12 For the seed H2233 shall be prosperous; H7965 the vine H1612 shall give H5414 her fruit, H6529 and the ground H776 shall give H5414 her increase, H2981 and the heavens H8064 shall give H5414 their dew; H2919 and I will cause the remnant H7611 of this people H5971 to possess H5157 all these things.
And of Joseph H3130 he said, H559 Blessed H1288 of the LORD H3068 be his land, H776 for the precious things H4022 of heaven, H8064 for the dew, H2919 and for the deep H8415 that coucheth beneath, H7257
Then I will give H5414 you rain H1653 in due season, H6256 and the land H776 shall yield H5414 her increase, H2981 and the trees H6086 of the field H7704 shall yield H5414 their fruit. H6529 And your threshing H1786 shall reach H5381 unto the vintage, H1210 and the vintage H1210 shall reach H5381 unto the sowing time: H2233 and ye shall eat H398 your bread H3899 to the full, H7648 and dwell H3427 in your land H776 safely. H983
Blessed H1288 shall be the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 and the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 the increase H7698 of thy kine, H504 and the flocks H6251 of thy sheep. H6629 Blessed H1288 shall be thy basket H2935 and thy store. H4863 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou comest in, H935 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou goest out. H3318 The LORD H3068 shall cause H5414 thine enemies H341 that rise up H6965 against thee to be smitten H5062 before thy face: H6440 they shall come out H3318 against thee one H259 way, H1870 and flee H5127 before H6440 thee seven H7651 ways. H1870 The LORD H3068 shall command H6680 the blessing H1293 upon thee in thy storehouses, H618 and in all that thou settest H4916 thine hand H3027 unto; and he shall bless H1288 thee in the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall establish H6965 thee an holy H6918 people H5971 unto himself, as he hath sworn H7650 unto thee, if thou shalt keep H8104 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and walk H1980 in his ways. H1870 And all people H5971 of the earth H776 shall see H7200 that thou art called H7121 by the name H8034 of the LORD; H3068 and they shall be afraid H3372 of thee. And the LORD H3068 shall make thee plenteous H3498 in goods, H2896 in the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and in the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 and in the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 in the land H127 which the LORD H3068 sware H7650 unto thy fathers H1 to give H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall open H6605 unto thee his good H2896 treasure, H214 the heaven H8064 to give H5414 the rain H4306 unto thy land H776 in his season, H6256 and to bless H1288 all the work H4639 of thine hand: H3027 and thou shalt lend H3867 unto many H7227 nations, H1471 and thou shalt not borrow. H3867
Therefore the heaven H8064 over you is stayed H3607 from dew, H2919 and the earth H776 is stayed H3607 from her fruit. H2981
Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that the plowman H2790 shall overtake H5066 the reaper, H7114 and the treader H1869 of grapes H6025 him that soweth H4900 seed; H2233 and the mountains H2022 shall drop H5197 sweet wine, H6071 and all the hills H1389 shall melt. H4127 And I will bring again H7725 the captivity H7622 of my people H5971 of Israel, H3478 and they shall build H1129 the waste H8074 cities, H5892 and inhabit H3427 them; and they shall plant H5193 vineyards, H3754 and drink H8354 the wine H3196 thereof; they shall also make H6213 gardens, H1593 and eat H398 the fruit H6529 of them. And I will plant H5193 them upon their land, H127 and they shall no more be pulled up H5428 out of their land H127 which I have given H5414 them, saith H559 the LORD H3068 thy God. H430
I will be as the dew H2919 unto Israel: H3478 he shall grow H6524 as the lily, H7799 and cast forth H5221 his roots H8328 as Lebanon. H3844
And I will multiply H7235 the fruit H6529 of the tree, H6086 and the increase H8570 of the field, H7704 that ye shall receive H3947 no more reproach H2781 of famine H7458 among the heathen. H1471
And I will make H5414 them and the places round about H5439 my hill H1389 a blessing; H1293 and I will cause the shower H1653 to come down H3381 in his season; H6256 there shall be showers H1653 of blessing. H1293 And the tree H6086 of the field H7704 shall yield H5414 her fruit, H6529 and the earth H776 shall yield H5414 her increase, H2981 and they shall be safe H983 in their land, H127 and shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I have broken H7665 the bands H4133 of their yoke, H5923 and delivered H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of those that served H5647 themselves of them.
For your shame H1322 ye shall have double; H4932 and for confusion H3639 they shall rejoice H7442 in their portion: H2506 therefore in their land H776 they shall possess H3423 the double: H4932 everlasting H5769 joy H8057 shall be unto them.
Then shall he give H5414 the rain H4306 of thy seed, H2233 that thou shalt sow H2232 the ground H127 withal; and bread H3899 of the increase H8393 of the earth, H127 and it shall be fat H1879 and plenteous: H8082 in that day H3117 shall thy cattle H4735 feed H7462 in large H7337 pastures. H3733
Then Isaac H3327 sowed H2232 in that land, H776 and received H4672 in the same year H8141 an hundredfold: H3967 H8180 and the LORD H3068 blessed H1288 him.
