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Zechariah
Chapter Eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 8
This
chapter contains promises of various blessings to the people of the Jews; and
exhortations to each of the duties incumbent on them; and is concluded with a
prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. The cause of all the blessings
promised is the love of God to them
signified by zeal
or jealousy for them
Zechariah 8:1. The
blessings promised are the Lord's return to dwell in Jerusalem
and the
integrity and holiness of that city
Zechariah 8:3. The
long life of the inhabitants of it
and the plenty of children that should be
born in it
Zechariah 8:4 and
however wonderful and incredible this might seem to some
it was not to the
Lord
who was determined to bring his people that were in various distant
countries to Jerusalem
and settle them there; and renew and reestablish his
covenant with them
Zechariah 8:6
wherefore the Lord encourages them to go on in rebuilding the temple
Zechariah 8:9 and
promises them that things would be better with them than in times past; that
whereas there had been nothing but penury
affliction
and distress
now there
should be great affluence and prosperity
Zechariah 8:10 and
though before they were a curse among the nations
now they should be a
blessing; and though their fathers were punished
they should be dealt well
with
Zechariah 8:13 and
then they are exhorted to the discharge of several duties mentioned
to which
they are induced by the Lord's hatred of that which is evil
and by his turning
their fasts into cheerful feasts. Zechariah 8:16 to
which is added a prophecy of the calling and conversion of the Gentiles
which
would make for the glory of the Jewish church; who are described by their
numbers
being many people
and the inhabitants of many cities; by their
association together
to pray to the Lord
and worship him; by their coming up
to Jerusalem for that purpose; and by their junction with the Jews
to which
they will be encouraged by having heard that God is with them
Zechariah 8:20.
Zechariah 8:1 Again the word of
the Lord of hosts came
saying
YLT
1And there is a word of
Jehovah of Hosts
saying:
Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying. The phrase
"to me"
is wanting in the Hebrew text; and is the only place it is
wanting in
as the Masora observes; though undoubtedly it is to be understood;
and therefore is rightly supplied
as it is by the Targum
"with me".
Mention being made in the latter part of the preceding chapter Zechariah 7:8 of
the desolations of the earth
comfort is here administered
as Aben Ezra notes.
Zechariah 8:2 2 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor
I am zealous for her.’
YLT
2`Thus said Jehovah of
Hosts: I have been zealous for Zion with great zeal
With great heat I have
been zealous for her.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... This prophecy
according to Kimchi and Ben Melech
respects time to come; the days of the
Messiah
in the war of Gog and Magog
when they shall come up against
Jerusalem
and the Lord shall pour out his great wrath upon them; and it seems
right to interpret it
not only literally of Jerusalem
but spiritually of the
church in Gospel times:
I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy; the Arabic
version reads
"for Jerusalem
and for Zion"; as in Zechariah 1:14; see
Gill on Zechariah 1:14
and I was jealous for her with great fury: that is
against her enemies; the Babylonians and Chaldeans now
and the antichristian
powers in Gospel times. The Targum paraphrases it
"against the people
that provoked her to jealousy"; the past tense is put for the future
as
Kimchi and Ben Melech observe.
Zechariah 8:3 3 “Thus
says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem
shall be called the City of Truth
The Mountain of the Lord of hosts
The Holy Mountain.’
YLT
3Thus said Jehovah: I have
turned back unto Zion
And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem
And
Jerusalem hath been called `The city of truth
' And the mountain of Jehovah of
Hosts
`The holy mountain.'
