Zechariah 2:13

Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord,.... Be filled with fear, awe, and astonishment, at the wonderful work of God; the destruction of antichrist; the conversion of the Jews, and the calling of

Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord - before Yahweh (H3068). Language derived from Habakkuk 2:20.

Be silent; murmur not, you that love not Zion; dispute not, you that, think these promises are too good, too great; but, in silence, reverence and adore God in all his excellences and ways; wait, and expect the accomplishment of all by him who never utters more than he can and will do for his people. O all flesh; both Jew and Gentile; you are weak, short-sighted, and worthless; you are flesh, be silent and wait. Before the Lord; the wise, mighty, gracious, and faithful One; who never suffered a word of his to fall unfulfilled, nor will let any of these promises to fail. He is raised up: he speaks to our capacity; God is said to be raised in allusion to men who get up, or rise up, and set about what they will do; so here God is on this work already. Out of his holy habitation; either heaven, or his temple. Be silent; murmur not, you that love not Zion; dispute not, you that, think these promises are too good, too great; but, in silence, reverence and adore God in all his excellences and ways; wait, and expect the accomplishment of all by him who never utters more than he can and will do for his people. O all flesh; both Jew and Gentile; you are weak, short-sighted, and worthless; you are flesh, be silent and wait. Out of his holy habitation; either heaven, or his temple.

Zechariah 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.Ver. 13. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord] Heb. δρ Peace and be still, as our Saviour once said to the raging sea, Mark 4:39, whereupon the wind ceased (which before had blown and blustered till it was weary again, as the Greek word there importeth) and there was a great calm, all was suddenly hushed, and silent (εκοπασεν). The enemies of the Church are no less brutish and boisterous than the fierce winds and waves (αγπιακυματα), Psalms 107:25-27. But God, who sets a bound to the mighty waters which they may not pass, Psalms 104:9, he also restraineth the remainder of man’ s wrath, Psalms 76:10. If he do but (as the Roman tribune was wont to do) interpose his veto. If he do but say (st) Be silent, O all flesh, σιγαλαος, plot not, prate not, practise not against my people, who dare quatch in his presence, or gainstand his commands ( δρησυχααετε)? Who art thou, O man, that chattest against God? saith Paul, Romans 9:20 "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without wisdom?" saith God to Job, Job 38:2. How now? Let all flesh be silent. Let God be justified, and every mouth stopped. Talk no more so exceeding proudly, let not arrogance come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked (whether they will or no) shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them," saith holy Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:3; 1 Samuel 2:9-10. And then they shall be glad to be quiet, and to save themselves as they can; like as the worms when it thunders wriggle into the corners of the earth; and as Caligula (that bold miscreant that dared his Jove to a duel), when it thundered, covered his eyes with his cap, running under the bed, or any bench hole (Sueton.). O all flesh] Frail and foolish, weak and worthless men, who may not compare their wisdom or oppose their strength to God’ s; before whom they can no more stand than a glass bottle can before a cannon-shot. They should, therefore, do well to meddle with their match; and not "contend with him that is mightier than they," Ecclesiastes 6:10. The Church is called Jehovahshammah, or, The Lord is there, Ezekiel 48:35, and although she be but a virgin, yet she hath a thrice puissant champion, even the Holy One of Israel, Isaiah 22:23. Who is now also already raised up] Or aroused, awakened as a man out of sleep, Psalms 44:23, or as a giant that shouteth by reason of wine, Psalms 78:65.

(13) Be silent.—Better, Hush! (Comp. Habakkuk 2:20.) Raised.—Better, roused. The figure is that of a lion roused up from its lair. (Comp. the still bolder metaphor of Psa 78:65.) LXX. misread the word for “habitation,” which they render correctly elsewhere, and give ἐκνεφελῶνἁγίωναὐτοῦ, “from His holy clouds.”

Verse 13. Be silent, O all flesh] Let all the nations of the world be astonished at this. God will arise, and deliver this ancient people, and bring them into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

13. be silent] Comp. Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7. raised up] waked up. R. V. his holy habitation] From heaven, “the habitation of His holiness” (Deuteronomy 26:15; Jeremiah 25:30), where He had seemed to dwell, far off from the affairs of earth, Jehovah should arise, or awake, and come forth to judgment, to succour His people and discomfit His enemies. Let all flesh be hushed before Him in awful silence. The Fourth Vision. Joshua the High Priest before the Angel of Jehovah, Zechariah 3:1-10. The former visions had foretold that the “rest” of the nations should be disturbed (Zechariah 1:8-17), that the enemies of Israel should be “cast out” (Zechariah 1:18-21), and that Jerusalem should become the habitation of Jehovah (Zechariah 2:1-13). But in order to the fulfilment of these promises, there must be a moral and spiritual reformation of the people. With this the next vision is concerned. Judgment begins at the house of God (comp. Malachi 3:3). The prophet sees Joshua the High Priest, the representative not only of the whole priesthood, but also of the entire nation, standing before the Angel of the Lord. At his right hand stands the Adversary, to play an adversary’s part against him (Zechariah 2:1). But before the charge can be preferred, Jehovah Himself interposes and rebukes the Adversary. Would the same hand, He asks, that had plucked from the fire the brand, charred, blackened and half-consumed already, cast it back again into the flames? And should He, who had delivered the remnant of His people from the furnace of Babylon, now listen to the charges of the accuser and yield them again to destruction? (Zechariah 2:2.) Doubtless, matter of accusation is not wanting. The very garb of Joshua testifies against him. Instead of the pure white linen in which the High Priest should have been arrayed, he is “clothed with filthy garments” (Zechariah 2:3). But this obstacle shall by an act of mere grace be removed. The angel attendants are commanded to take away his filthy garments; while their action is interpreted to him by the assurance that his iniquity is put away, and the promise of pure raiment is given him (Zechariah 2:4). At the instance of the prophet, who would fain see God’s High Priest arrayed in the complete attire of his office, a fair mitre is added. The angel of Jehovah stands by to seal by his presence and approval the transaction (Zechariah 2:5). Nor does he quit the scene till he has revealed to Joshua the full dignity of the priesthood to which he is now restored. As exercised by himself and his successors, it shall, while it moves in the ways of holy obedience in the restored Temple on earth, move also in spirit among the heavenly ministrations of angels (Zechariah 2:6-7).

Be silent - Literally, “hush all flesh, before the Lord” (see at Habakkuk 2:20, p.

In Zechariah 2:10-13 Jehovah urges the “daughter of Zion” to rejoice.