Therefore G5620 let G2744 no man G3367 glory G2744 in G1722 men. G444 For G1063 all things G3956 are G2076 yours; G5216
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 If it be marvellous H6381 in the eyes H5869 of the remnant H7611 of this people H5971 in these days, H3117 should it also be marvellous H6381 in mine eyes? H5869 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635
In that day, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 will I assemble H622 her that halteth, H6760 and I will gather H6908 her that is driven out, H5080 and her that I have afflicted; H7489 And I will make H7760 her that halted H6760 a remnant, H7611 and her that was cast far off H1972 a strong H6099 nation: H1471 and the LORD H3068 shall reign H4427 over them in mount H2022 Zion H6726 from henceforth, even for H5704 ever. H5769
But upon mount H2022 Zion H6726 shall be deliverance, H6413 and there shall be holiness; H6944 and the house H1004 of Jacob H3290 shall possess H3423 their possessions. H4180 And the house H1004 of Jacob H3290 shall be a fire, H784 and the house H1004 of Joseph H3130 a flame, H3852 and the house H1004 of Esau H6215 for stubble, H7179 and they shall kindle H1814 in them, and devour H398 them; and there shall not be any remaining H8300 of the house H1004 of Esau; H6215 for the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 it. And they of the south H5045 shall possess H3423 the mount H2022 of Esau; H6215 and they of the plain H8219 the Philistines: H6430 and they shall possess H3423 the fields H7704 of Ephraim, H669 and the fields H7704 of Samaria: H8111 and Benjamin H1144 shall possess Gilead. H1568 And the captivity H1546 of this host H2426 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall possess that of the Canaanites, H3669 even unto Zarephath; H6886 and the captivity H1546 of Jerusalem, H3389 which is in Sepharad, H5614 shall possess H3423 the cities H5892 of the south. H5045
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 I will hear, H6030 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 I will hear H6030 the heavens, H8064 and they shall hear H6030 the earth; H776 And the earth H776 shall hear H6030 the corn, H1715 and the wine, H8492 and the oil; H3323 and they shall hear H6030 Jezreel. H3157 And I will sow H2232 her unto me in the earth; H776 and I will have mercy H7355 upon her that had not obtained mercy; H7355 H3818 and I will say H559 to them which were not my people, H5971 Thou art my people; H5971 and they shall say, H559 Thou art my God. H430
The king's H4428 wrath H2197 is as the roaring H5099 of a lion; H3715 but his favour H7522 is as dew H2919 upon the grass. H6212
And Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 who was of the inhabitants H8453 of Gilead, H1568 said H559 unto Ahab, H256 As the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 there shall not be dew H2919 nor rain H4306 these years, H8141 but according H6310 to my word. H1697
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 8
Commentary on Zechariah 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The work of ministers is rightly to divide the word of truth and to give every one his portion. So the prophet is here instructed to do, in the further answer he gives to the case of conscience proposed about continuing the public fasts. His answer, in the foregoing chapter, is by way of reproof to those that were disobedient and would not obey the truth. But here he is ordered to change his voice, and to speak by way of encouragement to the willing and obedient. Here are two words from the Lord of hosts, and they are both good words and comfortable words. In the former of these messages (v. 1) God promises that Jerusalem shall be restored, reformed, replenished (v. 2-8), that the country shall be rich, and the affairs of the nation shall be successful, their reputation retrieved, and their state in all respects the reverse of what it had been for many years past (v. 9-15); he then exhorts them to reform what was amiss among them, that they might be ready for these favours designed them (v. 16, 17). In the latter of these messages (v. 18) he promises that their fasts should be superseded by the return of mercy (v. 19), and that thereupon they should be replenished, enriched, and strengthened, by the accession of foreigners to them (v. 20-23).
Zec 8:1-8
The prophet, in his foregoing discourses, had left his hearers under a high charge of guilt and a deep sense of wrath; he had left them in a melancholy view of the desolations of their pleasant land, which was the effect of their fathers' disobedience; but because he designed to bring them to repentance, not to drive them to despair, he here sets before them the great things God had in store for them, encouraging them hereby to hope that their case of conscience would shortly determine itself and that God's providence would as loudly call them to joy and gladness as ever it called them to fasting and mourning. It is here promised,
All these precious promises are here ratified, and the doubts of God's people silenced, with that question (v. 6): "If it be marvellous in the eyes of this people, should it be marvellous in my eyes? If it seem unlikely to you that ever Jerusalem should be thus repaired, should be thus replenished, is it therefore impossible with God?' The remnant of this people (and God's people in this world are but a remnant), being few and feeble, thought all this was too good news to be true, especially in these days, these difficult days, these cloudy and dark days. Considering how bad the times are, it is highly improbable, it is morally impossible, they should ever come to be so good as the prophet speaks. How can these things be? How can dry bones live? But should it therefore appear so in the eyes of God? Note, We do both God and ourselves a deal of wrong if we think that, when we are nonplussed, he is so, and that he cannot get over the difficulties which to us seem insuperable. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible; so far are God's thoughts and ways above ours.
Zec 8:9-17
God, by the prophet, here gives further assurances of the mercy he had in store for Judah and Jerusalem. Here is line upon line for their comfort, as before there was for their conviction. These verses contain strong encouragements with reference to the difficulties they now laboured under. And we may observe,
Zec 8:18-23
These verses contain two precious promises, for the further encouragement of those pious Jews that were hearty in building the temple.