225 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord showed me four carpenters. To saw and cut in pieces the four horns; or rather "four blacksmiths" (y); these horns were horns of iron; so the word is rendered a "smith" in 1 Samuel 13:19 and indeed it signifies both a worker in wood and a worker in iron; and who are sometimes distinguished by what they work in, whether wood or iron;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said I, What come these to do?.... That is, these four carpenters; for, being artificers or workmen, as the Targum renders the word, the prophet concluded there was some work for them to do: And he spake, saying; meaning the angel that talked with him, and interpreted the visions to him: These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah; not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Zechariah 2 This chapter contains a prophecy of the church under the Gospel dispensation; of the largeness and numbers of it; and of its protection and glory, through the presence of God in it. In this vision a man is seen with a measuring line in his hand, to measure Jerusalem with, Zechariah 2:1 upon which an angel bids the angel...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked,.... And saw a third vision; which, as Kimchi owns, refers to the times of the Messiah; though it might be of use to the Jews then present, to encourage them to expect the rebuilding of Jerusalem, in a literal sense: and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand: by whom is meant, not Nehemiah, nor...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said I, Whither goest thou?.... As it showed great freedom and boldness in the prophet to put such a question to the man with the measuring reed, it was great condescension in him to return him an answer, as follows: and he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem; not literally understood, which was not yet thoroughly built; but the Gospel church,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth,.... See Zechariah 1:9 and he "went forth" from the place where the prophet was, with whom he had been conversing: and another angel went out to meet him: the same that was seen among the myrtle trees, Zechariah 1:8 and here, with a measuring line in his hand, Zechariah 2:1.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And said unto him,.... That is, the other angel said to the angel that had been talking with the prophet, Run, speak to this young man: meaning Zechariah, who was either young in years, as Samuel and Jeremiah were when they prophesied; or he was a servant of a prophet older than he, and therefore so called, as Joshua, Moses's minister, was,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about,..... So that she needs no other wall to secure her, the power of God encompassing her about as the mountains did Jerusalem, Psalms 125:2 and he being as a wall of fire to terrify and destroy her enemies; for our God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12:29. Drusius thinks it is a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ho, ho,.... This word expresses a call and proclamation; and is doubled, as Kimchi observes, to confirm it; and so the Targum paraphrases it, "proclaim to the dispersed:'' [come forth], and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord; that is, from Babylon, which lay north of Judea; see Jeremiah 1:13 Jeremiah 3:12 where many of the Jews...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Deliver thyself, O Zion,.... Or make thy escape, you that belong to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, and ought to have your abode there, and not in Babylon: flee from thence, that dwelleth [with] the daughter of Babylon; in any of the antichristian states, who are the daughters of Babylon, the mother of harlots, Revelation 17:5 so it may be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... Christ, who is the true Jehovah, and Lord of armies, as appears from his being sent in the next clause: After the glory; which is promised, Zechariah 2:5 so the Targum and Kimchi; or, "afterwards" shall be "the glory" (l); or a glorious time and state; that is, after God's people are brought out of mystical...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them,.... The nations; either the Babylonian, or the antichristian states; meaning, that he would exert his power, and inflict punishment on them, and utterly destroy them; which would be done by the bare shaking of his hand: and they shall be a spoil to their servants; as the Babylonians were to the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion,.... Or, "congregation of Zion", as the Targum paraphrases it; the Jewish church, great numbers of that people being converted, and in a church state; or the whole Christian church at this time, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, who are called upon to rejoice and sing at the destruction of antichrist; see...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day,.... The Gospel will be preached in all nations, and multitudes will be converted, and embrace and profess the Christian religion, and join themselves to the churches of Christ, which, in the New Testament, is expressed by being joined to the Lord, Acts 5:13 see Jeremiah 50:5: and shall be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land,.... The Lord's people is his portion, and the lot of his inheritance; whom he has chosen, and calls as such, whether they be Jews or Gentiles; but here it seems to mean the believing Jews; who, it is very likely, upon their conversion, will be returned to their own land, here called...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord,.... Be filled with fear, awe, and astonishment, at the wonderful work of God; the destruction of antichrist; the conversion of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles: let them not open their mouths, or dare to say one word against it. The Targum interprets the words of the wicked, and paraphrases them...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Zechariah 3 In this chapter, under the type of Joshua the high priest, is showed the state and condition of the priesthood, and of the church of God, in his times; and in it are various promises concerning the true High Priest, Christ, and of the efficacy and permanency of his priesthood. The vision of Joshua is in the form of a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he showed me Joshua the high priest,.... Who was one that came up out of the captivity, and was principally concerned in building the temple, and had many enemies to obstruct him in it; and who falling into sin, or his sons, in marrying strange wives, Ezra 10:18, which he might connive at, Satan was ready to catch it up, and accuse him before...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said unto Satan,.... The same with the Angel of the Lord, Zechariah 3:1 having heard the charge brought by him against Joshua, here called Jehovah, being the Son of God, and properly God: The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; these words may be considered, either as the intercession of Jehovah the Son with Jehovah the Father, for Joshua and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments,.... Having fallen into sin. The Jewish writers (z) interpret this of the sin of his children in marrying strange wives, Ezra 10:18 or he had married one himself, as Jerom from the Jews, on the place; or a whore, as Justin Martyr (a) suggests; or had been slothful and sluggish in rebuilding the temple;...