PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Zechariah
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 90,735 words · 163 reading sections
Zechariah 5:11
Zechariah 5:11 Ver. 11. And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar,.... That is, in the province of Babylon, as the Targum paraphrases it; for Babel, or Babylon, was in the land of Shinar, Ge 10:10 whither the Jews were carried captive, Da 1:2 Isa 11:11, and the bearing of the "ephah" thither may …
496 wordsSECTION 62Zechariah 6:1
Zechariah 6:1 INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 6 This chapter contains a vision of four chariots, and the explanation of it; and an order to make crowns of gold and silver for certain uses mentioned; and a famous prophecy concerning the Messiah as the builder of the temple, the church. The chariots are described by their nu…
1,403 wordsSECTION 63Zechariah 6:2
Zechariah 6:2 Ver. 2. In the first chariot [were] red horses,.... If these are to be understood of the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel, they may be compared to "horses", for bearing the name of Christ, and drawing the chariot of the Gospel; for their strength to labour in the word and doctrine; for the…
396 wordsSECTION 64Zechariah 6:3
Zechariah 6:3 Ver. 3. And in the third chariot white horses,.... Which, as referring to Gospel preachers, may denote the purity of their lives and doctrines, and their conquests and victories over the souls of men by the ministry of the word; and, as applicable to angels, may express the purity of their nature and act…
830 wordsSECTION 65Zechariah 6:4
Zechariah 6:4 Ver. 4. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me,.... After he had seen the chariots come out, and had observed the different colours of the horses in them: what [are] these, my lord? that is, what do they signify? what is the meaning of this vision?…
54 wordsSECTION 66Zechariah 6:5
Zechariah 6:5 Ver. 5. And the angel answered and said unto me,.... In order to grant him his request, and explain the vision of the chariots: these [are] the four spirits of the heavens; or, "the four winds of the heavens"; the apostles and ministers of the Gospel may be compared to "the winds", because their ministr…
449 wordsSECTION 67Zechariah 6:6
Zechariah 6:6 Ver. 6. The black horses which [are] therein,.... Which were in the second chariot: no further mention is made of the red horses in the first chariot, because the kingdom of the Chaldeans was now extinct: these design the Medes and Persians: go forth into the north country: into the country of Babylon o…
164 wordsSECTION 68Zechariah 6:7
Zechariah 6:7 Ver. 7. And the bay went forth, and sought to go,.... Without leave: these design either the Romans; or, since distinct from the grisled, the Huns, Goths, and Vandals; who sought to go out of their own places into other countries: and were desirous that they might walk to and fro through the earth: with…
239 wordsSECTION 69Zechariah 6:8
Zechariah 6:8 Ver. 8. Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying,.... That is, the Lord of the whole earth spoke to the prophet with a loud voice, and uttered the following words: Behold, these that go toward the north country; meaning the Medes and Persians, which went towards Babylon: have quieted my spirit …
104 wordsSECTION 70Zechariah 6:9
Zechariah 6:9 Ver. 9. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.] Either "the word of prophecy from the Lord", as the Targum paraphrases it; the visions being ended, the prophetic part of the book begins; and many excellent prophecies concerning the Messiah, and his kingdom, are contained in this and the following…
73 wordsSECTION 71Zechariah 6:10
Zechariah 6:10 Ver. 10. Take of "them of" the captivity,.... That is, some of them that were returned from the captivity of Babylon, and who are mentioned by name: even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon; either with Zerubbabel and Joshua, when they came from thence; or who were now just …
154 wordsSECTION 72Zechariah 6:11
Zechariah 6:11 Ver. 11. Then take silver and gold, &c. Which the Jewish writers suppose were brought by the above men from their brethren in Babylon, as a free will offering towards the building of the temple: and make crowns; two at least, one of silver, and another of gold; the one to be put upon the head of Joshua…
838 wordsSECTION 73Zechariah 6:12
Zechariah 6:12 Ver. 12. And speak unto him, saying,.... That is, to Joshua the high priest, having the crowns on his head: thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; which is not to be understood of Zerubbabel, as some Jewish writers interpret it; for he was not "the Branch", …