Thus saith the Lord
I am returned to Zion
.... The
temple being now building
and almost finished
and the worship of God restored
in it. The Targum renders it
"I will return to Zion"; and it may
refer to the time of Christ's incarnation
when the Redeemer came to Zion
Isaiah 59:20 or to
the time of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day
of both which it is
true; see Romans 11:26
and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: or
"cause my Shechinah to dwell there"
as the Targum paraphrases it;
which was fulfilled when the Word was made flesh
και
εσκηνωσεν
"and dwelt" or "tabernacled" among the
inhabitants of Judea and of Jerusalem
and taught his doctrines
and wrought
his miracles
in the midst of them; and will be also when he shall dwell among
them by his Spirit and grace in the latter day:
and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; when Christ
who is "truth" itself
was in it
and the truths of the Gospel were
preached there by him and his apostles
and they were received and professed by
many
though despised by others; and especially in the latter day
when the
Jews shall generally and cordially embrace Christ and his Gospel
and shall
worship God in spirit and in truth
and not in that shadowy
formal
and hypocritical
way they do now; see Isaiah 1:26 and
especially this will be true of the New Jerusalem
into which nothing shall
enter that makes a lie
Revelation 21:27
the mountain of the Lord of hosts; which will be
established upon the top of the mountains
and where the Lord will be seen and
exalted in his glory
even the Lamb
with the hundred and forty four thousand
with him
Isaiah 2:2
the holy mountain; where the holy word of God will be
preached
the holy ordinances administered
and holiness of life and
conversation will be strictly attended to; yea
Holiness will be upon the bells
of the horses
Zechariah 14:20.
Zechariah 8:4 4 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of
Jerusalem
Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age.
YLT
4Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Again dwell do old men and old women
In broad places of Jerusalem
And each
his staff in his hand
Because of abundance of days.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... These words are used
at every consolatory promise given
as Kimchi observes
for the confirmation of
it:
there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of
Jerusalem; signifying that the inhabitants should be very healthful; no
sweeping disease or calamity should be among them
but they should live to a
good old age
as follows:
and every man with his staff in his hand for very age; or "because
of multitude of days"F9מרב ימים "prae multitudine dierum"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Cocceius
Burkius. ; the length of time they
should have lived in the world
being worn out
not with diseases
but with old
age
and therefore obliged to use a staff when they walk the streets for their
support; all which is an emblem of the healthfulness of the inhabitants of
Zion
who have no reason to complain of sickness
because their sins are
forgiven them; and of that spiritual and eternal life
which they that are written
among the living in Jerusalem do enjoy; who are in understanding men
fathers
in Christ
and are growing up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ; see Isaiah 65:20.
Zechariah 8:5 5 The
streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’
YLT
5And broad places of the
city are full of boys and girls
Playing in its broad places.
And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls
.... Denoting
a large increase of inhabitants
in a literal sense; and may spiritually
signify the large numbers of converts
of new born babes
who are regenerated
by the grace and Spirit of God
and are accounted of by the Lord for a
generation:
playing the streets thereof; being in health and
rigour
and in great security. The Targum renders it
"singing" or
"praising in the spacious places thereof"; singing the praises of God
in Gospel strains; saying their Hosannas to the Son of David; rejoicing in the
great salvation by Christ
and magnifying the grace of God
and setting forth
the glories of it in psalms
hymns
and spiritual songs; see Matthew 11:16. In
Jerusalem
literally taken
there were various streets
besides the street of
the temple
which led to it
Ezra 10:9 mention
is made of others in Jewish writings
as of the upper streetF11Misn.
Shekalim
c. 8. sect. 1.
and of the street of the butchers
and of the street
of those that dealt in woolF12Misn. Erubin
c. 10. sect. 9. .
Zechariah 8:6 6 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this
people in these days
Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the Lord of hosts.
