Zechariah 9

— riding upon an ass, and upon a colt &c.] Or, “even upon a colt,” &c. See John xii. 14; Luke xix. 30. A proof of lowliness, and that He did not affect the pomp of the world, but came with the same primitive simplicity as the patriarchs and judges used of old. See Gen. xxii. 3; Judges v. 10; x. 4. W. Lowth, Bp. Chandler.

The character given of the Messiah, that He should ride on an ass, was in opposition to the pride of the war-like kings of Israel, who, by their great strength in chariots and horses, had ruined themselves and their people. And herein He was to resemble those, who had indeed been deliverers of their country; kings, who feared God, and therefore feared no enemy; who, though mounted on asses, and colts the foals of asses, were able to put to flight the thousands and ten thousands of chariots and horses that came against them. Bp. Sherlock.

The ancient Jews explained this prophecy of the Messiah; and it is plain from the Gospels, that the Jews in Christ’s time understood it so, Matt. xxi. 8, 9; Luke xix. 37, 38; Mark xi. 10. Bp. Chandler, W. Lowth.

thy prisoners out of the pit &c.] As for thee, O Zion, whose covenant with me is made and confirmed by the precious blood of the Messiah, in that new and everlasting testament, I do herein give thee a type of thy future deliverance from all thy spiritual miseries. Bp. Hall. Anciently in great houses, and particularly in the East, deep dry pits, called dungeons, were appropriated for the confinement of prisoners. Into one of these Jeremiah was cast, Jer. xxxviii. 6. Dr. Blayney.

Zechariah 9:2

2, 3. And Hamath also shall border thereby; &c.] Neither shall Hamath be freed therefrom: nor Tyrus, and Zidon, though they be crafty and subtle enough, to use all human power and wit for their own safety and evasion; and though Tyrus have built strong holds for her defence, and have heaped up great treasures of wealth. Bp. Hall.

Zechariah 9:3

3. — and heaped up silver as the dust.] Tyre was the most celebrated place in the world for trade and riches, “the mart of nations,” conveying the commodities of the East to the West, and of the West to the East. Bp. Newton.

Zechariah 9:4

4. Behold, the Lord will cast her out, &c.] Ezekiel had likewise foretold that the city should be consumed by fire, chap. xxviii. 18. And accordingly Alexander besieged, and took, and set the city on fire. The ruins of old Tyre contributed much to the taking of the new city: for with the stones and timber and rubbish of the old city Alexander built a bank or causey from the continent to the island, thereby literally fulfilling the words of Ezekiel, “they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water,” chap. xxvi. 12. Bp. Newton.

Zechariah 9:5

5. Ashkelon shall see it, &c.] The cities of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, shall be very much terrified at the news of Tyre’s destruction, whence they hoped for success against the enemy. W. Lowth.

— the king shall perish from Gaza.] By the title of “king” any chief ruler may be designed; so that the plain purport of the passage is, that Gaza should cease to enjoy the benefit of civil government. Accordingly Gaza, having suffered severely on being taken by Alexander the Great, was at length totally ruined and destroyed by Alexander Jannæus, one of the Asmonean kings of Judea: so that we find it spoken of in Acts viii. 26, by the name of “Gaza, which is desert.” Dr. Blayney.

— Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.] Ashkelon and the other cities of the Philistines having been subjugated by Nebuchadnezzar, as foretold by Jeremiah, chap. xviii, never recovered their former independency; but, falling under the dominion of the great empires in succession, were almost continually involved in their wars, and suffered considerably, till by degrees they dwindled away, and at last sunk to nothing. Zephaniah’s prophecy, chap. ii. 4—7, extends to this. Dr. Blayney.

Zechariah 9:6

6. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, &c.] The

Zechariah 9:7

7. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, &c.] The idolatrous and abominable practices of the Philistines shall cease. The metaphor is taken from beasts of prey, who gorge themselves with blood. Abp. Newcome.