1,174 wordsSECTION 74Zechariah 6:13
Zechariah 6:13 Ver. 13. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord,.... Which is repeated, as Kimchi observes, for confirmation sake: and he shall bear the glory; that is, of building the temple; and the phrase denotes that the glory of it shall be upon him, shall be hung upon him, as in Isa 22:24 and so shall be vis…
449 wordsSECTION 75Zechariah 6:14
Zechariah 6:14 Ver. 14. And the crowns shall be to Helem,.... The same with Heldai, Zec 6:10: and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah; the same with Josiah, Zec 6:10: for a memorial in the temple of the Lord; the crowns, after they had been put upon the head of Joshua, were taken off, and lai…
244 wordsSECTION 76Zechariah 6:15
Zechariah 6:15 Ver. 15. And they [that are] afar off shall come,..... Into the temple; not the material temple; nor is this a prophecy which was fulfilled in Herod, a stranger, repairing that, as Kimchi suggests; but into the spiritual temple, the church; and is a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, who are said …
347 wordsSECTION 77Zechariah 7:1
Zechariah 7:1 INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 7 This chapter treats concerning the nature and use of certain fasts kept by the Jews, on account of the destruction of the temple, and other things; and concerning the message of the former prophets to them, and the effects of it. The occasion of the former was an embassy sent…
314 wordsSECTION 78Zechariah 7:2
Zechariah 7:2 Ver. 2. When they had sent unto the house of God,.... It is, in the Hebrew text, "when he sent Bethel"; which some, as Kimchi observes, take to be the name of a man that was sent along with those after mentioned; but the Targum and the Septuagint render it, "when", or "after he had sent unto Bethel": not…
323 wordsSECTION 79Zechariah 7:3
Zechariah 7:3 Ver. 3. And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts,.... That ministered in the sanctuary, as the Targum explains it, who offered sacrifices, &c. and who were to be consulted in matters of religion, Mal 2:7: and to the prophets; who were then in being, as Haggai, Zechariah…
230 wordsSECTION 80Zechariah 7:4
Zechariah 7:4 Ver. 4. Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying. Upon the sending of this embassy, and upon putting this question.…
28 wordsSECTION 81Zechariah 7:5
Zechariah 7:5 Ver. 5. Speak unto all the people of the land,.... Of Judea, who had sent these men on this errand, and whom they represented, and in whose name they spake: and to the priests; who were consulted on this occasion: saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth; on the seventh or tenth day of the fifth…
285 wordsSECTION 82Zechariah 7:6
Zechariah 7:6 Ver. 6. And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink,.... Either at common meals, or at their festivals: did not ye eat [for yourselves], and drink [for yourselves]? merely and only for their own refreshment and pleasure, and not for the glory of God; though that ought to be the principal end in eating an…
64 wordsSECTION 83Zechariah 7:7
Zechariah 7:7 Ver. 7. [Should ye] not [hear] the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets,.... As Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others; suggesting that it would have been much better for them to have regarded the exhortations and instructions which the Lord sent them by his servants, which would have prev…
614 wordsSECTION 84Zechariah 7:8
Zechariah 7:8 Ver. 8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying. Giving him orders to repeat what the former prophets had said, and to urge the same things on the people which they had before rejected, the rejection of which had issued in their ruin.…
49 wordsSECTION 85Zechariah 7:9
Zechariah 7:9 Ver. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying,.... The same things as he had before; for the things following are ever in force, and always to be attended to, and to be regarded and preferred before anything merely ritual and ceremonial; and especially before the traditions and commandments of men, of …
173 wordsSECTION 86Zechariah 7:10
Zechariah 7:10 Ver. 10. And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor,.... Such as have no husband to provide for them, nor father and mother to care for them, and are in a strange land, where they have no friends or acquaintance, and are poor, and can not help themselves. Laws of this kind…
115 wordsSECTION 87Zechariah 7:11
