Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 8:7
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
7. from the east country, and from the west country ] Comp. Isa 43:5-6. The promise is larger than has yet been fulfilled.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I will save My people from the East country and from the West country – Dionysius: that is, the whole world; for Israel had been scattered in every part of the world. God had said to Israel, I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back Isa 43:5-6. The two tribes had been carried to Babylon and had been dispersed, or had been allowed to migrate to the various provinces of the Babylonian or Persian empire. But these were in the East, though commonly called the north, because they invaded Israel from the north. Those who had migrated to Egypt were in the south. As yet none were in the West. The dispersion, as well as the gathering, was still future. When our Lord came, they had migrated westward. Greece, Italy, Asia minor, were full of them; and from all they were gathered. All Pauls Epistles written to named Churches, were written to Churches formed from converts in the West. In all these countries God would gather His one people, His Church, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles Rom 9:24, grafted into them, as our Lord said, I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom (the unbelieving Jews, who were not the remnant) shall be cast out into outer darkness Mat 8:11-12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Zec 8:7-8
I will save My people from the East country, and from the West country
A two-fold Divine restoration
I.
A Divine temporal restoration. The reference here is to those Jews who had been scattered abroad over various countries through the Babylonian Captivity and other disastrous causes. The point is, that the restoration here promised is a temporal restoration to their own land and country. God is constantly restoring His people to those temporal blessings they have lost. He restores often–
1. To lost health;
2. To lost property;
3. To lost social status.
In all His peoples distresses He bids them look to Him.
II. A Divine spiritual restoration. This may mean, I will become their God in good faith or in reality, both on their side and on Mine. This is incomparably the most important restoration.
1. Man may lose his God, and be without God in the world.
2. The loss of God is the greatest loss. A man separated from God is like a branch separated from the root, a river from the fountain, a planet from the sun.
3. Restoration to God is the transcendent good. He who can say, The Lord is my portion, possesseth all things. This restoration the Almighty is effecting now in the world. He is in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. (Homilist.)
And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem–
The future of the Jews
The terms of this prediction carry us beyond any facts at that time existing, and refer to events then future. It predicts a return of the Jews from the West as well as the East, whilst at this time the only dispersion existing was toward the East in Babylon. Hence an universal dispersion is implied in this universal restoration, the terms, from East to West, being inclusive of the entire earth. This general dispersion did not occur until the final fall of Jerusalem, since which there has been no general restoration of the Jews, either in a literal or a figurative sense. Hence the main facts predicted are yet future. That they include a literal restoration of the Jews to their own land is probable, but that this is the main purport of the prophecy is just as improbable. There is something more than a mere political restoration required by the general drift of the prophecy, which is spiritual, not temporal, and which therefore demands a spiritual reunion to the spiritual theocracy, or the blood-bought and blood-washed Church of God. And this is particularly demanded by the covenant formula of Zec 8:8, They shall be My people, and I will be their God, which is always the exponent of spiritual blessings, and the fact is put beyond all question by the explanatory addendum, in truth and righteousness, which expressly affirms that this restoration and union are not to be outward, visible, and temporal, but inward, invisible, and spiritual. They will be a sincere and justified people, as He will be a true and pardoning God. (T. V. Moore, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. I will save my people from the east country, and from the west] From every land in which any of them may be found. But these promises principally regard the Christian Church, or the bringing in the Jews with the fulness of the Gentiles.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thus saith the Lord of hosts: here again God engageth his almighty power to make good his promise.
Behold; consider well what power is to do this.
I will save my people, bring them safe,
from the east country; Persia and Media, which lay east from Jerusalem, and, being now masters of Babylon and the captive Jews, they are said to be brought out of the east, though otherwhiles they are brought out of the north; both very consistent.
