Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 7:8
And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
8 11. The Answer. Second Section
8. the word of the Lord came ] It is not necessary to suppose that there was a break, or interval of time, between the sections which are introduced by this formula. The frequent appeal to Jehovah, as the Author of their prophecies, is a characteristic of the post-captivity prophets. Comp. chap. 8 (in which the phrase “thus saith Jehovah,” or “Jehovah of hosts,” occurs thirteen times), Hag 2:6, note.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Instead of quoting the former prophets, Zechariah gives the substance of their exhortations, as renewed to himself.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
See Zec 7:4
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying. Giving him orders to repeat what the former prophets had said, and to urge the same things on the people which they had before rejected, the rejection of which had issued in their ruin.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The second word of the Lord recals to the recollection of the people the disobedience of the fathers, and its consequences, viz., the judgment of exile, as a warning example. The introduction of the prophet’s name in the heading in Zec 7:8 does not warrant the strange opinion held by Schmieder and Schlier – namely, that our prophet is here reproducing the words of an earlier Zechariah who lived before the captivity – but is merely to be attributed to a variation in the form of expression. This divine word was as follows: Zec 7:9. “Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute judgment of truth, and show love and compassion one to another. Zec 7:10. And widows and orphans, strangers and destitute ones, oppress not; and meditate not in your heart the injury of every brother. Zec 7:11. But they refused to attend, and offered a rebellious shoulder, and hardened their ears that they might not hear. Zec 7:12. And they made their heart diamond, that they might not hear the law and the words which Jehovah of hosts sent through His Spirit by means of the former prophet, so that great wrath came from Jehovah of hosts.” is to be taken as a preterite here, referring to what Jehovah had caused to be proclaimed to the people before the captivity. The kernel of this announcement consisted in the appeal to the people, to keep the moral precepts of the law, to practise the true love of the neighbour in public life and private intercourse. Mishpat ’emeth , judgment of truth (cf. Eze 18:8), is such an administration of justice as simply fixes the eye upon the real circumstances of any dispute, without any personal considerations whatever, and decides them in accordance with truth. For the fact itself, compare Exo 22:20, Exo 22:21; Exo 23:6-9; Lev 19:15-18; Deu 10:18-19; Deu 24:14; Isa 1:17; Jer 7:5-6; Jer 22:3; Eze 18:8; Hos 12:7, etc. , the injury of a man who is his brother (as in Gen 9:5); not “injury one towards another,” which would suppose a transposition of the = . In Zec 7:11, Zec 7:12 the attitude of the people towards these admonitions of God is described. Nathan katheph sorereth : to give or offer a rebellious shoulder, as in Neh 9:29. The figure is borrowed from an ox, which will not allow a yoke to be placed upon its neck (cf. Hos 4:16). To make the ears heavy ( hikhbd ), away from hearing, i.e., so that they do not hear (cf. Isa 6:10). To make the heart diamond ( shamr ), i.e., as hard as diamond. A stony heart is a heart not susceptible to impressions (cf. Eze 11:19). The relative before shalach refers to the two nouns named before, viz., torah and d e bharm , though we need not on that account take torah in the general sense of instruction. God also sent the law to the people through the prophets, i.e., caused them to preach it and impress it upon their hearts. The consequence of this obduracy of the people was, that “there arose great wrath from Jehovah” (cf. Zec 1:2; 2Ki 3:27).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Wilful Disobedience of Israel; Consequences of Disobedience. | B. C. 520. |
8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, 9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
What was said v. 7, that they should have heard the words of the former prophets, is here enlarged upon, for warning to these hypocritical enquirers, who continued their sins when they asked with great preciseness whether they should continue their fasts. This prophet had before put them in mind of their fathers’ disobedience to the calls of the prophets, and what was the consequence of it (ch. i. 4-6), and now here again; for others’ harms should be our warnings. God’s judgments upon Israel of old for their sins were written for admonition to us Christians (1 Cor. x. 11), and the same use we should make of similar providences in our own day.
I. This prophet here repeats the heads of the sermons which the former prophets preached to their fathers (Zec 7:9; Zec 7:10), because the very same things were required of them now. “Thus does the Lord of hosts speak to you now, and thus he did speak to your fathers, saying, Execute true judgment.” The duties here required of them, which would have been the lengthening of the tranquillity of their fathers and must be the restoring of their tranquillity, are not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, duties which they were bound to by the light and law of nature, though there had been no prophets sent to insist upon them, duties which had a direct tendency to the public welfare and peace, and which they themselves would be the gainers by, and not God. 1. Magistrates must administer justice impartially, according to the maxims of the law and the merits of the cause, without respect of persons: “Judge judgment of truth, and execute it when you have judged it.” 2. Neighbours must have a tender concern for one another, and must not only do one another no wrong, but must be ready to do one another all the good offices that lie in their power. They must show mercy and compassion every man to his brother, as the case called for it. The infirmities of others, as well as their calamities, are to be looked upon with compassion. Hanc veniam petimusque damusque vicissim–This kindness we ask and exercise. 3. They must not bear hard upon those whom they have advantage against, and who, they know, are not able to help themselves. They must not, either in commerce or in course of law, oppress the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, and the poor, v. 10. The weakest must not be thrust to the wall because they are weakest. No thanks to men not to deny right to those who are in a capacity to demand it and recover it; but we must, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake, give those their own who have not power to force it from us. Or it intimates that that which is but exactness with others is exaction upon the widows and the fatherless; nay, that not relieving and helping them as we ought is, in effect, oppressing them. 4. They must not only not do wrong to any, but they must not so much as desire it nor think of it: “Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Do not project it; do not wish it; nay do not so much as please yourself with the fancy of it.” The law of God lays a restraint upon the heart, and forbids the entertaining, forbids the admitting, of a malicious, spiteful, ill-natured thought. Deut. xv. 9, Beware that there be not a thought in thy Belial heart against thy brother.