YLT
6Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Surely it is wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days
Also in Mine eyes it is wonderful
An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... This is repeated for
the same end as before; See Gill on Zechariah 8:4
If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in
these days; either in the then present days and time; and the sense is
if
it should seem wonderful
incredible
and scarcely possible to the small number
of the Jews in Judea
that all the great and good things before promised should
be fulfilled; or in the times of the Gospel
when the remnant
according to the
election of grace
would wonder at the marvellous loving kindness of the Lord
in doing each great things for his church and people:
should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts; no
not as if
it was impossible to be done; it shall be done
as marvellous as it may seem to
be. Aben Ezra understands these words
not as spoken by way of interrogation
and admiration
but as an affirmation; that God would do that which was
marvellous
and such as he had never done the like
even as follows:
Zechariah 8:7 7 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold
I will save My people from the land of the east And
from the land of the west;
YLT
7Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Lo
I am saving My people from the land of the rising
And from the land of the
going in
of the sun
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
Behold
.... As being
something wonderful
of great importance
and deserving attention:
I will save my people from the east country
and from the west
country; this can not be understood of bringing those Jews that remained
in Babylon
and other places
to their own land
for Babylon lay north of
Judea; see Zechariah 6:6
and
as yet there were no Jews in the western part of the world; but now they are
chiefly in the east and west
from whence they will be gathered at the time of
their general conversion; though this may refer to the times of the apostles of
Christ
and to their ministry in the several parts of the world
who went
forth
east
west
north
and south
and were the means and instruments of
saving the Lord's people
both Jews and Gentiles
wherever they came
from the
rising of the sun
to the setting of the same; see Malachi 1:11.
Zechariah 8:8 8 I
will bring them back
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They
shall be My people And I will be their God
In truth and righteousness.’
YLT
8And I have brought them in
They have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem
And they have been to Me for a
people
And I am to them for God
In truth and in righteousness.
And l will bring them
.... To Zion
into the
church of God
the Gospel fold
where Christ has engaged to bring his other
sheep
that there may be one fold for Jew and Gentile
Jeremiah 3:14 John 10:16
and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: the Gospel
church; and be no more foreigners and strangers
but of the household of God
enjoying all the immunities and privileges of the Jerusalem that is above
the
mother of us all:
and they shall be my people; appear to be so by
effectual calling; which makes those manifest to be the people of God
to be in
the covenant of his grace
who before were not known to be so
either by
themselves or others
1 Peter 2:10
and I will be their God
in truth
and in righteousness; according to the covenant of his grace
which will now in a very open manner be truly and faithfully fulfilled; and
they
in consequence of the grace bestowed on them
will worship God in
sincerity and truth
being justified by the righteousness of Christ
and so
will have no dependence on their own for their acceptance with God; see Hosea 2:19
Zechariah 8:9 9 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong
You who have been hearing in
these days These words by the mouth of the prophets
Who spoke in the
day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts
That
the temple might be built.
YLT
9Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Let your hands be strong
Ye who are hearing in these days these words from the
mouth of the prophets
That in the day the house of Jehovah of Hosts Hath been
founded
the temple [is] to be built.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
Let your hands be strong
.... In going
on with the building of the temple
which was typical of the church of God
since so many great and good things were promised by the Lord
Haggai 2:4
ye that hear in these days; such as Zerubbabel the
ruler
Joshua the high priest
and the rest of the people of the land:
these words by the mouth of the prophets; that is
these prophecies of future good things
which were delivered by Haggai
Zechariah
and Malachi; who were the prophets
which were in the day that the foundation of the
house of the Lord of hosts was laid; which was in the second
year of Darius
on the twenty fourth day of the ninth month
Haggai 2:10
that the temple might be built; in order to the
rebuilding of it
the foundation was laid; and from that time it was to
continue building
till it was finishedF13The true reading of these
words
according to the accents
is
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts:
let your hands be strong
that hear in those days these words: out of
the prophets
I say
ye have heard
that
from the day the house of the
Lord of hosts shall be founded
the temple should be continued to be
built." So Reinbeck. De Accent. Heb. p. 453. .
Zechariah 8:10 10 For
before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There
was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all
men
everyone
against his neighbor.
YLT
10For
before those days
there hath been no hiring of man
Yea
a hiring of beasts there is none; And to
him who is going out
And to him who is coming in
There is no peace because of
the adversary
And I send all men -- each against his neighbour.
For before these days
.... That the temple
began to be built:
there was no hire for men
nor any hire for beasts; that turned
to any account; the wages earned by the one
and with the other
were as if
they were put into a bag with holes
did not prosper with them
or do them any
service
Haggai 1:6
neither was there any peace to him that went out or came
in
because of the affliction; there was no safety in passing to and fro
nor any peaceable enjoyment of what a man had
because of affliction and
oppression by the enemy on every side
and from every quarter:
for I set all men everyone against his neighbour; expressive of
the internal divisions and contentions among themselves
which are said to be
of the Lord
because he permitted them as a chastisement upon them for their
sins.
