Zechariah 12:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 12 Jerusalem a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone, to the confusion of her adversaries, Malachi 12:1-5. The victorious restoring of Judah, Malachi 12:6-9. The repentance of Jerusalem, Malachi 12:10-14. The burden of the word of the Lord: see this whole passage Malachi 9:1. For Israel; or touching, concerning, as the Gallic version; upon, against, the Hebrew bears it; and some take it in one, some in the other sense, though I think the main of the chapter persuades it is to be rendered, for, in the behalf of Israel, i.e. the church of Christ among the Jews until their rejection, and among the Gentiles ever since their vocation; both have their concern in the things here foretold. Saith the Lord; who giveth out promises of great things to a people in a very low state, and therefore to raise their hope tells them by his prophet what he hath done. Which stretcheth forth the heavens, as a curtain, saith Isaiah, Isaiah 40:22; who did more easily spread abroad the heavens, than any creature can spread forth a curtain about your bed, or a canopy over your head; by an almighty power going along with the act of his will, saying, Let it be, all that immense body of the material, visible heavens immediately spread forth itself. And layeth the foundation of the earth, upon his own almighty word; on that the chief corner-stones thereof do lie, Job 38:4-6 Isaiah 51:13. Formeth; in admirable wisdom, and with more especial artifice, framed, so the Hebrew imports, as Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 46:11. The spirit; the immortal soul, that spiritual being which animateth us. Who hath done all this he can do all that is here promised for Israel, and threatened against Israel's enemies.