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These are four spirits of the heavens, who go forth 6 from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses, which are thereto, go forth into the north country, and the white go forth after them: and the spotted go forth into the south country.

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And the bay went forth, and sought to go, even to move to and fro in the earth: and he said, Go: 8 move ye to and fro in the earth. And they moved to and fro in the earth. Then he called me, and spake unto me, saying: See, those that go forth into the vau is never elsewhere inserted between the second and third radicals of a fortis, but pan tinctus rubro occurs Isai. Ixiii. 1.

yon tincti rubro may therefore be the true reading in the place before us. My opinion is, that the words 'yan 2 signify particoloured horses, whose two colours were white and red.

5-spirits] Or angels, the ministers of God's will. See Dan. x. 13, 20, 21. "Winds." Blaney.

6. The black horses,-] "As for that in which are the black horses, they &c." Secker.

or

7.

sought to go,] They walked fœm. referring to m ." Secker.

S.-called me] See py thus used Judges iv. 10, 13.

The black horses seem to denote the Persian empire, which, by subduing the Chaldeans, and being about to inflict a second heavy chastisement on Babylon, quieted God's spirit with respect to Chaldea; a country always spoken of as lying to the north of the Jews. See on Zeph. ii. 13. The white horses seem to be the Macedonian empire; which like the Persian, overcame Chaldea. The spotted bay horses seem to be the Ro man empire. Capellus says that this description suits it, because it was governed by kings, consuls, dictators, and emperors. It penetrated southward to Egypt and Africa: v. 6: and, as Houbigant observes, "stare loco nesciebat, aut cancellis coerceri:" v. 7. Nothing is said of the bloody Assyrian empire, denoted by the red horses; v. 2; because it had passed away. The Roman empire is mentioned twice; v. 6, and v. 7; under each epithet given it v. 3.

The two brazen mountains may be merely an ornamental part of the vision: or they may denote God's firm and immutable decrees by which he governs the earth. "His righteousness is like great mountains." Ps. xxxvii. 6. Vitringa in Apocalyps.

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north country have quieted my spirit in the north

country.

9 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saving: 10 Take from those of the captivity, from the family of Heldai, and from that of Tobijah, and from that of Jedaiah; and thou shalt go on the same day, and shalt enter into the house of Josiah, the son of Ze11 phaniah, who returned from Babylon. And thou shalt take silver and gold, and shalt make crowns;

* Hebr. came.

vi. 1, 2, p. 247, thus interprets the passage: "e medio veluti immutabilium Dei decretorum."

-quieted my spirit] The sense of this passage has been quite mistaken by those who read m pin have quieted my spirit." signifies wind here as well as verse 5. and denotes a judgment or calamity sent by God, as all the four winds likewise do. So m is used Jer. iv. 11, 12. And a signifies to cause to rest or abide, that is to inflict. See Is. xxx. 32. v. 13. xxiv. 13. And the same verb in Kal. signifies to rest or settle upon, as a calamity doth Exod. x. 14. Hence I render. σε See, those that went forth against the north country have caused my wind to rest upon the north country." Blaney.

Ez.

9. came unto me] After the night on which the foregoing eight visions were represented to the prophet.

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10. from the family of Heldai] One MS. reads
-and from that of Tobijab] Many MSS. and some ed. read

л. So V. 6. Ar. Syr. Chald.

-and thou shalt go] For nns thou, Houbigant reads On with them,

-Josiah] Probably a worker in gold and silver.

-who returned] One MS. reads 2, venit; agreeably to ó. Ar. Syr. "What shall be taken is not said till the next verse: and the words, which are come from Babylon, stand at the end in Hebr. and all old versions. o. Syr. have who is. It should be, whither they are come. So is used Numb. xiii. 27. 1 Kings

xii. 2.

Secker."

11. make] That is, cause to be made by the artist.

-crowns] Syr. Chald. one ed. two MSS. and ó. ed. Pachom. read by a crown.

"y is singular. Silver and gold might be used in the same crown. If the former in nn were omitted, as Ch. omits it, and there is a immediately before it, or if it be superfluous, as often, but not naturally here; the translation would

and shalt set one on the head of Joshua, the son of 12 Josederh, the highpriest. And thou shalt speak

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unto him, saying:

Thus speaketh Jehovah God of hosts;

Saying:

Behold, the man † whose name is The Branch;

And he shall branch out from his place;

And he shall build the temple of Jehovah;

And he shall receive glory,

+ Hebr. The Branch is his name,

be: Behold, the man, whose name is the Branch, shall branch up: and so Joshua would not have the name given him, but only a prophecy made to him on putting this crown on him, just of the same nature with that which was made him when the mitre was put on him, iii. 5, 8. Or if y depended immediately on

, it would not prove the presence of that servant, but only assert the certainty of his coming. See Is. xlii. 1. NW signifies to receive Ps. xxiv. 5. The counsel of peace between them both agrees excellently to Zerubbabel and Joshua."

