And they that are far off. — Hardly the Jews of the Dispersion only, but non-Jews also. (Comp. Haggai 2:7; Zechariah 2:11.)

And build ini.e., work at building, as in Psalms 128:1. With regard to the fulfilment, see Notes on the passages cited.

And this shall come to pass. — Better, And it shall come to pass, if our God. This must not be looked on as an abrupt aposiopesis, for the hearers could never have filled up the gap for themselves. Nor is the rendering of the English Version (although it has the support of Rashi and Kimchi) admissible. It only remains, therefore, to suppose that the remainder of the passage has been lost, though there is no tradition to that effect, as is the case in several instances.

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