---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Zechariah 14:1. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh — This appears to be a prediction of that war in which Jerusalem was finally destroyed, and the J"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/14"
---

Verse [Zechariah 14:1](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/1). ***Behold, the day of the Lord cometh*** — This appears to be a prediction of that war in which Jerusalem was finally destroyed, and the Jews scattered all over *the face of the earth*; and of the effects produced by it.

Verse [Zechariah 14:2](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/2). ***I will gather all nations*** — The *Romans*, whose armies were composed of all the nations of the world. In this verse there is a pitiful account given of the *horrible outrages* which should be committed during the siege of Jerusalem, and at its capture.
***The residue of the people shall not be cut off*** — Many were preserved for *slaves*, and for *exhibition* in the provincial theatres.

Verse [Zechariah 14:3](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/3). ***Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those**********nations*** — Against the Romans, by means of the northern nations; who shall destroy the whole empire of this once mistress of the world. But this is an obscure place.

Verse [Zechariah 14:4](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/4). ***And his feet shall stand*** — He shall appear in full possession of the place, as a mighty conqueror.
***And the mount of Olives shall cleave*** — God shall display his miraculous power as fully in the final restoration of the Jews, as he did when he divided the Red Sea that their forefathers might pass through dry-shod. Some refer this to the *destruction of the* *city by the Romans*. It was on the mount of Olives that *Titus* posted his army to batter Jerusalem. Here the *tenth* legion that came to him from Jericho was placed. JOSEPH. *De Bello*, lib. vi. c. 3. It was from *this mountain* that our Lord beheld Jerusalem, and predicted its future destruction, [Luke 19:41](../../../kjv/luke/19/41), with [Matthew 24:23](../../../kjv/matthew/24/23); and it was from this mountain that he ascended to heaven, ([Acts 1:12](../../../kjv/acts/1/12),) utterly leaving an ungrateful and condemned city.
***And half of the mountain shall remove*** — I really think that these words refer to the *lines of circumvallation*, to intrenchments, redoubts, c., which the Romans made while carrying on the siege of this city and particularly the *lines* or *trenches* which the army made on Mount *Olivet* itself.

Verse [Zechariah 14:5](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/5). ***Ye shall flee*****to*****the valley*** — Some think this refers to the valley through which *Zedekiah* and others endeavoured to escape when Nebuchadnezzar pressed the siege of Jerusalem: but it appears to speak only of the *Jewish wars* of the *Romans*.
***Azal*** — This, as a *place*, is not known. If a *place*, it was most probably *near* to Jerusalem; and had its *name* from that circumstance.

Verse [Zechariah 14:6](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/6). ***The light shall not be clear*****, nor*****dark*** — Metaphorically, there will be a *mixture* of *justice* and *mercy* in all this; or a *bright light and darkness*. *Mercy* shall triumph over *judgment*. There shall be *darkness*-distress, c. but there shall be more *light*-joy and prosperity-than *darkness*.

Verse [Zechariah 14:7](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/7). ***At evening time it shall be light.*** — At the *close* of this awful visitation, there shall be *light*. The light of the glorious Gospel shall go forth from Jerusalem; and next, from the Roman empire to every part of the earth.

Verse [Zechariah 14:8](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/8). ***Living waters shall go out*** — There shall be a wide diffusion of Divine knowledge, and of the plan of human salvation, which shall go out by apostles and preachers, first from Jerusalem, then to Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, the isles of the sea, Britain, c.
***The former sea, and - the hinder sea*** — The *Dead Sea* and the *Mediterranean* see on [Joel 2:20](../../../kjv/joel/2/20). These are metaphors.
***In summer*** — In time of *drought*; or in the countries where there was *no knowledge of God*, there shall these *waters* flow. The stream shall never *cease*; it shall run in *summer* as well as *winter*. These are living waters - *perennial, incessant*, and waters that shall *preserve life*. See [John 7:37](../../../kjv/john/7/37).

Verse [Zechariah 14:9](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/9). ***And the Lord shall be King*** — When this universal diffusion of Divine knowledge shall take place. Wherever it goes, the *laws of God* shall be *acknowledged*; and, consequently, he shall be King over the whole earth.
***One Lord, and his name one.*** — There shall be in those blessed days, only *one religion*, and one *form of religion*. There shall not be *gods many*, and *lords many*. All *mankind* shall be of *one* *religion*, the essence of which is, "Thou shalt love the *Lord thy* *God* with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength; and thy NEIGHBOUR as thyself."

Verse [Zechariah 14:10](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/10). ***All the land shall be turned as a plain*** — Or rather, "He shall encompass the whole land as a plain." He shall cast his defence all around it; from *Geba*, in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, ([Joshua 21:17](../../../kjv/joshua/21/17),) to *Rimmon* in Judah, to the *south of Jerusalem*, [Joshua 15:32](../../../kjv/joshua/15/32).
***It shall be lifted up*** — The city shall be exalted.
***And inhabited in her place*** — Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt *in the* *very place* in which it originally stood. From *Benjamin's gate*, which was probably on the *north* side of Jerusalem, unto the *place* *of the first gate*, supposed to be that called the *old gate*, [Nehemiah 3:6](../../../kjv/nehemiah/3/6); [Nehemiah 12:39](../../../kjv/nehemiah/12/39), placed by *Lightfoot* towards the *southwest*.
***Unto the corner gate*** — See [2 Kings 14:13](../../../kjv/2-kings/14/13).
***The tower of Hananeel*** — This *tower* and the *corner gate* seem to be placed as *two extremities* of the city.
***Unto the king's wine-presses*** — Near to the *king's gardens,* *southward*.-See *Newcome*.

