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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. |
3 - Turn ... I will turn In righteousness God could support their work of temple rebuilding. For other calls to repentance through Zechariah see zc0307, zc0615, zc0816. |
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¶ 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. |
8 - I saw This is the first of eight visions (through 6:8) reveal God's plan for His returned people. |
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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. |
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- Angel of the Lord Apparently Gabriel or another angel who spoke
with Zechariah in v13. The Lord of Hosts we
generally see as Christ re1914.
13 - Good ... comfortable words We don't ususally see angels who bring comfort by the Holy Spirit. Compare 2co0103. 15 - At ease Perhaps demanding tribute from Jerusalem. |
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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. |
16
- Jerusalem ... built The temple was built and the city reestablished
but the people were still unfaithful.
17 - Comfort Zion ... choose Jerusalem This was the plan but His people rejected it mt2337. |
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¶ 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. |
Lifted
... eyes The second vision begins.
Four horns To fulfill the divine purpose. They are the scattering powers in the next verses. Scattering in all directions could be indicated by the number four da0808, da1104, re0701. |
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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. |
Carpenters
Hebrew
charashim.
More
precisely "artisans." See the word used in
ez2811,
2sa0511,
1sa1319.
Horns The builders would first scatter Judah, the people of the Lord, so they would be humble is1112. Then the horns would turn against the heathen who had been instrumental in the scattering as I read the text – a little complicated. Builders would first take stones from the rock, then spread them out for selection in construction. God's people are like stones which make up His temple 1pe0205. Temple and people building are significant in this book of Zechariah. Fray That is, frighten. |
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