The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 45

lia.bel .ha.cl commenced the rebuilding in the whose restoration and life the temple was second yenr of tho return, in the second the symbol and vehicle. One point was month (Ezm iii, 8); it hnd been hindered still obscure, and he asks, What are these by the opposition of the neighbouring two olive trees 1 (ver. 3). Tn this c1ueation people (Ezra. iv. 1-5, 24), and was not no answer is immediately forthcoming, the rosumetl till the second yea.r of Darius. answer being delayed in order to augment Shall finish it, The temple was finished in the prophet's desire of understanding the Darius's sixth yeur (Ezra vi. 15), Thou ehalt vision, and to induce him to make the know, eto, The truth of the angel's mission question more definite. would be proved by the event, viz. the Ver. 12.-The prophet perceives the chief successful issue (comp. eh. ii. 9, 11; vi. 15; point in the mystic olive trees, sn be alters Deut. xviii. 22). 'fhe completion of the his question the second time, asking, What material tern pie was a pledge of the estab- be these two olive branches l (shibbolim); lishment of the spiritual temple, the Ohnrch Vulgate, spicre, "ears," as of corn, so called, of God. as Kimcbi snpposes, because they were full Ver. 10.-For who hath despised the day of berries, as the ears are fnll of grains of of small things 1 The " small things" are corn. Which through the two golden pipes, the weak a.nd poor beginning of the temple etc.; rather, which by means of two golden (Hag. ii. 3); as the Targum glosses, "on tubes are emptying the golden oil out of account of the edifice, because it was small." themselves. The oil dropped of itself from Small as the present work was, it was o. the fruit-bearing branches into two tubes, pledge of the full completion, .and was spouts, or channels, which conveyed it to 1herefore not to be despised. So the question the central reservoir. The Revised Version is equivalent to, "Can any one, after these renders, "which are beside the two golden promises a.nd prophecies, presume to be spout.;" like the Vulgate, qure aunt juxta doubtful about the future?" For they shall duo rostra aurea. The LXX. bas, o[ rejoice, etc. The subject of the verbs is ,c/l.&60, .. , ol iv ni's xeptTl Twv 660 µ.u!w-rfipow that which comes last in position, the seven (" beaks," ••noses") Twv xputTwv-w here eyes of J ebovah ; and the verse is best "in the hands" or "by the hands" may be trallslated thus: "For (i.e. seeing that) e. Hebraism for "by means of." The golden these seven eyes of Jehovah, which run oil ; Hebrew, the gold. The oil is so called through all the earth, behold with joy the from its colour. The Greek and Latin plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel." The versions lose this idea altogether, In quibus work is not contemptible, since the Lord sunt suffusoria ez auro (Vulgate); "leading regards it with favour, watches, a.nd directs to the golden vessels" (Septuagint). it. The LXX. and Vulgate (followed nearly Ver. 13.-Xnowest thou notl ( comp. ver. 5). by the Authorized Version) make the The angel wishes to impress upon the despisers the subject of the verbs, nnd prophet wheuce came the power of the lamely dissociate the final clause entirely theocracy and the Di vine order manifested from the preceding, The version given therein. above is in accordance with the Masoretic Ver. 14.-The two anointed ones; literallj, accentuation. The plummet; literally, the the tioo sons of oil; so the Revised Version; st011e, the tin; 'l'hv ll.l8ov, Tbv ,ca.utT1Tipwov Vulgate, filii olei; Septuagint, viol T,is (Septuagint): lapidem stanneum, "the stone '11'1d-r71Tos, "sons of fatness" ( comp. Isa. v. 1). of tin" (Vulgate ), Tin is not found in By them are intended the two powers, Pa.Jestine; it was imported by the Phceni- the regal and the sacerdotal, throngh which cians in great abundance, and from them God's help and protection are dispensed to the Jews obtained it. The supply must the theocracy. Oil was nsed in appointing have come from Spain or Britain. With to both these offices (comp. Lev. xxi. 10; those seven, The preposition is an inter- 1 Sam. x:. 1). The expression, "son polation of the Authorized Version. It of," in many oases denotes a quality or ,;ihould be, "even these seven," explaining property, like "son of Belia.I," "son of il'ho are "they" at the head of the ofouse. might;" so here Dr. Alexander considers l'he eyes of the Lord. The "seven eyes" thnt "sons or oil" means people possessed ha.ve been o.lready mentioned (eh. iii. 9, of oil, oil-bearers, channels through which where see note). They are expressive of the oil flowed to others. Zen1bbabel and God's watchful providence and care. Whioh Joshua. o.ro representatives of the ci vii and run to and fro, This cla.nee further enforces priestly authorities, but the text seems the previous image (2 Ohron. xvi. 9; Prov. expressly to avoid no.ruing I\DY human xv. 3). agents, in order to show thl\t the symbol Ver. 11.-Then answered I. The prophet must not be limited to individuals. Nor, had received a general expla.nation of the indeed, must it be confined to the Jewish vision; he hnd proba.bly uuderstood thnt the Ollurch and state; it looks fonrnrcl to the eau.dela.brum represented the theocracy, of timo when Jew and Gentile sha.11 unite in 42 THE BOOK OF ZECltARTAtt. [Oil, IV, 1-14.