--- title: "Clarke" description: "Verse Zechariah 7:1. The fourth year of King Darius — Two years after they began to rebuild the temple, see Zechariah 1:1, A.M. 3486. The ninth month, eve" image: "/images/missing.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/7" --- Verse [Zechariah 7:1](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/1). ***The fourth year of King Darius*** — Two years after they began to rebuild the temple, see [Zechariah 1:1](../../../kjv/zechariah/1/1), A.M. 3486. ***The ninth month,*****even*****in Chisleu*** — This answers to a part of our *November* and *December*. The names of the month appear only under and after the captivity. Verse [Zechariah 7:2](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/2). ***When they had sent - Sherezer and Regem-melech*** — To inquire whether the fasts should be continued, which they had hitherto observed on account of their ruined temple; and the reason why they inquired was, that they were rebuilding that temple, and were likely to bring it to a joyful issue. Verse [Zechariah 7:5](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/5). ***When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth*****- month**] This they did in the remembrance of the *burning of the temple*, on the *tenth* day of that month; and on the *seventh month*, on the *third* of which month they observed a fast for the murder of Gedaliah, and the dispersion of the remnant of the people which were with him. See [Jeremiah 41:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/41/1), and [2 Kings 25:25](../../../kjv/2-kings/25/25). Verse [Zechariah 7:6](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/6). ***And when ye did eat*** — They had not observed those fasts as they should have done. They deplored the loss of their temple, and its riches, &c., but they did not *humble themselves* because of those iniquities which had brought the *displeasure* of God upon them, their temple, and their city. Verse [Zechariah 7:7](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/7). ***The words which the Lord hath cried by the former*** ***prophets*** — נביאים הראשנים *nebiim harishonim*, is the title which the Jews give to *Joshua, Judges*, the two books of *Samuel*, and the two books of *Kings*. The *latter prophets*, נביאים אחרונים nebiim acharonim, are *Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel*, and the *twelve minor prophets*. The *hagiographa*, כתובים kethubim, holy writings, are the *Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations,* *Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah*, and the two books of *Chronicles*. But the above words, *the former prophets*, seem to apply to *Isaiah, Jeremiah*, and *Ezekiel*. ***The south and the plain?*** — From Eleutheropolis to the sea, [Obadiah 1:19](../../../kjv/obadiah/1/19). The *south* was the wilderness and mountainous parts of Judea: and the *plain*, the plains of Jericho. Verse [Zechariah 7:9](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/9). ***Execute true judgment*** — See the parallel texts in the margin. ([Isaiah 58:6-7](../../../kjv/isaiah/58/6-7); [Jeremiah 7:23](../../../kjv/jeremiah/7/23); [Micah 6:8](../../../kjv/micah/6/8)) Verse [Zechariah 7:10](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/10). ***Evil against his brother in your heart.*** — Do not indulge an *unfavourable opinion* of another: do not *envy* him; do not *harbour* an *unbrotherly feeling* towards him. Verse [Zechariah 7:11](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/11). ***Pulled away the shoulder*** — From under the yoke of the law, like an unbroken or restive bullock in the plough. Verse [Zechariah 7:12](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/12). ***Made their hearts as an adamant stone*** — שמיר *shamir* may mean the *granite*. This is the hardest stone with which the common people could be acquainted. Perhaps the *corundum*, of which *emery* is a species, may be intended. *Bochart* thinks it means a stone used in *polishing* others. The same name, in Hebrew, applies to different stones. Verse [Zechariah 7:14](../../../kjv/zechariah/7/14). ***I scattered them with a whirlwind*** — This refers to the swift victories and cruel conduct of the Chaldeans towards the Jews; they came upon them like a *whirlwind*; they were tossed to and fro, and up and down, everywhere scattered and confounded. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/7#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Clarke's Commentary - Zechariah 7"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/7#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/7","name":"Clarke's Commentary - Zechariah 7","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/zechariah/7#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Verse Zechariah 7:1. The fourth year of King Darius — Two years after they began to rebuild the temple, see Zechariah 1:1, A.M. 3486. 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