1 And I turned, H7725 and lifted up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and looked, H7200 and, behold, there came H3318 four H702 chariots H4818 out H3318 from between two H8147 mountains; H2022 and the mountains H2022 were mountains H2022 of brass. H5178
Now that being broken, H7665 whereas four H702 stood up H5975 for it, four H702 kingdoms H4438 shall stand up H5975 out of the nation, H1471 but not in his power. H3581
And wheresoever H3606 the children H1123 of men H606 dwell, H1753 the beasts H2423 of the field H1251 and the fowls H5776 of the heaven H8065 hath he given H3052 into thine hand, H3028 and hath made thee ruler H7981 over them all. H3606 Thou H607 art this head H7217 of gold. H1722 And after H870 thee shall arise H6966 another H317 kingdom H4437 inferior H772 to thee, H4481 and another H317 third H8523 kingdom H4437 of brass, H5174 which shall bear rule H7981 over all H3606 the earth. H772 And the fourth H7244 kingdom H4437 shall be H1934 strong H8624 as iron: H6523 forasmuch as iron H6523 breaketh in pieces H1855 and subdueth H2827 all H3606 things: and as H6903 iron H6523 that breaketh H7490 all H3606 these, H459 shall it break in pieces H1855 and bruise. H7490
For to do G4160 whatsoever G3745 thy G4675 hand G5495 and G2532 thy G4675 counsel G1012 determined before G4309 to be done. G1096
Then lifted I up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and saw, H7200 and behold four H702 horns. H7161 And I said H559 unto the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me, What be these? And he answered H559 me, These are the horns H7161 which have scattered H2219 Judah, H3063 Israel, H3478 and Jerusalem. H3389
And four H703 great H7260 beasts H2423 came up H5559 from H4481 the sea, H3221 diverse H8133 one H1668 from H4481 another. H1668 The first H6933 was like a lion, H744 and had eagle's H5403 wings: H1611 I beheld H1934 H2370 till H5705 the wings H1611 thereof were plucked, H4804 and it was lifted up H5191 from H4481 the earth, H772 and made stand H6966 upon H5922 the feet H7271 as a man, H606 and a man's H606 heart H3825 was given H3052 to it. And behold H718 another H317 beast, H2423 a second, H8578 like H1821 to a bear, H1678 and it raised up H6966 itself on one H2298 side, H7859 and it had three H8532 ribs H5967 in the mouth H6433 of it between H997 the teeth H8128 of it: and they said H560 thus H3652 unto it, Arise, H6966 devour H399 much H7690 flesh. H1321 After H870 this H1836 I beheld, H1934 H2370 and lo H718 another, H317 like a leopard, H5245 which had upon H5922 the back H1355 of it four H703 wings H1611 of a fowl; H5776 the beast H2423 had also four H703 heads; H7217 and dominion H7985 was given H3052 to it. After H870 this H1836 I saw H1934 H2370 in the night H3916 visions, H2376 and behold H718 a fourth H7244 beast, H2423 dreadful H1763 and terrible, H574 and strong H8624 exceedingly; H3493 and it had great H7260 iron H6523 teeth: H8128 it devoured H399 and brake in pieces, H1855 and stamped H7512 the residue H7606 with the feet H7271 of it: and it H1932 was diverse H8133 from H4481 all H3606 the beasts H2423 that were before H6925 it; and it had ten H6236 horns. H7162
And all H3606 the inhabitants H1753 of the earth H772 are reputed H2804 as nothing: H3809 and he doeth H5648 according to his will H6634 in the army H2429 of heaven, H8065 and among the inhabitants H1753 of the earth: H772 and none H3809 can H383 stay H4223 his hand, H3028 or say H560 unto him, What H4101 doest H5648 thou?
Nevertheless H1297 leave H7662 the stump H6136 of his roots H8330 in the earth, H772 even with a band H613 of iron H6523 and brass, H5174 in the tender grass H1883 of the field; H1251 and let it be wet H6647 with the dew H2920 of heaven, H8065 and let his portion H2508 be with H5974 the beasts H2423 in the grass H6211 of the earth: H772
Declaring H5046 the end H319 from the beginning, H7225 and from ancient times H6924 the things that are not yet done, H6213 saying, H559 My counsel H6098 shall stand, H6965 and I will do H6213 all my pleasure: H2656 Calling H7121 a ravenous bird H5861 from the east, H4217 the man H376 that executeth my counsel H6098 from a far H4801 country: H776 yea, I have spoken H1696 it, I will also bring H935 it to pass; I have purposed H3335 it, I will also do H6213 it.
