Zechariah 11:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 11 The destruction of Jerusalem, Malachi 11:1-3. Under the type of Zechariah is showed Christ's care for the flock, the Jews; and their rejection for ingratitude and light estimation of him, Malachi 11:4-14. The type and curse of a foolish shepherd, Malachi 11:15-17. This chapter is minatory, and foretells the ruin of Jerusalem and the temple, this second temple, by the Romans, and the captivity of the Jews under them, for their rejecting of Christ; so the times of this chapter must be laid about the death of Christ and downwards. Open thy doors, O Lebanon; either the temple, because built with cedars of Lebanon, so the temple is called, Ezekiel 17:3 Habakkuk 2:17; or Jerusalem, or Judea, whose boundary northward this mountain was: if all these do not fully suit with the text and context, perhaps this added may. Lebanon, a high and great mountain, boundary between Judea and its neighbours on the north, is here spoken to open its gates, its fortifications, raised to secure the passages, which through the hollownesses of the mountain, the deep and dismal straits, lead into Judea, and would be first attempted by the enemy that first invades the northern parts of Judea. These garrisons or fortresses are foretold like to be easily taken, as if they opened of themselves, and the Romans would have easy entrance by this means into Judea. That the fire; either figuratively, the rage of the enemy, or the wrath of God; or literally, fire by the enemy kindled in the houses and buildings in Judea, and in Lebanon itself. May devour thy cedars; palaces built with cedars, or else figuratively nobles, princes, and eminent men.