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7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

Il And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

13 Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit

CHAP. I.

[build the temple,

of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts their God,

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N the seventh month, in the one IN and twentieth day of the month. came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the se of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

3 Who is left among you the saw this house in her first glory! and how do ye see it now? is it a in your eyes in comparison of it s nothing?

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerab babel, saith the LORD; and be strong O Joshua, son of Josedech the b priest; and be strong, all ye perpie of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remainsh among you fear ye not.

6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:

EXPOSITION.

(A) Haggai excites and encourages the Jews to build the house of God.-The Prophet reproves them for their delay, and want of zeal in erecting the house of God, while they were diligent and active in erecting elegant and commodious dwell

ings for themselves; and admonishes them that the late unproductive seasons with which they had been visited, had been se to punish their negligence in that respers This produced the desired effect, especialis upon the governor and high priest, and the work was resumed with renewed vigout.

NOTES.

CHAP. II. Ver. 6. Yet once, it is a little whileNewcome, "Yet once (more, in) a short (time)." I will shake the heavens, &c. -This refers to

the numerous revolutions, civil and religions, whch preceded the appearance of our Lord. Ver. 7. The desire of all nations.-Most Cry

and reproved for]

CHAP. II.

and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and

[their indifference.

so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:

16 Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the press-fat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands: yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.

18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it.

19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

20 And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

NOTES.

tian commentators apply this to the Messiah; but against this a critical objection has been raised, from the verb being plural, whereas the noun is singular. For answer to this, it is sufficient to refer to the late Professor Dathe, as quoted by Dr. Pye Smith, Messiah, vol. i. p.325. Abp. Newcome, however, thinks the noun also was originally plural, with a vau inserted, which is now supplied by a Masoretic point. Nor is the noun being plural an objection of any weight, as applied to an individual, since the He brews often use plural nouns by way of excellence, and this, in particular, is so used in reference to Messiah, Cant. v. 16. See Bp. Newcome. Compare also, in the Hebrew, Dan. xi. 37, 43. But to obviate all objections, Bp. Chandler reads, " And he shall come, even the desire of all nations." He supposes that the vau prefixed to the verb, should be prefixed to the noun immediately following; an error easily accounted for, as originally the words were not divided See Note in our Introduction to vol. i. P. 8. For Bp. Chandler's remarks, see his Defence of Christianity, p. 86-94.

Ver. 8. The silver is mine, &c. Many Jewish Commentators, and some others, consider this clause as explaining ver. 7, "The silver and the gold, say they, are the desirable things of all nations;" but, after all, in silver and gold, the second temple was comparatively poor, nor does this agree with the solemnity of the introduction; it needed not, surely, to shake all nations, and even heaven and earth, to produce those presents which had been already made by Cyrus and his successors; besides the mention of these things seems rather with a view to undervalue, than to extol them. Compare Ps. 1. 9-12. Ver. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former—in gold and silver, in mag.

nitude, or architectural splendour, this certainly was not the case; and it was totally void of the cherubim, the urim and thummim, and the shechinah: the only way, therefore, in which the latter could exceed the fornier, must be in the presence of some august personage, and this could be no other than the Messiah.

But a query has been here raised, whether the temple in our Lord's time can be called the second temple, having, according to Josephus, been again rebuilt by Herod. On this Dr. Boothroyd says, "It may, I think, he doubted whether the whole was rebuilt by Herod. It is probable that what Herod did, was repairing certain parts, erecting others, and making the whole as perfect and complete as possible; and though ever so much improved, yet it would be regarded as the same house. I know that Josephus says, that Herod took away the old foundations, and laid others; but I think this must be confined to such parts as were decayed; or else how could the divine service have been observed? Rabbi Joseph, Maimonides, and other Jewish authors, always speak of this as a second temple." See the authors distinctly cited by Abp. Newcome.

After all, perhaps the words might be translated, "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former." So Mr. Parkhurst, who refers to the Hebrew of Jer. ii. 34, for a similar construction. Heb. Lex. in Chamed, 3d Edit. and so Dr. Blayney. Dr. Pye Smith renders it," Great shall be the glory of this house, the latter above the former." Messiah, vol. i. p. 325.