This is the purpose H6098 that is purposed H3289 upon the whole earth: H776 and this is the hand H3027 that is stretched out H5186 upon all the nations. H1471 For the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 hath purposed, H3289 and who shall disannul H6565 it? and his hand H3027 is stretched out, H5186 and who shall turn it back? H7725
There is no wisdom H2451 nor understanding H8394 nor counsel H6098 against the LORD. H3068
The counsel H6098 of the LORD H3068 standeth H5975 for ever, H5769 the thoughts H4284 of his heart H3820 to all H1755 generations. H1755
When he giveth quietness, H8252 who then can make trouble? H7561 and when he hideth H5641 his face, H6440 who then can behold H7789 him? whether it be done against a nation, H1471 or against a man H120 only: H3162
He raiseth up H6965 the poor H1800 out of the dust, H6083 and lifteth up H7311 the beggar H34 from the dunghill, H830 to set H3427 them among princes, H5081 and to make them inherit H5157 the throne H3678 of glory: H3519 for the pillars H4690 of the earth H776 are the LORD'S, H3068 and he hath set H7896 the world H8398 upon them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 6
Commentary on Zechariah 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
The two kingdoms of providence and grace are what we are all very nearly interested in, and therefore are concerned to acquaint ourselves with, all our temporal affairs being in a necessary subjection to divine Providence, and all our spiritual and eternal concerns in a necessary dependence upon divine grace; and these two are represented to us in this chapter-the former by a vision, the latter by a type. Here is,
Zec 6:1-8
The prophet is forward to receive this vision, and, as if he expected it, he turned and lifted up his eyes and looked. Though this was the seventh vision he had had, yet he did not think he had had enough; for the more we know of God and his will, if we know it aright, the more desirous we shall be to get a further acquaintance with God. Now observe here the sight that the prophet had offour chariots drawn by horses of divers colours, together with the explication of the sight, v. 1-5. He did not look long before he discovered that which was worth seeing, and which would serve very much for the encouraging of himself and his friends in this dark day. We are very much in the dark concerning the meaning of this vision. Some by the four chariots understand the four monarchies; and then they read (v. 5), These are the four winds of the heavens, and suppose that therein reference is had to Dan. 7:2, where Daniel saw, in vision, the four winds of the heavens striving upon the great sea, representing the four monarchies. The Babylonian monarchy, they think, is here represented by the red horses, which are not afterwards mentioned, because that monarchy was now extinct. The second chariot with the black horses is the Persian monarchy, which went forth northward against the Babylonians, and quieted God's Spirit in the north country, by executing his judgments on Babylon and freeing the Jews from their captivity. The white, the Grecians, go forth after them in the north, for they overthrow the Persians. The grizzled, the Romans, who conquered the Grecian empire, are said to go forth towards the south country, because Egypt, which lay southward, was the last branch of the Grecian empire that was subdued by the Romans. The bay horses had been with the grizzled, but afterwards went forth by themselves; and by these they understand the Goths and Vandals, who with their victorious arms walked to and fro through the earth, or the Seleucidae and Lagidae, the two branches of the Grecian empire. Thus Grotius and others.
But I incline rather to understand this vision more generally, as designing to represent the administration of the kingdom of Providence in the government of this lower world. The angels are often called the chariots of God, as Ps. 68:17; 18:10. The various providences of God concerning nations and churches are represented by the different colours of horses, Rev. 6:2, 4, 5, 8. And so we may observe here,
Zec 6:9-15
God did not only at sundry times, but in divers manners, speak in time past by the prophets to his church. In the former part of this chapter he spoke by a vision, which only the prophet himself saw; here, in this latter part, he speaks by a sign, or type, which many saw, and which, as it was explained, was an illustrious prediction of the Messiah as the priest and king of his church. Here is,