And from the west country: no doubt some of the Jews were carried westward; the trade of selling men was known in those days, and Tyre is noted and threatened for it by Ezekiel, Eze 27:13, beside other sea-towns west of Canaan, which would be ready to buy captive Jews, and convey them westward. But if this promise should look to the Roman empire, and secure the Jews a return from that captivity, it is plain how their empire lay west from the Jews. Or perhaps it is a synecdoche, these two parts of the world mentioned, but all parts intended, as Psa 1:1; 113:3; Mal 1:11.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. save my people from . . . east .. . westthat is, from every region (compare Ps50:1; the “West” is literally, “the going down ofthe sun”) to which they are scattered; they are now foundespecially in countries west of Jerusalem. The dispersion underNebuchadnezzar was only to the east, namely, to Babylonia. Therestoration, including a spiritual return to God (Zec8:8), here foretold, must therefore be still future (Isa 11:11;Isa 11:12; Isa 43:5;Isa 43:6; Eze 37:21;Amo 9:14; Amo 9:15;also Zec 13:9; Jer 30:22;Jer 31:1; Jer 31:33).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold,…. As being something wonderful, of great importance, and deserving attention:
I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; this can not be understood of bringing those Jews that remained in Babylon, and other places, to their own land, for Babylon lay north of Judea; see Zec 6:6, and as yet there were no Jews in the western part of the world; but now they are chiefly in the east and west, from whence they will be gathered at the time of their general conversion; though this may refer to the times of the apostles of Christ, and to their ministry in the several parts of the world, who went forth, east, west, north, and south, and were the means and instruments of saving the Lord’s people, both Jews and Gentiles, wherever they came, from the rising of the sun, to the setting of the same; see Mal 1:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Zec 8:7. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I save my people out of the land of the rising and out of the land of the setting of the sun. Zec 8:8. And I bring them hither, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and will be my people, and I shall be their God, in truth and righteousness.” The deliverance of the people of God out of the heathen lands did indeed commence with the return of a body of exiles from Babylon under the guidance of Zerubbabel, but their deliverance out of all the countries of the earth is still in the future. Instead of all countries, the land of the rising (the east) and the land of the setting (the west) are individualized (cf. Psa 50:1; Psa 113:3; Isa 59:19; Mal 1:11). This deliverance is first effected through the Messiah. This is indisputably evident from the words, “I bring them to Jerusalem,” by which of course we cannot understand the earthly Jerusalem, since that would not furnish space enough for the Jews scattered throughout all the world, but the open and enlarged Jerusalem mentioned in Zec 2:8, i.e., the Messianic kingdom of God. Then will those who have been gathered together out of all the countries of the earth become in truth God’s nation. Israel was the nation of Jehovah, and Jehovah was also Israel’s God from the time of the establishment of the old covenant at Sinai (Exodus 24). This relation is to be restored in the future, “in truth and righteousness.” This is the new feature by which the future is to be distinguished from the present and the past. The words “in truth and righteousness” belong to the two clauses, “they shall be” and “I will be.” For the fact itself, compare Hos 2:21-22; and for the expression, Isa 48:1 and 1Ki 3:6.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
He pursues the same subject, and introduces a preface, very necessary in so confused a state of things; for it was very difficult to raise up desponding minds and to inspire them with confidence, when pressed down with fear and trembling. This is the reason why Zechariah repeats so often, that he declared nothing but God’s commands only.
Behold, he says, I will save, or deliver my people. As dispersion took away hope, the Prophet restores it, and says, that it would not be difficult to gather the people from all parts of the world, when God stretched forth his hand; and emphatical is the expression, I will deliver my people. God then does here exalt himself, that we may learn to exalt his power, and not to judge of it according to our own comprehension. I will deliver my people, he says, from the rising as well as from the setting of the sun. This sentence then is connected with the preceding, in which the Prophet briefly shows that the Jews erred and acted perversely, when they ascribed no more to God than what the judgment of their own flesh dictated, or what seemed probable according to the course of nature. As then he had taught them that great wrong is done to God except he is separated from men, and shines eminent above the whole world, he now adds, that God, with whom nothing is wonderful or difficult, had resolved to gather his people, and from their dispersion to restore them again to Jerusalem. The Prophet then says here nothing new, but rightly applies what he had just said of God’s infinite and incomprehensible power, which men absurdly attempt to inclose in their own brains, and to attach to earthly instrumentalities.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) From the east . . . and from the west.There were Jews in exile in the west as well as in the east (Joe. 3:6); and, indeed, a very general dispersion may be almost implied from Isa. 43:5-6.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7, 8. There will be a restoration more extensive than the return of 537.