At what time or whence the new colony was brought to dwell in Ashdod, we are not informed. But some years after, in the reign of Alexander Jannæus, Azotus is enumerated by Josephus among the cities of the Phoenicians, which the Jews had been some time possessed of: and it is well known, that that people exacted of all that were under their dominion a conformity, to a certain degree at least, to their religious rites and usages. This will serve to explain what is here meant by “taking his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth.” The stranger was required to abstain from eating blood, and from such things as were held in abomination by the Jewish law. Dr. Blayney.

— but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, &c.] Those that remain of them shall be conscientiously devoted to God; and shall become friends and patrons of my people within my Church; yea, even those of Ekron shall so have a part in my Church, as the Jebusite hath in the material and outward Jerusalem. Bp. Hall.

To be “as a governor in Judah” means to be regarded and honoured. The Jebusites were inhabitants of Jerusalem, Judges i. 21. Josephus informs us, that many of the Philistines became proselytes to Judaism, and particularly the cities of Gaza and Ashdod. Abp. Newcome.

Zechariah 9:8

8. And I will encamp about mine house &c.] Amid the foregoing revolutions and alterations of affairs in the world, God here promises to preserve his temple, while so many castles and strong holds about Jerusalem were overturned, so many cities swept of their inhabitants by the bosom of destruction. Bp. Horne.

— for now have I seen with mine eyes.] Mine eye has pervaded future events, and I have thus determined. Abp. Newcome. Or, I have looked on the condition of

Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ. Before CHRIST about 587. b Isa. 6: 11. Matt. 21. 5. John 12. 15. I 19. seeing himself.

Zechariah 9:9

9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; &c.] From the promise contained in the foregoing verse, of God’s protecting his Church and temple, the Prophet in a sudden transport takes occasion to break forth into a joyful representation of the coming of the Messiah. W. Lowth. With reference to this event the passage is cited in two places of the New Testament, Matt. xxi. 5; John xii. 15: so that we can have no doubt of the application. Dr. Blayney.

Beautiful and striking is the manner in which this prophecy is introduced. The Prophet does not coldly inform Jerusalem, that her king should come to her, and that, when He did come, she ought to rejoice. Rapt into future time, he seems to have been present at the glorious scene. Standing upon mount Olivet, he hears the housemax of the disciples, and beholds the procession approach towards the gates of Jerusalem: he turns himself to the city, and breaks forth in transport, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.” Bp. Horne.

— behold, thy King cometh unto thee:] These words assign the reason, why Jerusalem was called on to rejoice; namely, the approach of her King: “behold, thy King cometh unto thee.” A person was to visit Jerusalem, who should deserve to be emphatically styled her “King.” The nations had their kings and conquerors, their Nebuchadnezzars and Cyruses, their Alexanders and Cesars: these appeared in their turns upon the stage, contending for the empire of the world. Each performed the part assigned him by an all-directing Providence, and then vanished away. Zion beheld all these changes, and still survived the commotions occasioned by them. The Prophets had promised her a King who should overcome her enemies, and triumph gloriously; who should erect, in the time of the fourth great monarchy, an universal and everlasting kingdom, and give laws to the world; nay, who should govern all things in heaven and earth. Bp. Horne.

He, that is so often described in the Prophets as King of Israel, (see Ps. ii. 6; Jer. xxiii. 5,) was known by that name among the Jews in our Saviour’s time, (see John i. 49,) and called elsewhere by the name of “David their King,” Jer. xxx. 9; Hos. iii. 5. W. Lowth.

