And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man - so Zechariah is called, as being still a youth when prophetically inspired (Grotius). Or, he is so called in respect to his ministry or service (cf. Numbers 11:27; Joshua 1:1) (Vatablus). Both ideas are probably included. Young men are, by their youthful energy, fit representatives of the energy which the Lord's service requires, (cf. Acts 5:6; Acts 5:10). Mere physical strength of youth, however, often utterly fails; but spiritual "strength" is ever "renewing" itself, and shall "not faint" in those that "wait upon the Lord" (Isaiah 40:30-31). Naturally, the "angel that talked with" Zechariah, is desired to "speak to" him the further communications to be made from the Divine Being.
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein. So many shall be its inhabitants that all could not be contained within the walls, but shall spread out in the open country around (Esther 9:19); and so secure shall they be, as not to need to shelter themselves and their cattle behind walls. So hereafter, Judea is to be "the land of unwalled villages" (Ezekiel 38:11). Spiritually, now, the Church has extended herself beyond the walls (Ephesians 2:14-15) of Mosaic ordinances, and has spread from cities to country villages, whose inhabitants gave their Latin name (Pagani, from pagus a village) to pagans, as being the last in parting with paganism.