3 And in the third H7992 chariot H4818 white H3836 horses; H5483 and in the fourth H7243 chariot H4818 grisled H1261 and bay H554 horses. H5483
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 And whereas thou sawest H2370 the feet H7271 and toes, H677 part H4481 of potters' H6353 clay, H2635 and part H4481 of iron, H6523 the kingdom H4437 shall be H1934 divided; H6386 but H4481 there shall be H1934 in it of H4481 the strength H5326 of the iron, H6523 forasmuch as H3606 H6903 thou sawest H2370 the iron H6523 mixed H6151 with miry H2917 clay. H2635
The black H7838 horses H5483 which are therein go forth H3318 into the north H6828 country; H776 and the white H3836 go forth H3318 after H310 them; and the grisled H1261 go forth H3318 toward the south H8486 country. H776 And the bay H554 went forth, H3318 and sought H1245 to go H3212 that they might walk to and fro H1980 through the earth: H776 and he said, H559 Get you hence, H3212 walk to and fro H1980 through the earth. H776 So they walked to and fro H1980 through the earth. H776
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,