II. He describes the wilfulness and disobedience of their fathers, who persisted in all manner of wickedness and injustice, notwithstanding these exhortations and admonitions frequently given them in God’s name; various expressions to this purport are here heaped up (Zec 7:11; Zec 7:12), setting forth the stubbornness of that carnal mind which is enmity against God, and is not in subjection to the law of God, neither indeed can be. They were obstinate and refractory, and persisted in their transgressions of the law purely from a spirit of contradiction to the law. 1. They would not, if they could help it, come within hearing of the prophets, but kept at a distance; or, if they could not avoid hearing what they said, yet they resolved they would not heed it: They refused to hearken, and looked another way as if they had not been spoken to. 2. If they did hear what was said to them, and, as it seemed, inclined at first to comply with it, yet they flew off when it came to the setting to, and, like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, they pulled away the shoulder, and would not submit to the easy yoke and the light burden of God’s commandments. They gave a withdrawing shoulder (so the word is); they seemed to lay their shoulder to the work, but they presently withdrew it again, as those Jer 34:10; Jer 34:11. They were like a deceitful bow, as that son that said, I go, sir, but went not. 3. They filled their own minds with prejudices against the word of God, and had some objection or other ready wherewith to fortify themselves against every sermon they heard. They stopped their ears, that they should not hear, as the deaf adder (Ps. lviii. 4), and none are so deaf as those that will not hear, that make their own ear heavy, as the word is. 4. They resolved that nothing which was said to them, for the enforcing of these injunctions, should make any impression upon them: They made their hearts as an adamant-stone, as a diamond, the hardest of stones to be wrought upon, or as a flint, which the mason cannot hew into shape as he can other stone out of the quarry. Nothing is so hard, so unmalleable, so inflexible, as the heart of a presumptuous sinner; and those whose hearts are hard may thank themselves; they are of their own hardening, and it is just with God to give them over to a reprobate sense, to the hardness and impenitence of their own hearts. These stubborn sinners hardened their hearts on purpose lest they should hear what God said to them by the written word, by the law of Moses, and by the words of the prophets that preached to them; they had Moses and the prophets, but resolved they would hear neither, nor would they have been persuaded though one had been sent to them from the dead. The words of the prophet were not regarded by them, though they were words which the Lord of hosts sent and directed to them, though he sent them immediately by his Spirit in the prophets; so that in despising them they affronted God himself and resisted the Holy Ghost. Note, The reason why men are not good is because they will not be so; they will not consider, will not comply; and therefore, if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
III. He shows the fatal consequences of it to their fathers: Therefore came great wrath from the Lord of hosts. God was highly displeased with them, and justly; he required nothing of them but what was reasonable in itself and beneficial to them; and yet they refused, and in a most insolent manner too. What master could bear to be so abused by his own servant? Such an implacable enmity to the gospel as this was to the law and the prophets was that which brought wrath to the uttermost upon the last generation of the Jewish church, 1 Thess. ii. 16. Great sins against the Lord of hosts, whose authority is incontestable, bring great wrath from the Lord of hosts, whose power is irresistible. And the effect was, 1. As they had turned a deaf ear to God’s word, so God turned a deaf ear to their prayers, v. 13. As he cried to them in their prosperity to leave their sins, and they would not hear, but persisted in their iniquities, so they cried to him in the day of their trouble to remove his judgments, and he would not hear, but lengthened out their calamities. Those that set God at defiance, in the height of their pride, when pangs came upon them cried unto him. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee. But God has said it, and will abide by it, He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination,Pro 28:9; Pro 1:24, c. Iniquity, regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the success of prayer, Ps. lxvi. 18. 2. As they flew off from their duty and allegiance to God, and were of desultory and unsettled spirits, so God dissipated them and threw them about as chaff before a whirlwind: He scattered them among all the nations whom they knew not, and whom therefore they could not expect to receive any kindness from, <i>v. 14. 3. As they violated all the laws of their land, so God took away all the glories of it: Their land was desolate after them, and no man passed through or returned. All that country that was the kingdom of the two tribes, after the dispersion of the remaining Jews, upon the slaughter of Gedaliah, was left utterly uninhabited; there was not man, woman, or child, in it, till the Jews returned at the end of seventy years’ captivity; nay, it should seem, the very roads that lay through the country were deserted (none passed or repassed), which, as it had an intimation of mercy in it (though they were cast out of it, yet it was kept empty for their return), so for the present it made the judgment appear much the more dismal; for what a horrid wilderness must a land be that had been so many years uninhabited! And they might thank themselves; it was they that by their own wickedness laid the pleasant land desolate. It was not so much the Chaldeans that did it. No; they did it themselves. The desolations of a land are owing to the wickedness of its inhabitants, Ps. cvii. 34. This came of their wilful disobedience to the law of God. And the present generation saw how desolate sin had made that pleasant land, and yet would not take warning.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Unanswered Prayers
Verses 8-14:
Why Their Prayers Were not Answered
Verse 8 reiterates, certifies, and reminds all the remnant of Israel that the Lord was still seeking to guide them, through messages delivered by His and their prophets, to observe not formal fastings, Act 10:32; Luk 24:25; Luk 24:27; Luk 24:44; 2Pe 2:21; Rev 19:10.
Verse 9 forcefully restates that the Lord of hosts had directed that they should execute or administer true judgment, in which mercy and compassion were shown every man, to or toward his own brother, Eze 18:8. Such was the spirit of the law of the Lord, given them by Moses their lawgiver and prophet. God is pleased that His penalty for sin in society be accompanied with a measure of mercy and compassion, toward ones fellowman, even as He shows these Divine attributes toward men daily, Lam 3:22-23; Gal 6:1.
