Zechariah 1:11

11. Having been presented, the horsemen make their report; whether through a spokesman or in unison is not stated.

The angel of Jehovah Not to be identified with “man” in Zechariah 1:8; Zechariah 1:10. The angel is the one who receives the report of the horsemen, of whom the “man” is the leader. Any angel might be called “angel of Jehovah” (1 Kings 19:7; 2 Samuel 24:16), but there are passages in the Old Testament in which the phrase has a peculiar meaning (Genesis 31:11-13; Exodus 23:20-21, etc.). To the latter class belongs this verse. In these passages the “angel of Jehovah” is “not a created angel; he is Jehovah himself,” manifesting himself without men, that is, in the external affairs of men, just as in the Old Testament “spirit of Jehovah” is Jehovah manifesting himself within men (compare A.B. Davidson, The Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 296ff.). Nowack, on the basis of Zechariah 1:12, thinks that this verse marks an advance over the more ancient passages, because here the angel is no longer identified with Jehovah, but is separate from and subordinate to him; and there is much to be said in favor of this view, but the testimony of Zechariah 1:12 is not conclusive (see comment). Whether the ancients ever considered the metaphysical aspects of this “incarnation,” and if so, what were their exact notions, we cannot determine, nor can we speak dogmatically about the connection between this manifestation of Jehovah and the divine incarnation in the person of Jesus. The suggestion of some commentators, that in this passage the “angel of Jehovah” is identical with the “man among the myrtle trees,” that the title “angel of Jehovah” is a later addition due to a confusion of the man with the interpreting angel, and that the original was “the man,” is intended to remove a difficulty, but the change is not warranted.

The earth sitteth still and is at rest The horsemen report that all is peaceful, undisturbed by war or revolution. Evidently an allusion to Haggai 2:6-7; Haggai 2:21-22, or at least to the hope expressed there. The expectation was that Jehovah would “shake the nations” preliminary to the restoration of his grace and mercy to Zion. The people expected a speedy fulfillment of the Messianic promise; the delay produced despondency. The report of the horsemen would intensify the feeling of disappointment, for while peace and quietness prevailed the former promises would not be fulfilled.