Zechariah 2:6-13 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

A Collection of Fragments.

Zechariah 2:6 f. bids the Jews scattered through the Persian empire escape to Jerusalem, where they will be safe when the judgment comes upon Persia. The north in Jeremiah's earliest prophecies referred to the Scythians, and was subsequently applied to the Chaldeans and their successors. In Zechariah 2:6 b the LXX has, I will gather you from, etc. Possibly MT and LXX should be combined. In Zechariah 2:7 place daughter before Zion. Zechariah evidently considers that many of those who once formed the population of Zion are still in Babylonia.

Zechariah 2:8 f. Omit After glory hath he sent me, and read Thus saith the Lord of hosts with reference to the nations, etc; omit For in Zechariah 2:9.

Zechariah 2:10. The prophet does not mean a local presence of the Lord in Jerusalem. When he seems not to intervene for His people, it is as though He were absent.

Zechariah 2:11. An anticipation of the conversion of the heathen probably inserted, or at least modified by a later hand.

Zechariah 2:12. inherit: an entirely misleading translation. The Heb. word is used of receiving a portion of land for cultivation at the periodic distribution of the whole arable land belonging to the village community. Judah will be, as it were, the land which the Lord has for His own cultivation.

Zechariah 2:13 appears to be a fragment describing the Lord's coming to judge the oppressors of Israel. It is difficult to say whether it is original or a later insertion (cf. Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7).

Zechariah 2:6-13

6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.