Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 8:13
And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but] let your hands be strong.
13. a curse a blessing ] Either, the object of cursing and blessing, as men cursed you before so now they shall bless you (Jer 22:9); or a formula of imprecation or benediction, God make thee like them (Jer 29:22; Gen 48:20; Rth 4:11-12).
heathen ] nations, R. V.
house of Judah, and house of Israel ] Not only the two tribes but the ten. This has never yet been fulfilled.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you – The ten tribes bore the name of Israel, in contrast with the two tribes with the name of Judah, not only in the history but in the prophets; as Hosea says, I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, and on the house of Judah I will have mercy Hos 1:6-7. Here he unites both; both, in the time of their captivity, were a curse, were held to be a thing accursed, as it is said, He that is hanged is the curse of God Deu 21:23, that is, a thing accursed by Him; and God foretold of Judah, that they should be a desolation and a curse 2Ki 22:10, and by Jeremiah, I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for hurt, a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them ; and in deed, when it was so, therefore is your land a desolation and an astonishment and a curse without an inhabitant, as at this day Jer 44:22.
Now the sentence was to be reversed as to both. As ye were a curse, among the nations, naming each, so I will save you. There would have been no proportion between the curse and the blessing, unless both had been included under the blessing, as they were under the curse. But Israel had no share in the temporal blessing, not returning from captivity, as Zechariah knew they were not returned hitherto. Therefore the blessings promised must be spiritual. Even a Jewish commentator saw this. It is possible, that this may have been spoken of the second temple, on condition that they should keep the commandments of the Lord; or, it is still future, referring to the days of the Messiah: and this is proved by the following verse which says, O house of Judah and house of Israel. During the second temple the house of Israel did not return.
And ye shall be a blessing – This is a revival and an application of the original promise to Abraham, thou shalt be a blessing Gen 12:2; which was continued to Jacob, God give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee Gen 28:4. And of the future king, of whom it is said, Thou gavest him length of days forever and ever, David says, Thou hast made him blessings forever Psa 21:4, Psa 21:6, and again, They shall be blessed in Him Psa 72:17). So Isaiah had said of the days of Christ, In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land; Isa 19:24; and symbolically of the cluster of grapes, Destroy it not: for a blessing is in it Isa 65:8; and Ezekiel, I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing Eze 34:26. They were this; for of them, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever Rom 9:5; of them were the Apostles and Evangelists, of them every writer of Gods word, of them those who carried the Gospel throughout the world. Osorius: Was this fulfilled, when the Jews were under the Persians? or when they paid tribute to the Greeks? or when they trembled, hour by hour, at the mention of the Roman name? Do not all count those who rule much happier than those oppressed by the rule of others? The prediction then was fulfilled, not then, but when Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, shone on the earth, and He chose from the Hebrews lights, through whom to dissipate darkness and illumine the minds of people who were in that darkness. The Jews, when restored from the captivity, seemed born to slavery. They were reputed to be of slaves the most despised. But when they had through Christ been put in possession of that most sure liberty, they overthrew, through their empire, the power and tyranny of the evil spirits.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Zec 8:13
So I will save you
Mans need and Gods provision
I.
Man in the natural and fallen state. As ye were a curse among the heathen. Sinners are under the curse of God. Mankind in general, as transgressors, all whose sins are unpardoned, are under the curse of God. Those who are in their natural and carnal state are a curse to themselves. The dispositions which they cherish, the practices which they adopt, injure their health, blast their reputation, often ruin their circumstances, and lead to sorrow and wretchedness and death. And sinners are a curse to others. They diffuse evil, they propagate mischief, they are corruptors.
II. The gracious purpose of God in reference to man, as made known in the Gospel. So will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. This salvation has been procured for man by the atonement and intercession of Christ. This salvation is free to all, without any exception, without any limitation. This salvation can only be experienced by those who exercise repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The gracious and delightful result of this design in connection with the children of men. Ye shall be a blessing. Those who are saved inherit the blessing of God. Those who are saved are a blessing to themselves. (J. H. Bumby.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. As ye were a curse] Instead of being execrated among the people, ye shall be blessed; instead of being reproached, ye shall be commended. Ye shall be a blessing to all the nations round about. All these promises we may expect to be completely fulfilled when the Jews acknowledge their Messiah.
O house of Judah, and house of Israel] The restoration shall be complete, when both Israel and Judah are brought back.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As ye were a curse; as threatened Deu 28:37; Jer 24:9; 29:18, all which came upon them in this seventy years captivity, and the miseries that preceded.
Among the heathen; nations who knew the misery which they heaped on the Jews, nations among whom they were scattered.
House of Judah; two tribes.
House of Israel; ten tribes, or rather some of them which escaped Shalmanesers hand, and adhered to Judah; or some that from the division of the tribes did keep close to the house of David, and the temple worship.
So will I save you; in such a manner will I save you. so wonderfully, so graciously.
Ye shall be a blessing; a form or model of blessing, as Zep 3:19,20.