My people The Jews still in exile (compare Zec 2:6 ff.; Isa 43:5-6; Jer 30:10).
East west Literally, rising and setting of the sun. Only two points of the compass are mentioned, though the prophet expects a return from all quarters of the globe (compare Psa 50:1; Mal 1:11). All the returning exiles will flock to Jerusalem, the dwelling place of Jehovah, there to worship him as their God (see on Mic 4:1-4; Hos 2:23). The restoration to fellowship will be sealed with a new covenant (Jer 30:22).
In truth and in righteousness See on Hos 2:19-20.
Message of encouragement and admonition, 9-17.
After picturing the future in such glowing colors the prophet turns with words of encouragement to his contemporaries, who might be tempted to lose heart. True, they have suffered much, but now Jehovah is thinking “to do good unto Jerusalem and to Judah” (9-15), if they will keep his commandments (16, 17).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Zec 8:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
Ver. 7. Behold, I will save my people from the east ] This was in part, no doubt, literally meant to be the scattered Jews; and fulfilled also in those 500 years’ time between the captivity and Christ, though stories tell us not when and how; and shall be much more at their much desired conversion. For this is laid down for a general rule, that all evangelical promises made to the Jews, seeing they neither at first received the gospel, nor ever hitherto enjoyed that peace, plenty, and prosperity which these and such like promises do purport, cannot but aim at somewhat that is yet to come. Albeit it cannot be denied but that the great and glorious things which in the height and excellence thereof are spoken particularly to them, do in their measure and degree appertain in common to all the faithful; and so in the New Testament are ordinarily applied.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Behold, I will, &c. = Behold Me saving, &c. from the east country, &a Compare Isa 43:5. Note the Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6, for the whole earth, See Psa 50:1; Psa 113:3. Isa 59:19. Mal 1:11, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I: Psa 107:2, Psa 107:3, Isa 11:11-16, Isa 27:12, Isa 27:13, Isa 43:5, Isa 43:6, Isa 49:12, Isa 59:19, Isa 66:19, Isa 66:20, Jer 31:8, Eze 37:19-25, Hos 11:10, Hos 11:11, Amo 9:14, Amo 9:15, Mal 1:11, Rom 11:25-27
west country: Heb. country of the going down of the sun, Psa 50:1, Psa 113:3
Reciprocal: Deu 30:3 – gather thee Eze 36:33 – cause Zec 10:6 – I will save Zec 10:10 – out of the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 8:7. East country and west country signifies that God will gather up his people from all places where they have been scattered. The bulk of the nation was in Babylon, but some were scattered in various other places.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Sovereign Yahweh promised to deliver His people from the distant places in the world where He had scattered them and to bring them back to live in Jerusalem (cf. Isa 11:11-12; Jer 30:7-11; Jer 31:7-8). Jerusalem stands for the whole land here (by metonymy), not "the true church of God." [Note: Leupold, p. 148. Cf. McComiskey, p. 1141.] It identifies the place where people would come to worship the Lord. There they would enjoy intimacy with Him, a relationship marked by truth and righteousness. This future Exodus depended on Yahweh’s electing grace and His covenant faithfulness just as much as the original Exodus did.
"’They will be my people, and I will be . . . their God’ is covenant terminology, pertaining to intimate fellowship in a covenant relationship (cf. Gen 17:7-8; Exo 6:7; Exo 19:5-6; Exo 29:45-46; Lev 11:45; Lev 22:33; Lev 25:38; Lev 26:12; Lev 26:44-45; Num 15:41; Deu 4:20; Deu 29:12-13; Jer 31:33; Jer 32:38; Eze 37:27; 2Co 6:16; Rev 21:3)." [Note: Barker, p. 651.]
"This is one of the greatest and most comprehensive promises in reference to Israel’s restoration and conversion to be found in the prophetic Scriptures." [Note: Baron, p. 237.]