Zechariah 9:1 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

In the land. — Better, on the land.

Hadrach. — Until lately this word has been an insuperable difficulty to commentators, but now it is known, from various Assyrian inscriptions, that Hadrach (Ha-ta-ri-ka) was the name of a town or district in the neighbourhood of Damascus and Hamath. (Records of the Past, Vol. V.)

The rest[ing place] thereof. — viz., of the prophecy: i.e., the judgments of God should begin at that city. LXX., θυσία αὐτοῦ, “his sacrifice,” reading different vowels.

When the eyes... the Lord. — Various renderings of these words have been proposed, but the best is, for to the Lord [will] the eye of man [be directed], and [that of] all the tribes of Israel: i.e., when God’s judgments are fulfilled against these districts, the eyes of all will be turned towards Him in wonder. LXX., διότι Κύριος ἐϕορᾷ�, ἀνθρώπους, καὶ πάσας ϕυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, taking “to” as possessive, and “man” as the objective genitive, “For to the Lord is an eye on man.”

Instead of Adam, “man,” some propose to read Aram, “Syria,” the letters d and r being easily interchanged in the Asshurith (square Hebrew), and many other Oriental characters.

Zechariah 9:1

1 The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.