225 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor,.... Such as have no husband to provide for them, nor father and mother to care for them, and are in a strange land, where they have no friends or acquaintance, and are poor, and can not help themselves. Laws of this kind were frequently inculcated among the Jews; see...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But they refused to hearken,..... That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them: and pulled away the shoulder; from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" (f); a refractory one, that slides back, like a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone,.... The word here used is translated a "diamond" in Jeremiah 17:1 and it is said to be harder than a flint, Ezekiel 3:9. The Jewish writers say (g) it is a worm like a barley corn, so strong as to cut the hardest stones in pieces; Moses (they say) used it in hewing the stones for the two tables of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried,.... The Lord by the former prophets called them to repentance and obedience: and they would not hear; his words, nor obey his voice: so they cried: when they were besieged in Jerusalem, and were carried captive into Babylon: and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts; so as to deliver them out...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But I scattered them with a whirlwind,.... Denoting the fierceness of his wrath, and the strength of his fury, seen in their dispersion: among all the nations whom they knew not; such as the Babylonians, Medes, and Persians, people before unknown to the Jews: thus the land was desolate after them; that is, the land of Judea was destitute of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Zechariah 8 This chapter contains promises of various blessings to the people of the Jews; and exhortations to each of the duties incumbent on them; and is concluded with a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. The cause of all the blessings promised is the love of God to them, signified by zeal, or jealousy for them, Zechariah...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Again the word of the Lord of hosts came [to me] saying. The phrase, "to me", is wanting in the Hebrew text; and is the only place it is wanting in, as the Masora observes; though undoubtedly it is to be understood; and therefore is rightly supplied, as it is by the Targum, "with me". Mention being made in the latter part of the preceding chapter...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... This prophecy, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, respects time to come; the days of the Messiah, in the war of Gog and Magog, when they shall come up against Jerusalem, and the Lord shall pour out his great wrath upon them; and it seems right to interpret it, not only literally of Jerusalem, but spiritually of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Zion,.... The temple being now building, and almost finished, and the worship of God restored in it. The Targum renders it, "I will return to Zion"; and it may refer to the time of Christ's incarnation, when the Redeemer came to Zion, Isaiah 59:20 or to the time of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... These words are used at every consolatory promise given, as Kimchi observes, for the confirmation of it: there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem; signifying that the inhabitants should be very healthful; no sweeping disease or calamity should be among them, but they should live to a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls,.... Denoting a large increase of inhabitants, in a literal sense; and may spiritually signify the large numbers of converts, of new born babes, who are regenerated by the grace and Spirit of God, and are accounted of by the Lord for a generation: playing the streets thereof; being in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... This is repeated for the same end as before; [See comments on Zechariah 8:4]: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days; either in the then present days and time; and the sense is, if it should seem wonderful, incredible, and scarcely possible to the small number of the Jews in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold,.... As being something wonderful, of great importance, and deserving attention: I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; this can not be understood of bringing those Jews that remained in Babylon, and other places, to their own land, for Babylon lay north of Judea; see Zechariah...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And l will bring them,.... To Zion, into the church of God, the Gospel fold, where Christ has engaged to bring his other sheep, that there may be one fold for Jew and Gentile, Jeremiah 3:14 John 10:16: and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: the Gospel church; and be no more foreigners and strangers, but of the household of God, enjoying...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Let your hands be strong,.... In going on with the building of the temple, which was typical of the church of God, since so many great and good things were promised by the Lord, Haggai 2:4: ye that hear in these days; such as Zerubbabel the ruler, Joshua the high priest, and the rest of the people of the land: these...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For before these days,.... That the temple began to be built: there was no hire for men, nor any hire for beasts; that turned to any account; the wages earned by the one, and with the other, were as if they were put into a bag with holes, did not prosper with them, or do them any service, Haggai 1:6: neither [was there any] peace to him that went...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But now I [will] not [be] unto the residue of this people,.... The remnant brought out of captivity, settled in the land, and now rebuilding the temple: as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts; when they neglected the house of the Lord, caring only for their own cieled houses, Haggai 1:2.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For the seed [shall be] prosperous,.... Being cast into the earth, it shall spring up again, and produce a large increase; whereas before, though they sowed much, it came to little, Haggai 1:6: the vine shall give her fruit; be loaded with clusters, and produce large quantities of wine; whereas before there was a drought upon the new wine; and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen,.... Reproached, vilified, and called accursed by them; see Jeremiah 24:9 as true Christians, and real believers in Christ, are by the men of this world, 1 Corinthians 4:12: O house of Judah, and house of Israel; both being carried captive at different times, and were typical...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... In order to assure them of the truth of what he promised, he observes the fulfilment of what he had threatened, he being as true and faithful in the one as in the other: As I thought to punish you: determined to do it, by suffering them to be carried captive: when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the...