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. 7 Chap. 8. 2. 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. 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. s Heb. good. Verse 8. Myrtle-trees.'-(Dhadassim). It seems to be universally agreed that a species of myrtle, or rather, perhaps, all the species known to the Jews, are denoted by the Hebrew word. The myrtle family abounds in trees of a most charming aspect. The foliage is generally of a polished green; and the leaves are punctured with a multitude of translucent spots, which are seen when they are interposed between the eye and the light. The flowers are of a snowy whiteness in some, as the Myrtus communis, or myrtle, for example; in others they grow in clusters, and glow with the richest tints of crimson, as in the Jambosa Malaccensis, or Malay apple. The stamens are numerous, and form circular rows of palisades about the pistil or central column, bestowing an elegant appearance upon the blossom. Many of them yield an edible fruit, as the Psidium and the Eugenia, the Guava and the Cayenne Cherry. But the transparent dots upon the leaves afford an easy and beautiful characteristic of the Myrtacea, while the whole of the numerous genera and species are connected together by the most intelligible features of neatness and grace. As they often grow in the shaded valleys, between two neighbouring mountains, where all is calm and tranquil, they naturally become associated in the mind with everything that is lovely and peaceful. The myrtle-trees offered a choice emblem of peace and quietude, and gave a living freshness to the annunciation of the angel, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.' We add the following interesting passage from Emerson's Letters from the Eyaan:-- One who has formed his ideas of the Oriental myrtle from the weak and unhealthy plants which spring in the gardens and hothouses of the North, must have a faint conception of their real beauty. Even in Italy they are much superior to ours, and I remember to have seen one at Florence whose stem was at least nine inches in diameter. But in Greece, and in the Levant, they are really magnificent. In the Morea I have travelled for hours through an uncultivated tract, whilst the groves of myrtle formed an almost continuous arbour above our heads, covered here and there with the delicate white flowers, and exhaling at every motion the most delicious perfume, whilst its dark polished leaves combined coolness with beauty. It is such a scene as this that explains the phrase of Zechariah : and there are trees of the dimensions such as I refer to that preserve the consistency of the phrase of Isaiah: I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the myrtle, and the oil tree.' CHAPTER II. 1 God, in the care of Jerusalem, sendeth to measure it. 6 The redemption of Zion. 10 The promise of God's presence. I LIFTED up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 1 Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 17. 8. 7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that 'toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. 10 ¶ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people : and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of 'his holy habitation. 1 Under the type of Joshua, the restoration of the church, 8 and Christ the Branch, are promised. AND he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and 'Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, "The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon That is, an adversary. Africa, when timber to burn could be obtained. While the fires kept burning we were in perfect safety, as no undomesticated animal, however ferocious, will approach near to fire. Something in its brightness seems to give alarm.' his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. 6 T And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my 'charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee 'places to walk among these that stand by. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the 'BRANCH. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. 2 Heb. to be his adversary. 3 Jude 9. 6 Heb. men of wonder. 7 Isa. 11. 1. Jer. 23. 5, and 33. 15. 4 Or, ordinance. 5 Heb. talks. Chap. 6. 12. Luke 1. 78. Verse 3. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments.'There are sufficient intimations in Scripture that it was a custom among the Hebrews for persons in a condition of mourning, humiliation, or degradation, to clothe themselves in mean and neglected attire; but, on the contrary, to express a state of rejoicing, happiness, and relief, by rich and gay apparel. The ideas connected with this custom appear to be involved in the present passage. The prac tice still prevails in the East, and in ancient times was not by any means confined to the Orientals. It was common among the Romans, whose usages in this matter are applied by Gill with good effect to the illustration of the present passage. When a man was charged with capital crimes, it was usual for him to neglect his hair and beard, and to wear filthy, ragged garments, presenting altogether a very sordid and dirty appearance. Hence such persons were called sordidati. In such attire he appeared before his judges to take his trial; and not only himself, but his friends and relations appeared with him, with hair dishevelled, and in garments old and foul, weeping and deprecating punishment, hoping thus to move the compassion of the people. Hence history does not omit to record the fact of certain eminent men (as Scipio Africanus) who, in the pride of conscious innocence of the crimes laid to their charge, refused to assume the mean attire and appearance of arraigned persons, but continued to wear their customary dress, and shaved their beards as usual, or even put on attire richer than their customary wear. A somewhat remarkable illustration, with a reverse application, might perhaps be taken from the instance of the Rhodian ambassadors, who put on the white robes of congratulation when they heard of a victory gained by the Romans; but instantly changed them for sordid and mean attire as soon as they understood that the Rhodian people had not been thought to have acted the part of friends and allies, or to have deserved well of the Roman people. Liv. Hist. xlv. 20. 9. Upon one stone shall be seven eyes.'