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.
Ho, ho! come forth, and flee from the land of the north - i:e., from Babylon: a type of the various Gentile lands, from which the Jews are to be recalled hereafter; hence, "the four winds of heaven" are specified, implying that they are to return from all quarters (Deuteronomy 28:64; Jeremiah 16:15; Ezekiel 17:21). The reason why they should flee from Babylon is,
(1) Because of the blessings promised to God's people in their own land;
(2) Because of the evils about to fall on their foe (Zechariah 2:7-9). Babylon was soon to fall before Darius, and its inhabitants to endure fearful calamities (Isaiah 48:20; Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:45).
Many of the Jews in Zechariah's time had not yet returned to Judea. Their tardiness was owing to
(1) Unbelief; also,
(2) Their land had long lain waste, and was surrounded with bitter foes;
(3) They regarded suspiciously the liberty of return given by Cyrus and Darius, as if these monarchs designed suddenly to crush them;
(4) Their long stay in Babylon had obliterated th e remembrance of their own land;
(5) The wealth and security there contrasted with Judea, where their temple and city were in ruins. All this betrayed foul ingratitude and disregard of God's extraordinary favour, which is infinitely to be preferred to all the wealth of the world (Calvin and Pembellus).
For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. The reasoning is, I, who scattered you from your land to all quarters, can also gather you again to it.