Zechariah 8:11 11 But
now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former
days
’ says the Lord of hosts.
YLT
11And now
not as [in] the
former days [am] I to the remnant of this people
An affirmation of Jehovah of
Hosts.
But now I will not be unto the residue of this
people
.... The remnant brought out of captivity
settled in the land
and now rebuilding the temple:
as in the former days
saith the Lord of hosts; when they
neglected the house of the Lord
caring only for their own cieled houses
Haggai 1:2.
Zechariah 8:12 12 ‘For
the seed shall be prosperous
The vine shall give its fruit
The ground
shall give her increase
And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the
remnant of this people To possess all these.
YLT
12Because of the sowing of
peace
The vine doth give her fruit
And the earth doth give her increase
And
the heavens do give their dew
And I have caused the remnant of this people To
inherit all these.
For the seed shall be prosperous
.... Being
cast into the earth
it shall spring up again
and produce a large increase;
whereas before
though they sowed much
it came to little
Haggai 1:6
the vine shall give her fruit; be loaded with clusters
and produce large quantities of wine; whereas before there was a drought upon
the new wine; and where there were wont to be had fifty vessels out of the
press
there were but twenty
Haggai 1:11
and the ground shall give her increase; as usual
meaning of wheat and barley; whereas before there was a drought upon the corn
and where there used to be a heap of twenty measures
there were but ten
Haggai 1:11
and the heavens shall give their dew; which makes
the earth fruitful; whereas before the heaven over them was stayed from dew
and instead of it were blasting
mildew
and hail
Haggai 1:10
and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things; as a symbol
of better things inherited by the remnant according to the election of grace;
and who have the promise both of this life and that to come; and who
seeking
in the first place spiritual things
have all others added to them
convenient
for them.
Zechariah 8:13 13 And
it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations
O
house of Judah and house of Israel
So I will save you
and you shall be a
blessing. Do not fear
Let your hands be strong.’
YLT
13And it hath come to pass
As ye have been a reviling among nations
O house of Judah
and house of
Israel
So I save you
and ye have been a blessing
Do not fear
let your hands
be strong.
And it shall come to pass
that as ye were a curse among
the heathen
.... Reproached
vilified
and called accursed by them; see Jeremiah 24:9 as
true Christians
and real believers in Christ
are by the men of this world
1 Corinthians 4:12
O house of Judah
and house of Israel; both being
carried captive at different times
and were typical of the true and Spiritual
Israel of God:
so will I save you
and ye shall be a blessing; be blessed in
themselves with the above blessings of plenty and prosperity in outward things;
see Haggai 2:19 and a
blessing to others
and blessed by them; and all those who are saved in the
Lord with an everlasting salvation are blessed with all spiritual blessings in
him:
fear not; neither their enemies
nor the accomplishment of these promises:
but let your hands be strong; as in Zechariah 8:9.
Zechariah 8:14 14 “For
thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers
provoked Me to wrath
’ Says the Lord of hosts
‘And
I would not relent
YLT
14For
thus said Jehovah of
Hosts
As I did purpose to do evil to you
When your fathers made Me wroth
Said Jehovah of Hosts
and I did not repent
For thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... In order to assure
them of the truth of what he promised
he observes the fulfilment of what he
had threatened
he being as true and faithful in the one as in the other:
As I thought to punish you: determined to do it
by
suffering them to be carried captive:
when your fathers provoked me to wrath
saith the Lord of hosts; by their
immorality
idolatry
and contempt of his prophets:
and I repented not; the Targum adds
"of my word"; of
the resolution he had taken up in his heart
and of the declaration of it by
his prophets
that he would punish them; this he did not repent of
revoke
change
and alter
but steadily abode by it
and executed it.
Zechariah 8:15 15 So
again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of
Judah. Do not fear.
