The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 92

u (most efforts, which were only successful oocm·s in Dent. xxiii. 2 (3, Hebrew), where when he had united the island to the it may possibly meo.n "a stranger." It is mainhmd by erecting an enormous mole generally considered to signify one whose between t.hem. Thie causeway he.s now birth has a blemish in it-ono born of inoest bcoome an ist.hmus of some he.If-mile in or adultery. In Deuteronomy the LXX. width, owing to aocumule.tiona of ae.nd and renders, trc 'll'opv'f/s, "one of harlot-birth;" debru. Aa the duat ( comp. 2 Chron. ix. 27; here, .U,_o')'"'-hs, "foreigner." The Vulgate Job xxvii. 16). • has separaf,or, whioh is explained as mean- Ver. 4.-Will oast her out; '11:ill t,a~·e ing either the Lord, who BB Judge divides poSS&SWn of her; i.e. will conquer her by the just from the unjust, or the Conqueror, the hands of her enemies, e.s Josh. viii. 7; who divides the spoil and assigns to oaptives xvii. 12. Septue.gint, ""T1po110µ.-f,lJ",i, "will their fate. Here it doubtless signifies " e. inherit;" Vulge.te, possidebit; Ewe.ld and bastard race" (as the Revised Version Hitzig render, "will impoverish her." ~o.rgi~ translates); ~ rabble of e.liens shall Will smite her power in the sea. " Power" inhabit Ashdod, wb1oh shall lose its own here includes a.11 that made Tyre proud native population. The Te.rgum explains and confident-her riches, her 1leets, her it differently, considering that by the ex-· trade, her fortifice.tions. God declares tha.t pression is meant that Ashdod she.ll be she she.II be smitten there as she stood in the inhabited by Israelites, who o.re deemed midst of the sea., which formed her bulwark, " strangers" by the Philistines, Ashdod a.nd which should soon dash over her ruins. (see note on Amos i. 8). The pride. All The LXX. translates, "shall smite into the in which they prided themselves. This sea.." Zeche.riah seems here to ha.ve a. remi- sums up the prophecy age.inst the several niscence of Ezek. xxvii. 32, "What city is like Philistine cities. Their very natione.lity Tyrus, like the destroyed iu the midst of the • shall he lost. , sea.?" (comp. Ezek. n:vi. 4). With fire Yer. 7.-Personifying Philistie., the pro- (comp. Amos i. 10). The city wa.s burned phet declares that she shall cease to practise by .Alexander (see note on ver. 2. The siege idolatry, and shall be incorpore.ted in Israel. is narrated by Arrian, ii. 15-24; Quint, I will take awa.y his blood out of his mouth, Curt., iv. 2, etc. ; Diod. Sic., xvii. 46, etc.). This refers to the practice of drinking the Ver. 5.-A.shltelon shall see it. The ruin blood of sacrifices e.s e.n act of worship, of so mighty a city a.s Tyre ne.tura.lly filled or of eating the victims with the blood-a neighbouring people with dismay. The practice strictly forbidden to the Isre.el-. prophet directs his attention to Philistia, ites (see Lev. iii. 17; vii. 26; xvii. 10, a.nd three.tens its chief cities. The cities 12; and comp. Gen. ix. 4). Abominations, are enumerated in the same order as in Sacrifices offered to idols, and afterwards Jer. x.xv. 20. Gath is omitted, as in A.mos eaten. The two clauses intimate the entire, i. 6-S and Zeph. ii. 4. It seems never to abolition of idolatry. Many see in this have recovered its destruction by Uzziah prediction e. reference to the doings of the (2 Chron. x.xvi. 6). (For Ashkelon, Gaze., Maccabees; how, e.g., Judas destroyed the and Ekron, see note on .A.mos i. 6.) Her altars and idols in Azotus (1 Me.cc. v. 68); expectation shall be ashamed. The hope of Jonathan again took that city, and burned aid from Tyre shall not be fulfilled. After it and the neighbouringtowns,e.nd, besieging the fall of Tyre, Alexander continued his Ashkelon, was received with great honour march southwards towards Egypt, subduing by the inhabitants, and confirmed in the the cities on his way. The siege of Gaza possession of this place and Ekron (1 Me.cc. delayed him some months; and when it x. 84, etc.); and Simon stormed Ge.z11 was taken, it she.red the treatment of Tyre. (? Gaze.ra, e. place near Ashdod), cleansed Its governor, one Batis, a eunuch, vre.s tied the houses of idols, "put all uncleanness alive to the conqueror's cha.riot, and dragged out of it, and placed such men there as rouud the we.Us, in cruel imitation of the would keep the Law" (11\:le.cc. xiii. 47, 48). fate of Ht:ctor. The king ahall perish from But though such events partially fulfil Gua. No particular king is meant; but ~he the prophecy, the seer looks forward to e. prediction says that henceforward D? king greater issue, and in these comparatively should reign in Gaza. In contrast with the petty details beholds the working of the Ee.stern policy of allowing conquered nationa great principle that all nations shall be to retain their own rulers as tributary subdued to the faith. He that reme.inath, l!OVereigns, Alexander always deposed or even he, shall be for our God; better, lie too slew reigning monarchs, and consolidated ,hall be left (or, a remnant) for our God. his empire by replacing them with governors The Philistine abe.ll become e. ohoioo and of Lb own. The various chastisements are elect remnant unto the God of the Israelites, me!k:d out Ly the proplu,t among the various and no longer regarded as alien and impure, cities, though they equally apply io all. As a governor; Septuagint, x,,.iapxos, "head Vtr. (j,-A b11.11tard. 'flit word (mamzer) over a thouEa,nd," which the word alluph. OH, lX, 1-17.] 'I'HE BOOK OF ZECHARIA.Il. 91