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Zec 9:1-17. NINTH TO FOURTEENTH CHAPTERS ARE PROPHETICAL.
Written long after the previous portions of the book, whence arise the various features which have been made grounds for attacking their authenticity, notwithstanding the testimony of the Septuagint and of the compilers of the Jewish canon in their favor. See Introduction.
ALEXANDER'S CONQUESTS IN SYRIA (Zec 9:1-8). GOD'S PEOPLE SAFE BECAUSE HER KING COMETH LOWLY, BUT A SAVIOUR (Zec 9:9-10). THE MACCABEAN DELIVERANCE A TYPE THEREOF (Zec 9:11-17).
1. in . . . Hadrach--rather, concerning or
against Hadrach (compare
Isa 21:13).
"Burden" means a prophecy BURDENED with
wrath against the guilty. MAURER, not so well,
explains it, What is taken up and uttered, the utterance, a solemn
declaration.
Hadrach--a part of Syria, near Damascus. As the name is not mentioned
in ancient histories, it probably was the less-used name of a region
having two names ("Hadrach" and "Bikathaven,"
Am 1:5,
Margin); hence it passed into oblivion. An ancient
RABBI JOSE
is, however, stated to have expressly mentioned it. An Arab, Jos.
Abassi, in 1768 also declared to
MICHAELIS
that there was then a town of that name, and that it was capital of the
region Hadrach. The name means "enclosed" in Syrian, that is, the west
interior part of Syria, enclosed by hills, the Cœlo-Syria of
STRABO
[MAURER].
JEROME
considers Hadrach to be the metropolis of Cœlo-Syria, as Damascus
was of the region about that city.
HENGSTENBERG
regards Hadrach as a symbolical name of Persia, which Zechariah avoids
designating by its proper name so as not to offend the government under
which he lived. But the context seems to refer to the Syrian region.
GESENIUS
thinks that the name is that of a Syrian king, which might more easily
pass into oblivion than that of a region. Compare the similar "land of
Sihon,"
Ne 9:22.
Damascus . . . rest thereof--that is, the place on
which the "burden" of the Lord's wrath shall rest. It shall permanently
settle on it until Syria is utterly prostrate. Fulfilled under
Alexander the Great, who overcame Syria
[CURTIUS, Books 3 and 4].
eyes of man, as of all . . . Israel . . . toward the Lord--The eyes of
men in general, and of all Israel in particular, through consternation
at the victorious progress of Alexander, shall be directed to Jehovah.
The Jews, when threatened by him because of Jaddua the high priest's
refusal to swear fealty to him, prayed earnestly to the Lord, and so
were delivered
(2Ch 20:12;
Ps 23:2).
Typical of the effect of God's judgments hereafter on all men, and
especially on the Jews in turning them to Him. MAURER, PEMBELLUS and others, less
probably translate, "The eyes of the Lord are upon man, as they are
upon all Israel," namely, to punish the ungodly and to protect His
people. He, who has chastised His people, will not fail to punish men
for their sins severely. The "all," I think, implies that whereas men's
attention generally (whence "man" is the expression) was directed to
Jehovah's judgments, all Israel especially looks to Him.
JFB.
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Notes The Book of Zechariah Zechariah 12:9-10 - And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. Zechariah 13:6-7 - And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. The Old Testament - A Brief Overview Bible Survey - Zechariah
Zechariah, like Haggai and Malachi, was a prophet of the Persian period. He prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile around 520 BC when the Persian Empire was ruling the world. Each of these prophets encouraged the Jews to continue the work of God and rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah begins his message reminding the Jews that the captivity had been a result of their own disobedience, and God rebuked their fathers as well. Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed his plan for the history and future of the world, showing that he is ultimately in control and he will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham. The city of Jerusalem is seen as a city so wonderful and prosperous that it needed to be enlarged in order to contain all the people (Zechariah 2). In the vision of Joshua the high priest Zechariah saw him in filthy rags, which was no doubt the nation of Israel repenting and receiving their Messiah and being cleansed of their sins (Zechariah 3). Other visions reveal the coming judgment of God, and his victory over sin, and everything is about the Messiah and his coming. Zechariah prophesied about the nations that oppressed Israel, there be a time of destruction and later they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets, except the prophet Isaiah. There is one fabulous prophecies of Zechariah reveals about the Messiah's death: - The above text is © Rusty Russell - Bible History Online and must be sourced for use on a website. "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zechariah 12:10Zechariah was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo (Zechariah 1:1, 7). He was born in Babylon and had returned to Jerusalem in the group led by Zerubbabel sixteen years previous to the time of his ministry (Nehemiah 12:4, 16). He was a contemporary of Haggai and began to prophesy two months after Haggai in 520 BC. The work of rebuilding the temple was already in progress. Zechariah preached at least two years longer than Haggai (Zechariah 7:1) and possibly even longer. The situation was the same as described in the introduction to Haggai. The purpose of Zechariah's preaching was to strengthen the people in the reality of their calling, their history, and their future, as well as that of the nations. Zechariah also joined Haggai in the task of encouraging the construction of the temple and to see it through to its completion. Zechariah reproved the people, he gave them encouragement and exhortation, as well as the promises of God's blessing and spoke much about the Messiah and what would happen to the Jews and the nations when He comes. The contents of the book may be analyzed further as follows : Outline of the Book of Zechariah The book is divided into two parts: Zechariah 1-8, concerned mainly with the rebuilding of the temple, and Zechariah 9-14, dealing with future events, notably the coming of Messiah and the glory of His reign. Zechariah begins his book (Zechariah 1) with a reminder that the captivity had been a result of disobedience. He continues by relating a series of visions designed to show that God is in control of history and will bring a glorious blessing to the faithful remnant of His people. Jerusalem is pictured as so prosperous it is having to be enlarged to hold the people (Zechariah 2). The vision of Joshua the high priest, clothed in filthy rags (Zechariah 3) seems to be a definite prevision of the atonement of Christ. Other visions in the book point to the certainty of God's judgment and ultimate victory over sin, culminating in the coming of the Messiah.
Zechariah Resources
The Divided Kingdom The Book of Zechariah
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