1.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
the day of the LORD. See note on Isaiah 2:11 , Isaiah 2:12 ; Isaiah 13:6 .
the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
thy, (feminine). Referring to Jerusalem.
2.
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
I will gather , &c. Referring to the yet future and final siege of Jerusalem. See App-53 .
battle = war. Not the same word as in Zechariah 14:3 ,
3.
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
as = just as,
fought . Compare Joshua 10:14 .
battle = close conflict. Not the same word as in Zechariah 14:2 . Hebrew. kerab. First occurance. 2 Samuel 17:11 .
4.
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
upon the mount of Olives. This precludes the possibility of any reference to what is past. No amount of "poetical imagery" can rob this plain statement of the yet future literal interpretation of this prophecy.
valley. Between the northern and southern half of Olivet. See App-88 .
5.
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
the mountains = My mountains. So called because of the physical change which HE will yet bring about, in the two new mounts formed out of one.
Azal. A new place, yet to have this name, at one extremity of the valley.
the earthquake. Referred to in Amos 1 .
saints = holy ones: i.e. angels; as in Job 5:1 , &c. Figure of speech Hysteresis . App-6 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .
and. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read this "and" in the text.
the. Some codices with Aramaean and Syriac, read "his".
saints = holy ones: i.e. angels; as in Job 5:1 .Jude 1:14 , Compare Deuteronomy 33:2 , Deuteronomy 33:3 .
Thee . Some codices with Aramaean and Syriac, read "him". This takes us on to the Second Advent. No "flight to Pella" can be accepted as a fulfilment, in any sense.
6.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
clear = light.
dark = dense.
7.
But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
one day = one [continuous] day, or one day by itself, unique. Compare Psalms 118:21 ,
known to the LORD . This forbids our assumptions, and should restrain our curiosity.
not day, nor night . Answering to "not bright, nor dense" in Zechariah 14:6 .
8.
And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
living waters = fresh, running, or perennial waters. These are the waters of Ezekiel 47 .
former = eastern: i.e. the Dead Sea.
hinder = western: i.e. Mediterranean Sea.
summer . Not dried up by heat.
winter. Not congealed by frost.
9.
And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
King over all the earth. Compare Zechariah 4:14 ; Zechariah 6:5 .Revelation 11:15 .
one. Hebrew. 'ehad . See note on Deuteronomy 6:4 .
10.
All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
a = the.
Gebe. Now Jeb'a, six miles north of Jerusalem.
Rimmon . Now Khan Umm er Rumamin (Nehemiah 11:29 ).
inhabited = be inhabited.
Benjamin's gate . See Jeremiah 20:2 ; Jer 20:37 . Is; Zec 38:6 .
corner gate . Compare 2 Chronicles 26:9 .
tower . Jeremiah 31:38 . See App-59 .
11.
And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
destruction . Compare Malachi 4:6 , i.e. Anathema.
Shall be , &c. = shall abide in security. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:5 .) App-92 . Compare Jeremiah 23:6 . Ezekiel 28:26 ; Ezekiel 34:25 , Ezekiel 34:28 , &c.
12.
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
And this shall be, &c. The subject now returns to the smiting of the nations. See the Structure, C, p. 1294
people = peoples.
13.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
tumult = panic,
every one . Heb . 'ish, App-14 .
14.
And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
heathen = nations.
15.
And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
tents = camps.
as = like. Some codices read "with".
16.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
the King. As in Zechariah 14:2 . Jehovah will then be the universal Sovereign.
the LORD of hosts. See note on Zechariah 1:3 .
the feast of tabernacles. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 23:34 , Leviticus 23:43 .Deuteronomy 16:16; Deuteronomy 16:16 ), App-92 .
17.
And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
rain = the [periodic] rain.
18.
And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
that have no rain. This react with Zechariah 14:17 makes no sense. Modern critics (with Revised Version margin) at once say "the text is probably corrupt". The Ellipsis must be supplied by repeating the words from the end of Zechariah 14:17 thus "if . . . come not, [not upon them shall be no rain, but] upon them there shall be the plague" as aforesaid in Zechariah 14:12 ). Egypt has no rain; hence this elliptical expression, Reference to Pant. (Deuteronomy 11:10 ). App-92 .
the . Some codices, with five early printed editions (one Rabbinic, in margin), Sept Syriac, and Vulgate, read "all the".
heathen = nations. Some codices read "peoples".
19.
This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
punishment. Hebrew sin (chata, App-44 .) Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the punishment brought down by it.
20.
In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowl's before the altar.
be upon = he [inscribed] upon.
HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 28:36 ; Exodus 39:30 ). App-92 . For the large type see App-48 .
21.
Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
seethe = boil. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 6:28 ). App-92 . Compare 1 Samuel 2:13 . 2 Chronicles 35:13 .Ezekiel 46:20 , Ezekiel 46:24 .
the = a.
Canaanite . This is the word which, divided into two in Zechariah 11:7 , Zechariah 11:11 , is rendered "the poor of the flock". As one word it means merchant, or trafficker; but it is also used as typical of what is unclean. Compare Zephaniah 1:11 .Matthew 21:12 .