Verse 10 lists four oppressions that they were to avoid:
1) Of a widow, a thing the Pharisees and Sadduccees did, Mat 23:14; Mar 12:40; Luk 20:47.
2) Of the fatherless, or orphans, Mal 3:5; Jas 1:27.
3) The stranger, wanderer, yet human souls, Psa 146:9; Pro 27:2; Luk 17:18.
4) The poor, impoverished, whatever the cause, Deu 15:11; Psa 10:14.
And they were charged to imagine or devise no evil in their hearts against a brother, to seek no revenge, Gen 6:5; Lev 19:18; Psa 36:4; Mic 4:1.
Verse 11 reminds the remnant of the rebellion and disobedience of their forefathers against the law of the Lord, in willfully turning their shoulder and back upon Him, and following after the ways of heathen gods and idolatry, Neh 9:29; Hos 4:16; Jer 7:26; Act 7:57.
Verse 12 continues a review of the list of sins of their forefathers which had brought suffering and dispersion and judgment oppression upon them. They had adamantly, obstinately, willfully made their hearts as hard and insensitive as stone to truth, mercy, love, compassion, and divine obedience, as “flint-stone,” Eze 3:9; Eze 11:19. They had done it lest they should heed and obey the law and word of the Lord, delivered in the power of the spirit, to and through His former prophets. As a direct fruit of their chosen disobedience, it is here divinely certified that the “wrath from the Lord of hosts,” came upon them in a great way, Pro 29:1; See also Hag 2:13; 2Ch 36:16.
Verse 13 concludes that as He (God) had cried to them through the prophets and they obstinately, willfully stopped their ears and hardened their hearts, even so, when they cried in their calamities; In just retribution, He would not hear their cries or prayers, Pro 1:24-26; Isa 1:15; Jer 11:14; Jer 14:11-12; Mic 3:4.
Verse 14 announces that for their disobedience the Lord did scatter or disperse them, like a whirlwind, among the heathen and barbarous nations whom they knew not. In the siege of their captivity, when carried from their own land, the Lord reminded them that it was His hand of permissive judgment that caused their land to be laid desolate, so that no man longer passed through it, as formerly they did for purposes of commercialism, Eze 33:17. Such judgment came only, after a loving forewarning from the Lord, and a long show of divine mercy, Nah 1:3; Deu 28:58-68; Deu 30:17-20; 2Ch 36:21; Psa 106:24; Jer 3:19.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.] Zec. 7:8-14.] God requires obedience, not formal fastings. The disobedience of the fathers brought judgment upon the nation.
Zec. 7:9. Execute] Admonitions which have special reference to evils of which they were guilty. Judgment] Righteous impartiality in public and private matters. Judgment of truth (cf. Eze. 18:8) is such an administration of justice as simply fixes the eye upon the real circumstances of any dispute, without any personal considerations whatever, and decides them in accordance with truth [Keil]. Mercy] Tender love to all. Compassion] to the unhappy, sympathy for human suffering.
Zec. 7:10.] This verse specifies some of the chief ways of violating the preceding requisition, and shows that it covers the thoughts of the heart as well as the acts of the members [Lange]. Imagine] i.e. devise evil (Psa. 36:4; Mic. 2:1). Meditate no revenge, but act up to the royal law of love.
Zec. 7:11.] The attitude of the people towards these precepts described. Their fathers and some of them refused], paid no serious attention; then pulled away], like a refractory beast refusing the yoke (Neh. 9:29; Hos. 4:16). It seems rather to refer to one on whose shoulder we lay our hand, when he is reluctant to listen to us, in order to arrest, and beseech him to hear, but he fretfully and violently draws the shoulder from our kind and earnest grasp [Wardlaw] Stopped] Made heavy (Isa. 6:10; Jer. 7:26; Act. 7:57).
Zec. 7:12. Adamant] Hard and impenetrable as stone (Eze. 3:9; Eze. 11:19). Wrath] The consequence of disobedience and obduracy (2Ch. 36:16).
Zec. 7:13. He] by his prophets. They] cried in calamities, retribution in kind. They would not hear God, and he would not hear them (Pro. 1:24-26; Isa. 1:15).
Zec. 7:14.] The great wrath described in its execution. Scattered] for 70 years among foreign and barbarous nations; like a tempest driven among those who pitied them not. After] their exile and expulsion no occupants possessed the land. Passed through] Lit. goes away and returns again (Exo. 32:27), pass to and fro. They] The Jews themselves to blame; they desolated the pleasant land] lit. the land of desire; made the choice land a desert by their sins (Jer. 3:19; Psa. 106:24).
DIVINE REQUIREMENTS AND HUMAN DISREGARD.Zec. 7:8-14
The prophet exposes the hollowness of mere outward forms, and reminds the people that their ruin was not caused by neglect of ritual, but by disregard of the plainest duties of justice and humanity. They had refused to hear the reiterated and explicit injunctions of the prophets, and they are reproved for their folly. Notice
I. The Divine requirements specified. They had practised injunctions of their own imposing and neglected the commands of God. The prophet repeats the substance of former teaching and urges the claims of Jehovah.
1. Sincerity in life. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
(1) Execute judgment. Practise justice officially and privately, before God and man. Judgment must be true, without personal considerations or partiality. He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man.
(2) Compassionate the miserable. Show mercy to the unfortunate, be kind and have compassions every man to his brother. Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together, says Goethe.
