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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zechariah 8:1-8

The prophet, in his foregoing discourses, had left his hearers under a high charge of guilt and a deep sense of wrath; he had left them in a melancholy view of the desolations of their pleasant land, which was the effect of their fathers? disobedience; but because he designed to bring them to repentance, not to drive them to despair, he here sets before them the great things God had in store for them, encouraging them hereby to hope that their case of conscience would shortly determine itself... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:1

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying. The phrase, "to me", is wanting in the Hebrew text; and is the only place it is wanting in, as the Masora observes; though undoubtedly it is to be understood; and therefore is rightly supplied, as it is by the Targum, "with me". Mention being made in the latter part of the preceding chapter Zechariah 7:8 of the desolations of the earth, comfort is here administered, as Aben Ezra notes. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:2

Thus saith the Lord of hosts ,.... This prophecy, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, respects time to come; the days of the Messiah, in the war of Gog and Magog, when they shall come up against Jerusalem, and the Lord shall pour out his great wrath upon them; and it seems right to interpret it, not only literally of Jerusalem, but spiritually of the church in Gospel times: I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy ; the Arabic version reads, "for Jerusalem, and for Zion"; as in ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:3

Thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Zion ,.... The temple being now building, and almost finished, and the worship of God restored in it. The Targum renders it, "I will return to Zion"; and it may refer to the time of Christ's incarnation, when the Redeemer came to Zion, Isaiah 59:20 or to the time of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, of both which it is true; see Romans 11:26 , and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : or "cause my Shechinah to dwell there", as the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:4

Thus saith the Lord of hosts ,.... These words are used at every consolatory promise given, as Kimchi observes, for the confirmation of it: there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem ; signifying that the inhabitants should be very healthful; no sweeping disease or calamity should be among them, but they should live to a good old age, as follows: and every man with his staff in his hand for very age ; or "because of multitude of days" F9 מרב ימים ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:5

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls ,.... Denoting a large increase of inhabitants, in a literal sense; and may spiritually signify the large numbers of converts, of new born babes, who are regenerated by the grace and Spirit of God, and are accounted of by the Lord for a generation: playing the streets thereof ; being in health and rigour, and in great security. The Targum renders it, "singing" or "praising in the spacious places thereof"; singing the praises of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:6

Thus saith the Lord of hosts ,.... This is repeated for the same end as before; See Gill on Zechariah 8:4 , If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days ; either in the then present days and time; and the sense is, if it should seem wonderful, incredible, and scarcely possible to the small number of the Jews in Judea, that all the great and good things before promised should be fulfilled; or in the times of the Gospel, when the remnant, according to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:7

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold ,.... As being something wonderful, of great importance, and deserving attention: I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country ; this can not be understood of bringing those Jews that remained in Babylon, and other places, to their own land, for Babylon lay north of Judea; see Zechariah 6:6 , and as yet there were no Jews in the western part of the world; but now they are chiefly in the east and west, from whence they will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 8:8

And l will bring them ,.... To Zion, into the church of God, the Gospel fold, where Christ has engaged to bring his other sheep, that there may be one fold for Jew and Gentile, Jeremiah 3:14 John 10:16 , and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : the Gospel church; and be no more foreigners and strangers, but of the household of God, enjoying all the immunities and privileges of the Jerusalem that is above, the mother of us all: and they shall be my people ; appear to be so... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 8:2

I was jealous - Some refer this to the Jews themselves. They were as the spouse of Jehovah: but they were unfaithful, and God punished them as an injured husband might be expected to punish an unfaithful wife. Others apply it to the enemies of the Jews. Though I gave them a commission to afflict you, yet they exceeded their commission: I will therefore deal with them in fury - in vindictive justice. read more

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