9 And I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children and return.
and if they shall take it to heart in the land whither they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done iniquity, we have dealt perversely; and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;
*Ye* are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God appointed to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. To you first God, having raised up his servant, has sent him, blessing you in turning each one [of you] from your wickedness.
I say then, Have they stumbled in order that they might fall? Far be the thought: but by their fall [there is] salvation to the nations to provoke them to jealousy. But if their fall [be the] world's wealth, and their loss [the] wealth of [the] nations, how much rather their fulness? For I speak to you, the nations, inasmuch as *I* am apostle of nations, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I shall provoke to jealousy [them which are] my flesh, and shall save some from among them. For if their casting away [be the] world's reconciliation, what [their] reception but life from among [the] dead? Now if the first-fruit [be] holy, the lump also; and if the root [be] holy, the branches also. Now if some of the branches have been broken out, and *thou*, being a wild olive tree, hast been grafted in amongst them, and hast become a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree,
And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who did not believe stirred up the minds of [those of] the nations and made [them] evil-affected against the brethren. They stayed therefore a good while, speaking boldly, [confiding] in the Lord, who gave witness to the word of his grace, giving signs and wonders to be done by their hands. And the multitude of the city was divided, and some were with the Jews and some with the apostles. And when an assault was making, both of [those of] the nations and [the] Jews with their rulers, to use [them] ill and stone them, they, being aware of it, fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding country, and there they were announcing the glad tidings. And a certain man in Lystra, impotent in his feet, sat, [being] lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This [man] heard Paul speaking, who, fixing his eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Rise up straight upon thy feet: and he sprang up and walked. But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us. And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury, because he took the lead in speaking. And the priest of Jupiter who was before the city, having brought bulls and garlands to the gates, would have done sacrifice along with the crowds. But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having heard [it], rent their garments, and rushed out to the crowd, crying and saying, Men, why do ye these things? *We* also are men of like passions with you, preaching to you to turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things in them; who in the past generations suffered all the nations to go in their own ways, though indeed he did not leave himself without witness, doing good, and giving to you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. And saying these things, they with difficulty kept the crowds from sacrificing to them. But there came Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds and stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing him to have died. But while the disciples encircled him, he rose up and entered into the city. And on the morrow he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. And having announced the glad tidings to that city, and having made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch,
Now there were in Antioch, in the assembly which was [there], prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and having laid [their] hands on them, they let [them] go. They therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed away to Cyprus. And being in Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also as [their] attendant. And having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus, who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. *He*, having called Barnabas and Saul to [him], desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is by interpretation) opposed them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who also [is] Paul, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, fixing his eyes upon him, said, O full of all deceit and all craft: son of [the] devil, enemy of all righteousness; wilt thou not cease perverting the right paths of [the] Lord? And now behold, [the] Lord's hand [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and going about he sought persons who should lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord. And having sailed from Paphos, Paul and his company came to Perga of Pamphylia; and John separated from them and returned to Jerusalem. But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath day they sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation to the people, speak. And Paul, rising up and making a sign with the hand, said, Israelites, and ye that fear God, hearken. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people in their sojourn in [the] land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought them out of it, and for a time of about forty years he nursed them in the desert. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. And after these things he gave [them] judges till Samuel the prophet, [to the end of] about four hundred and fifty years. And then they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul, son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, during forty years. And having removed him he raised up to them David for king, of whom also bearing witness he said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will. Of this man's seed according to promise has God brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus; John having proclaimed before the face of his entry [among the people] [the] baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course he said, Whom do ye suppose that I am? *I* am not [he]. But behold, there comes one after me, the sandal of whose feet I am not worthy to loose. Brethren, sons of Abraham's race, and those who among you fear God, to you has the word of this salvation been sent: for those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not having known him, have fulfilled also the voices of the prophets which are read on every sabbath, [by] judging [him]. And having found no cause of death [in him], they begged of Pilate that he might be slain. And when they had fulfilled all things written concerning him, they took him down from the cross and put him in a sepulchre; but God raised him from among [the] dead, who appeared for many days to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And *we* declare unto you the glad tidings of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this to us their children, having raised up Jesus; as it is also written in the second psalm, *Thou* art my Son: this day have *I* begotten thee. But that he raised him from among [the] dead, no more to return to corruption, he spoke thus: I will give to you the faithful mercies of David. Wherefore also he says in another, Thou wilt not suffer thy gracious one to see corruption. For David indeed, having in his own generation ministered to the will of God, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Be it known unto you, therefore, brethren, that through this man remission of sins is preached to you,
They then who had been scattered abroad through the tribulation that took place on the occasion of Stephen, passed through [the country] to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but to Jews alone. But there were certain of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who entering into Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, announcing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus. And [the] Lord's hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt take them to heart among all the nations whither Jehovah thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return to Jehovah thy God, and shalt hearken to his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy sons, with all thy heart and with all thy soul; that then Jehovah thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will gather thee again from all the peoples whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee. Though there were of you driven out unto the end of the heavens, from thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee;
And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise and to your children, and to all who [are] afar off, as many as [the] Lord our God may call.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, [and] its breadth six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, [O] peoples, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; and whosoever doth not fall down and worship shall that same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 10
Commentary on Zechariah 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the foregoing chapter-to encourage the Jews that had returned with hopes that though they had been under divine rebukes for their negligence in rebuilding the temple, and were now surrounded with enemies and dangers, yet God would do them good, and make them prosperous at home and victorious abroad. Now,
Zec 10:1-4
Gracious things and glorious ones, very glorious and very gracious, were promised to this poor afflicted people in the foregoing chapter; now here God intimates to them that he will for these things be enquired of by them, and that he expects they should acknowledge him in all their ways and in all his ways towards them-and not idols that were rivals with him for their respects.
Zec 10:5-12
Here are divers precious promises made to the people of God, which look further than to the state of the Jews in the latter days of their church, and have certain reference to the spiritual Israel of God, the gospel-church, and all true believers.