2 In the first H7223 chariot H4818 were red H122 horses; H5483 and in the second H8145 chariot H4818 black H7838 horses; H5483
I saw H7200 by night, H3915 and behold a man H376 riding H7392 upon a red H122 horse, H5483 and he stood H5975 among the myrtle trees H1918 that were in the bottom; H4699 and behind H310 him were there red H122 horses, H5483 speckled, H8320 and white. H3836
And G2532 I saw, G1492 and G2532 behold G2400 a white G3022 horse: G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 on G1909 him G846 had G2192 a bow; G5115 and G2532 a crown G4735 was given G1325 unto him: G846 and G2532 he went forth G1831 conquering, G3528 and G2532 to G2443 conquer. G3528 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the second G1208 seal, G4973 I heard G191 the second G1208 beast G2226 say, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 there went out G1831 another G243 horse G2462 that was red: G4450 and G2532 power was given G1325 to him G846 that sat G2521 thereon G1909 G846 to take G2983 peace G1515 from G575 the earth, G1093 and G2532 that G2443 they should kill G4969 one another: G240 and G2532 there was given G1325 unto him G846 a great G3173 sword. G3162 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the third G5154 seal, G4973 I heard G191 the third G5154 beast G2226 say, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 I beheld, G1492 and G2532 lo G2400 a black G3189 horse; G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 on G1909 him G846 had G2192 a pair of balances G2218 in G1722 his G846 hand. G5495 And G2532 I heard G191 a voice G5456 in G1722 the midst G3319 of the four G5064 beasts G2226 say, G3004 A measure G5518 of wheat G4621 for a penny, G1220 and G2532 three G5140 measures G5518 of barley G2915 for a penny; G1220 and G2532 see thou hurt G91 not G3361 the oil G1637 and G2532 the wine. G3631
And G2532 there appeared G3700 another G243 wonder G4592 in G1722 heaven; G3772 and G2532 behold G2400 a great G3173 red G4450 dragon, G1404 having G2192 seven G2033 heads G2776 and G2532 ten G1176 horns, G2768 and G2532 seven G2033 crowns G1238 upon G1909 his G846 heads. G2776
So G2532 he carried G667 me G3165 away G667 in G1722 the spirit G4151 into G1519 the wilderness: G2048 and G2532 I saw G1492 a woman G1135 sit G2521 upon G1909 a scarlet coloured G2847 beast, G2342 full of G1073 names G3686 of blasphemy, G988 having G2192 seven G2033 heads G2776 and G2532 ten G1176 horns. G2768
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 6
Commentary on Zechariah 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
The two kingdoms of providence and grace are what we are all very nearly interested in, and therefore are concerned to acquaint ourselves with, all our temporal affairs being in a necessary subjection to divine Providence, and all our spiritual and eternal concerns in a necessary dependence upon divine grace; and these two are represented to us in this chapter-the former by a vision, the latter by a type. Here is,
Zec 6:1-8
The prophet is forward to receive this vision, and, as if he expected it, he turned and lifted up his eyes and looked. Though this was the seventh vision he had had, yet he did not think he had had enough; for the more we know of God and his will, if we know it aright, the more desirous we shall be to get a further acquaintance with God. Now observe here the sight that the prophet had offour chariots drawn by horses of divers colours, together with the explication of the sight, v. 1-5. He did not look long before he discovered that which was worth seeing, and which would serve very much for the encouraging of himself and his friends in this dark day. We are very much in the dark concerning the meaning of this vision. Some by the four chariots understand the four monarchies; and then they read (v. 5), These are the four winds of the heavens, and suppose that therein reference is had to Dan. 7:2, where Daniel saw, in vision, the four winds of the heavens striving upon the great sea, representing the four monarchies. The Babylonian monarchy, they think, is here represented by the red horses, which are not afterwards mentioned, because that monarchy was now extinct. The second chariot with the black horses is the Persian monarchy, which went forth northward against the Babylonians, and quieted God's Spirit in the north country, by executing his judgments on Babylon and freeing the Jews from their captivity. The white, the Grecians, go forth after them in the north, for they overthrow the Persians. The grizzled, the Romans, who conquered the Grecian empire, are said to go forth towards the south country, because Egypt, which lay southward, was the last branch of the Grecian empire that was subdued by the Romans. The bay horses had been with the grizzled, but afterwards went forth by themselves; and by these they understand the Goths and Vandals, who with their victorious arms walked to and fro through the earth, or the Seleucidae and Lagidae, the two branches of the Grecian empire. Thus Grotius and others.
But I incline rather to understand this vision more generally, as designing to represent the administration of the kingdom of Providence in the government of this lower world. The angels are often called the chariots of God, as Ps. 68:17; 18:10. The various providences of God concerning nations and churches are represented by the different colours of horses, Rev. 6:2, 4, 5, 8. And so we may observe here,
Zec 6:9-15
God did not only at sundry times, but in divers manners, speak in time past by the prophets to his church. In the former part of this chapter he spoke by a vision, which only the prophet himself saw; here, in this latter part, he speaks by a sign, or type, which many saw, and which, as it was explained, was an illustrious prediction of the Messiah as the priest and king of his church. Here is,