Verse [Zechariah 14:11](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/11). ***There shall be no more utter destruction*** — After this final restoration of Jerusalem it shall never more be destroyed; but as this was the *first city* of the living God upon earth, so shall it be *the last*; it shall be *safely inhabited*. It shall see war no more.

Verse [Zechariah 14:12](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/12). ***And this shall be the plague*** — All her enemies shall be destroyed.
***Their flesh shall consume away*** — These are the effects of *famine* which are described in this verse.

Verse [Zechariah 14:13](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/13). ***A great tumult from the Lord*** — Among those enemies of his Church, who shall engage and destroy each other.

Verse [Zechariah 14:14](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/14). ***And Judah also shall fight*** — They shall have little else to do than take the spoil, *the wealth of all the heathen* *round about*; gold, silver, and apparel.

Verse [Zechariah 14:15](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/15). ***So shall be the plague of the horse, and the mule*** — There shall be plagues on the *substance* of the enemies of the Church, as there were on the *cattle* and *goods* of the *Egyptians*.

Verse [Zechariah 14:16](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/16). ***Shall even go up from year to year*** — The Jews had *three* grand original festivals, which characterized different epochs in their history, viz.: -
1. The *feast* of the *passover*, in commemoration of their departure from Egypt.
2. The *feast* of *pentecost*, in commemoration of the giving of the law upon Mount Sinai.
3. The *feast* of *tabernacles*, in commemoration of their wandering forty years in the wilderness.
This last feast is very properly brought in here to point out the final restoration of the Jews, and their *establishment* in the light and liberty of the Gospel of Christ, after their *long* *wandering* in vice and error.

Verse [Zechariah 14:17](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/17). ***Upon them shall be no rain.*** — Those who do not worship God shall not have his blessing; and those who do not attend *Divine ordinances* cannot have the graces and blessings which God usually dispenses by them. On such slothful, idle Christians, *there shall be no rain*!

Verse [Zechariah 14:18](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/18). ***If the family of Egypt*** — This may allude to those Jews who, flying from the persecution of *Antiochus Epiphanes*, settled in Egypt, and built a temple at *Heliopolis*, under the direction of *Onias*, son of the high priest. *Joseph*. Antiq. lib. xiii., c. 6, and WAR, lib. vii., c. 36. If these do not rejoin their brethren, *they shall have no rain*, no interest in the favour of God.

Verse [Zechariah 14:19](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/19). ***This shall be the punishment - of all nations that come**********not up*** — God will have his public worship *established* everywhere, and those who do not worship him shall lie under his curse.

Verse [Zechariah 14:20](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/20). ***Upon the bells of the horses*** — They appear, formerly, to have had bells on horses, camels, c., as we have now, to amuse the animals, and encourage them in their work. In some very fine Asiatic paintings now before me, I see *bells* both on *horses,* *mules*, and *camels* little bells tied to their *legs*, and *larger* ones about their *necks*, particularly in the representation of a *caravan* passing through the valley of serpents, in the island of *Serendib*, now *Ceylon*. The margin reads *bridles*.
***HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD*** — As the Gospel is a *holy* system, preaching *holiness* and producing *holiness* in those who believe, so all *without*, as well as *within*, shall bear this *impress*; and even a man's *labour* shall be begun and continued, and ended in the Lord; yea, and the *animals* he uses, and the *instruments* he works with, shall be all consecrated to God through Christ.
***The pots*** — "The meanest utensil in the house of God, [Nehemiah 10:29](../../../kjv/nehemiah/10/29), shall be as the vessels of silver, and gold used in solemn sacrifice; they shall be *like the bowls before the altar*." - See *Newcome*.

Verse [Zechariah 14:21](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/21). ***Yea, every pot in Jerusalem*** — "The utensils of the Jews shall be treated as *holy*, and the worshippers shall use them reverently. The idea of *preparing food* in them (*they that - seethe* *therein*) is taken from the custom of feasting after sacrifice. And no *trafficker* (see [Ezekiel 18:4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/18/4)) shall pollute the house of God, as was the custom when our blessed Lord cleansed the temple." - See *Newcome*. This is what is called the *Canaanite in the house of* *God*. The *Canaanite* is the *merchant*; and where such are tolerated in a place dedicated to Divine worship, *that* is not the house of the *Lord of hosts*. In *churches* and *chapels, collections* may be made for the *simple purpose* of *supporting* and *extending* the worship of Jehovah; but for no other purpose, especially on the Lord's day. *Amen*.

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