The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 116

EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XI. wards a.long the Jordan valley. Their glory. The noble trees in whose shadow they re- Vers.1-9.-§ 8. Restoration to their own joiced. Young lion■. Which had t&eir lairs le.nd ancl material prosperity do not free the in the forests now laid waste (Jer. xlix. 19). Israelites from probation or trouble. The The pride of lorde.n. 'fhe thickets that clothed the banks of Jordan are called its prophet, therefore, darkens his late picture "pride" (Jer. xii. 5). The lion is not now with some gloomy shadows. The Holy Land found in Pa.Jestine, but must have been con;.- is threatened with judgment (vers. 1-3). mon in earlier times, especially in such places e.s the brush wood and reedy coverts which Ver. 1.-0pen thy doors, 0 Lebanon. The line the margin of the Jordan. The prophet prophet graphically portrays the punish- introduces the inanimate and animate crea- ment that is to fall npon the people. The tion-trees, men, bea.sts-a.like deploring the sin that occasions this chastisement, viz. the calamity. And the tenns in which this is rejection of their Shepherd e.nd King, is depicted point to some great disaster and denounced later (§ 9). Lebanon stood in ruin, e.nd, as it seems, to the final catas- the path of e.n invader from the north, trophe of the destruction of Jerusalem by whence most hostile armies entered Pales- the Romans, the punishment of the rejection tine. The "doors " of Lebanon are the of Messiah. This reference becomes plainer mountain passes which gave access to the e.s we proceed. It is inadmissible to refer country. Some commentators, following e.n the passage (e.s some do) to the Assyrian old Jewish interpretation, take Lebanon to invasions mentioned in 2 Kings xv. 29 and mean the temple or Jerusalem; but we are 1 Chron. v. 26. Holcling the post-exilian oonstrained to adhere primarily to the literal origin of the prophecy, we are bound to signification by the difficulty of carrying on interpret it in accordance with this view, the metaphorical allusions in the following which, indeed. presents fewer difficulties clauses. The.t the fire me.y devour t11y the.n the other. oede.rs. That the invader may wantonly destroy thy trees which a.re thy glory and Vera. 4-14.-§ 9. The punishment falls thy boast. upon the people of Iarael becauae they reject Ver. 2.-:e:owl, fir tree. A species of the good Shepherd, personified by the pro- cypress is intended, or, e.s some se.y, the phet, who rulea the flock and chaatises ern.1.- Aleppo pine. It is the tree of which doera in vain, and at last flings up his o.ffiCLJ Solomon me.de floors, doors, e.nd ceiling in his temple (1 Kings vi. 15, 34), e.nd David in indignation at their contumacy. harps (2 8am. vi. 5). The prophet dre.mati- Ver. 4.-Thns seith the Lord. The person ce.lly oe.lls on this tree to wail for the fate of addressed is Zechariah himself, who in c the cedar, as being a.bout to suffer the same vision is commanded to assume the office of destruction. The mighty; µ.e-y,cr.,.ii11u, "the the good Shepherd (see var. 15), and to chieftains" (Septuagint). Trees a.re being tend the chosen people, the sheep of the spoken of, e.nd so the primary sense is, " the Lord's pasture. God herein designs to goodly" (Ezek. xvii, 23) or "glorious trees." show his care for his people from the earliest Metaphorically, the chiefs of lirael me.y be times amid the various trials which hnve intended. Be.ahe.n, famous for its oe.ks, is beset them both from external enemies and next visited by the invading force, und its from unworthy rulers e.t home. The flock trees a.re felled for the use of the enemy. of the slaughter; rather, the flock of slaughter The forest of the vintage, The Authorized -destined for, exposed to, destructi0n e.t the Version here follows, very inappropriately, hands of their present shepherds (Ps. xliv. the oorreotion of the Keri. The original 22; J er. xii. 3; Rom. viii. 36). reading should be retained e.nd tre.nslatecl, Ver. 5.-Possessors ; or, buyers. Those "the inaccessible forest" -an expression who claimed to be owners by ric:ht of pill'• appropriate to Lebo.non. If Lebo.non is not ohase. Hold themselves not guilty. They ape.red, rnuoh less shall Bashan escape. are so blinded by self-interest that thc·y see LXX., 6 6pvµbs 6 uvµ.q,vTos, "the close- no sin in thus treating the tlock. But the planted wood;" Vulgate, aaltl/,8 munitus, expression is better rendered, bear no blatM, "defenoed forest." i.e. suffer no penalty, commit this wicked- Ver. 3.-There is e. voioe, The Hebrew ness with impunity. Septuagint, "repent is more terse and forcible, "A voioe of the not;" Vulgate, non dolebant, which Jerome howling of the shepherds I" or, " Hark I e. explains, "did not su!for for it." Blessed be howling," etc. (Jar, xxv. 94, etc.). The the Lord. So little compunction do they 41lestruotion sproods from the north south- feel that they actually thank God for their 118 THE BOOK OF eECHARIAH. [ell, XI, 1-17.