— he is just, and having salvation; lowly, &c.] Righteousness, salvation, and humility, were to distinguish the person and reign of the Messiah. Righteousness leads the way: “He is just” or righteous. St. Stephen affirms the Prophets to have foreshewn the coming of Jesus under the title of “the Just One,” Acts vii. 52. See Ps. xlv. 4; Jer. xxiii. 6: and compare Matt. xxvii. 4. 19; Luke xxiii. 4. 47. Salvation is the next sign or token of the King of Zion. “He is just, and having salvation.” He was to execute that part of the royal office, which consisted in rescuing a people from their oppressors. The history of Israel contains an account of many “saviours,” raised up at sundry times for this purpose. Such were Moses, Barak, Gideon, Samson, and many more in the ages after them. But the deliverances, effected by any of these, were not to be mentioned, unless as shadows and faint resemblances of that grand and complete salvation,

Zechariah 9:10

10. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, &c.] Ephraim and Judah shall not engage in war to spread the Messiah’s kingdom, but their spiritual King shall peaceably convert Gentiles, and shall extend his dominion every where. Abp. Newcome.

In the state of meekness and lowliness, before described, Christ was to gain a complete victory over the enemies of man’s salvation. The warfare was new, and it is no wonder that the weapons employed in it should be uncommon. Other warriours prepare their horses and their chariots, their bows, their spears, and their shields. But Messiah disarms his followers, in order that they may overcome. No plainer declaration could have been made, that the conquests of Messiah were not to be of a secular nature; that his kingdom was not of this world. See John xviii. 36. Bp. Horne.

— and he shall speak peace unto the heathen:] As well as to his own people the Jews. Accordingly, when the Prince of Peace came to make his abode amongst us, the angelick choir descended to sing “Peace on earth:” peace with God, by the pardon of sin; peace with ourselves, by the answer of a clear conscience; peace with one another, by mutual charity. And who would not wish to see, who would not labour to promote, the full accomplishment of the last clause of the

God’s promises of victory and defence. Before CHRIST about 587. covenant is by blood. d Isa. 61. 1. from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:12

12. Turn you to the strong hold,] Repent, and apply yourselves unto God, your only help and refuge, you that are such prisoners, as are not without a good hope and modest assurance of Divine succour and relief. Dr. Stokes. “The strong hold,” namely, Christ who is the salvation and high tower of his Church. Poole. — that I will render double unto thee;] That I will make you abundant amends for all the evils ye have suffered: compare Isa. lxi. 7. The words appear to allude to Job xlii. 10. W. Lowth. 13. When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim.] When I have made Judah my bow, and Ephraim my arrow; in the Hebrew phrase the bow is said to be “filled” with the arrow, when the arrow is fitted to it. W. Lowth. — and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece.] The passage may be understood with a spiritual application thus: To make way for the establish- God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. Before CHRIST about 587.

Zechariah 9:14

14. And the Lord shall be seen over them, &c.] He shall give good proof of his gracious protection of them, and shall manifestly shew that He fighteth for them from heaven. Bp. Hall. — with whirlwinds of the south.] With violent tempests, according to the nature of the south wind in the East. See Job xxxvii. 9; Isa. xxi. 1. The images in this verse are very sublime. Abp. Newcome.

Zechariah 9:15

15. — they shall drink, &c.] Their courage shall be increased, as when men’s spirits are raised by wine; see Ps. lxxviii. 65; and they shall be filled with the blood of their enemies, as the bowls and corners of the altar are with the blood of sacrifices. W. Lowth. The blood of the sacrificed beasts was part of it received in bowls for the purpose of sprinkling, and the rest poured out at the foot of the altar, Lev. iv. 5—7. Dr. Blayney. This may be a figurative expression of a conquest, to be here understood of a spiritual warfare. Dr. Stokes.

Zechariah 9:16

16. — they shall be as the stones of a crown, &c.] They shall be advanced to honour as the precious stones of a royal crown, or as an ensign, which is lifted up with honour over the heads of the people. Bp. Hall. 17. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!] How great is the blessing, how great is the beauty, wherewith God shall, upon those victories, grace and adorn his people! Bp. Hall. — corn shall make the young men cheerful, &c.] The sense is, that by the Divine blessing the young men, who reap the corn, and the maidens, who gather in the vintage, shall both thrive in their respective occupations. Dr. Blayney. Victory is promised in the preceding verse, and fruitful seasons in this. Abp. Newcome. Or probably the expressions are figurative, and imply, that