The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 53

EXPOSITION. sides. (For the curse or God npon gnilly CHAPTER V. nations, eomp. Isa. xxi v. 6; Dan. ix. 11.) Vera. J-4.-§ 8. 7'he sixth vision: the Earth ; land; for J udron. is meant. Tho ftyina roll. curse was ready to fall on all who might come under it by their transgressione. Thie Ver. 1.-Then I turned, and lifted up would bo a warning also to exterior natinne. mine eyes; i.e. I lirted up mine eyes again, Every one that stealeth ... every one that o.nd s11w tho vision that follows. '.rhe pro- aweareth. Thieves and perjurers are espe- phet had seen, in the fourth vision, how in cially mentioned RB incurring the curse. tho new thooora.oy the priestl1ood should be Perjury is a chief offence in one table of pure nnd holy; in the fifth how the Church the Law, theft in the other; so these sins should be restored; he is now shown that may stand for all offences against the Deca- sit;.~ers should be cut off, that no trans- logue (comp. Jas. ii. 1(), ete.). But prn- gression should be left in the kingdom of babl,v they are named because they were God. A fl.ying roll; volumen volan• (Vul- part1cnlarly rife among the returned Jews. gate); comp. Ezek. ii. 9, 10. The Hebrews During their long sojourn in Babylon they used parchment and leather scrolls for bad engaged in commercial pursuits and writing; the writing was divided into had fallen into the lax morality which such columns, and when completed the document occupations often engender. Tbese bad was rolled round one or two sticks and kept habits they had brought with them and in a case. In the present vision the scroll practised in their new home (cnmp. eh. viii. is unrolled and exhibited in its full length 17, and note there). Shall be cut off as on and breadth, showing that it was to be this side aocording to it; Revised Version, made known to all. Its flight denotes the shall be purged out on the one side (margin, speedy arrival of the juclgment, and, as it is from hence) a~cording to it; Ewald, "dri rnn seen in the heaven, so tl,e punishment pro- hence like it." The rperence is to the two ceeds from God. Theodotion and Aquila 1·en- sides of the roll, answering to the two der the word, 6HJ>0.pa, "leather; " the Sep- tables of the Decalogue. Sinners sho.11 be tuagint, by mistake, 6pbravov, "a sickle." "cleansed away," i.e. utterly consumed, Ver. 2.-He said. The angel-interpreter according to the tenor of the roll. The spoke ( eh. iv. 2). The length thereof, etc. Vulgate bas judicabitv.r; the LXX., ews Taking the cubit at o. foot and o. ho.If, the Ba.vcfrou l1<5uc116fiuna.i, •• sltall be punished size of the roll is enormous, and mo.y well unto death." That sweareth; i.e. folsely, have aroused the prophet's wonder. The as is plain from ver. 4; Septuagint, ,ras J dimensions given correspond to those of the brlop1<os, "eve-ry perjurer." porch of Solomon's temple (l Kings vi. 3), Ver. 4.-1 will bring it forth. God will twenty cubits long by ten broad. These not keep tho curse confined and inoperative are also the dimensions of the holy place in (Deut. xxxii. 34, etc.), but it shall enter into the taberno.cle, and of Solomon's brazen the house of the thief. The curse shall not altar (2 Chron. iv. 1). The careful state- fall lightly and pass quickly by, but shllll ment of the size of the roll indic11tes that fix its a.bode with the sinner till it ha.3 eome special meaning is attached to these worked out its fell purpose. It shall r&- meusurements. We do not know that any main; it shall pass the night-take up its symbolical signification was recognized in lodging; LXX., 1<anll.tu ... With the timber the porch of tho temple: but these dimen- thereof, etc. A hyperbolical e:s:pression ol eious may well contain a reference to the the terrible effects of Divine vengeance, sanctunry aud the £\ltm·, ns Knabenbauer which consumes utterly like a devouring explains, "The curse is of the s1\me measure fire-an adumbratiou of the destruction at as thn.t altn.r which was the instl'Ument of the day of judgment (comp. Deut. iv. 2.J:; expi£\tion and reconciliation, o.nd o.s that M£\l. iii. 2; Mo.tt. iii. 12). sttnctun.ry which wnR the entmnce to tho Vera. 5-11.-§ 9. The seventh vision: th8 holy or holies." Others consider that the curse is pronounced acco1·ding to the measure woman in the ephah. of the s11nctuo.ry, i.e. according to the Divine Ver. 5.-Went forth. While the prophet Law; or tho.t all might thus know that it modito.ted on the lust vision, the interpret- co.me from God, nncl tluit the possession of ing angel retired into tho b,1ckground or the temple did not secure the people from amoug the company of angels; he now vengeance unless they were pure and comes into view again to explain a new obedient. revelation olosely connected with the former. Ver. 3.-Tbis is the curse. The roll con- That goeth forth. That comes into sight ta.ined tl10 ourde written upon it on both from the surrounding darkness. As the Zll:0l;l4RIAJ!. i,; 50 THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. [oa, v.1-11,