The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 10

horses mounted by riders (var. 11). Speckled, feetation of the Logos, the Second Person It is not clenr whot colour is meant by this of the Holy Trinity, assuming an angelio word. 'fhe Rovised Version gives sorrel; form or imparting bis immediate pre,ence Wright, "bay or chestnut;" LXX., ,f,apol to tho revealer of his will. Sitteth still, and 1<11I 1ro11<{1'0,: "dnpple-grey and spotted;" is e.t _rest. The world was lying in proud Vulgate, varii. 1'he Septuagint Version is security. There was no sign of that shRking pl'Ohobly 11 double rendering. The wore! of nations which Haggai (ii. 7, 21, 22) had occurs elsewhere only in Isa. xvi. 8, where foretold shou!,I precede the coming of it is applied to the tendrils of the vine. Messiali and the restoration of Israel. In Wl.11\t is intended by the different colours this second year of Darius, the empire, of the horses is Cl matter of great dis- though suffering from internal cl isturbances, pute, and cannot be known. 'fhere is some was outwl\rclly at peace, and was threatened reason for considering that they repre- by no enemy at a distance. But the con- sent the world-powers at this particular dition of the Jews wee sad and di.£hearten- pe1·iod-the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, ing; the temple still unbnilt, the walls of the Greek; three of those concerning which Jerusalem lying in ruins, themselves only a. Daniel prophesied; the fourth, the Roman, small remnant, exposed to the insults and not having yet come in view. The notion attacks of jealous neighbours, living on of tutelary angels, presiding over countries, sufferance as subjects of a heathen power. was familiar to the Hebrew mind (see Dan. and no sign of the predicted salrntion ap- x. 12, 13, 20, 21), These horsemen are evi- pearing,-tbis was their state. And the dently not poet-couriers, but warriors on angel sees their despondency, recognizes military service. their disappointment, and intercedes for Ver. 9.-0 my lord. The prophet speaks them. to the angel of the Lord, who answers Ver. 12.-Answered. He answered the briefl.y,and is succeeded by the interpreting feeling in the prophet's mincl, the unex- angel. What are these1 Not "who," but pressed longing of hi..'! heart. 0 Lord of "what;" i.e. what do they signify? (comp. hosts. The angel is the intercessor for the Amos vii. M). That talked with me; lite- people. So Christ prays to the Father (John rally, as the LXX. e.nd Vulgate, that spake xvii.). How long wilt thon not have mercy, in me. So vers. 13, 14, and in the following etc.? He pruys that the weary waitin~ for visions. Hence some regard the expression deliverance may speedily come to an end, as intimating a communication borne in- and Jerusalem be restored, and Judiea be wardly to the soul without the aid of ex- again inhabited by e. happy population. ternal organs, or that the angel overpowered These three score and ten years. 'fhe pre- and influenced the prophet as the evil spirit dicted seventy years of captivity (Jer. xxv. possessed the demoniac. But the same term 11; xx.i.x.. 10) were past; it was time that is. used, as Dr. Wright points out, in the the punishment should cease. There are sense of to commune with a person (Numb. two computations of this period. The first. xii. 6, 8; 1 Sam. xxv. 39), and to speak to e. dates from the first capture of Jeruse.lem by person (Hos. i. 2; and perhaps He.b. ii. 1). Nebuchadnezzar, B.C. 606, when Jndiea was It may, however, be that the angel of the made tributary to Babylon (2 Kings x.ti v. 1 ; Lord presented matters objectively, and the 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6; Dan. i. 1, etc.), unto prophet's own angel interpreted subjectively. the return of the comp,rny of exile, under But the Authorized Version is probably Zerubbabel, B.C. 536; the second dates from correct. I will show thee. This he does the final destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 5S8, through the chief nngel (ver. 10). uuto the second year of Darius, B.c. 519, Ver. 10.-The man that stood, etc. The when Zechariah 811W these visions. How- rider upon the red horse of vor. 8, the leader ever reckoned, the dark period was now of the company of horsemen. Answered the over; might they not now expect the com- question which the prophet, bad proposed, motion among the nations which was to or auewered in response to a sigu from the precede their own restitution? interpreting angel. They whom the Lord Ver. 13.-The Lord answered. The Angel hath sent, eto. 'l'hese angelio ministers had of Jehovah is thus called a, the representa- been sent to traverse the ourth l\ntl to report tive of God, whether we regard him us the its conditiou (comp. Job i. 7; ii. 2; Heb. i. Logos or a created angel empowered by 14), and to guide it to the cnrrying out of God (see note on ver. 11). Thi. personage God's purposes. is often seemingly identified with J chovah Ver. 11.-They answered. Having said (comp. oh. iii. 2; Gen. xviii. 1, 2, 13, 17, who they wore, the nngel direots tl,em to 22; Josh. v. 14, 15; vi. 2). He gives the tell of thoir cloings. The angel of the Lord. answol' to the interpl'eting angel, which the Tho "JUl\ll ri,liug upon the reel horse" (ver. !utter is to oonvey to the prophet, which he, B) fa now called "the Angel of J ehove.h." in turn, wns to announoo to the people. Good '.l.'his term is usually held to uenoto a 1u1uu- words, promising blessing 11ml ~alvt\tiuu  TH'E BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. [ ell. I. 1-21.