Zechariah 9

A prophecy touching the destruction of the enemies of God’s people, verse 1. &c and of the deliverance and protection of his church by Christ her everlasting kings, 8. whose entrance into Jerusalem is plainly described, 9. an exhortation to the rest of the Jewes, ramainng in Babel yet, to depart thence, and to return to Jerusalem, 12. and God doth promise them victory against their enemies and all manner of blessings 13, c.

1. The burthen of the word of the LORD upon [Or, in or, against] the land of chadrach, [the burthen here signifies a burthenson and grievous prophesie, or foretelling what should befall the land of Chadrach 9see Isa. 12. on verse 1.) whereby Syrian seemes to be understood, seeing Damascus is presently joined with it, the Metropolis of Syria. Some hold that Chadrach was the name of an idol, which the Syrians worshipped. Others read for, the land of Chaldrach, the land of honour or glory, or, the glorious land; Oth. The land that lies round thee O Judea,] and Damascus, [Heb. Damesek] the rest thereof, [Oth. Though Damascus he its rest, i.e. that which it doth rely on or though it relie and repose it self upon it, Oth. But Damascus shall be its (viz. that burthens) rest, i.e. t shall light on Damscus at last. Oth. And Damascus are shall be his rest, i.e. Gods wrath shall rest upon Damascus; he shall spare that city as little as any other place] for the LORD hath an eye (upon) man, as upon all the tribes of Israel. [Heb. To the LORD (there) is an eye, i.e the LORD hath a watchful or providential eye upon all mankind, wheresover they are all the world over, as well as upon the Jewes; by the eye of the LORd there being understood here his providence, that is, God’s omnipresent power, influence, whereby he governeth heaven and earth and all within them]

2. And he [viz. the LORD] shall limit Hamath also with the same: [viz. with his eye. Oth. Hamath shall limit the same. i.e. Hamath shall lie upon the borders therof. See Joshua 19:35. see of Hamath Numb. 12.21. Oth. By the same, viz. the foresaid burthen of the land, The sense seems to be, God shall order the Syrians, how far they shall advance and extend themselves, for the good of his church. Others take it thus, also shall that (burthen) limit Hamath, in the same sense] Tyre, and Zidon, though she [viz. Tyre, i.e the inhabitants or Citizens of Tyre, as also the Zidonians] be very wise; [viz. in her own conceit. See Ezech. 28. the annota. On verse 3.c.]

3. And tyre built her self strong holds, and gathered silver like dust, [i.e very great abundance. Compare 1 Kings 10:27. see also Psalms 78:27.] and fine, as mire upon the street.

4. Behold the LORd shall her out of the possession, [or, dispossesse, or improverish her, whereas before she was so rich and glorious] and he shall smite her sorts into the sea: and she shall be consumed with fire. [i.e. although the Tyrians do hold themselves invisible, because of their situation, being round about environed with the sea, yet shall they not escape the judgement of God, but they shall be destroyed by fire, which was executed by Alexander the great as curtius Lib. 4. and Diod. Siculus Lib. 17. testifie. Some do here, by their Forts, understand their strong and mighty Navies.]

5. Askelon shall see it, and shall be afraid, [i.e. when Askelon shall see the destruction of Tyre it shall make them be afraid of the like. Askelon and the other cities named in this verse, lay in the land of the Philistines themselves are understood.] likewise Gaza and shall have great pain [viz. as a woman in laboour] together with Ekron, because that which they lookt upon [i.e. which they relied on, viz the city of Tyre, which they held invincible] did confound (them): [i.e. deceived and disappointed their expectation; for Alexander the great took and destroyed Tyre. See the like example, Isaiah 20:5, 6.] and the king of gaza [i.e. the prince: for the countrey of the Philistines was divided into five principalities] shall perish, [i.e. there shall be no king or prince more in Gaza] and Askelon shall not be inhabited.

6. And the bastard [i.e. a foreign, outlandish prince or King, with a rabble of foreign, bas, unruly people] shall dwell at Asdod, [viz. the prince as LORD and master of the city, and the rabble as the possessours of all the houses, goods and lands thereof] and I will extirpate, the haughtiness of the Philistines i.e. their pride, glory and excellency, with whatsoever made them proud and insolent. Compare Leviticus 16:19.]