(3) Oppress not the helpless. Special regard must be paid to the widow and the fatherless, the stranger and the poor. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child (Exo. 22:21). Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
2. Purity in heart. We must not only do no wrong, but not even wish it. No evil must be devised in the heart. Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Cherish no ill-feeling, no wish to retaliate. All evil inclinations and spiteful intentions must be subdued. We can never act rightly if we do not feel and think rightly. Hence the law of God restrains the heart. Beware that there be not a thought (word) in thy wicked (Belial) heart (Deu. 15:9).
II. The Divine requirements disregarded. Except men execute judgment, whatever be their fastings and pretensions, they reject the word of God. Ceremonial observances without love to God and man are a solemn mockery.
1. They refused to hearken to Gods word. They hated the claims and rebelled against the authority of Gods commands.
(1) They were wilfully deaf. Stopped their ears.
(2) They were wilfully prejudiced. That they should not hear. They had no desire to know, much less to practise. God pursued them in earnest, constant warning, but they shook their shoulders, refused to submit or bear the yoke, and were determined in their obstinate purpose (cf. Act. 7:51). They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
2. They hardened their hearts in sin. They made their hearts as an adamant stone. They were resolved that nothing should make an impression upon them: they became proud, presumptuous, and inflexible. Divine power even could neither soften their hearts nor shape their lives. They dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments (which, if a man do, he shall live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck and would not hear.
III. The fatal consequences of disregarding the Divine requirements. Most terrible are the penalties here set forth. Therefore, since they have rejected God, punishment will be in proportion to the violation of his law. Terrible penalties, withal, if thou still need penalties, says Carlyle, are there for disobeying.
1. God was angry. Therefore came wrath, a great wrath, from the Lord of hosts. This anger is evinced
(1) By disregarding their prayers. They cried, and I would not hear. There is great reason, says Bp. Reynolds, that God shall refuse to hear him who refuseth to hear God. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
(2) By scattering them among other nations. I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations. The common bond of humanity and social intercourse was broken (Deu. 28:49-50); they were cast out of their own into a land of perfect strangers, from whom they received no kindness nor mitigation of sorrows.
2. The land was desolated. For they laid the pleasant land desolate. It was not the enemy, but their own sins that had cursed their country. Gods presence is the beauty of a nation, but sin will turn it into a barren waste. Human guilt desolates everything that is pleasant. Let us take warning. If we despise Gods word he will not hear our cry in the day of wrath. The harder men grow in heart, the heavier the stroke at the judgment day. Those who are lost will have to blame their own folly. No delusion will rob them of this conviction, and no remedy can be devised for the misery which they despised and cannot endure. They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof: therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
RIGHTEOUS RETRIBUTION.Zec. 7:13
This is the first part of punishment, retribution in kind. They would not hear God when he called to them; now he will not hear them when they cry to him. This is Gods method of dealing with nations and individuals.
I. It is often physically true. The drunkard pays when at last he feels himself the slave of habits which he knows will ruin soul and body, and yet unable to throw them off. The licentious who survive the power of gratification may be tortured by appetites for which exhausted nature has no provision [cf. Lange].
II. It is always spiritually true. He that digs a pit for another shall fall into it himself. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own devices (Pro. 14:14). Those who contemn the word of God shall be unheard in the day of distress Alarmed at their situation, they will call, but God will not answer them. Thus men become the cause of their own misery, and constantly remind us of the wise mans words: Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way (Pro. 1:30-31; Pro. 28:9; Gal. 6:7-8).
I do as truly suffer
As eer I did commit [Shakespeare].
HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Zec. 7:9. Love, the royal law of life, the essence of religion. Not religious profession, but the practice of social duty. Keep from evil in thought and act. Meditate no revenge, brood over no wrongs, but in all things act up to the requirements of Gods law. Love worketh no ill. Love will not permit us to injure, oppress, or offend our brother; it will not give us leave to neglect our betters, or despise our inferiors. It will restrain every inordinate passion, and not suffer us to gratify our envy at the expense of our neighbours credit and reputation; but it will preserve us harmless and innocent [Bp. Sherlock].
Moral duties. Required in every age. Superior to external ordinances.
Zec. 7:10. Widow and fatherless.
1. A sad condition in life. Weak and helpless.
2. A proof of Gods care. Widows and orphans are Gods clients taken into his special protection [Trapp].
3. An evidence of true religion. One of the surest tests of an intelligent Christianity, as well as of a high civilization, is found in the provision made and maintained for those who so often are the victims either of cruel neglect or, alas, of wilful oppression [Lange]. Compare the teaching of Scripture with the customs of heathenism.
Zec. 7:11. Pulled away the shoulder. What is implied in these words?
1. A benevolent purpose.
2. Remarkable human power to resist it.
3. Mysterious providence to permit resistance.
4. Astounding effrontery in the conduct indicated. Pride not only withdraws the heart from God, but lifts it up against God [Manton].
All pride is willing pride [Shakespeare].
Zec. 7:12. Hearts as adamant. The stone, whatever it be, was hard enough to cut ineffaceable characters (Jer. 17:1); it was harder than flint (Eze. 3:9). It would cut rocks; it could not be engraven itself, or receive the characters of God. This is the last sin, obduracy, persevering impenitence, which resisted the Holy Ghost, and did despite to the Spirit of grace. Not through infirmity, but of set purpose, they hardened themselves, lest they should be converted and be healed (Isa. 6:10). Observe the gradations.
1. The words of God are not heard.
2. The restive shoulder is shown. Men turn away, when God by the inner motions of his Spirit, or by lesser chastisements, would bring them to the yoke of obedience. They would not hear the burden of the law, whereas they willingly bore that most heavy weight of their sins.
3. Obduracy. Their adamantine heart could be softened neither by promises nor threats; therefore nothing remained but the great wrath which they had treasured to themselves against the day of wrath [Pusey].
