(2) I was.—Better, I am in both cases. Here God declares His determination to give expression to His burning love for Zion.

(3) Comp. Zechariah 2:10-13.
Of truth—i.e., where truth and fidelity towards God have their home (comp. Isaiah 1:21), “the faithful city.” (For the other two titles, see Isaiah 2:2-3; Jeremiah 31:23.) Zion shall return to her former condition of faithfulness, and consequent favour with God. (Comp. Zechariah 8:8.)

(6) If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days.—Better, though it was marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, was it, therefore [or will it, therefore, be] marvellous in mine eyes? (Comp. “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”—Matthew 19:26.)

(7) From the east . . . and from the west.—There were Jews in exile in the west as well as in the east (Joel 3:6); and, indeed, a very general dispersion may be almost implied from Isaiah 43:5-6.

(8) See Notes on Zechariah 10:8-12.

(9) Prophets.—It would almost seem that there were other prophets who spoke at the time besides Haggai and Zechariah.
That the temple might be built.—These words seem to be used in reference to the resumption of the building (Haggai 1:15), when the people set themselves to work with a will, as contrasted with the first laying of the foundation in the second year of Cyrus, king of Persia, B.C. 537 (Ezra 3:10, compared with Zechariah 1:1), which could hardly be said to have been done “that the temple might be built,” since the work of building was then suspended for about sixteen years. There is no reason to suppose that LXX. read a different preposition before the infinitive “to be built,” since the Hebrew preposition “to,” or rather “with reference to,” often denotes “with reference to the time when,” i.e., “from the time that.” (Comp. Zechariah 1:1.)

(10) Before . . . there was no hire for man, or cattle, because the land was so unproductive (Haggai 1:6, Haggai 1:9-11); but “from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid . . . from this day will I bless you” (Haggai 2:18-19). LXX., ὁ μισθὸς . . . οὺκ ἔσται εἰς ὄνησιν, “the hire . . . would not be profitable,” reading the Hebrew verb, “was not,” as an Aramaic future, “will not be profitable.”
The affliction.—Better, the enemy. Not only were they oppressed by their neighbouring adversaries, but also during the time previous to their energetic resumption of the work of re-building, there took place the expedition of Cambyses against Egypt, when the march of the Persian hosts southwards through Palestine must have caused much distress to the Jews in their narrow circumstances.

(12) For the seed . . . prosperous.—Comp. the Syriac, “for the seed shall be peace.” Better, as in margin, For the seed of peace—viz., “the vine,” which is so called because it can flourish only in times of peace: so that to sit under the vine and under the fig. tree is a common figure to denote the enjoyment of peace and prosperity. For the word “seed” applied to the vine, comp. Jeremiah 2:21.
Comp. 1Ma. 14:8 : “Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.”

(13) Comp. Isaiah 46:9 with Jeremiah 24:9. The contents of this verse is the converse of that of Joshua 23:15.

(16) Judgment of truth and peace—i.e., in accordance with the true facts of the case, and such judgment as would tend to peace between man and man. (Comp. Zechariah 7:9; and contrast Malachi 2:8-9.)

(19) “The fast of the fourth [month].”—LXX., after the analogy of Genesis 1:31, renders “the fourth fast,” and so also with the others.

(21) And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another.—LXX., καὶ συνελεύσονται κατοικοῦντες πέντε πόλεις εἰς μίαν πόλιν, “and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city,” borrowing the word “five” possibly from Isaiah 19:18, “In that day there shall be five cities . . . one shall be called . . .”

(23) Ten.—This number is used indefinitely, to express a large number (comp. Genesis 31:7); the number “seven” is used in a like sense in Isaiah 4:1.