Ibid. In this place I will give peace.-Peace, with the Hebrews, included every blessing, and it might here have reference personally to him who is our peace. See Eph. ii. 14, 15.

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(B) The future glory of the church to exceed its former glory.-When this prophecy was uttered (about four years before the temple was finished, and about 520 B. C.), it appears that some aged men among the Jews were greatly dispirited, on account of this second temple being, in its appearance, 30 much inferior to the former. (See Ezra iii. 12.) To animate and encourage them in the work, the Prophet solemnly assures them that the glory of this second temple (or the second glory of this temple) should exceed the former, through its being honoured with the presence of the Messiah, whose presence alone was more than a counterbalance to every supposable deficiency. And he, who was exhibited in the types and prophecies as the glory of the old dispensation, should now be exhibited as the glory of the new dispensation, in his miracles and discourses, life, death, and resurrection.

The latter part of the chapter adverts to subjects more temporary and peculiar, not

only to the Jews, but to that generation. Two questions are put to the priests, relative to ceremonial pollution, and from these an inference is drawn, that if such app rently trivial circumstances rendered them ceremonially unclean, much more would their neglect of God's house and worsh? render them so morally, and subject the to the divine displeasure. This is men tioned to account for their late unfruitful seasons, and ill success in agricultural pur

suits.

The last four verses appear of doubtful interpretation. Who is intended by Zerub babel? Surely it did not require again t shake heaven and earth, to promote the man who was already in possession of the government. The next Prophet will ex hibit this Zerubbabel as a type of Christ (Zech. iv. 7), and the genealogies of the New Testament inform us, that he was the lineal ancestor of our Lord (Matt. ii. 12; Luke iii. 27); whom Isaiah introduces as God's elect (servant), in whom his soul delighteth! (Isa. xlii. 1.)

NOTES-Chap. II. Con.

Ver.23. As a signet.-See Sol. Song, viii. 6. These words may refer partially to Zerubbabel, in the first

instance, and subsequently and principally to his great antitype.

ZECHARIAH.

INTRODUCTION.

THE design of the first part of Zechariah's prophecy, like that of his contemporary Haggai, was to encourage the Jews to go on with rebuilding the temple, by giving them assurance of God's aid and protection. From this he proceeds to foretel the glory of the Christian church (the true temple of God), under its great High Priest and Governer Jesus Christ, of whom Zerubbabel and Joshua were figures. The first six chapters consist chiefly of prophetic visions, in the manner of Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Revelation of St. John. On these chapters, in addition to the writers consulted on the other Minor Prophets, we are happy to avail ourselves of the recent learned labours of Dr. Stonard; and where we cannot exactly adopt his interpretations, we must still admire his ingenuity, and commend his serious piety. The following chapters treat of the

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Zechariah's]

CHAP. I.

[prophetic visions. death, sufferings, and kingdom of Messiah, in many particulars not mentioned by any of the Prophets before him; every thing relating to those great events becoming more explicit in proportion as their accomplishment drew nearer. Zechariah's style, like that of Haggai, is for the most part prosaic, only more obscure towards the beginning, on account of his various types and emblems. Towards the end he is more plain, as well as more elevated and poetical. The difference in the style, among other reasons, has led many to conclude, that the last six chapters might be written by Jeremiah, or some other Prophet, though annexed to this prophecy of Zechariah. See the Exposition of chap. ix.

CHAP. I.

IN the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

7 Upon the four and twentieth day

of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

9 Then said I, O my Lord, wha are these? and the angel that talke with me said unto me, I will sher thee what these be.

10 And the man that stood amog the myrtle trees answered and sail, These are they whom the LORD hata sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 And they answered the angl of the LORD that stood among th myrtle trees, and said, We have walkd to and fro through the earth, and, bhold, all the earth sitteth still, ands

at rest.

