6 In that day I make the leaders of Judah As a hearth of fire among trees, And as a torch of fire in a sheaf, And they have consumed -- on the right and on the left -- all the peoples round about, And Jerusalem hath inhabited again her place in Jerusalem.
Changed is all the land as a plain, From Gebo to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, And she hath been high, and hath dwelt in her place, Even from the gate of Benjamin To the place of the first gate, unto the front gate, And from the tower of Hananeel, Unto the wine-vats of the king. And they have dwelt in her, And destruction is no more, And Jerusalem hath dwelt confidently.
Thus said Jehovah: I have turned back unto Zion, And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And Jerusalem hath been called `The city of truth,' And the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, `The holy mountain.' Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Again dwell do old men and old women, In broad places of Jerusalem, And each his staff in his hand, Because of abundance of days. And broad places of the city are full of boys and girls, Playing in its broad places.
And this `one' hath been peace, Asshur! when he doth come into our land, And when he doth tread in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man. And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And he hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land, And when he treadeth in our borders. And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah -- as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men. Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.
`And in the days of these kings raise up doth the God of the heavens a kingdom that is not destroyed -- to the age, and its kingdom to another people is not left: it beateth small and endeth all these kingdoms, and it standeth to the age. Because that thou hast seen that out of the mountain cut hath been a stone without hands, and it hath beaten small the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king that which `is' to be after this; and the dream `is' true, and its interpretation stedfast.
Thou wast looking till that a stone hath been cut out without hands, and it hath smitten the image on its feet, that `are' of iron and of clay, and it hath broken them small; then broken small together have been the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, and they have been as chaff from the summer threshing-floor, and carried them away hath the wind, and no place hath been found for them: and the stone that smote the image hath become a great mountain, and hath filled all the land.
`And these `are' the outgoings of the city on the north side, five hundred, and four thousand measures. And the gates of the city `are' according to the names of the tribes of Israel; three gates northward: the gate of Reuben one, the gate of Judah one, the gate of Levi one. And on the east side five hundred, and four thousand, and three gates: the gate of Joseph one, the gate of Benjamin one, the gate of Dan one. And the south side five hundred, and four thousand measures, and three gates: the gate of Simeon one, the gate of Issachar one, the gate of Zebulun one. The west side five hundred, and four thousand, their gates three: the gate of Gad one, the gate of Asher one, the gate of Naphtali one. Round about `is' eighteen thousand, and the renown of the city `is' from the day Jehovah `is' there.'
Lo, days `are coming', an affirmation of Jehovah, And the city hath been built to Jehovah, From the tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner. And gone out again hath the measuring line Over-against it, unto the height of Gareb, And it hath compassed to Goah. And all the valley of the carcases and of the ashes, And all the fields unto the brook Kidron, Unto the corner of the horse-gate eastward, `Are' holy to Jehovah, it is not plucked up, Nor is it thrown down any more to the age!
Lo, I have set thee for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, thou threshest mountains, And beatest small, and hills as chaff thou makest. Thou winnowest them, and a wind lifteth them up, And a whirlwind scattereth them, And thou -- thou rejoicest in Jehovah, In the Holy One of Israel dost boast thyself.
Therefore doth the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, Send among his fat ones leanness, And under his honour He kindleth a burning As the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel hath been for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame, And it hath burned, and devoured his thorn And his brier in one day. And the honour of his forest, and his fruitful field, From soul even unto flesh He doth consume, And it hath been as the fainting of a standard-bearer.
The exaltation of God `is' in their throat, And a two-edged sword in their hand. To do vengeance among nations, Punishments among the peoples. To bind their kings with chains, And their honoured ones with fetters of iron, To do among them the judgment written, An honour it `is' for all his saints. Praise ye Jah!
And the heads of the people dwell in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people have caused to fall lots to bring in one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the cities, and the people give a blessing to all the men who are offering themselves willingly to dwell in Jerusalem. And these `are' heads of the province who have dwelt in Jerusalem, and in cities of Judah, they have dwelt each in his possession in their cities; Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the sons of the servants of Solomon. And in Jerusalem have dwelt of the sons of Judah, and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalaleel, of the sons of Perez; and Masseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-Hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of Shiloni; all the sons of Perez who are dwelling in Jerusalem `are' four hundred sixty and eight, men of valour. And these `are' sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jesaiah; and after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight. And Joel son of Zichri `is' inspector over them, and Judah son of Senuah `is' over the city -- second. Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, leader of the house of God, and their brethren doing the work of the house `are' eight hundred twenty and two; and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and his brethren, heads of fathers, two hundred forty and two; and Amashsai son of Azareel, son of Ahazai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, and their brethren, mighty of valour, a hundred twenty and eight; and an inspector over them `is' Zabdiel, son of `one of' the great men. And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hashub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni, and Shabbethai, and Jozabad, `are' over the outward work of the house of God, of the heads of the Levites, and Mattaniah son of Micha, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, `is' head -- at the commencement he giveth thanks in prayer; and Bakbukiah `is' second among his brethren, and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. All the Levites, in the holy city, `are' two hundred eighty and four. And the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, those watching at the gates, `are' a hundred seventy and two. And the rest of Israel, of the priests, of the Levites, `are' in all cities of Judah, each in his inheritance; and the Nethinim are dwelling in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa `are' over the Nethinim. And the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem `is' Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micha: of the sons of Asaph, the singers `are' over-against the work of the house of God, for the command of the king `is' upon them, and support `is' for the singers, a matter of a day in its day. And Pethahiah son of Meshezabeel, of the sons of Zerah, son of Judah, `is' by the hand of the king, for every matter of the people. And at the villages with their fields, of the sons of Judah there have dwelt, in Kirjath-Arba and its small towns, and in Dibon and its small towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and in Beth-Phelet, and in Hazar-Shaul, and in Beer-Sheba and its small towns, and in Ziklag, and in Mekonah and in its small towns, and En-Rimmon, and in Zareah, and in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its small towns; and they encamp from Beer-Sheba unto the valley of Hinnom. And sons of Benjamin `are' at Geba, Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-El, and its small towns, Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod, and Ono, the valley of the artificers. And of the Levites, the courses of Judah `are' for Benjamin.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, having been gathered together to make war with him who is sitting upon the horse, and with his army; and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, in which he led astray those who did receive the mark of the beast, and those who did bow before his image; living they were cast -- the two -- to the lake of the fire, that is burning with brimstone;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 12
Commentary on Zechariah 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The apostle (Gal. 4:25, 26) distinguishes between "Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children'-the remaining carcase of the Jewish church that rejected Christ, and "Jerusalem that is from above, that is free, and is the mother of us all'-the Christian church, the spiritual Jerusalem, which God has chosen to put his name there; in the foregoing chapter we read the doom of the former, and left that carcase to be a prey to the eagles that should be gathered to it. Now, in this chapter, we have the blessings of the latter, many precious promises made to the gospel-Jerusalem by him who (v. 1) declares his power to make them good. It is promised,
These promises were of use then to the pious Jews that lived in the troublous times under Antiochus, and other persecutors and oppressors; and they are still to be improved in every age for the directing of our prayers and the encouraging of our hopes with reference to the gospel-church.
Zec 12:1-8
Here is,
Zec 12:9-14
The day here spoken of is the day of Jerusalem's defence and deliverance, that glorious day when God will appear for the salvation of his people, which, if it do refer to the successes which the Jews had against their enemies in the time of the Maccabees, yet certainly looks further, to the gospel-day, to Christ's victories over the powers of darkness and the great salvation he has wrought for his chosen. Now we have here an account of two remarkable works designed in that day.