rd

Zechariah 9

3 The threatening of the Gentiles. 9 The comming of Christ.
1.The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of aHadrách: and Damascus shalbe his brest: when the ceyes of man, even of all the tribes of Israél shalbe toward the Lord.
2.And Hamáth also shal border dthereby: Tyrus also and Zidón, though they be every wise.
3.For Tyrus did build her self a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and gold as the myre of the streets.
4.Behold, the Lord wil spoil her, and he wil smite her fpower in the sea, and she shal be devoured with fire.
5.Ashkelón shal see it, & fear, & Azzáh also shalbe very sorrowful, and Ekrón: for her countenance shalbe ashamed, and the King shal perish from Azzáh, and Ashkelón shal not be inhabited.
6.And the gstranger shal dwell in Ashdód, and I wil cut off the pride of the Philistíms.
7.And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominacions from between his hteeth: but he that remaineth, even he shalbe for our God, and he shalbe as a prince in Judáh, but iEkrón shalbe as a Jebusite.
8.And I will camp about kmine House against the army, against him that passeth by, and against him that returneth, and no oppressor shal come upon them any more: for now lhave I seen with mine eyes.
9.Rejoyce greatly, ô daughter Zión: shout for joy, ô daughter Jerusalém: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: mhe is just and saved, poor and riding upon an nass, and upon a colt the fole of an ass.
10.And I wil cut off the ocharrets from Ephráim, and the horse from Jerusalém: the bow of the battle shalbe broken, and he shal speak peace unto the heathen, and his dominion shalbe from psea unto sea, and from the qriver to the end of the land.
11.rThou also shaltbe saved through the blood of thy covenant. I have losed thy sprisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12.Turn you to the tstrong hold, ye uprisoners of hope: even to day do I declare, that I will render the xdouble unto thee.
13.For Judáh have I ybent as a bow for me: Ephráim’s hand have I filled, and I have raised up thy sons, ô Zión, against thy sons, ô Grecia, and have made thee as a giant’s sword.
14.And the Lord shalbe seen over them, and his arrow shal go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shal blow the trumpet, and shal come forth with the whirlwinds of the South.
15.The Lord of hostes shal defend them, and they shal devour them, zand subdue them with sling stones, and they shal drink, and make a noise as through wine, and they shalbe filled like bowls, and as the horns of the altar.
16.And the Lord their God shal deliver them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shalbe as the astones of the crown lifted up upon his land.
17.For how great is his goodness! and how great is his beautie! corn shal make the young men cheerful, & new wine the maids.

Notes

1-a.
Whereby he means Syria.
1-b.
God’s anger shall abide upon their chief city, and not spare so much as that.
1-c.
When the Jews shall convert and repent, then God will destroy their enemies.
2-d.
That is, by Damascus: meaning that Hamath or Antiochia should be under the same rod and plague.
2-e.
He secretly shows the cause of their destruction, because they deceived all other by their craft, and subtlety, which they cloaked with this name of wisdom.
4-f.
Though they of Tyrus think themselves invincible by reason of the sea, that compassed them round about, yet they shall not escape God’s judgements.
6-g.
Meaning, that all should be destroyed save a very few, that should remain as strangers.
7-h.
He promises to deliver the Jews when he shall take vengeance on their enemies for their cruelty, and wrongs done to them.
7-i.
As the Jebusites had been destroyed, so should Ekron and all the Philistims.
8-k.
He shows that God’s power only shall be sufficient to defend his Church against all adversaries be they never so cruel or assemble their power never so often.
8-l.
That is, God has now seen the great injuries and afflictions wherewith they have been afflicted by their enemies.
9-m.
That is, he · he has righteousness, and salvation in himself for the use and commodity of his Church.
9-n.
Which declares that they should not look for such a King as should be glorious in the eyes of man but should be poor, and yet in himself have all power to deliver his: and this is meant of Christ, as Mt. 21.5.
10-o.
No power of man or creature shall be able to let this kingdom of Christ, and he shall peaceably govern them by his word.
10-p.
That is, from the red sea, to the sea called Syriacum: and by these places which the Jews knew, he meant an infinite space and compass over the whole world.
10-q.
That is, from Euphrates.
11-r.
Meaning, Jerusalem or the Church, which is saved by the blood of Christ whereof the blood of the sacrifices was a figure, and is here called the covenant of the Church because God made it with his Church, and left it with them for the love that he bare unto them.
11-s.
God shows that he will deliver his Church out of all dangers, seem they never so great.
12-t.
That is, into the holy land where the city and the Temple are, where God will defend you.
12-u.
Meaning the faithful, which seemed to be in danger of their enemies on every side, & yet lived in hope that God would restore them to liberty.
12-x.
That is, double benefits, and prosperity in respect of that which your fathers enjoyed from David’s time to the captivity.
13-y.
I will make Judah and Ephraim, that is, my whole Church, victorious against all enemies, which he here means by the Grecians.
15-z.
He promises that the Jews shall destroy their enemies and have abundance, and excess of all things, as there is abundance on the altar when the sacrifice is offered. Which things are not to move them to intemperancy, but to sobriety, and a thankful remembrance of God’s great liberality.
16-a.
The faithful shall be preserved, and reverenced of all, that the very enemies shall be compelled to esteem them: for God’s glory shall shine in them, as Josephus declared of Alexander the great when he met Jadi the high Priest.