Zechariah 7:11 Ver. 11. But they refused to hearken,..... That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them: and pulled away the shoulder; from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" …
157 wordsSECTION 88Zechariah 7:12
Zechariah 7:12 Ver. 12. Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone,.... The word here used is translated a "diamond" in Jer 17:1 and it is said to be harder than a flint, Eze 3:9. The Jewish writers say {g} it is a worm like a barley corn, so strong as to cut the hardest stones in pieces; Moses (they say) used …
305 wordsSECTION 89Zechariah 7:13
Zechariah 7:13 Ver. 13. Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried,.... The Lord by the former prophets called them to repentance and obedience: and they would not hear; his words, nor obey his voice: so they cried: when they were besieged in Jerusalem, and were carried captive into Babylon: and I would not h…
79 wordsSECTION 90Zechariah 7:14
Zechariah 7:14 Ver. 14. But I scattered them with a whirlwind,.... Denoting the fierceness of his wrath, and the strength of his fury, seen in their dispersion: among all the nations whom they knew not; such as the Babylonians, Medes, and Persians, people before unknown to the Jews: thus the land was desolate after …
230 wordsSECTION 91Zechariah 8:1
Zechariah 8:1 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, signif…
445 wordsSECTION 92Zechariah 8:2
Zechariah 8:2 Ver. 2. 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, n…
153 wordsSECTION 93Zechariah 8:3
Zechariah 8:3 Ver. 3. 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, Isa 59:20 or to the time…
350 wordsSECTION 94Zechariah 8:4
Zechariah 8:4 Ver. 4. 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 cal…
212 wordsSECTION 95Zechariah 8:5
Zechariah 8:5 Ver. 5. 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 g…
199 wordsSECTION 96Zechariah 8:6
Zechariah 8:6 Ver. 6. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... This is repeated for the same end as before; See Gill on "Zec 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 pos…
193 wordsSECTION 97Zechariah 8:7
Zechariah 8:7 Ver. 7. 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…
168 wordsSECTION 98Zechariah 8:8
Zechariah 8:8 Ver. 8. 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, Jer 3:14 Joh 10:16: and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: the Gospel church; and be no more foreigners and str…
207 wordsSECTION 99Zechariah 8:9
Zechariah 8:9 Ver. 9. 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, Hag 2:4: ye that hear in these days; such as Zerubbabel the ruler, Joshua the high pries…
237 wordsSECTION 100Zechariah 8:10
Zechariah 8:10 Ver. 10. 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, Hag …
154 wordsSECTION 101Zechariah 8:11
Zechariah 8:11 Ver. 11. 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, Hag 1:2.…
60 wordsSECTION 102Zechariah 8:12
Zechariah 8:12 Ver. 12. 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, Hag 1:6: the vine shall give her fruit; be loaded with clusters, and produce large quantities of wine; whereas b…
222 wordsSECTION 103Zechariah 8:13
Zechariah 8:13 Ver. 13. And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen,.... Reproached, vilified, and called accursed by them; see Jer 24:9 as true Christians, and real believers in Christ, are by the men of this world, 1Co 4:12: O house of Judah, and house of Israel; both being carried captiv…
157 wordsSECTION 104Zechariah 8:14
Zechariah 8:14 Ver. 14. 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 capti…
136 wordsSECTION 105Zechariah 8:15
Zechariah 8:15 Ver. 15. So again,.... Or "so I am returned" {n}, as in Zec 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 dete…
2,265 wordsSECTION 106Zechariah 9:1
Zechariah 9:1 INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 9 This chapter treats of the conversion of the Gentiles, before spoken of in general, now particularly named; of the coming of Christ into the world, and the advantages of it to his church; of the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles, and of their protection, encouragement, …
1,294 wordsSECTION 107Zechariah 9:2
Zechariah 9:2 Ver. 2. And Hamath also shall border thereby,.... By the land of Hadrach, or by Damascus; and that it was near Damascus is clear from Isa 10:9 it is called Hamath the great in Am 6:2 and according to Jerom {d}, is the same with Antioch, which he says was so called by some; and the Targum of Jonathan ben …
248 wordsSECTION 108Zechariah 9:3