YLT
15So I have turned back
I
have purposed
in these days
To do good with Jerusalem
And with the house of
Judah -- fear not!
So again
.... Or "so I am returned"F14כן שבתי "sic conversus
sum"
Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin; "ita conversus"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; "reversus sum"
Burkius.
as in Zechariah 8:3
have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem
and to the
house of Judah; by bestowing the above mentioned blessings on them; and as
Jehovah has thought
so it comes to pass
and as he has purposed
so it stands;
whatever he determines shall be
as for evil
so for good
Isaiah 14:24
fear ye not; as in Zechariah 8:13.
Zechariah 8:16 16 These
are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give
judgment in your gates for truth
justice
and peace;
YLT
16These [are] the things that
ye do: Speak ye truth each with his neighbour
Truth and peaceful judgment
judge in your gates
These are the things that ye shall do
.... Which
were duties incumbent on them
and which it became them to perform
under a
sense of the favours bestowed on them
to show their gratitude to God
and that
they might glorify him:
Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; not using
deceit
prevarication
and lying
Ephesians 4:25 and
it becomes every man under the Gospel dispensation
according to the gift he
has received
to speak
publish
and declare the truth of the Gospel
to the
edification of others:
execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; that is
execute true judgment
as in Zechariah 7:9 do
justice between man and man
without respect of persons; the issue of which
will be peace between the contending parties: and this was to be done in their
"gates"
because there their courts of judicature were kept.
Zechariah 8:17 17 Let
none of you think evil in your[a] heart
against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are
things that I hate
’ Says the Lord.”
YLT
17And each the evil of his
neighbour ye do not devise in your heart
And a false oath ye do not love
For
all these [are] things that I have hated
An affirmation of Jehovah.'
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his
neighbour
.... See Gill on Zechariah 7:10
hatred without a cause was a governing vice under the second temple
and Jarchi
says was the cause of the destruction of it; see John 15:25
and love no false oath; whereby the character
and property of a fellow creature are hurt; nor any vain one
which the Jews
were addicted to
Matthew 5:34
for all these are things that I hate
saith the Lord; as being
contrary to his nature
and to his law; and is a reason why they should be
hated and avoided by men.
Zechariah 8:18 18 Then
the word of the Lord of hosts came to me
saying
YLT
18And there is a word of
Jehovah of Hosts unto me
saying:
And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me
saying. The word of
prophecy
as the Targum paraphrases it: here begins a new prophecy
respecting
the abrogation of Jewish fasts
and the calling of the Gentiles.
Zechariah 8:19 19 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month
The fast of the
fifth
The fast of the seventh
And the fast of the tenth
Shall be joy and
gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and
peace.’
YLT
19`Thus said Jehovah of
Hosts: The fast of the fourth
and the fast of the fifth
and the fast of the
seventh
and the fast of the tenth [months]
are to the house of Judah for joy
and for rejoicing
and for pleasant appointed seasons
and the truth and the
peace they have loved.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... What follows is a
full answer to the question in Zechariah 7:3
The fast of the fourth month; the month Tammuz
which
answers to June: this fast was kept on the ninth day of the month
on account
of the city of Jerusalem being broken up on that dayF15T. Bab.
Roshhashanah
fol. 18. 2.
as it is said
2 Kings 25:3 though
Kimchi says this was on the seventeenth day of that month
as also says the
MisnaF16Taanith
c. 4. sect. 7. ; on which day a fast was kept
likewise
for the breaking of the two tables of the law on that day: the
reconciliation of this with the above Scriptures is attempted in the TalmudF17T.
Bab. Taanith
fol. 28. 2. by observing
that the Scripture speaks of the first
temple
the Misna of the second temple:
and the fast of the fifth; the month Ab
which
answers to July
on the tenth of which the city was burnt
Jeremiah 52:12 but
the fast on account of it was kept on the ninth day; See Gill on Zechariah 7:3 on
which day the Jews say that both the first and second temple were destroyed
Bither was taken
and the city ploughedF18Roshhashanah
ut supra.
