10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jeho11 vah† by Haggai the prophet: saying: Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts, Ask now the law from the priests, 12 saying: If a man carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment; and with his skirt touch bread, or potage, or wine, or oil, or any food; shall it be holy? And 13 the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai: If a man unclean by a dead body touch any of these things, shall it be unclean? And the priests 14 answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai and said: 15 So was this people, In my sight, saith Jehovah : And so was all the work of their hands: And what they offered there was unclean. And now, I beseech you, From this day and upward, consider: Even from the time before § one stone was laid on another In the temple of Jehovah, what were ye? Hebr. by the hand of. Hebr. set your heart. § Hebr. a stone was laid on a stone. order to form a prophecy, and then contradicts the express testimony of the best historian of those times in order to shew that it has been accomplished?" 12. shall it be holy?] So the priest, by bringing oblations to my altar, c. i. 9, did not sanctify you. 14. So was this people] Your neglect of my temple made you unclean; as if you had contracted legal pollution by touching a dead body. 15. upward] "Forward. by means a person of such an age and upward. But out of that phrase the word is used only 1 Sam. xvi. 13, and xxx. 25, to signify time, besides here and v. 18: and in both the former places it means from such a time and afterwards. He had bid them look back i. 5, 7: now he bids them look forwards: ii. 15, 18." Secker. Even from the time before] Consider the interval between this day, and your ceasing to build on the foundations of the temple formerly laid. Ezra iii. 10. -what were ye?] I read □n" na, s ; with ó. Arab. 16 When one came to an heap of twenty measures, 17 19 there were but ten. When one came to the vat to draw out fifty vessels Even all the works of your hands: Yet none among you turned unto me, saith Jehovah. From this day and upward, Even from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month; And from the day in which the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, * Consider ye it. Is there yet seed in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, Hebr. set your heart. *set your heart. Our translation very well renders "Since those days were." One MS. read "while those days were." Observe the addition in ó. 16. —an heap] Of corn, which seemed likely to produce twenty measures; but which failed, from the poverty of the ear. 17. saith Jehovah] 6. MS. Pachom. have xs avloxgarwg. This verse is capable of different punctuations: I smote you with blasting, and with mildew; Saith Jehovah [God of hosts.] naw, ut legen “DJON 'N). Eniga. 6. Ch. Syr. Legebant dum patet ex Amos iv. 9. Videtur V. legisse ut in textu, et supplevisse verbum. Vertit enim, Et non fuit in vobis qui reverteretur." Secker. και 18. And from the day-] In like manner 6. supply xa, The Jews are again called on to consider the interval between the day when Haggai addressed them, see v. 10, and the day when the people shouted because the foundation of the temple was laid. Ezra iii. 11. upward]"Forward." Secker. 19. "Inchoat hunc versum Syr. a duobus postremis verbis versus præcedentis: non male." Secker. Rr 20 And the olive tree, hath not borne. And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai on the four and twentieth day of the 21 month, saying: Speak unto Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, saying: 22 23 I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; And I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms † among the nations: And I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride therein: And the horses shall come down, and those that ride thereon, Every one by the sword of his fellow. In that day, saith Jehovah God of hosts, I will take thee, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, And I will make thee as a signet; For thee have I chosen, saith Jehovah God of hosts. † Hebr. of. Otherwise, Salathiel. 21. Secker. 22. by the sword of his fellow] We may well understand this and the foregoing verse of the calamity undergone by Babylon in the reign of Darius; of the Macedonian conquests in Persia; and of the wars which the successors of Alexander waged against each other. 66 Addunt 6. in fine versus, * w badaocav nas quv Engua.” 23. In that day-] Some think that Zerubbabel is put for his people and posterity. But it may well be said, that the commotions foretold began in the rebellion of Babylon, which Darius besieged and took; and exercised great cruelties upon its inhabitants. Herod. iii. §. 220. Justin i. 10. Prideaux places this event in the 5th year of Darius: others with more probability, in his eight year. Compare Zech. ii. 9, Vitringa calls this event "secundum gradum interitus Babylonis." See his imperfect comment on Zech. p. 259: and his comment on Isai. xiii. P. i. p. 420. -signet] See Jer. xxii. 24. Cantic. viii. 6. As one under my peculiar care. 1 IN THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. CHAP. I. The eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying. Jehovah hath been greatly* angry with your fathers: 3 But say thou unto them: 2 Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: Turn ye unto me, saith Jehovah God of hosts: Unto whom the former prophets called, Saying; Thus saith Jehovah God of hosts: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings. But they heard not, nor hearkened unto me, saith Jehovah. Your fathers, where are they? * Hebr. angry with anger. 1. Darius] The son of Hystaspes. Therefore this prophecy was delivered between the times mentioned Haggai ii, 1, 10. -of Iddo] Nineteen MSS. and two editions, read Ty, as v. 7: and, v. 7, eight MSS. read Ty, as here. Chald. v. 7. has ערור -saying:]" Blaney conjectures, that some words have been omitted by the carelessness of transcribers. It is certainly unusual for a prophet to begin the exercise of his office, in denouncing the judgments of God, or in giving assurances of the divine favour, without specifying the object of his address. Hence he supplies from chap. vii. 5. Speak unto all the people of the land, saying." 3. unto them] For One, twenty-eight MSS. and three .אליחם editions read 5. Your fathers-] Your fathers are dead, and the prophets who prophesied to them: but the testimony of facts to the truth of my predictions remains. 6 7 And the prophets, do they live for ever? Which I commanded my servants the prophets, And did they not return and say; Like as Jehovah God of hosts thought to do unto us, On the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, this is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the 8 prophet and † he said: I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse; and he stood between the myrtles which were in the valley; and 9 after him were red, dun and white horses. Then I Or, depth; or, bottom. + Hebr. saying. 6. overtake] As an enemy does one whom he pursues. "Post ny addunt ó. w μari μs." Secker. 7. Sebat] A Chaldee or a Syriac name. Græcorum, i. e. Februarius." Gol. lex. "Mensis Syro 8. and he said] "Blaney renders in this wise, and observes that it is frequently used as the Latin adverbs nempe, scilicet; or as in English to wit, namely, that is to say; so as to denote a specification in what follows of what had before been mentioned in more general terms. Vitringa translates in hunc modum." -a man] An angel in the shape of a man. Luke xxiv. 4. See v. 11, and -red horse] So Rev. vi. 4. and Theocritus Adva. 1. 53. Όρθος ανεσα ο πυρρος. The bay, chesnut, and sorrel, approach this colour. -myrtles] This was an emblem of peace. --valley] In depressa valle. Houb. Many MSS. and four .במצולה editions read --dun] Bochart prefers gilvus: i. e. subflavus, ad mellis colorem accedens. Hieroz. p. i. I. i. c. vii. Some translate, spotted. Blaney, brown. -horses] With riders, who were angels. v, 11. They had horses to shew their power and celerity: and horses of different colours, to intimate the difference of their ministries. See Capellus. |