12 Then the angel of the L&D answered and said, O LORD of hits, how long wilt thou not have merc on Jerusalem and on the cities of Jyah, against which thou hast had ingnation these threescore and ten ye's?

NOTES.

CHAP. I. Ver. 1. In the eighth month.-Comp. Haggai ii. 1, 10.-The second year of Darius-is reckoned by Blair the year 520 before Christ. This Dr. Stonard considers as the termination of the 70 years' captivity, which we have commenced, B. C. 588 (vol. i. p. 706), and consequently end 518, following Usher, Blair, and other eminent chronologists, which is two years later than Dr. Stonard; but perhaps these dates cannot be ascertained with perfect accuracy.

Ver. 2. Sore displeased-Heb." Angry (with) anger;" i. e. very angry.

Ver. 5. Your fathers, &c.—that is, "Your fathers are dead, and the prophets who prophesied to them are dead: but the testimony of facts to the

13 And the LORD answed the

truth of my predictions still remains," AbNewcome. The question implies, that they had diedader marks of God's displeasure.

Ver. 6. Did they not take hold?-rg. "Overtake?" So Newcome.

Ver.7. The month Sehat-a Syro-écian month, answering to our January and Fetary. Golius and Stonard.

Ver. 8. Red horses, speckled and hite.- Newcome, "Red, dun, and white;" onard, "Red, pale, and white:" the middle term ing of disputed import. Newcome says, these anis" had horses to show their power and celerity ;ad horses of different colours, to intimate their rent ministries, whether adverse, neutral, or frien."

The vision

ZECHARIAH.

angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thoù, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad;

CHAP. I.

[of four horns. and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. 18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. (A)

EXPOSITION.

(A) Zechariah exhorts to repentance, and elates two visions of different coloured mrses &c. The Prophet begins with rminding the Jews, that their fathers had (many of them) died in captivity, and under the divine displeasure; and earnestly Cautions them against following their evil xample, lest they should provoke the like adgments upon themselves.

"

The first prophetic vision opens in the th verse, and it is expressly said to have ben seen by night. The scene is a valley "myrtle trees," and the principal chareter exhibited was "the Angel of the Lrd upon a red (or bright bay) horse, al followed by other horses of different cours, and mounted by riders (as is suppod) representing the various agents enloyed by Providence in the govern met of the world. The Angel of the Lord herintroduced as riding upon a red horse, is ve naturally understood as the Son of God mself, who, in the last book of the New estament, is represented as a Conquero upon a white horse (Rev. vi. 2). The horse, indeed, seems to represent him, so properly in the victories of the gel (as described by St. John), as in densing judgments among the heathen red being symbolical of wrath, of war, id of punishment. By those that

followed him on horses of the same colour, we must understand inferior ministers, perhaps both good and evil; and it is very remarkable that they are described as using the very language used by Satan is the introduction of the book of Job; as

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going (or walking) to and fro" to see what was doing in the earth; and they bring in a report that "all the earth is sitting still and at rest;" meaning, as we conceive, that the chosen people having been completely subjugated, the surrounding nations were enjoying their triumph over them. This gives occasion for Israel's advocate, the Angel of the Lord, to offer a prayer on their behalf. "O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Je rusalem?" intimating at the same time that the seventy years of their captivity were now about to terminate. To this an an swer is immediately given by the medium of another angel, expressing how much the Lord was displeased with the heathen, in not setting them at liberty. For though both Cyrus and Darius had intimated their disposition to that effect, it is plain enough that there was a very powerful combina tion to oppose them.

In the last four verses of this chapter, another vision is introduced of four horsIthe horns which are said to have "scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." But

NOTES.

Ver. 20. Fy carpenters-From this rendering we may supp that our translators supposed these horns to be olood: so Vitringa renders the word smiths, becau he imagined them to be of iron. If we admit, vever, that they were horns of living animals, Wmay render the term more literally,

as Newcome does, "Workmen," or rather, werking men, either in agriculture or in the arts. It is obvious that it needed neither carpenters nor smiths to deve away living animals; and nothing is said of cutting off their horns.

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