-The prophets were accustomed to convey instruction by symbolical notion or representation. In this case, probably, a stone was placed, on which seven eyes were represented. It is thought that a well known Oriental custom will illustrate this practice. In the Oriental style the counsellors of kings were and are denominated eyes-the eyes of kings (Opbaλuoi Bariλewv). In the monarchy of Persia, whence this prophet had come, there were always seven of them. Thou art sent of the king and his seven counsellors' (Ezra vii. 14), and the names of these seven counsellors are mentioned in Esther i. 14. The prophet in this verse says, all these eyes shall be in the foundation stone itself;' that is to say, such shall be the perfection of wisdom and knowledge in the great antitype of this stone, Christ, the only foundation of the Church, that he should in no case need the advice or counsel of others. This interpretation was suggested by Dr. Owen; and among the passages (on which it is founded) where royal counsellors are called 'eyes,' the following may be indicated. Suidas (on the word) says that the Persian satraps were thus designated, because by them the king sees all things. In Julius Pollux, lib. ii., p. 89, line 7, ed. Geberi, they are called the Eyes of Kings, who inform him of that which themselves have seen. See Scapula in verb. Oplaλuos; Xenoph. Cyrop. lib. viii. (p. 642, ed. Hutch., 4to. ed.); Herod. Clio, 31. Arist. Polit., lib. iii. Plutarch in Artax.; Aristophanes, Acharnes, line 22-24. CHAPTER IV. 1 By the golden candlestick is foreshewed the good success of Zerubbabel's foundation. 11 By the two olive trees, the two anointed ones. AND the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, 'with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and 'seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 1 Heb. with her bowl. 2 Or, seven several pipes to the lamps, &c. 5 Heb. stone of tin. 6 Chap. 3. 9. 71cb. by the Heb. the gold. 7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. 8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall alsc finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. 10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. 11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes "empty the golden oil out of themselves? 13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth. 10. CHAPTER V. 1 By the flying roll is shewed the curse of thieves and swearers. 5 By a woman pressed in an ephah, the final damnation of Babylon. THEN I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. 2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. 3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth for 'every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. 4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. 5 ¶ Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. 6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. 7 And, behold, there was lifted up a 'talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. 8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. 9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. 10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there established, and set there upon her own base. 1 Or, every one of this people that stealeth, holdeth himself guiltless, as it doth. 2 Or, weighty piece. Verse 4. It shall enter into the house of the thief, and ...of him that sweareth falsely...and shall consume it.'Calmet observes that, under the two names of thief and false swearer, the Hebrews and Chaldæans comprehended all other crimes; theft denoting every kind of injustice and violence executed against men; and perjury, all crimes against God. Grotius and others have observed a considerable resemblance between this text and a passage in Herodotus (Erato, 86), in which Leoty chides relates to the Athenians an anecdote of a man called Glaucus, who, being desirous of appropriating to his own use a sum of money which had been intrusted to him, consulted the Pythian oracle whether he might do so by taking a false oath the money having been claimed by the sons of the owner. The oracle answered: 'Son of Epicydes! your oath retains, CHAPTER VI. 1 The vision of the four chariots. 9 By the crowns of Joshua are shewed the temple and kingdom of Christ the Branch. AND I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots. out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and 'bay horses. 4 Then I answered and said unto the 1 Or, strong. angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four 'spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth. 6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. 2 Or, winds. 8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. 9 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 10 Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; 11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; 12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The 'BRANCH; and 3 Chap. 3. 8. he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14 And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD. 15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD LORD your God. 4 Or, branch up from under him. understand that this title is applied to Zerubbabel himself. But he was already grown up in his place; and the application to him is so greatly and obviously improper, that it has not been much followed. Most of the Jewish, and all the Christian, interpreters, apply it to the Messiah; and of the correctness of this application no reasonable doubt can be entertained. (See the marginal references.) 'The Branch' is a name frequently applied to the Messiah in the Talmud and other Jewish writings. CHAPTER VII. 1 The captives enquire of fasting. 4 Zechariah reproveth their fasting. 8 Sin the cause of their captivity. AND it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; 2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, 'to pray before the LORD, 3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? 4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, 5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye 'fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 2 Isa. 58. 5. 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, 'did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? 8 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, 9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, "Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And 'oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let fatherless, the stranger, nor none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and 'stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: there Heb. to intreat the face of the LORD. Heb. by the hand of, &c. 6 Heb. Judge judgment of truth. 8 Heb. they gave a backsliding shoulder." 3 Or, be not ye they that, &c. 4 Or, Are not these the words. 7 Exod. 22. 21, 22. Isa. 1. 23. Jer. 5. 28. Heb. made heavy. 10 Heb. by the hand of. 703 |