_Open thy doors, O Lebanon_ The prophet, having signified in the
foregoing prophecy that the Jewish nation should recover its
prosperity, flourish for some time, and become considerable; and
having announced to Zion the coming of Messiah her king, and
congratulated her on the peaceable nature and gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Howl, fir-tree_ By the several sorts of trees here mentioned, seem to
be meant the several orders and degrees of men, who should be sharers
in the common destruction: see Isaiah 2:13; Isaiah 10:33; and the
notes. The _fir-tree_ seems to denote the lower people, who are bid to
howl because even thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_Feed the flock of the slaughter_ That is, the people, who are so
denominated, because they were devoted to ruin by the following
mischievous counsels of their false teachers, and the oppressions of
their rulers. This command seems to be addressed to Zechariah; but an
insuperable objection lies agai... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land_ I will no more spare
them than their shepherds do. _The inhabitants of the land_ are to be
distinguished from _the poor of the flock_ in the next verse. By the
former are meant those who in their respective stations were as wicked
as the rulers, chie... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_ Or rather, _but, I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you _
Or, especially you, _O poor of the flock_ Zechariah here, representing
Christ the true shepherd, says, he will enter upon his office, and
undertake the care of the flock appointed for the slaughter; _even
you, O poor of the flock_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Three shepherds also I cut off in one month_ The prophet may be said
to do what God did; either in the punishment of certain false
prophets, or of certain wicked governors. Some think, that by these
three shepherds were figuratively signified the chief priests,
scribes, and elders of the Jews. Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said I, will not feed you_ I will no longer exercise a tender
paternal care over you; _that that dieth, let it die_ Or rather, _the
dying let it die;_ that which has a deadly disease, let it perish by
that disease. Or, that which is ready to die, and will not be cured,
but hath rejected the sh... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I took my staff, even Beauty_ Or, _pleasantness_, or _delight._
See note on Zechariah 11:7: emblematical, as of God's favour,
gentleness, or kindness to his people, and of the honour and privilege
which they possessed in his oracles, instituted worship, and temple;
so especially of God's covena... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I said unto them_ Namely, upon parting. The prophet, still
personating Christ, or acting as a type of him, reminds the Jews of
his concern for their welfare, the care he had taken of them, and the
labour he had bestowed on instructing them; and refers it to them
whether his services had not des... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then_ As soon as I saw what little value they put upon me, and my
pastoral care over them, and services for them; _I cut asunder mine
other staff, even Bands_ The prophet did this in type, and Christ in
reality; _that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel_
That I might declare, or... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Lord said, Take thee yet_ [or once more] _the instruments of
a foolish_ [or unwise] _shepherd_ The prophet, having hitherto
represented the good shepherd, is now directed to assume the dress and
equipage of one of a contrary character. As folly in the Scripture is
equivalent to wickedness,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land_ A shepherd, in the
singular number, denotes a succession of such shepherds as are
described in the following words. So a succession of priests is
represented under the single person of Levi, Malachi 2:5. Since the
Jews had rejected the true Shepherd,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wo to the idol shepherd_ Or the shepherd _of nothing_, or _of no
value_, as רעי האליל should be translated; he who calls
himself the shepherd, ruler, or teacher of the people, but is in
reality nothing less. So רפאי אליל, Job 13:4, signifies
_physicians of no value. That leaveth the flock_ Who take... [ Continue Reading ]