The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 118

prophet's cyo nil this seemed to tnke place and tho snffering among them, who paicl in the.t short spaoe of time. If anything respect to his words, recognized that what moro is intended, we mo.y, with Keil and happened we.a according to God's Wor<l, others, tnking the month as consisting of and knew that all the rest would be fulfilled thit·ty days, 11senme tllllt ten clays are in due season. This was the effect of the assigned to the destruction of each shep- Captivity; it forced the Israelites to see the herd, after e11ch hucl fulfilled hie ullotted hand of the Lord in the cahunities that had period-the number ten expr&ssing perfec- befallen them, and it drove the thoughtful tion or completion. And my soul loathed among them to repen1ance anrl amendment them; literally, but my soul was straitened (Jer. iii. 13, 23; Dan. ix. 3, etc.). The for them; i.e. was impatient, weury of them. breaking asunder of the fir•t staff refers These words begin e. new pe.ragre.ph, and primarily to the time of the exile, and not refer, not to the three shepherds, but to the to the absolute relinquishment 0f the flock. sheep, the Israelites. The prophet now shows One ate.ff is left, and for a time utter de- how ill the people had responded to God's struction is postponed. For "the poor," the manifold co.re, and mingles with the po.at e. LXX. reads, as in ver. 7, "the Cananeans," view of their future ingratitude and dis- meaning probably "merchants." Ewald obedience which will bring upon them final and others, who hold the pre-exilian elate of ruin. God, as it were, was weary of their con- this prophecy, see here an allusion to the tinual be.ckslidinga and obstinate persever- invaoioo of the Asayrians under Pul (2 ance in evil. (For the phrase, see Numb. Kings xv. 19). xxi. 4; Judg. xvi. 16; Job xxi. 4.) It is Ver. 12.-I said. The prophet is speak- the opposite to long-suffering. Their soul ing in the person of the great Shepherd. also abhorred me. They showed their ab- Unto them. Unto the whole flock. Give horrence by their devotion to idols and their me my price; my wages. He asks his hire disinclination for all goodness, of the flock, because the flock represents Ver. 9.-I will not feed you. In conse- men. Acting far differently from the wicked quence of their contumacy, the shepherd shepherds, he used no violence or threats. abandons the flock to their fate, as God He gives them this last opportunity of threatened (Deut. xxxi. 17; comp. the very showing their gratitude for all the care, similar passage in Jer. xv. 1-3). Three bestowed upon them, and their appreciation scourges are intimated in the succeeding of his tenderness and love. The wages Goel words-plague, war, famine, combined with looked for were repentance, faith, obe,iience, civil strife. Eat every one the :flesh of or, in another view, themsel·rns, their life another (comp. Isa. ix. 20). Many see here and sonl. It was for their sake he required a·reference to the awful scenes enacted when these, not for his own. If not, forbear. He Jerusalem was besieged by the Romana, and speaks with indignation, as conscious of intestine feuds filled the,city with bloodshed their ungrateful contempt. Pay me what and added to the horrors of famine. is due, or pay me not. I lee.ve it to you to Ver. 10.-Cnt. it asunder. The breaking decide. I put no constraint upon you. So of the staff "Beauty" indicates that God God has given us free will; and we can withdraws his grace and protection; he will receive or reject his offers, as we are no longer shield the people from the attack minded. So they weighed for my price of foes, e.s the following words express. My thirty pieces of silver. 'fhis paltry re- oovena.nt which I had t11ade with all the muneration displayed the people's ingrati- people; rather, with all the peoples. God tude and contempt. It was the compensa- calla the restriotion which he had laid on tion offered by the Law to a master for the foreign nations to prevent them from afflict- loss of a ele.ve that he.<l been killed (Exod. ing. lsre.el, "a covenant." Similar "cove- xxi. 32). It was, perhaps, double the price nants," i.e. restraints impose<l by God, are of a female slave (Hos. iii. 2) ; and the very found in Job v. 23; Hos. ii. 20 (18, Autho- offer of suoh e. sum was an insult, aU&l, S[IJS 1·ized Version); Ezek. xuiv. 25, eto. The Dr. Alexander, "suggested e.n intention to 1·estraint being removed, there ensued war, compass his death. They despised his good- exile, the destruction of the kiugdom and ness; they would he.ve none of bis service; theocracy, the subjection of Israel to Gentile they sought to cut him off; and tbey were nations. ready to pay the penalty which the Lnw Ver. 11.-It was broken. The covenant prescribed for the murder of one of so meo.n a just mcutioued (vcr. 10) was broken. And condition." The word" weigh" was used in so the poor of the :fl.ook that waited upon money transactions even e.fter the use of coine,l me (that gave heed unto me) knew. The money rendered weighing unneceBSll.l:y. punishment inflicted on the withdrawal of Ver. 13.-The Lord said nnto me. Tho God's protection had some good result. Lord takes the insult 11,11 offered to himsc If Though the bulk of the nation took no in the person of his representative. Cast it heed, learned no lesson, yet the humble unto the potter; Kd6u 11irrous ,is .. b X"'v•u• 120 THE BOOK OF ZECRARIAtl. (mi, xr.1--17,