(fol. 18. 2.) :
and the fast of the seventh; the month Tisri
which
answers to September; on the third of this month a fast was kept on account of
the murder of Gedaliah; see Zechariah 7:5 and
on the tenth day of the same was the day of atonement
which was the grand
fast; see Acts 27:9
and the fast of the tenth; the month Tebet; which
answers to December
on the tenth day of which the city of Jerusalem was
besieged by Nebuchadnezzar; and this fast was kept on that account
Jeremiah 52:4 now
of all these fasts the Lord by the prophet says
they
shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness
and cheerful
feasts; that is
there shall be no occasion for them; but
on the
contrary
such plenty of good things
both temporal and spiritual
shall be
had
that
instead of them
rather festivals should be kept with the greatest
cheerfulness
joy
and gladness. So MaimonidesF19Hilchot Taanioth
c. 5. sect. 19. says
that all these fasts shall cease in the times of the
Messiah
with all others
which will be times of joy and gladness.
Therefore love the truth and peace; love to speak truth
and
execute the judgment of peace
Zechariah 8:16 or
express by words and deeds love to Christ
who is the way
the truth
and the
life; and also is our Peace
the Peacemaker
and Peace giver; and on these
accounts
as well as on others
is greatly to be loved: likewise the Gospel
which is the word of truth
and the Gospel of peace; which contains nothing but
truth
and is the ministry of reconciliation
and is to be loved on that
account; and even peace with men is no further to be loved and sought after
than as it is consistent with truth; and these being the principal things under
the Gospel dispensation
these
and not fasts
or any other ceremonial
observances
are to be attended to.
Zechariah 8:20 20 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come
Inhabitants of many cities;
YLT
20Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Yet come do peoples
and inhabitants of many cities
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
It shall yet come to pass
.... This is
another thing that shall certainly be accomplished:
that there shall come people
and the inhabitants of many cities; in the
Gentile world; they shall come and hear the word
believe in Christ
and join
together in a Gospel church state; as they did at Antioch
Thessalonica
Corinth
and many other places: Ben Melech says this shall be in the days of
the Messiah; and so it has been in the days of the true Messiah Jesus
and will
be again in the latter day.
Zechariah 8:21 21 The
inhabitants of one city shall go to another
saying
“Let us continue to
go and pray before the Lord
And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.”
YLT
21Yea
gone have inhabitants
of one To another
saying: We go diligently
To appease the face of Jehovah
To
seek Jehovah of Hosts -- I go
even I.
And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another
.... Which
shows their concern for the spiritual welfare of each other
their zeal for the
honour and glory of God
and their readiness to attend divine worship:
saying
Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord; for
pardoning
justifying
and sanctifying grace which shows their sense of need of
these things
and that they are only to be had of the Lord; and that their case
required haste
and would admit of no delay:
and to seek the Lord of hosts: by prayer and supplication
as before: the Chaldee paraphrase is
"to seek doctrine from the Lord of
hosts"; to learn the truths of his Gospel; to know his will
and be
informed of the right way of worshipping him
as well as to seek to Christ for
life and salvation:
I will go also; that is
"this shall say to
that"
as the Targum supplies it; one shall say to another
and express
himself in such language
by way of example and encouragement.
Zechariah 8:22 22 Yes
many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem
And to pray before the Lord.’
YLT
22Yea
come in have many
peoples
and mighty nations
To seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem
And to
appease the face of Jehovah.
