Zechariah 2:5

For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about,..... So that she needs no other wall to secure her, the power of God encompassing her about as the mountains did Jerusalem, Psalms

For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about - (cf.

What was promised or foretold in the former verse is ratified in this by an account how it should be performed. For I, saith the Lord; that a thing so much above the hope of a present dejected people, so much too great for so weak and so few a people, might be believed and expected, God engageth he will perform the word. A wall of fire; which cannot be scaled, it would consume them that attempt it; nor undermined. none could come so near it: such a wall as once was Elisha’ s guard, ,17, to which this place may possibly refer. Or it is an allusion to the manner of shepherds and travellers in those countries full of wild beasts, to make fires in the night to secure themselves. Round about; no part shall be unguarded, or open to the enemy. And will be the glory in the midst of her; my presence and favour shall make her glorious, ,6. What was promised or foretold in the former verse is ratified in this by an account how it should be performed. And will be the glory in the midst of her; my presence and favour shall make her glorious, ,6.

Zechariah 2:5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.Ver. 5. For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire] Igneus qui et cominus arceat et eminus terreat (Theodor.). The Church (Christ’ s garden) may seem to lie open to all incursions and disadvantages; but as it hath a well within it, Son 4:15, so it hath a wall without it, yea, round about it, better and stronger than that about Babylon, or Susa in Persia; the stones whereof were joined together with gold, as Cassiodorus testifieth. The Lacedaemonians were forbidden to wall in their city of Sparta; as being sufficiently fortified by the valour of the inhabitants. The Hollanders will not wall the Hague, though it have 2000 households in it; as desirous to have it counted rather the principal village of Europe than a lesser city. China is said to be surrounded with a strong wall of stone; and England with walls of wood, sc. a powerful navy. But what is all this (either for defence or offence) to a wall of fire? who dare venture to scale such a wall? It is not valour, but madness, to fight with a flame. Fire is terrible to the fiercest creatures, as lions, leopards. Shepherds and travellers were used to guard themselves by making great fires round about their night lodgings to keep off wild beasts. Some think the prophet alludeth to that custom; others, to the angels guarding of Paradise with a flaming sword, that is, saith Lactantius, with a wall of fire (Instit. lib. 2, cap. 13.) The Church may sit and sing, "We have a strong city: salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks," Isaiah 26:1. He "maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flame of fire," Hebrews 1:7. These met and ministered unto Jacob at Mahanaim, making a lane for him, as the word importeth, Genesis 32:1. These fiery chariots and horsemen appeared for Elisha by whole legions, 2 Kings 6:17, and do still pitch their camp round about the godly, Psalms 34:7. (These are the watchmen over the walls of the new Jerusalem, and of the mountains about the same, Isaiah 62:6) Who, therefore, cannot but be safe, as being guarded by the peace of God within them, and by the power of God without them, through faith unto salvation. And will be the glory in the midst of her] God is the Church’ s both bulwark and beauty; her muniment and ornament. His presence, his worship, his grace, his protection, is that tower in the midst of her, Isaiah 5:2, that golden head of the picture, that tower of the flock, and stronghold of the daughter of God’ s people, Micah 4:8. Hence the ark is called the glory, Romans 9:4-5, and all comforts without it but Ichabods, 1 Samuel 4:20.

(5) A wall of fire.—This verse is not intended to discountenance the building of walls to Jerusalem, a thing which was actually done under Nehemiah (B.C. 445), but is simply a solemn promise of God’s protection. Many indeed were the troubles which fell on the city in the times which intervened between the days of Zechariah and those of our Lord; but still, abundant proof was given that God had not forgotten His promise to shield it. Such troubles, as at other periods of the history of the Jews, were but chastisements, and even those not in proportion to their transgressions. (For the figurative use of the expression “wall,” see 1 Samuel 25:16.)

Verse 5. I - will be unto her a wall of fire] Her safety shall consist in my defence. I shall be as fire round about her. No adversary shall be permitted to touch her. Much of this must refer to the New Jerusalem.

And I, Myself in My own Being, will be to her a wall of fire - Not protection only, an inner circle around her, however near an enemy might press in upon her, but destructive to her enemies.

4, 5. And said unto him — The interpreting angel is the speaker.