Act. 8.

theſe are the hornes which have ſcattered] Heb. toſſed them up in the ayre, as furious beaſts do with their homes,Lud de Dieu in Mat. 22.44. and ſorely bruiſed them. Num not modo diſperſionem ſignificat quae fit per modum ventilationis, ſed etiam quae fit per modum al[illegible: 1 letter]iſienis & contritionis. See Hoſ. 10.14. and 13.16.

Verſe 20. And the Lord ſhewed me foure carpenters] He that before was called an Angell, is here called Jehovah, this ſhewes him to be Chriſt, who is God bleſſed for ever. In reſpect of his eternall eſſence he is called the Lord: in reſpect of his office or Mediatourſhip, an Angell.

foure carpenters] Or ſmiths: ſo many horns, ſo many Artificers to batter and break them. God wants not wayes and meanes to help his at a dead lift: he knowes how to deliver ſaith Peter, 2 Pet. 2.9. and herein uſually he goeth a way by himſelf. Many times he ſetteth the enemies together by the eares among themſelves: whileſt that I withall eſcape, ſaith David Pſal. 141.10. Thus by Nebuchadnezzar, as by a mall or bettle, he brake the reſt of thoſe horrible hornes: as at this day the Pope by the Turk, and Spaniard by the French, and that the Church may have her Halcions. N. marvell I ſlept ſo ſoundly ſeeing Antipater was by and watched, ſaid Philip of Macedon. We may better ſay of Antipater, our gracious Father and guardian, the keeper of his Iſrael.

Verſe 21. What come theſe to do?] he asketh not what they were? for by their tooles or weapons he perceived they were Carpenters or ſmith, (as ſome think) with iron inſtruments to breake theſe iron homes: confer 1 King. 22.11. He inquireth therefore of their imployment only. Futilous and fooliſh queſtions ſhould be avoided, Tit. 3.9.

ſo that no man did lift up his head] Turn head, or looke cheerfully as Luke 21.28.

but theſe are come to fray them] deterrere, ſaith the Vulgar: better deterrere, to fright them, now that they had puſht Iſrael to the Lord.

to caſt out &c.] Thus Omne ſub regno graviore regnum eſt. See Eccleſ. 5.7. with the Note there.