Hardness is the state of a person insensible alike to entreaties, expostulations, warnings, admonitions, and chastisements (Jer. 5:3). Men become obdurate
1. By separating themselves from God, the source of all life, just as a branch dries up when detached from the tree, or as a limb withers when the connection between it and the heart ceases.
2. By a life of pleasure and sin, the effects of which may be compared to those of the river north of Quito, petrifying, according to Kirwins account, the wood and leaves cast into its waters; or to those of the busy feet of passers-by, causing the crowded thoroughfare to grow hard [Rev. C. Neil].
Zec. 7:11-12. Causes of spiritual ruin.
1. Heedless indifference.
2. Stubborn rebellion
(1) in refusing the yoke, and
(2) in stopping the ears.
3. Resistance to the Holy Spirit.
Zec. 7:13-14. Self-inflicted calamities.
1. Rejection of God in trouble.
2. Dispersion in strange lands.
3. Devastation of country. Mark the contrast: the land of desire and the land of desolation. Obey the word of God and seek to reach that heavenly land of desire, where desolation is unknown, and whither the spoiler can never come [cf. Fausset].
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 7
Zec. 7:8-10, Duties. Your daily duties are a part of your religious life just as much as your devotions are [H. W. Beecher]. Formality in religion is the name of being alive [Jenkyn].
The path of duty is the way to glory [Tennyson].
Zec. 7:11-12. Stopped ears. Wise men are instructed by reason; men of less understanding by experience; the most ignorant by necessity; and beasts by nature [Cicero].
The ear is the road to the heart [Voltaire].
Zec. 7:13-14. Come to pass.
The past lives oer again
In its effects, and to the guilty spirit
The ever-frowning present is its image [S. T. Coleridge.]
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
THE SECOND ANSWERING STATEMENT . . . Zec. 7:8-14
RV . . . And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgement, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother; and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts. And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts; but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
LXX . . . And the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Judge righteous judgement, and deal mercifully and compassionately every one with his brother: and oppress not the widow, or the fatherless, or the stranger, or the poor; and let not one of you remember in his heart the injury of his brother. But they refused to attend, and madly turned their back, and made their ears heavy, so that they should not hear. And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hearken to my law, and the words which the Lord Almighty sent forth by his Spirit by the former prophets: so there was great wrath from the Lord Almighty. And it shall come to pass, that as he spoke, and they hearkened not, so they shall cry, and I will not hearken, saith the Lord Almighty. And I will cast them out among all the nations, whom they know not; and the land behind them shall be made utterly destitute of any going through or returning: yea they have made the choice land a desolation.
COMMENTS
The second answering statement to the questioners from Beth-el is a summary of what was taught by the former prophet. (It would be helpful here to review at least one of the pre-exilic prophets, possibly Micah.)
(Zec. 7:8-10) The demands of God which, if heeded, would have averted the necessity of the Babylonian exile can by no means be called unreasonable. He asked that the courts execute true judgement. Yet, as we saw in our study of Micah, the courts were in the hands of evil men who used them for their own gain in extorting land and money from the poor and the defenseless.
It seems, looking back across centuries at the iniquities of the courts of another people, that justice for all would have been a matter of simple decency. Yet one cannot but wonder at our own judicial system. Heavy charges have been alleged against our courts to the effect that justice in America is a rich mans commodity. If this be so, we may be assured that the God Who executes judgement over all nations will not allow it to go unnoticed. This is the sort of thing that destroys nations. Whatever else we learn from the captivity of the Jews by Babylon, this is obvious.
The questioners are further reminded that God had, through the former prophets, commanded their fathers to show kindness and compassion, every man to his brother; and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none devise evil against his brother in your heart.
Again these things seem, when viewed objectively, the common customs of any civilized people, particularly a people who claim to be Gods people. Yet, as we saw, Micah described in detail the cruel and often violent violation of each of these practices and he had warned their fathers of the consequences.
As in the case of the other evils which brought about Judahs exile to Babylon, American culture today seems fairly riddled with such cruelty. Most any daily newspaper will supply ample illustrations of the truth of this charge.
(Zec. 7:11-14) In these verses Zechariah reviews the response of the pre-exilic nation to the warnings of the prophets, and the consequences of that response. They had hardened their hearts, turned away and refused to listen.
Therefore Gods wrath had come, and the people had been driven from the land as chaff is driven before a whirlwind. It was part of this wrath that had brought about the burning and death which they commemorated by their annual fasts of mourning.
Gods first answer to the questions about fasting may be summarized like this; the fasts in question were not ordained of God. The events remembered in the fasts were part of Gods just punishment of the wickedness of the people. The people had not only deserved the punishment because of their evil ways, they deserved it doubly because they had refused to hear Gods prophets who were sent to call them to repentance and to warn them of what would happen if they failed to repent. Therefore, those who mourned the just punishment of God upon their fathers had best leave off such meaningless ceremonies and themselves heed the teaching of the former prophets.
As James would have it pure religion and undefiled before our God and father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (Jas. 1:27)
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(8-14) The prophet implies that true fasting is to loose the bands of wickedness and leave off oppression. But Israel had adopted quite the opposite course, and therefore God, in accordance with Deu. 4:27, had scattered them among the nations.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
God Calls The People To Righteous Living Rather Than Religious Zeal and Warns of the Consequences of Refusal ( Zec 7:8-14 ).
What Zechariah is saying is now expressed in more depth.
Zec 7:8-10
‘And the word of YHWH came to Zechariah saying, “Thus has YHWH of Hosts spoken, saying ‘Give true justice, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother. And do not oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, nor the stranger, nor the poor. And let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.” ’
‘Thus has YHWH of Hosts spoken.’ He had spoken through the former prophets as now He speaks through Zechariah. Thus the words of Zechariah carry all the weight of those of the former prophets.