7. And I will put away his blood out of his mouth [That is to say, after that I shall have punished, chastised the Philistines, and received them to be my people then will I cleanse them from their sins, especially from the murders which they committed. Heb. Bloods. Here god promiseth, that he will receive the heathen also into his church, and make his people, that were not] and his abominations [understand the idols and their sacrifice] from between his teeth: [i.e. I shall cause them to mention them no more, Psalms 16:4. or, that they shall eat no flesh or meat more, that is offered or consecrated to the idols] thus be also also [to wit the Philistine, the Philistine people, or he also, that is, not only common people, but the king himself also] shall remain to our God: [i.e. be brought to and received among the people of God, and into the church of true believers. See above chapter 8.23.] yea he shall be as a prince in Juda [or, as a leader, i.e they shall be of great repute in the church of God, and goe before others with exemplary piety] and Ekron shall likewise dwell at Jerusalem, to wit, in the spirituall Jerusalem, as formerly the Jebusites the material city of Jerusalem, and the Jebusites shall likewise be taken in to be Gods people.]

8. And I will camp round about [or, by] mine house [i.e. church 1. Tim. 3.15. to wit by mine angels, Psalms 34:8 and 121.3.4 and 124.1, 2, 8.] because of the camped army, because of the through-passing, and because of the returning, [understand it of the enemies forces, that they may not set upon nor do any hurt to mine house, in their campings, marching and removings. See above chapter 2.5.] that the driver [i.e. the enemy] may pass no more through them, [to wit, through my people, family, true belivevers, meaning it especially of the spiritual deliverance and freedom of them from the force of the Law] for now I have regarded it [to wit, mine house] with mine eyes. [Understand this of a kinde and gracious regard, whereof see Deut. 12 on verse 13. compare Exodus 3:7. Acts 7:34.]

9. Rejoice much, thou daughter of Zion, shout thou daughter of Jerusalem, [i.e. thou people of Jerusalem, yea all thou people of God, both Jews and Gentiles] behold thy king [Christ Jesus] shall come (to) thee [i.e. for thy good and succour. See Isaiah 62:11, c. Matthew 21:5.] righteous, and he is a saviour; [or Redeemer, Deliverer that shall save and deliver all his chosen ones, out of the power of the devil, death and all their enemies. Oth. That is provided with salvation or is saved, viz. from his sufferings, through his own divine power, for to save his church also. Compare Isaiah 53:8. Hebrews 5:7.] poor, and riding upon a asse, [i.e. in a very mean and despicable condition, in the shape or form of a servant, Philippians 2:7. c] and [or, namely] upon a colt, a young one of the shee asses. [the same in other words, which he had said just now.]

10. And I will destroy the charets out of Ephraim, and the horses out of Jerusalem, [that is, I will give peace to my church so that they shall need no charets nor horsemen, nor any other warlike provisions the heathen being reconciled and united to the church of Christ. See Isaiah 2:2, 4. Hosea 2:18. Acts 10:34, c. Ephesians 2:17. by Ephraim are understood all the ten tribes of Israel; by Jerusalem the tribe of Juda, by both the whole church of God] also the battl-bow shall be destroyed, and he shall speak peace to the heathen; [i.e. reach peace to the heathen: [i.e. teach peace; by the preaching of the gospel declare and publish peace and reconciliation with God] and his domination shall be from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth, [by the river here is understood the river Phrat, or Euphrates. See Psalms 72 on verse 8 and Exodus 25:31. by these places best known to the Jewes, others also are to be understood, and meaning is, that the dominion of Christ should extend and spread iself mightily all the world over.]

11. concerning thee also, (o Zion) [i.e. O my church and people. The parenthesis is put in here for clearness out of verse 9.] by [or, in] the blood of the covenant have I let forth thy bounden ones of the pit, wherein no water is [meaning that the LORD, in or by the efficacie of the blood of Christ, whereby he purposed to establish the covenant made with them, had or would deliver their prisoners, bound with the bonds of sin, out of the pit. i.e. out of the power of hell and the devil, under which they had been made to starve and perish through a spiritual thirst that is to say the grevious sense & feeling of Gods heavy wrath lying upon.]

