Open thy doors — That destruction of the Jewish church and nation, is here foretold in dark and figurative expressions, which our Lord, when the time was at hand, prophesied of very plainly. Lebanon — Lebanon, a great mountain boundary between Judea and its neighbours on the north, is here commanded... [ Continue Reading ]
Fir — tree — Houses and towns built with firs. The cedar — Much less shall ye escape. Ye Oaks — Used in that country for building palaces, cities, towns, and fortresses. The forest — Jerusalem, compared to a forest, in regard of the many and tall houses in it. In short, all are called to cry, for th... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the shepherds — The enemy having driven away their flocks and herds. Their glory — What was their honour. Of Jordan — The great forests on the banks of Jordan, where the young lions were wont to range.... [ Continue Reading ]
My God — God the father speaks to Christ. Of the slaughter — Appointed to the slaughter. The Jews, during four hundred and fifty years, were a flock of slaughter to the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and afterwards the Romans.... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose possessors — Governors. Not guilty — Think they do no ill. That sell them — For slaves. For l am rich — Profanely give God thanks, that they thrive by cruelty and oppression.... [ Continue Reading ]
I will deliver — To rob, imprison, banish, or kill each other. Of his king — The Roman Caesar, whom the Jews had chosen to be so. The land — Their king and his armies shall destroy the land.... [ Continue Reading ]
Bands — The beauty of grace and glory, the bands of love and peace.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then — After that time of his patient feeding the flock, and cutting off the unfaithful shepherds. Cut off — By the sword or famine. The flesh — Either live to be besieged, 'till hunger makes the living eat the dead, or by seditions and bloody intestine quarrels, destroy each other.... [ Continue Reading ]
Even beauty — Which was the beauty and glory of them, the covenant of God, with all the blessings of it. That I might break — Declare it null. Christ calls it his covenant, for he was the mediator of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Broken — The covenant was disannulled. That waited — Believed in him, and obeyed him. Knew — Saw, and owned God in all this.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I said — Upon parting, Christ seems after the manner of men, to mind them of his claims for them, and desire them to reckon with him. If ye think good — He puts it to them, whether they thought he deserved ought at their hands? So they — The rulers of the Jews, the high priest, chief priests, an... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord — God the Father. Cast it — As being so little, it would hardly purchase any thing but what was the cheapest among them. A goodly price — God upbraids the shepherds of his people, who prized the great Shepherd no higher. Cast them to the potter — Or rather, cast them into the house of the L... [ Continue Reading ]
Then — So soon as I saw what value they put upon me. I cut asunder — Christ did it really, the prophet did it in the type. Break — Declare it broken. The brother — hood — That friendship which had been among them. Judah — The two tribes, and the remnant of the ten tribes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Take unto thee — O Zechariah, personate a shepherd quite different from him thou hast represented.... [ Continue Reading ]
Who shall not visit — Who seeks not out those that are lost. The young one — Which are aptest to perish through weakness. Nor heal — But leaves it to die of its wounds. That stand still — Not able to go forward. Will eat — Feast on the fattest of the flock. Tear their claws — Tear off their skin unt... [ Continue Reading ]
The idol shepherd — To them that are but the images of shepherds. That leaveth — Casts off the care of the flock. The sword — Of the enemy, shall break his strength and be — fool his counsels. Dried up — They that have gifts which qualify them to do good, if they do it not, they will be taken away.... [ Continue Reading ]