Here the importance of true justice is brought out. We are reminded how earlier ‘swearing falsely’ had specifically been picked out as a failure of the times (Zec 5:4). If society is to prosper, fair and honest dealing in the means of obtaining justice must be an essential.
The attitude of men and women towards each other is then emphasised. They should demonstrate concern and love towards each other, and a willingness to understand and to forgive. They should be considerate and thoughtful towards one another. It should not be every man for himself, but every man for his brother.
The needs of the vulnerable are also stressed. The society may be struggling but it must not lose sight of its weaker members. Those who have no one to protect or care for them should be given full consideration and not be taken advantage of; the widows, left alone to fend for themselves; the fatherless, who have no father figure to protect and care for them; the stranger with no wider family to look to; the poor, who can wield no influence and struggle to survive. These should be treasured as giving an opportunity for showing love to God.
And finally warning is given of the danger of nursing grievances, of fostering envy, and of imagining evil in the heart. How often distress and disharmony are the result of hidden thoughts of the heart of which no one is aware, and how easily these grow until they take possession of a man’s ways and actions, often without a genuine cause.
Zec 7:11-12
‘But they refused to listen and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the Law and the words which YHWH of Hosts had sent by his Spirit by the hands of the former prophets, therefore came there great wrath from Yahweh of Hosts.’
But the people had refused to listen to the former prophets. They had ‘pulled away the shoulder.’ They had ceased to be willing to put in any effort. The picture may be of the oxen who refuses the yoke. Alternately it may be translated, ‘turned the shoulder’ i.e. behaved stubbornly.
They ‘stopped their ears.’ They were not even willing to give the message of the former prophets consideration. They did not want to hear. They ‘made their hearts as an adamant stone.’ They hardened their own hearts, always a sign of men going beyond the line past which repentance becomes very difficult. An adamant stone is a stone of especial hardness.
‘Lest they should hear the Law — and the words of the former prophets.’ Already we are getting that distinction which would later become firm, ‘the Law and the prophets’, the word of God. But we must remember that the Law (or ‘Instruction’) is comprised of God’s own personal demands on His people to Whom He has shown His favour, not just a set of regulations set up as a standard to live by.
‘The words which YHWH of Hosts had sent by His Spirit –’. The Spirit of YHWH had spoken directly to and through the former prophets, and refusal to hear their words was therefore a direct refutation of the Spirit of YHWH.
‘Therefore there came great wrath from YHWH of Hosts.’ This was why the people had suffered so greatly, because their offence had been so great. They had been given every chance, and had not only refused it but had deliberately set their hearts against it. There can be no doubt that Zechariah is here saying to his hearers and readers that this is a lesson and a warning to which they must pay great heed, for, if they take the same attitude as their predecessors did, worse could happen to them. The wrath of God is still revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Rom 1:18).
Zec 7:13
‘And it happened that as he cried and they would not hear, “so shall they cry and I will not hear,” said YHWH of Hosts.’
Note the change of person indicating personal conversation in the last part of the sentence.
‘In the same way as He cried and they would not hear.’ It was they who had started the process of not hearing. Up to that time God had been only too willing to hear. But they had closed their ears and refused to listen to Him.
“So shall they cry and I will not hear.” In the end God’s response is also to turn a deaf ear. They prayed, they fasted in the fifth month, but their prayer and fasting was superficial and not real. Had they become real at any time God would have heard. But real prayer results from repentance and a change of heart, from a true returning to Him. And this they would not, and in the end could not, do. It is one of the presumptions of man that God is always there whenever he deigns to call on Him. But here God Himself tells us that is not true. If we keep on dilly dallying when God is speaking to us there comes a time when He stops hearing us, and we stop being able to make a true response to Him. ‘How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?’ (Heb 2:3).
Zec 7:14
“But I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they have not known.” Thus the land was desolate after them with the result that no man passed through or returned, for they laid desolate the pleasant land (the land of desire).’
The result of God ceasing to hear was devastating. The rebellious and disobedient people were scattered among the nations. Among ‘all the nations whom they have not known.’ Peoples afar off and not close neighbours. They were transported, never themselves to return, and the land became desolate to such an extent that no one wanted to return and no one even wanted to pass through it. This is a slight exaggeration, but it establishes the point. So complete was the working of God’s wrath that it had rendered the land undesirable. Yet as we have seen earlier it was limited indignation. There was still a future for their descendants because the God of the covenant had not forgotten His promises.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
An Appeal to the Past
v. 8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
v. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, v. 10. and oppress not the widow nor the fatherless, v. 11. But they refused to hearken, v. 12. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, v. 18. Therefore it is come to pass, that as He cried, v. 14. but I scattered them with a whirlwind,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying 9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets; therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not: thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant and desolate.
Here is a confirmation of the subject, that the people had totally neglected God’s word, by the Prophet, for if the Reader will consult the scriptures of the Prophets on those points, he will find that the Lord here commands Zechariah to repeat to the same purport, as those servants of the Lord had done. See Isa 58 throughout, Jer 5 throughout, Hos 4 throughout, Mic 6 throughout.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 7:8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
Ver. 8. And the word ] See Trapp on “ Zec 7:4 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Zec 7:8-14
8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, 9Thus has the LORD of hosts said, Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. 12They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. 13And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen, says the LORD of hosts; 14but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.
Zec 7:8 Is this a textual marker to designate a new context? Joyce Baldwin, in Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, says it is an editorial addition that misunderstood the unity of the passage (cf. p. 145).
Zec 7:9-10 The prophets always direct the people back to their covenant responsibilities. They are covenant watch dogs! Zec 7:9-10 go back to the Mosaic covenant and its social requirements.
