225 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So again,.... Or "so I am returned" (n), as in Zechariah 8:3: have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah; by bestowing the above mentioned blessings on them; and as Jehovah has thought, so it comes to pass, and as he has purposed, so it stands; whatever he determines shall be, as for evil, so for good, Isaiah...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
These [are] the things that ye shall do,.... Which were duties incumbent on them, and which it became them to perform, under a sense of the favours bestowed on them, to show their gratitude to God, and that they might glorify him: Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; not using deceit, prevarication, and lying, Ephesians 4:25 and it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour,.... [See comments on Zechariah 7:10] hatred without a cause was a governing vice under the second temple, and Jarchi says was the cause of the destruction of it; see John 15:25: and love no false oath; whereby the character and property of a fellow creature are hurt; nor any...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying. The word of prophecy, as the Targum paraphrases it: here begins a new prophecy, respecting the abrogation of Jewish fasts, and the calling of the Gentiles.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... What follows is a full answer to the question in Zechariah 7:3: The fast of the fourth [month]; the month Tammuz, which answers to June: this fast was kept on the ninth day of the month, on account of the city of Jerusalem being broken up on that day (o), as it is said, 2 Kings 25:3 though Kimchi says this was on...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, [It shall] yet [come to pass],.... This is another thing that shall certainly be accomplished: that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities; in the Gentile world; they shall come and hear the word, believe in Christ, and join together in a Gospel church state; as they did at Antioch, Thessalonica,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another,.... Which shows their concern for the spiritual welfare of each other, their zeal for the honour and glory of God, and their readiness to attend divine worship: saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord; for pardoning, justifying, and sanctifying grace which shows their sense of need...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Yea, many people, and strong nations,.... Or, "mighty kingdoms", as the Targum renders it; even such have embraced the Gospel, and professed the Christian religion; of which there has been abundant proof since the downfall of Paganism under Constantine: shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem; that is, shall attend the public worship of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... For the further confirmation and illustration of this prophecy: in those days [it shall come to pass]; this shall be done in the times of the preaching of the Gospel by Christ and his apostles: that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take bold of the skirt of him that is a Jew:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Zechariah 9 This chapter treats of the conversion of the Gentiles, before spoken of in general, now particularly named; of the coming of Christ into the world, and the advantages of it to his church; of the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles, and of their protection, encouragement, and success. The Gentiles converted are first...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The burden of the word of the Lord,.... A prophecy, as in Proverbs 31:1 which is sometimes of things sorrowful and distressing, as the destruction of people, as in Isaiah 31:1 and sometimes of things joyful, as in Zechariah 13:1 and here it contains good news to the church of Christ, Zechariah 9:9, c. and is called a "burden", because the word of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Hamath also shall border thereby,.... By the land of Hadrach, or by Damascus; and that it was near Damascus is clear from Isaiah 10:9 it is called Hamath the great in Amos 6:2 and according to Jerom (d), is the same with Antioch, which he says was so called by some; and the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel on Numbers 13:21, renders Hamath by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold,.... Tyre was built upon a rock, and was a strong fortress itself, from whence it had its name; and, besides its natural defence, it had a wall one hundred and fifty feet high, and its breadth was answerable to its height (e); but yet, as it could not defend itself against Alexander the great, who took it;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold, the Lord will cast her out,.... Or "inherit her" (f), or "them", as the Septuagint render the words; when, being converted, she would become the Lord's inheritance and possession, and her riches should be devoted to his service: and he will smite her power in the sea; for Tyre was situated in the sea, at the entry of it, and was strong in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ashkelon shall see [it], and fear,.... That is, as Kimchi explains it, when Ashkelon shall see that Tyre humbles herself and submits, she shall humble herself and submit also: and the sense may be, that the inhabitants of Ashkelon, seeing that Tyre, with all her wisdom and strong reasoning, could not stand before the power of the Gospel, but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod,.... Some (p) take "mamzer", the word for "bastard", to be the name of a people that should dwell in Ashdod; this is the same place with Azotus, Acts 8:40 and was also one of the five lordships of the Philistines, Joshua 13:3 some, by the "bastard" here, understand Alexander the great, who gave out that he was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I will take away his blood out of his mouth,.... The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read "their blood"; not the blood of the bastard, but of the Philistines. The Targum is, "I will destroy them that eat blood"; the meaning may be, that they shall no more thirst after blood, nor drink it; nor breathe out threatenings and slaughter...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I will encamp about my house, because of the army,.... Of profane and wicked men, persecutors and heretics, who rose up in great numbers in the first ages of Christianity against the church, the house of God, where he dwells, which consisted of persons called from among the Gentiles as before; in order to protect and defend them from that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem,.... By whom are meant, not the inhabitants of Jerusalem in common; nor the children in it, that said Hosannas to the son of David; but the church of God, and true believers in Christ, who are called upon to "rejoice" and "shout": not merely in an external way, by showing marks of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,.... That is, the military one; signifying that wars shall cease, Psalms 46:9: and the horse from Jerusalem; the warlike one; see Micah 5:10. Ephraim designs the ten tribes, and Jerusalem stands for the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; and the sense is, that these shall be one in the days of the...