The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 95

Ephro.im, o.nd portinontly asks why such added to the horror of the sitnation, or to term mny not he 11lso need by one who wrote intimate that the prisoners were not hope- nfler the Captivity. The be.ttle bow sto.nds lessly drowned therein. We Christia.as see for 1111 wcnpons of w11r. That Messiah's in this para.graph a. fignru of the redemption Jring,lom should be pee.ceful aml peace- of a lost world by the bl0od of Christ. bringing, see the prophecies (Ps. lxxii. 7; Ver. 12.-The prophet calls on the Isa. ii. 4; ix. 4-7; comp. Micah v. 10, II), prisoners to e.va.il themselves of the offered He she.11 spee.k pee.ce unto the heathen. He deliverance. Tum you to the strong hold. will extend this pee.ea to all the world, Return ye to Zion, the city defended by God te11ching the heathen to receive his spiritual (eh. ii. 5), and a.hie to afford you e. safe rule, to compose their differences, to lay asylnm. (For the spiritual meaning, see aside their arms, and live as one united Luke iv. 18-21.) Ye prisoners of hope. family (comp. Eph. ii. 17). From see. even Captives who have good hope of deliverance to sea. Geographically, the phrase means because they are still in covenant with from the Dead See. on the ee.st to the Medi- God. Septuagint, lifrµ,o, 'l'ijs <Tuva.')'oryij<, terranean on the west, e.s in Exod. xxiii. 31 " prisoners of the synagogue." Pusey re- and Ps. lxxii. 8, from whence our passage marks that "hope" here and nowhere else is derived. Poetically, e.n Eastern sea, per• has the article, and that what is meant is haps, is supposed to bound that side of the "the Hope of Israel," that of which St. Paul eartb. From the river even to the ends of spoke (Acts xx"ri. 6, 7 a.ad xxviii. 20). Even the earth. From the Euphrates unto the to-da.y. In spite of all contrary appearances. utmost limits of the world (see Amos viii. Septuagint, civ-rl µ,as '11µ,Epas 7ra.potKEG'i~s O"ou, 12; Mic11.h vii. 12). Both expressions ob- "for one day of thy sojourning." Double. tain an unlimited signifie.nce, e.nd show the A donble measure of blessing iu compensa- universal extent of Messiu.h's kingdom; for tion for past suffering (Isa. xl. 2 ; lxi. 7). in him, according to the promise made to There onght to be e. fall stop e.t the end of Abraham, all the families of the earth this verse, as in the Revised Version. should be blessed. Ver. 13.-The Lord proceeds to explain the promised blessings in detail. First is Vers. 11-17.-§ 3. All lllf'ael, united into signified the victorious resistance of the one people, 8hall wage successful war against Maccabees age.inst the Seleucidai-a figure adversaries, and attain to high glory, and in- of Messie.h's victory over all the enemies of crease largely in numbers. God. When (/OT) I have bent Judah for me. The verbs are in the prophetical perfect, Ver. 11.-As for thee also. The prophet e.nd may be rendered future. By e. grand addresses the daughter of Zion, the covenant figure God is represented e.s a warrior people (comp. vers. 10, 13). "Also" is in- armed for battle, who uses his people for serted to intimate that this deliverance is the weapons of his warfare. The Hebrews given in addition to the blessings promised speak of "tree.ding" the bow, where we in the two preceding verses. All who are say "bend," because they used the foot ,n living far from their native Zion a.re invited bending it. In the present case Judah is to come to herand partake of her good things. God's bow. Filled the bow with Ephraim. By (becauge of) the blood of thy covenant. The Ephraim is the arrow (comp. Ps. cx:xvii. coven11nt is tbe.t made e.t Sinai, sealed and 4, 5). Judah and Ephraim, the united ratified by blood (Exod. xxiv. 4-8), which people, a.re God's instrnmeu t,, and fight still held good, and was the pledge to the against the world-power in his strength. nation of deliverance and help. This we.s e. And raised up; better, and I will stir token of that everlasting covenant sealed "P; Septuagint, i!"'Y•P"': Vulgate, suscitabo. with tbe blood of Christ, by which God's Greece; Javan. Not a vague term for the people are delivered from the bondage of far west, whither soma prisoners ho.d been sin ( comp. Matt. xxvi. 28; Heh. ix. 15; carried, but to be ta.ken strictly as the x. 14-23; xiii. 20). I he.ve sent forth; I appellation of Greece. Nothing but in- send forth-the prophetic perfect The spiration could have enabled Zecharie.h o.nd Greek and Le.tin Versions render, "thou Daniel to foresee the rise of the Macedonian sentest forth," not so correctly. Thy prison- dynasty, and the struggle between the Jews ers. Those members of the nation who were and the Byro-Grecian power in Me.ccabee.n still oppressed or captives in foreign lands, times, which is here plainly announced. The a.a Babylon and Egypt (comp. Obad. 20; earlier the date assigned to this part of Joel iii. 6, eto.; Amos i. 6, 9, eto.). The Zechari0,h's propheoy, the more inoredible pit wherein is no water. "Pit," or cistern, is it that any mere human sagacity or pre- is a oommon name for a prison (Gen. xl. science should haye enabled a man to fore- 15; Exod. xii. 29; Jer. xxxvii. 16). The tell these events, or to seo in Greece a power a.bsenoo of water me.y be notified either o.rre.ytid in oonftiot with the peoplt} of God. to imply that tho tortures of thirst we~ And made thee; rather, and I will mak11 94 THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. [on:, IX, 1-17,