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9. Judgment on Israel's Enemies

¹ A prophecy:

   The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrak
   and will come to rest on Damascus—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
   are on the LORD— Or Damascus. / For the eye of the LORD is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
² and on Hamath too, which borders on it,
   and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
³ Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
   she has heaped up silver like dust,
   and gold like the dirt of the streets.
⁴ But the Lord will take away her possessions
   and destroy her power on the sea,
   and she will be consumed by fire.
⁵ Ashkelon will see it and fear;
   Gaza will writhe in agony,
   and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
   and Ashkelon will be deserted.
⁶ A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
   and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.
⁷ I will take the blood from their mouths,
   the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
   and become a clan in Judah,
   and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
⁸ But I will encamp at my temple
   to guard it against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
   for now I am keeping watch.

The Coming of Zion’s King

    ⁹ Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
   Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
   righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
   on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
¹⁰ I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
   and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
   and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
   His rule will extend from sea to sea
   and from the River That is, the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
¹¹ As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
   I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
¹² Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
   even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
¹³ I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
   and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
   against your sons, Greece,
   and make you like a warrior’s sword.

The LORD Will Appear

    ¹⁴ Then the LORD will appear over them;
   his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
   he will march in the storms of the south,
    ¹⁵ and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
   and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
   they will be full like a bowl
   used for sprinkling Or bowl, / like the corners of the altar.
¹⁶ The LORD their God will save his people on that day
   as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
   like jewels in a crown.
¹⁷ How attractive and beautiful they will be!
   Grain will make the young men thrive,
   and new wine the young women.

The Prophet here exclaims at the incredible kindness of God, that the Jews might learn to raise up their thoughts above the world, as they were to look for that felicity which he had before mentioned. We then see that by this exclamation a fuller confirmation is given to what had been said by the Prophet, as though his words were, — “No one ought to judge of God’s favor, of which I have spoken, according to his own doings, or conduct, or experience; but on the contrary, every one of you ought to be filled with amazement at God’s incredible kindness, and at his incredible beauty.” But by the last word he understands the brightness or splendor, which appears in all God’s favors and gifts. ¹¹⁵¹¹⁵     Goodness and beauty are said to be God’s, because conferred by him. Some refer “his” to the people and others to the land. The meaning is the same, though the form of the expression would be different. As the future time is referred to, the question here may be better expressed in the future tense, —
   For what will be his goodness!
And what will be his beauty!
The corn shall cause the young men to thrive,
And new wine the maids.
   But were the [ו] after “land” in the preceding verse to be referred to “people” in the same verse, the [ו] added here to “goodness” might be applied to the same antecedent: and this would be the most natural rendering,—

   16. And save them will Jehovah their God, In that day, even as sheep, his people: Therefore consecrated stones Shall be raised as banners over their land. For how great will be their good (or prosperity!) And how great their comeliness! Corn shall cause the young men to thrive, And new wine the maids.
   We use “they,” and “their,” when we speak of “people,” though in Hebrew the singular pronoun is used. — Ed.

He then concludes by saying, that the abundance of corn and wine would be so great, that young men and young women would eat and drink together, and be fully satisfied. Here a frivolous question may be asked, whether Zechariah allowed the use of wine to young women. But he speaks not here, as I have said before, of God’s blessing, as though it were an incentive to luxury; but what he means is, that the abundance of provisions would be so great as to be fully sufficient, not only for the old, but also for young men and young women. We know that when there is but a small supply of wine, it ought by right of age to be reserved for the old, but when wine so overflows that young men and young women may freely drink of it, it is a proof of great abundance. This then is simply the meaning of the Prophet: but something more shall be said tomorrow on the subject.