12. The Branch] Zerubbabel. "There cannot be a doubt that the same person is meant by The Branch here who is so called iii. 8. and this has already been shewn to be, not Zerubbabel, but the Messiah himself; of whom Joshua is made a type by the crown placed on his head. But to what end should he have been called in to represent Zerubbabel, who was his contemporary, and altogether as ready at hand as himself? Nor will this passage strictly and literally translated answer to any other but him, who was at once both king and priest, and by uniting both characters in himself, was completely qualified to bring about the counsel of peace or reconciliation between God and man," Blaney.

And he shall build] After this hemistich follows another of the same import:

"Even he shall build the temple of Jehovah." But ó. Ar. Syr. omit the repetition. I consider the present Hebrew text as giving us two different readings of the same clause, one of which should be expunged. "In my opinion this clause is not superfluous, but highly emphatic implying that "Even He," the self same person, who should build the temple of Jehovah, Even He, should have the honour of governing and presiding in it as both king and priest, in both capacities advancing the peace and prosperity of his people." Blaney.

13. shall receive glory]" signifies the glory, the honour

And shall sit and rule upon his throne.

And a priest shall also be upon his throne:

And the counsel of peace shall be between these

two.

14 And there shall be a crown for Heldai, and for Tobijah, and for Jedaiah, and for Josiah the son of Zephaniah; for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. 15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah: and ye shall know that Jehovah God of hosts hath sent me unto you: and this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently hearken unto the voice of Jehovah your God.

.ונתת תהודך עליו

and authority belonging to a sovereign or chief ruler. So when Moses was directed to give up his command and authority to Joshua, it is said by T. “And thou shalt put of thine honour upon him." Numb. xxvii. 20. And in this sense Christ was to receive glory 7 No Ps. xxi. 5. Dan. vii. 14. Acts iii. 13. v. 31. Phil. ii. 9-11. Heb. ii. 9. He was to be exalted to the right hand of God, there to sit upon his throne, as a king, governing his church, and as a priest, making intercession continually for it. It is impossible not to see that this prophecy was completed in Christ so as it never could be in any other; and therefore it must be understood of him." Blaney.

-be upon his throne] 6. Ar. read by on his right hand. -counsel of peace] Zerubbabel and Joshua shall firmly unite in promoting the public good.

14. a crown] So ó. Ar. Syr.

-for Heldai] So Syr. and Houbigant. corrupt reading.

is plainly a

and for Josiah the son] So Syr. and Houbigant observes that we must read thus, or by, and for the son of Zephaniah. -memorial] Of the pious zeal of these persons; when, after having been publicly worn by them, they are hung up in the temple.

15. far off] As in the building of Solomon's temple, af which the Tyrians assisted.

"And it

--and this shall come to pass] Syr. omits . Houbigant places the whole clause at the beginning of the verse. shall come to pass, if ye will diligently hearken unto the voice of Jehovah your God, that they who are far off &c."

1

CHAP. VII.

AND it came to pass, in the fourth year of Darius the king, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, 2 even in Chisleu: (Now Sharezer, and Regem-melec and his men, had been sent to the House of God, to 3 entreat the face of Jehovah: Speaking unto the priests who were in the House of Jehovah God of hosts, and unto the prophets, saying; Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done 4 these so many years?) Even the word of Jehovah 5 God of hosts came unto me, saying: Speak unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying; When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh month, even those seventy years, did 6 ye indeed fast unto me, even unto me? And when

Hebr. fast, fasting.

2. had been sent] One had sent. See on Jon. iii. 7. Et miserunt. V. It is plain, says Houbigant, that all the people and the priests had sent. See v. 5. However, the construction may be, Now Sharezer, and Regem melech and his men, had sent &c. See Numb. xvi. 1. And a reply, addressed to all, may have been given to the doubt of a few leading men. "ó. Vulg. translate that Sharezer &c. sent. And so Ch. is most naturally understood. And it is the easiest construction" Secker.

3. the fifth month] The temple and the houses and walls of Jerusalem were destroyed in this month. 2 Kings xxv. 8-10. 5. and mourned] The versions, Chald. and our translators render as if in the original they read, or, as Houbigant proposes, 10. We may read TDD; cum jejunaretis plangendo. Son seperando me: v. 3. See on Haggai, i. 4.

-the seventh month] Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed ruler of the Jews, was murdered in that month: which was a source of new calamities. 2 Kings xxv. 25, 26. Jer. xli. 1, 10. xliv. 12.

-even those seventy years] Nine MSS. and one ed. read without the vau.

-fast unto me] Twenty-five MSS. ready; which is the regular form with the affix, and equivalent tones. See Numb. xx. 5, Buxt. thes. gramm. p. 510.

even unto me] For a like form, see 1 Kings xxi. 19. Prov.

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