The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 71

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER VII. have retained them on their retum. She- rezer, eqnivalent to Asayrian Sar-usur or Vor. I-oh. viii. 23.-Part II. THE ANSWER Asur-sar-usur, "Aeur protect the King,'' is TO A QUESTION OONOERNING THE O1lSERVANCE th_e nam_e home by a son of Sennacherib (2 OF CERTAIN FASTS. Kmgs xix. 37). Regem-melech; "Friend of the King." The first half of the word is Vers. 1-3.-§ I. A deputation comes from probably Assyrian (see Schrader 'Die Bethel to asT, whether a fast instituted in Keilinsc)1r. und Alt. 1:est.,' pp. 206, 417). memory of the calamity of Jerusalem was And thell' men. Certam persons associated still to be obserned. with them in the business. To pray before the Lord; literally, to stroke the face of the Ver. 1.-In the fourt!l year of King Darius. Lord (eh. viii. 21, 22; Exocl. xxxii. 11); This happened, then, B.O. 518, nearly two so Latin, mulcere caput. Hence it means, years after the visions had occurred ( eh. i. 7). "to entreat the favour of God" for their In two years more the temple was finished cit,:.. This was one object of their mission. (Ezra vi. 15), and tho work of rebuilding was The other purpose is mentioned in the next now proceeding vigorously; it seemed a fit verse. opportunity for inquiring whether, in this Ver. 3.-The priests. They were addressed period of comparative prosperity and success, as interpreters of the Law (see Hag. ii. 1,1, it behoved the people to continue the fast and note there). Which were in; rather appointed in sadder times. The word of the which belonged to. The prophets. Such ~ Lord ea.me. This is the usual formula for Zechll.riah, Haggai, and perhaps Malachi, introducing a revelation ( eh. i. I), but it is through whom Goel communicated his will . .here placed in a peculiar position, dividing Should I weep in the fifth month l The use the date into two parts. Keil connects the of the first person singular to express a com- last clause, which gives the day of the munity or a people is not uncommon ; here month, with the next verse; but this is it means the Bethelites (comp. Numb. xx. against the traditional accentuation, and is 18, 19; Josh. ix. 7; 1 Sam. v. 10, 11). not required by the wording of ver. 2. The Weeping is the accompaniment of fasting prophet first gives the date generally when (Judg. xx. 26; Neh. i. 4; Joel ii. 12). This the word came to him, and then defines it fast in the fifth month, the month of Ab, more accurately. Chisleu; <.Jhislev (Neh. had been established in memory of the i. 1). This month corresponded to parts of destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchad- November and December. nezzar. The temple was burnt on the ninth Ver. 2.-When they had sent unto the or tenth of the month (see 2 Kings xxv. 8, honse of God. The Vulgate supports this 9; Jer. Iii. 12, 13). The only fe.st-dav version, Et miserunt ad domum Dei; the enjoined by the Law of Mo;es we.s the great LXX. gives, Kai l{am!tr'l'etll.•11 eis Ba,81771. Day of .Atonement on the tenth day of the ~apaa-a.p «al 'Ap/3•a-•~p d /3ao-1ll.eos ,cal ol seventh month, Ethanim (Lev. n:iii. 26, l!.11Spes av'l'oii, "And Sarasar and Arbeseer etc.). But the Jews added others in memory the king and his men sent to Bethel"- of certain national events (see Judg. =· which is far from clear. But the temple 26; 1 Sam. vii. 6; Isa. lviii. 3, etc.). In is never called Beth-cl, while o. mission to eh. viii. 19 mention is made of four extra- the town Bethel would be unmeaning. So ordinary fasts instituted and obserrn<l during "Bethel" is to be taken as the subject of the Captivity, viz. on the ninth day of the the sentence, thus: "Now Bethel (i.e. they fourth month, in memory of the capture of of Bethel) sent." The persons named may Jerus11lem by the Chru.denns; in the fifth be taken either o.s the deputation or e.s the month, in remembrance of the burning of persons meant by "they of Bethel." The the temple and city; in the seventh month, former seems most likely to be intended. in consequence of the murder of Gedaliah The Bethelites sent these men to Jeru- (Jer. xii. 1, 2); and in the tenth month, in salem to make the inquiry. The exiles memory of the commencement of the siege returned oach to his own city, as we read of Je1·us11lem by Nebuchadnezzar (see note in Ezra ii. ; among them were many people on oh. viii. 19). Sepe.rating myself. Abstain- of Bethel (Ezra ii. 28; Neh. vii. 32), which ing from food and pleasure. Vulgate, ·vel town they rebuilt (Neh. xi. 31). They sanctificare me debeo, such sepan,tion or seem to have tacitly acquiesced in the abstinence being regnrded as a consecration spiritual supremacy_ of_ Jerusalem, notwi~h- to the Lord. The LXX. has not understoL,d standing the o.ssoc1at1ons connected with the passage, rendering, Eia-,71.{i71.u6ev i.ii6e ev their own city. Bherezer. The names of -r,p ,u7111l -re;; ,,,.,,,.,.'I' .,.1, a.-yCaa-,ua, " The sanctifi- the deputies o.re Assyrian; they seem to oe.tion hath come in here in the filth mouth."  68 THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. [OR, VII, 1-14.