As an example the Ten Commandants have requirements towards God (which they had violated, cf. Zec 7:9-10). The blessings of God as well as the cursings of God are related to covenant fidelity (cf. Deuteronomy 27-29). These requirements and guidelines for life were not new or surprising to these returning Jews.
Zec 7:9 Dispense true justice There is a word play between the NOUN CONSTRUCT (BDB 1048) and the Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 1047, KB 1622). Covenant people are to treat each other fairly (cf. Mic 6:8). This particular phrase refers to judicial discussions (e.g., Lev 19:15; Deu 1:16-17; Pro 31:9; Eze 18:8; Eze 45:9), but has a wider metaphorical implication of appropriate covenant relationships between all the members of God’s people. This very term is repeated in Zec 8:16. Injustice offends God (cf. Hos 4:1-6).
kindness This word is hesed (BDB 338), the special covenant NOUN which speaks of YHWH’s longsuffering covenant loyalty (possibly best understood as family love). God is a faithful, loving God and He demands the same of His people. For a good discussion see New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, vol. 2, pp. 211-218. See .
compassion The term (BDB 933) originally had a family orientation (from the womb). This same term was used earlier in the angel’s prayer to God about not having compassion for Jerusalem. The two terms, kindness and compassion are used in Dan 1:9 to describe God’s graciousness to Daniel through Nebuchadnezzar’s overseer. As God treats us, we as His people should treat one another (cf. 1Jn 3:16). Our attitudes and actions show to whom we belong!
Zec 7:10 do not oppress the widow. . .the orphan. . .the stranger. . .the poor The NEGATED VERB (BDB 798, KB 897) is a Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense. Justice without partiality is a recurrent theme of the book of Deuteronomy (cf. Deu 1:17; Deu 10:17; Deu 16:19; Deu 24:14; Deu 24:17). God defends the defenseless.
NASB, JPSOAthe stranger
NKJV, NRSVthe alien
TEVforeigners
NJBthe foreigner
PESHITTAthe proselyte
This is the Hebrew term (BDB 158) which denotes a resident alien. These were free people, not slaves, but they had limited civil rights. God was seen as their protector and defender as He was for all socially deprived and poor people (cf. Exo 22:21-24; Deu 10:18). A special third year tithe was received locally to aid society’s needy (cf. Deu 14:28-29).
For a good discussion of Israelite social order see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel: Social Institutions, vol. 1, pp. 69-79.
do not devise evil in your hearts This VERB (BDB 362, KB 359) is another Qal IMPERFECT used as a JUSSIVE. This refers to legal procedures (cf. Zec 8:17) with an emphasis on proper attitude and motives. Treat others with respect as fellow covenant partners. Evil is always self-centered; love is always others-centered! See Special Topic: Heart .
Zec 7:11-12 This is a series of four parallel phrases describing the attitudes of disrespect and disobedience of God’s people.
1. they refused to pay attention
2. they turned a stubborn shoulder (cf. Neh 9:29)
3. they stopped their ears from hearing (cf. Jer 5:21; Jer 6:10)
4. they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear
5. also note Eze 7:13 a and compare Isa 6:9-10
Zec 7:12 They made their hearts like flint This Hebrew term (BDB 1038 I) refers to some kind of very hard material like corundum or diamond (cf. Jer 17:1). It is used metaphorically here of the hardness of the Jewish ancestors’ hearts toward God. This same metaphor of hardness is used in a positive way in Eze 3:9 for God equipping the prophet to face strong opposition.
This is active refusal to listen and heed God’s word and will (the opposite of shema). God’s people were in open, active, willful rebellion!
sent His Spirit through the former prophets This refers to the inspiration of the OT prophets (cf. Zec 1:4; Zec 7:7; Neh 9:20; Neh 9:30) by the agency of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1Pe 1:11; 1 Peter 2 I Pet. Zec 1:21; the God breathed of 2Ti 3:16). See Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible .
Often in the OT the Spirit is a way of referring to God (e.g., Psa 139:7-8; Isa 40:13; Isa 60:10-11) or God’s creative activity (e.g., Gen 1:2). God energizes humans to perform tasks with His strength and wisdom (e.g., Exo 28:3; Exo 31:3; Exo 35:31; Exo 35:34; Jdg 3:10; Jdg 6:34; Jdg 11:29; Jdgs. 13:54; Jdg 14:6; Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14).
The OT does not clearly reveal the NT concept of three divine persons with one essence, but it does begin to reveal a personal plurality in deity. The problem is that plurality and monotheism are hard to reconcile. The church is forced to articulate a triune unity because of the NT affirmations of:
1. the deity of Jesus
2. the personality of the Spirit. See Special Topic: THE TRINITY
therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts This willful disrespect and disobedience caused the curse of Deuteronomy 28 to become a reality (cf. Dan 9:1-19).
This disobedience with its resulting wrath (cf. Zec 7:14) caused the nations to misunderstand God and His redemptive purposes (cf. Eze 36:22-38).
Zec 7:13 God called God called to them through the covenants, the Exodus, the temple, and the prophets (cf. Hos 11:2), but they would not obey!
they called and I would not listen Now the tables are turned! God called and they would not hear, now they call for God’s help, but He will not hear (cf. Isa 1:15), not only because of their covenant disobedience, but also their covenant hypocrisy (cf. Isa 1:11-15). If they would truly repent, YHWH would respond (cf. Isa 1:16-20).
Zec 7:14 I scattered God is in control of history! This refers to the Exile.
This VERB (BDB 704, KB 762) is a Piel IMPERFECT. In the ancient world a military defeat meant the defeat of the national god. Israel and Judah’s defeat was not because of YHWH’s weakness, but their sin (cf. Daniel 9). It was YHWH who caused both the Assyrian (cf. Isa 10:5) and Babylonian exiles (cf. Jer 51:20-24).
the land is desolated The covenant promises were rescinded (cf. Deuteronomy 27-29). The Covenant has always been conditional on God’s grace and an appropriate human response.
