The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 153

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XIV. people were carried away: in this capture of the city a remnant shell he left therein. Vers. 1, 2.-----§ 5. The afflictions of the It is plain from this statement the.t the people &nd their results a.re set forth in prophecy cannot apply to the destruction of fignre and symbol. Jerwa1.em ill represented the city by the Roma us; for, according to m taken and plurukred. the account of Josephus (' Bell. Jud.,' vi. 9), the city itself was razed to the ground, Ver. 1.-The d&y of the Lord; a d.ay of and all the inhabitants were either put to (or, to) Jehovah cometh. The Greek and the sword or sold for slaves. Latin Versions have the plnral, "days of Vera. 3-7.-§ 6. Then the Lord himself the Lord come." It is a time when he will specially manifest his glory and power, and comes to her help, great convulsiO'll8 of nature be recognized as allowing the trial of his aocompan'!Jing his presence. people for wise purposes. It i~ impossible Ver. 3.-Shall go forth. God is said to to fix on any historical fulfilment of this "go forth" when he manifests his power by prophecy. The details S'lli.t neither Macca- delivering his people and punishing their bean uor Roman times ; the attempt to de- enemies (comp. Isa. xxvi. 21; xlii. 13; fine exactly the period and matter of its Micah i. 3). As when he fought in the d&y accomplishment has proved a failure, and of battle. The Hebrew is in general terms, has led to a mingling of events of very "as when he fighteth in a day of battle,'' di1ferent dates, and to a conglomeration of or, "slaughter; " Septuagint, ,ca.6ws 11µ.•pa senses literal, metaphorical, and e.nagogical, ra.pa.T&{..a a.ltTov 111 11µ.•p'f ro:A.lµ.011, "es a which cree.tes confnsion while assuming to day of his battle in a day of war; " Vulgate, explain difficnlties. The literal interpreta- Bicut prmliatus eat in die certaminis. There tion must be resigned, o.nd the whole pro- is nothing in the text to confine the .refer- phecy must be taken to adnmbrate the ence to any one specie.I interposition ; it kingdom of God in its trial, development, refers rather to the general course of God's and trinmph. Thy spoil Bha.11 be divided. providence in defending his people, thcmgh, Jernsalem is e.ddressed; end the prophet doubtless, the prophet has in his mind the intilll.lltes that the enemy shall get posses- crowning act of mercy at the Red Sea sion of the capital, plunder it, and divide (Exod. xiv. 13, 14, 25), which is so often it.! spoil among themselves in its very midst referre? to as a typi~l delive~~nce (comp. with the greo.test security, the inhabitants Isa. x1. 11; Jer. xvi. 14; xx111. 8; Hab. being wholly at the conquerors' mercy. iiL 15; and above, eh. x. 11). Ver. 2.-How this shall come to pass is Ver. 4.-His feet shall stand. By this now shown. For I will gather all nations, theophany he shall come to the aid or his God uses the Gentile nations BB his instru- people ; natnre shall do his bidding, own- ments in this trial of his people; they are ing the presence of its Maker. Upon the the fires by which he refines and purifies his Kount of Olives . . . on the east. This elect (Joel iii. 2, 9-11). The city shall be mount lay on the east or Jerusalem, from t&ll:1111. The ontrages offered to the captive which it was separated by the deep valley city are B11ch as are indicated in the case of of the Kidron, rising to a height of some Babylon (Isa. xiii. 16; comp. Lem. v. 11, six hundred feet, and intercepting the view etc.). Half of the city. The term" half" of the wilderness of Judme. and the Jordan mnst not be pressed, e.s if it contradicted ghor. 'l'he geographice.l dete.il is added in the mention of the two-thirds that were to the text to indicate the line of escape which perish, according to the prediction in eh. shell be opened for those who are to be de- xiii. 8. It is a mere rhetorical expression. livered. Thill is the only place in the Old Or it may apply to the city alone, while the Testament where the Mount of Olives is other referroo to the whole land. Shall not tbu~ exactly named; but it is often Rilu<led be out oft'. In the former co.ptivity all the to; e.g. 2 Sum. xv. 30; 1 Kings xi. 7; 2 CH, XIV. 1-21.) THE BOOK OF ZECHARJAH. l'i7