The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 119

-r-1,p,oP, "Lay them in the foundry, and I 1 xxvii. 9 the two verses, 12, 18, with some will see if it is approved;" Vulg1tte, Pro• ve.rie.t.ion.s, are quoted e.s "spoken by Jeremy ;ice il111d ad ~tailwrium; the Syriao and the prophet." Henoe some Rttributo this Targum have, "Put it into the treasury" po.rt of Zeehe.rie.h to Jeremiith; e.nd others (Mal. iii. 10). This involves an Rlteration think t.he.t in St. Matthew the present name of the text, Rnrl is in itself an improbable is a mistitke. The probnbi\it.y is that the reading, ns God could not be ma.de to tell evangelist did not name any prophet, but the prophet to throw this despicable wage that some early transeriller, remembe~ing into his treasury, unless, percha.nee, it is s!lid the purchase of the field in Jer. xxxii.6-12, ironi<'!llly. There may be an undesigned attributed the quotation to that prophet. coincidence here. In Matt. xx"l"ii. 5 the Or we mRy suppose that inspiration did not council discuss the propriety of putting; the extend to all minor details, nor save the thirty pirces of silver into the treasury. writers from unimportant errors. But taldng our present text as genuine, Ver. 14.-1 cut a.sunder mine other sta.:ff. commentators usually consider the phrase As the flock, by their contemptuous pay• a.a o. proverbial expression for contemp• ment, showed their alienation from the tuous treatment; as the Greeks said, is t<O• Shepherd, so he now, by his symbolical pa1<as, as the Germans say," zum Schinder," action, shows his rejection of them, and his "to the knacker," and we, "to the dogs." surrender of them to anarchy, confusion, There is, however, no trace elsewhere of and ruin. The breaking of the first staff any such pro"l"erb, nor do we know how indicated that God withdrew bis defensive it could have arisen ; it likewise does ea.re; the breaking of the sto.ft" called not very well suit the last clause of the "Bands" signifies the utter dissolution of verse, " I cast them to the potter in the e.11 the bonds that held the nation together, house of the Lord." If we substitute tbe the civil and social disunion that paved the ~upposed o.nalogous expression, "l threw way for the victory of the Romans, and them to the dogs," we see how unseemly issued in the final disruption which sent the would be the proverb in this connection. Jews wandering through the world. This The rendering of the Jews in old time, in the vision is represented as the breaking adopted recently by Knabenbauer, "Cast of the brotherhood between Judah o.nd them to the Cree.tor," is considered by Dr. lare.eI, the component parts of the nation. Pusey to be unidiomatic, and involves great Thus was biuted the ultimate rejection of difficulties. It seems simpler to consider the Jews in consequence of their treatment that the command, "cast it to the potter," of Christ, the good Shepherd, who ea.me implies contemptuons rejection of the sum, unto bis own, and his own received him not and e.t the same time intimates the ultimate (comp. Matt. xxiii. 36-38). This doom is destination to which, in the sight of Om- declared more fully in the next seotion. niscience, it was directed. The potter is named e.s the workman who makes the Vere. 15-17.-§ 10. In retribution for meanest utensils oat of the vilest material. their rejection of the good Shepherd the peopui That this was ordered and executed in are given over to .a foolish shepherd, who vision is p'lain ; how much the prophet shall destroy them, but shall himself, in turn, understood we cannot tell. The ambiguous perish miserably. and highly typice.l order was explained and fulfilled to the letter by the action of Ver. 15.-Ta.ke unto thee yet (yet again) J ude.s Iscariot, as the evangelist testines the instruments of a. foolish shepherd (comp. (Matt. xxvii. 5-10). A (the) goodly price, Hos. iii. I). The prophet, in vision, is etc. 'fhia is ironical, of course. Such was directed to do as he had done before (ver. 4, the price at which they estimated the good etc.), and enact the pa.rt of e. shepherd, Shepherd's services. Cast them to the ta.king the dress, scrip, and crook, whioh potter in the house of the Lord. This were appropriate to the character ; but this rejection of the paltry wage took place time he we.s to represent "e. foolish," i.e. e.n in the house of the Lord (in the vision), evil, shepherd; for sin is constantly denoted bee,-e.nse the insult had been really offered by "folly" in the Old Teste,ment; e.g. to him, and this was the natural pl.e.ce Job v. 2, 3; Ps. xiv. 1; evil, 17; Prov. i. 7; where oblations would be made; thus the vii 22; xiv. 9, etc. (comp. ver. 17). transaction was represented e.s formal and Ver. 16.-1 will raise up a. shepherd in national. Whether the potter was seen the land. God explains the reason of the in the temple we know not. The prophet symbolico.l cbe.re.cter which he directed the we.s me.de to connect him in some way with prophet to assume. He was going to allow the business; and we learn from the fulfil• the people to be chastised by e.n instrument ment that the potter did in the end receive whom he would permit to work his will the mr,IJe~-. which was paid for his field upon them. Ae this evil shepherd was to ap);JlieJ to an unclean purpose. In Matt. a.rise to puniBh them for their rejection of <lit. XI. 1-17.j '11HE BOOK OF ZEOHARTAH. 121