God brought desolation (cf. Jer 4:6) so that He could bring restoration to a repentant people. Judgment is an act of love (cf. Heb 12:5-13).
NASBno one went back and forth
NKJVno one passed through or returned
NRSVno one went to and fro
TEVno one living in it
NJBno one came or went
This unusual phrase is found only in Zec 7:14; Zec 9:8. Zechariah is divided into two literary units (chapters 1-8 and 9-14). This unusual phrase appears in both units and, thereby becomes evidence for the unity of the book by one author.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Zec 7:8-14
THE SECOND ANSWERING STATEMENT . . . Zec 7:8-14
The second answering statement to the questioners from Beth-el is a summary of what was taught by the former prophet. (It would be helpful here to review at least one of the pre-exilic prophets, possibly Micah.)
(Zec 7:8-10) The demands of God which, if heeded, would have averted the necessity of the Babylonian exile can by no means be called unreasonable. He asked that the courts execute true judgement. Yet, as we saw in our study of Micah, the courts were in the hands of evil men who used them for their own gain in extorting land and money from the poor and the defenseless.
Zerr: The word comes from the Lord (Zec 7:8) but it was to be delivered to the people as a warning and exhortation to deal gently and justly with each other. Lord of hosts (Zec 7:9) means He is Lord of armies or other multitudes. The fathers had suffered through the unjust dealing of the princes and God wished his people to be spared such hardships now that they were back safely in their own land. Zec 7:10. It is not only wrong to engage in the actual cruel dealings against the helpless, but also to be only thinking about it.
It seems, looking back across centuries at the iniquities of the courts of another people, that justice for all would have been a matter of simple decency. Yet one cannot but wonder at our own judicial system. Heavy charges have been alleged against our courts to the effect that justice in America is a rich mans commodity. If this be so, we may be assured that the God Who executes judgement over all nations will not allow it to go unnoticed. This is the sort of thing that destroys nations. Whatever else we learn from the captivity of the Jews by Babylon, this is obvious.
The questioners are further reminded that God had, through the former prophets, commanded their fathers to show kindness and compassion, every man to his brother; and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none devise evil against his brother in your heart.
Again these things seem, when viewed objectively, the common customs of any civilized people, particularly a people who claim to be Gods people. Yet, as we saw, Micah described in detail the cruel and often violent violation of each of these practices and he had warned their fathers of the consequences.
As in the case of the other evils which brought about Judahs exile to Babylon, American culture today seems fairly riddled with such cruelty. Most any daily newspaper will supply ample illustrations of the truth of this charge.
(Zec 7:11-14) In these verses Zechariah reviews the response of the pre-exilic nation to the warnings of the prophets, and the consequences of that response. They had hardened their hearts, turned away and refused to listen.
Zerr: They (Zec 7:11) means the former princes and they pulled away the shoulder. That means they backslid from the work or service of the Lord and refused to do their share. The figure is based on a common means of service from the ox in those days, when the beast was required to press his shoulder against the yoke.
Therefore Gods wrath had come, and the people had been driven from the land as chaff is driven before a whirlwind. It was part of this wrath that had brought about the burning and death which they commemorated by their annual fasts of mourning.
Zerr: An adamant stone (Zec 7:12) is one of the hardest kind of stones and is used to illustrate the stubbornness of the people against the law of the Lord. When the prophets spoke the words of the Lord it was equivalent to His voice as to authority, hence the rejection of them brought down His wrath.
Gods first answer to the questions about fasting may be summarized like this; the fasts in question were not ordained of God. The events remembered in the fasts were part of Gods just punishment of the wickedness of the people. The people had not only deserved the punishment because of their evil ways, they deserved it doubly because they had refused to hear Gods prophets who were sent to call them to repentance and to warn them of what would happen if they failed to repent. Therefore, those who mourned the just punishment of God upon their fathers had best leave off such meaningless ceremonies and themselves heed the teaching of the former prophets.
Zerr: The refusal of the people to hear the call of the Lord (Zec 7:13) resulted in His refusal to hear when they cried out for mercy. A whirlwind (Zec 7:14) not only overthrows what Is in Its path, but picks up and carries it away. The fact is used to illustrate the work of God’s wrath in gathering up the unfaithful nation and carrying it into a strange land,
As James would have it pure religion and undefiled before our God and father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Reciprocal: Lev 10:20 – he was content Dan 9:6 – have we
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 7:8. The word comes from the Lord but it was to be delivered to the people as a warning and exhortation to deal gently and justly with each other.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Zec 7:8-14 is probably an amplification of the original address by a later hand and likewise Zec 8:1-17. Both are much like Zec 1:2-6.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
C. The command to repent 7:8-14
Having referred to the words of the former prophets (Zec 7:7), Zechariah now summarized them as an exhortation to his own generation of Israelites.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Zechariah received another message from the Lord related to this inquiry. The sovereign Lord commanded His people to dispense justice (Heb. mishpat), to exercise kindness (Heb. hesed) and compassion (Heb. rahamim) toward each other, not to oppress the weak and vulnerable among them, and not to plot evil against each other.
"Here . . . is a concise yet comprehensive range of ethical teaching condensed into four pithy utterances." [Note: Ellis, p. 1037. Cf. Micah 6:8.]
"Morality is certainly not piety, but the piety which does not include morality is a mere delusion. It mocks God and insults man." [Note: J. P. Lange, ed., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, vol. 7: The Book of Zechariah Expounded, by Talbot W. Chambers, p. 58.]