Zechariah 10:8-12

Restoration of the exiles from Assyria and Egypt, 8-12.

These verses describe more minutely the deliverance of Ephraim. 8.

I will hiss Give the signal to return (compare Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 7:18).

Have redeemed The redemption is already decreed, though its execution is still future.

As they have increased As they were great in numbers before the calamity fell upon them, so they will be again. 9.

I will sow An obscure and much-discussed expression. The marginal reading, “though I sow,” is to be preferred; but even that leaves it an open question whether the sowing is already passed or still in the future, nor does it indicate the exact force of sow. The meaning scatter seems most suitable, though Hebrew usage may not support it. The Hebrew, if interpreted naturally, places the sowing in the future; a change of one vowel point would throw it in the past, and to the past it seems to refer “Though I scattered them among the peoples,” that is, during the exile. The succeeding clause is the apodosis.

They shall remember me With the above suggested translation of the first clause, the verb here should not be rendered as a simple future but as a past tense expressing the idea of continuation (G.-K., 107d) “though I scattered them, yet they continued to remember me.”

Far countries The lands of exile, here Egypt and Assyria (Zechariah 10:10).

Shall live with their children With this clause begins the promise. Those who are now in exile shall not perish, but they and their children shall live (Hosea 6:2; Ezekiel 37:1 ff.) and return to their old home. LXX. reads, “bring up their children”; which is probably meant to express a similar idea. They will raise families, which are considered a gift from God (Psalms 127:3-5), and with them they will return home.

Zechariah 10:10 takes up the promise of restoration from Zechariah 10:8.

Egypt,… Assyria The two long-time enemies of the people of Israel (see on Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:3; compare Isaiah 11:11-12). On the use of these names here and their bearing on the date of the prophecy see Introduction, p. 584.

Gilead… Lebanon The former is the territory east of the Jordan (see on Amos 1:3), the latter is the mountain range in the north of the territory west of the Jordan (compare Hosea 14:4-8). Gilead was rich in pasture land, Lebanon in forests; hence the two districts might be named as types of extreme fertility. If so, the thought would be that the restored exiles will be settled in the most fertile regions of Palestine. Or the two districts might represent all the territory east and west of the Jordan respectively; then the promise would be that the restored exiles will occupy all the ancient territory of Israel; and even then the land will not be able to hold them (Isaiah 49:19-20).

Zechariah 10:11 elaborates upon the promise of 10a. The prophet describes the future deliverance in language which is strongly colored by the memory of the exodus. The details of interpretation are uncertain.

He LXX., “they”; the exiles. The pronoun in Hebrew refers to Jehovah, which is, perhaps, to be preferred (see below).

Shall pass through the sea with affliction He will bring affliction upon the sea (the Red Sea), so that it will dry up and let the exiles pass through. R.V., “he will pass through the sea of affliction”; literally, the sea, affliction (in apposition), which expresses a similar thought, namely, the sea which caused affliction, that is, at the time of the exodus the Red Sea. The expression is peculiar. Von Orelli, following some of the ancient versions, takes affliction as the subject and renders “affliction shall pass over the sea,” which expresses a thought similar to that of A.V. Some take affliction in a physical sense narrowness and read “the sea of narrowness” the narrow sea, the Red Sea. If the present Hebrew text is correct, R.V. is to be preferred. Jehovah will pass through the sea to smite it, so that the exiles may be able to cross dry-shod (compare Isaiah 11:15). Various emendations have been suggested. Marti, for example, reads 11a, “and they shall pass through the Sea of Egypt, and dry up shall all the depths of the Nile.”

The waves in the sea Another very peculiar construction.

The deeps of the river shall dry up R.V. rightly understands “river” of the Nile (see on Amos 8:8, where the same word is used). The Nile will dry up to permit the exiles to return. Passages like Isaiah 11:15, and even the context here might lead one to understand river of the Euphrates, though the word river used in the Isaiah passage and elsewhere is not the one used here. The Red Sea will dry up to let the exiles return from Egypt, the Euphrates to let them return from Assyria.

Pride The blow which will fall upon the nation will result in its utter humiliation.

Scepter The symbol of power. The taking away of the scepter symbolizes the withdrawal of power and authority; Egypt also will be humbled.

12. Strengthen them in Jehovah Jehovah himself will be the strength, that is, the source of the strength, of the exiles. With Jehovah on their side they need not fear.

Walk… in his name See on Micah 4:5. Up and down would better be omitted; it is a useless and confusing addition by the English translators. Practically all the Hebrew prophets expect the restoration of the scattered Jews; hence from this promise the date of this utterance cannot be determined.