Zechariah 9:3 Ver. 3. And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold,.... Tyre was built upon a rock, and was a strong fortress itself, from whence it had its name; and, besides its natural defence, it had a wall one hundred and fifty feet high, and its breadth was answerable to its height {e}; but yet, as it could not def…
177 wordsSECTION 109Zechariah 9:4
Zechariah 9:4 Ver. 4. Behold, the Lord will cast her out,.... Or "inherit her" {f}, or "them", as the Septuagint render the words; when, being converted, she would become the Lord's inheritance and possession, and her riches should be devoted to his service: and he will smite her power in the sea; for Tyre was situat…
223 wordsSECTION 110Zechariah 9:5
Zechariah 9:5 Ver. 5. Ashkelon shall see [it], and fear,.... That is, as Kimchi explains it, when Ashkelon shall see that Tyre humbles herself and submits, she shall humble herself and submit also: and the sense may be, that the inhabitants of Ashkelon, seeing that Tyre, with all her wisdom and strong reasoning, could…
594 wordsSECTION 111Zechariah 9:6
Zechariah 9:6 Ver. 6. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod,.... Some {p} take "mamzer", the word for "bastard", to be the name of a people that should dwell in Ashdod; this is the same place with Azotus, Ac 8:40 and was also one of the five lordships of the Philistines, Jos 13:3 some, by the "bastard" here, understand …
503 wordsSECTION 112Zechariah 9:7
Zechariah 9:7 Ver. 7. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth,.... The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read "their blood"; not the blood of the bastard, but of the Philistines. The Targum is, "I will destroy them that eat blood"; the meaning may be, that they shall no more thirst after blood, nor drin…
442 wordsSECTION 113Zechariah 9:8
Zechariah 9:8 Ver. 8. And I will encamp about my house, because of the army,.... Of profane and wicked men, persecutors and heretics, who rose up in great numbers in the first ages of Christianity against the church, the house of God, where he dwells, which consisted of persons called from among the Gentiles as before…
636 wordsSECTION 114Zechariah 9:9
Zechariah 9:9 Ver. 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem,.... By whom are meant, not the inhabitants of Jerusalem in common; nor the children in it, that said Hosannas to the son of David; but the church of God, and true believers in Christ, who are called upon to "rejoice" and "shout"…
7,362 wordsSECTION 115Zechariah 10:1
Zechariah 10:1 INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 10 This chapter is a prophecy of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, spoken of in the preceding chapter Zec 9:1. It begins with an exhortation to ask rain of the Lord; denounces wrath upon his enemies; and consists of v…
1,333 wordsSECTION 116Zechariah 10:2
Zechariah 10:2 Ver. 2. For the idols have spoken vanity,.... The vanities of the Gentiles cannot give rain; if they promise it, they speak vain things; God only can give it, and therefore it must, be asked of him, Jer 14:22. The word for idols is "teraphim", the same as in Ge 31:19 and here signifies worshippers of id…
470 wordsSECTION 117Zechariah 10:3
Zechariah 10:3 Ver. 3. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds,.... The Targum interprets it of "kings"; as the "goats" of "princes", in the next clause; by whom, according to Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, are meant the kings of Greece; but rather the antichristian kings are designed, the kings of the…
428 wordsSECTION 118Zechariah 10:4
Zechariah 10:4 Ver. 4. Out of him came forth the corner,.... Or "cornerstone"; by which is meant a king or ruler, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi; and is no other than the King Messiah, who was to come out of Judah, and did spring from that tribe, 1Ch 5:2 and this is a reason why God will visit the house of Judah, o…
501 wordsSECTION 119Re 19:11
Re 19:11 out of him every oppressor together: or "exactor" {n}; which is used in a good sense, Isa 60:17 as it must be here, since all the rest of the epithets are; and may design the apostles of Christ, who preached the doctrines of grace and righteousness, and required of men the obedience of faith; and these came o…
97 wordsSECTION 120Zechariah 10:5
Zechariah 10:5 Ver. 5. And they shall be as mighty [men],.... That is, the converted Jews shall be such; they shall be strong in faith, giving glory to the Messiah; they shall be strong in the grace that is in him; they shall be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; his strength shall be made perfect in t…
237 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.