Yea
many people
and
strong nations
.... Or
"mighty kingdoms"
as the Targum renders it;
even such have embraced the Gospel
and professed the Christian religion; of
which there has been abundant proof since the downfall of Paganism under
Constantine:
shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem; that is
shall
attend the public worship of God in the church:
and to pray before the Lord; join in public prayer
and other ordinances of the Gospel. This phrase
which is used also in the
preceding verse Zechariah 8:21
signifies that the Lord
and he only
is the object of prayer: it is not to be
made to a creature
or to an idol made with hands
they had been used to pray
to before
but to the one only living and true God
Father
Son
and Spirit;
and that this is to be done as in the presence of God
who is omniscient
who
knows all persons and their cases
and what are their ends and views in their
petitions to him
and whether these come from a true heart and unfeigned lips;
for all things are naked and open unto him
with whom we have to do; that
under the Gospel dispensation especially
men may come into the presence of God
with great freedom and liberty
and pour out their souls before him
and with
great boldness and confidence
through the blood of Christ being shed
and a
new and living way opened by it
in which they may come and ask in faith
whatever they want; though this should always be performed with reverence and
godly fear
and with all humility and submission to the will of God: and though
it may take in all sorts of prayer
and wherever and by whomsoever performed
either mental or vocal
in the closet or in the family
which is always to be
done in like manner before God; yet it seems chiefly to design social and
public prayer: which being put up to God in the church
may be said to be
before the Lord
it being in the assembly of his saints
where he more
especially grants his presence
and shows himself to be a God hearing and
answering prayer; see Psalm 65:1.
Zechariah 8:23 23 “Thus
says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations
shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man
saying
“Let us go with you
for we
have heard that God is with you.”’”
YLT
23Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
In those days take hold do ten men of all languages of the nations
Yea
they
have taken hold on the skirt of a man
a Jew
saying: We go with you
for we
heard God [is] with you!
Thus saith the Lord of
hosts
.... For the further confirmation and illustration of this
prophecy:
in those days it shall come to pass; this shall be
done in the times of the preaching of the Gospel by Christ and his apostles:
that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations
even shall take bold of the skirt of him that is a Jew: which may be
understood either of our Lord Jesus Christ; who was a Jew by nation
the Jews
were his own people
and Judea his nation; by descent
he springing from the
tribe of Judah
and the family of David; by religion
being made under the
Jewish law; by his habit and dress
by which
as well as by his language
the
woman of Samaria knew he was a Jew
John 4:9 and very
probably he wore the fringe the Jews did on the border of his garment
Matthew 9:20 and
which the Jewish doctors think is here meantF20T. Bab. Sabbat
fol.
32. 2. by the skirt; but this may intend
in a spiritual sense
the skirt being
put for the whole garment
Ezekiel 16:8
the
robe of Christ's righteousness
which sensible sinners take hold of by faith
and put it on as their justifying righteousness: and "ten men" out of
"all nations" being said to do it
and this number signifying many
Leviticus 26:26 may
denote that the number of them that believe in Christ for righteousness
and
are justified by it
are many
Isaiah 53:11 though
they are but few when compared with others; and that as God has chosen
Christ
has redeemed
so the Spirit calls some out of all nations; and God is the God
of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews
since the one are justified by him as
well as the other
Romans 3:29 or this
may be understood of any of the apostles of Christ
who were all Jews; and
especially the Apostle Paul
who was the apostle of the Gentiles; who were sent
into all the world to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles
by which means they
came to hear it; and many of them out of every nation laid hold on the skirts
of these men; believed and embraced the doctrines they preached; were greatly
affected towards them; gave up themselves to them; consorted with them;
accompanied them
and cleaved unto them; did not care to part with them
as
children
that lay hold on their parents' skirts
will not leave them
but go
with them where they go
as follows:
saying
We will go with you; either with Christ
resolving to follow him whithersoever he goes; to hold to him the Head; to
abide by his truths and ordinances; to walk on in his ways
whatever they
suffer for his name's sake: or with his ministers and people
determining to go
along and join with them in all religious exercises; see 1:16
for we have heard that God is with you: with Christ
as he always was; in the council and covenant of grace before time
and at the
beginning of time to his incarnation; and during his state of humiliation
and
in his sufferings and death; and now in his state of exaltation; hence his name
"Ithiel"
God with me
Proverbs 30:1 or
with his ministers and people
which he has promised to be unto the end of the
world; and this the Gentiles heard and understood
by the power that went along
with their ministry
to the conversion of multitudes of sinners; and by the
miracles which they wrought
for the confirmation of the doctrines they
delivered.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)