12. Return unto the strength ye bounden ones, that hope: [Heb. Ye bounden ones of hope, or of expectation. i.e. ye to whom hope is given, ye that are in good hope of being delivered out of your bonds and bondage. Here the Jews, which stayed in Babel yet, are invited to return and repair to and temple at Jerusalem: yet withal this, declare unto all such are desirous to participate of God’s deliverances promised by the Messia, and to be protected and defended against the power and malice of Satan, that their only way is to get themselves incorporated into the church of Christ in the true heavenly Jerusalem] this day also I declare unto you, [i.e. as in former times I have declared it often, so I doe it now again] that I will render you double. [the meaning is, I will bestow far greater gifts upon you, than is the deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity, namely spiritual mercies and benefits, such as are, forgiveness of sin, renewing of the minde by the holy ghost, and life everlasting]

13. When [here God promiseth aid and protection to his people, against the enemies that shall assult and fight against themselves so nevertheless, that it shall not be without combat and gain striving as afterwards it was manifested in the wars, which the Macchabees were engaged in with the kings of Asia and Syria] I shall have bent Juda (and) shall have filled the bow to Ephrain: [(bent) Hebr. Trodden as the foot bow was to get it bent. (filled) viz. with arrows for to shoot in the fight. Some read thus in this verse after that I shall have bent my Juda (like) a bow, and shall have filled Ephraim (like a quiver)] and I shall have raised thy children, O Zion, against thy children O Greece, [to wit, against the posterity of successours of Alexander the great, the kings in Asia and Syria, against whom the LORD most wonderfully defended and protected the Jews. See the books of the Macchabees and the history of Josephus] and shall have set thee [O Zion] as the sword of a champion.

14. And the LORD shall appear over them, [to wit, the Jews. Oth. Over Juda and Ephraim. Oth. Against them, viz. the greekes] and his arrows [Heb. His arrow] shall shoot forth [viz. out of heaven against the enemies of his people] like lightning: and the lord LORD shall blow with the trumpet,and he shall step-forth wit storms out of the south. [or, like a storm,or tempest. The sense is, he shall come and fall upon the enemies of the church with that fierceness and violence that it shall be like unto the tempests coming from the south. See Isa 2. the annotate on verse 1 and compare Joshua 10:11 and 2 Sam. 5.24.]

15. The Lord of hosts shall protect them, [viz. the Jewes, fighting against the Greeks] and they shall eat [i.e. they shall enjoy their goods quietly and comfortably] after that they shall have subdued the sling-stones: [i.e. overcome their enemies that used to thro sling stones. Others render these words thus, and they shall subdue them (with) sling-stones, as of old it was the practice to fight, not only with arrows, but with slings also. See Judges 20:16.] they shall drink also (and) make a noise, as the wine: [this noise or stir shall proceed from an holy rejoicing] and they shall be filled, like unto the basin, like unto the corners of the altar. [i.e. they shall have abundance of all manner of good things, according as the basin, which used to stand by the altar, was full of the blood of the slain beasts, and as they were wont to moisten or sprinkle the corners of the altar with the same blood. See Leviticus 4:18, 30 and chapter 7.4. spiritually it signifies their thankfulness to God for all his mercies. Compare Ephesians 5:18, 19, 20.]

16. And the LORD their God, shall keep them in that day, [Or, deliver them, save them, procure salvation fot them] as being the stock of his people: [and himself their shepherd. See Psalms 100:3. John 10.] for in his land [to wit, in the land of Judea, which is called god’s land and the holy land] there shall be set up crowned stones, [i.e. pillars, or monuments adorned with crownes or garland. Others take it in this sense, for they shall be exalted upon, or in the earth, as stones of the crown. i.e. as rare precious stones, such as are worn by Kings in their Crowns. Heb. Stones of the crown] like unto a banner; [viz. in token and remembrance of the victorie, which God had, or should grant them over their enemies.]

17. For how great shall his good [i.e. the LORDS beautie or her good, i.e. the churches benefit] and how great shall his beautie be! [i.e. his happiness. The meaning is, how greatly shall the LORD blesse his church, filling the same with honour and glory!] the corn shall make the young men speaking, [Or, bring forth fruit abundantly. Viz. the fruit of the lips. Compare Isa. 57 on verse 19.] and the new wine the maides [i.e. God shall give such plenty of corn and wine, that the young people shall be cheerful and rejoicing. Compare Isaiah 9:2 Compare also jer. 48.33.]