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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zechariah 1:18-21

It is the comfort and triumph of the church (Isa. 59:19) that when the enemy shall come in like a flood, with mighty force and fury, then the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Now, in this vision (the second which this prophet had), we have an illustration of that, God's Spirit making a stand, and making head, against the formidable power of the church's adversaries. I. We have here the enemies of the church bold and daring, and threatening to be its death, to cut off... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 1:18

Then I lifted up mine eyes ,.... To behold another vision which follows: and saw, and behold four horns ; either iron ones, such as Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made to push the Syrians with, 1 Kings 22:11 or horns of beasts, as the horns of unicorns, to which the horns of Joseph are compared, Deuteronomy 33:17 and signify kingdoms or kings, and these very powerful and mighty; and so the Targum interprets them of "four kingdoms"; and which Kimchi and Abarbinel understand of the four... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 1:19

And I said unto the angel that talked with me ,.... Zechariah 1:9 , What be these ? that is, who do these horns signify? and what or whom do they represent? and he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem ; which may design the distresses, vexations, and captivities of the people of Israel by their enemies, as by the Moabites, Ammonites, &c.; in the times of the judges; and the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel by Shalmaneser;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 1:20

And the Lord showed me four carpenters. To saw and cut in pieces the four horns; or rather "four blacksmiths" F25 חרשים "fabros ferrarios", Pembellus, Sanctius, Burkius. ; these horns were horns of iron; so the word is rendered a "smith" in 1 Samuel 13:19 and indeed it signifies both a worker in wood and a worker in iron; and who are sometimes distinguished by what they work in, whether wood or iron; see Isaiah 44:12 . The Jews say F26 T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 2. these four... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 1:21

Then said I, What come these to do ?.... That is, these four carpenters; for, being artificers or workmen, as the Targum renders the word, the prophet concluded there was some work for them to do: And he spake, saying ; meaning the angel that talked with him, and interpreted the visions to him: These are the horns which have scattered Judah ; not that the carpenters were the horns, for these two are distinct from, and opposite to, one another. The words should rather be rendered,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 1:18

And behold four horns - Denoting four powers by which the Jews had been oppressed; the Assyrians, Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians. Or these enemies may be termed four, in reference to the four cardinal points of the heavens, whence they came: - North. The Assyrians and Babylonians. East. The Moabites and Ammonites. South. The Egyptians. West. The Philistines. See Martin. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 1:20

Four carpenters - Four other powers, who should defeat the powers intended by the horns. These are the same as the four chariots mentioned Zechariah 6:1-3 , Zechariah 6:6 , Zechariah 6:7 . The first was Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, who overturned the empire of the Assyrians. The second was Cyrus, who destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. The third was Alexander the Great, who destroyed the empire of the Persians. And the fourth was Ptolemy, who rendered himself master of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 1:21

These are come to fray them - To break, pound, and reduce them to powder. Fray, from the French, frayer , to rub. חרשים charashim signifies either carpenters or smiths; probably the latter are here intended, who came with hammers, files, and such like, to destroy these horns, which no doubt seemed to be of iron. From a sensible correspondent I have received the following note: - "The word we translate carpenters, חרשים charashim , is a root which, according to Mr. Parkhurst,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 1:18

Verse 18 Now follows another vision, by which God confirms what he had before testified to his Prophet. He then says, that though enemies should on every side rise up against the Church and cause it many troubles, there was yet a remedy in God’s hand, as he would break in pieces all horns by his hammers. He compares the Gentiles, who had been hostile to the Jews, to horns; and he afterwards compares to workmen the other enemies, whose hand and labor God would use for the purpose of breaking... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 1:20

Verse 20 But we must join the latter part, — that God showed also to the Prophet four smiths, for these two visions are connected together. Whosoever then takes only the first part, acts very absurdly, for the meaning of the prophecy will not be thus evident. If then we would not mutilate what is connected, we must not separate what is added respecting the four smiths. Inasmuch then as the Jews had been on every side oppressed, God shows that he has remedies enough, and even from various... read more

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