XIV. THE DAY OF THE LORD. The eleventh book of the minor prophets is acknowledged on all sides to be the most difficult of all the prophets. Jews (Talmudists, cabbalists, and literalists) and Christians (fathers, orthodox divines, and rationalists) are all loud in their complaints with regard to the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY OF THE LORD COMETH. — Better. A _day cometh for the Lord_ — viz., on which He will signally manifest His glory. (Comp. Psalms 2:12, &c.) The second half of the verse gives with, as it were, one stroke of the pen the most vivid description of the first feature of this “day,” viz., judgment up... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is but a further description of the event depicted in the second half of the preceding verse. AND THE RESIDUE OF THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF FROM THE CITY. — This was the case (with regard to Judah) in the Chaldæan conquest (2 Kings 25:22). Whether or no this can be interpreted of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE LORD GO FORTH. — In the hour of Israel’s direst need the Lord will appear as their champion, as of old. (Comp. Joshua 10:14; Joshua 23:3; Judges 4:15; 1 Samuel 7:10; and especially 2 Chronicles 20:15.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS FEET... — The language is, of course, figurative. SHALL CLEAVE. — Earthquake is commonly represented as an accompaniment of the Lord’s appearing (Exodus 19:18; Isaiah 29:6; Ezekiel 38:19). The Mount of Olives shall be cleft eastward to westward, and its two halves will be removed northward... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL FLEE TO. — The Hebrew will not bear the rendering of Luther, “and ye shall flee _before._” The Oriental Jews, Targ., LXX., &c., by a different vocalisation, read, “And the valley of my mountains shall be stopped;” but this reading is inappropriate. “My mountains,” the Mount of Olives, w... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE LIGHT SHALL NOT BE CLEAR, NOR DARK. — Better, _there shall not be light; the glorious ones_ (_i.e.,_ the heavenly bodies) _shall fail_ (literally, _become coagulated_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE DAY. — _i.e.,_ an extraordinary, unique day. (Comp. Ezekiel 7:5.) “An evil, an only (literally, _one_) evil, behold, is come.” (Also Jeremiah 30:7.) NOT DAY, NOR NIGHT. — But a kind of murky gloom, such as accompanies a sand-storm in the deserts of the East. IT SHALL BE. — Better, _there shall... [ Continue Reading ]
LIVING WATERS. — The symbol of Divine knowledge and spiritual vitality (Joel 3:18; Ezekiel 47). FORMER. — Or _front, i.e.,_ eastern (marg.) — meaning the Dead Sea. HINDER. — _i.e.,_ western, meaning the Mediterranean. These boundaries denote the whole of the Holy Land. IN SUMMER AND IN WINTER. —... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE EARTH. — In accordance with the context, we can only understand this in the sense of “all the land” (Zechariah 13:8). But though this is undoubtedly the meaning of the prophet, there is no reason why his words may not have a wider application than he himself ever contemplated. SHALL THERE B... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND... FROM GEBA TO RIMMON SOUTH OF JERUSALEM. — _i.e.,_ Judah, from north to south, as in 2 Kings 23:8 it is said, “from Geba to Beersheba.” Geba, modern “Jeba,” is about three hours north of Jerusalem. Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, not Rimmon in Galilee, which was north of Nazareth (Joshua 19:1... [ Continue Reading ]
UTTER DESTRUCTION. — Better, _ban._ (Comp. Malachi 4:6; Revelation 22:3.)... [ Continue Reading ]
In the description of the plague, and confusion, and rout with which the hostile nations are to be smitten, the prophet had in mind several historical events: _e.g.,_ Exodus 9:14; Psalms 37:36; 1 Samuel 5:9; 1 Samuel 14:20; Isaiah 22:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH. — Then, taking courage from the panic which had struck their adversaries, the whole people of Judah — not merely those who had escaped out of the city, but also those outside the walls — fight once more “at Jerusalem,” or in its very streets,” against the terror-driven, plague-stricken, God-c... [ Continue Reading ]
The war-horse (see Note on Zechariah 9:9) and beasts of burden (see Note on Zechariah 9:9) are to be included in the destruction, even as were the cattle of Achan (Joshua 7:24).... [ Continue Reading ]
GO UP... TO WORSHIP. — The judgment on the nation is to be remedial. The result of it is to be that they will earnestly embrace the worship of the one only true God. “The Feast of Tabernacles” (lasting from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishri) is called _par excellence_ “_The_ Feast.” The chief object in... [ Continue Reading ]
NO RAIN. — Though the worship of the Lord is to become universal, apostacy is not regarded as impossible. The punishment for such deflexion is spoken of in such figurative language as suits the symbolic description of the nations’ conversion.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HAVE NO RAIN. — This is an impossible rendering of the original. We must read these words in connection with those which follow, and either take the clause as interrogative, and render, _then will not_ (_nonne?_)_ the plague fall upon them wherewith,_ &c.,” or we must, with LXX. and six Hebrew... [ Continue Reading ]
(19-21) We cannot see, as many commentators affirm, that these concluding verses clearly indicate a passing away of everything that is distinctly Levitical. They only state that in that day there will be a general elevation of everything in sanctity. Even “the bells upon the horses” will, like the p... [ Continue Reading ]
CANAANITE, in reference to the early days of Israel’s existence, denotes _alien, unbeliever._ The word implies just what “Jew,” would in the present day to an illiberal German or Russian, or _Cáfir_, or _Frangi_ (Frank) to an orthodox Moslem.... [ Continue Reading ]