Fear not, but let your hands be strong; be not discouraged, neither slack your hands, in the building of the temple, and restoring the worship of God, for God will be with you, and finish all by and for you.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. a curseAs the heathenhave made you another name for “a curse,” wishing to theirfoes as bad a lot as yours (Jer 24:9;Jer 29:18); so your name shall bea formula of blessing, so that men shall say to their friend, May thylot be as happy as that of Judah (Ge48:20). Including also the idea of the Jews being a source ofblessing to the Gentile nations (Mic 5:7;Zep 3:20). The distinct mentionof “Judah” and “Israel” proves that the prophecyhas not yet had its full accomplishment, as Israel (the tentribes) has never yet been restored, though individuals ofIsrael returned with Judah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen,…. Reproached, vilified, and called accursed by them; see Jer 24:9 as true Christians, and real believers in Christ, are by the men of this world, 1Co 4:12:
O house of Judah, and house of Israel; both being carried captive at different times, and were typical of the true and Spiritual Israel of God:
so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; be blessed in themselves with the above blessings of plenty and prosperity in outward things; see Hag 2:19 and a blessing to others, and blessed by them; and all those who are saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation are blessed with all spiritual blessings in him:
fear not; neither their enemies, nor the accomplishment of these promises:
[but] let your hands be strong; as in Zec 8:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The whole blessing is finally summed up in one expression in Zec 8:13: “ And it will come to pass, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I endow you with salvation, that ye may be a blessing. Fear not, let your hands be strong.” The formula, to be a curse among the nations, is to be interpreted according to Jer 24:9; Jer 25:9; Jer 42:18; 2Ki 22:19, as equivalent to being the object of a curse, i.e., so smitten by God as to serve as the object of curses. In harmony with this, the phrase to “become a blessing” is equivalent to being so blessed as to be used as a benedictory formula (cf. Gen 48:22; Jer 29:22). This promise is made to the remnant of Judah and Israel, and therefore of all the twelve tribes, who are to become partakers of the future salvation in undivided unity (cf. Zec 9:10, Zec 9:13; Zec 10:6; Zec 11:14). Israel is therefore to look forward to the future without alarm.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
He goes on with the same subject, and in this verse he states two contrary things, in order to render more clear what he teaches here — that while God was angry the earth was barren, and all things went on unhappily with the Jews; but that when God had begun to be reconciled, the earth had as it were changed its nature, and brought forth plentifully, and that they were in every way made blessed.
Hence he says, As ye have been a curse, etc. Here again he mentions and reminds them how miserable they were while they minded only their private interest, and by neglecting the temple manifested their impiety and ingratitude; for what ought they to have been more ready to do when they returned to their country than to build the temple, and to offer there sacrifices to God, in order to avow him as the author of their deliverance? But the temple was neglected; and the Prophet concludes that they must have been extremely forgetful, if they did not consider what their condition was as long as they had no care for the temple; and he says that they had been a curse among the nations; that is, that they were an example of a curse, according to the threatening of the law. For it is a mode of speaking frequent in Scripture, that the people were a curse; and the common formula of cursing was — “Let the Lord curse thee as he does the Jews.” Zechariah then says that the Jews had been a curse, that they had not only been smitten by God’s hand, but that they had been given up to calamities, in order that they might become to all detestable, and bear in a manner signs of God’s wrath imprinted on them. Whoever then at that time looked on a Jew, he might see that he had the appearance of bearing a curse. In short, Zechariah means that the Jews had been punished in a manner not common or usual, but that God had executed on them dreadful judgments, which made it evident to all that he was grievously offended with them. Ye have been then a curse among all nations (87)
He then adds, So I will save you, as ye shall be a blessing. The word save is introduced that God might more clearly set forth his favor, lest the Jews should think that the change had been effected by fortuitous change; for we know that men’s thoughts soon change, and they feign this or that cause that they may obscure God’s providence. God then, before he promises that they should be a blessing, says that he would save them. What it is to be a blessing may be easily learnt from the opposite clause. They are then said to be a blessing who bear evident tokens of God’s favor and kindness. So the Prophet means, that when people wished to be prayed for, or when they wished well to one another, this would be the common form of their requests — “May God bless us as he blesses his chosen people: as the Jews are dear to God, so may he favor us with the same or similar kindness.” Thus then we see that the Jews were a curse, when exposed to extreme reproaches; and that they became a blessing when God manifested towards them tokens of favor, and showed in reality, or by the effect, that he was pacified towards them.
He says, in the last place, Fear ye not; strengthened be your hands. He exhorts them to entertain hope, for fear stands opposed to confidence; and fear, proceeding from unbelief, cannot be otherwise dissipated but by God’s promises made to us, which chase away all doubts. Rightly then does the Prophet teach us that the Jews had no reason to fear, for he declares that God was propitious to them. We indeed know that all fear cannot be wholly driven away from the hearts of men; for it would be necessary to deprive us of every feeling before we could regard dangers without fears. But though fear is natural to us, and occasions of fear ever occur to us, yet the fear of unbelief may be dispelled by faith; and hence it is no wonder that God condemns fear, when he promises salvation to his elect. But as I have said, we ought to observe that there is here a contrast between condemnable fear and that confidence which relies on God’s word. We must also add, that the confidence of God’s children is never so complete that they are free from all fear, even the fear of unbelief; but still we ought to struggle against it, so as not to be hindered in the course of our calling. And this we learn more fully from the end of the verse.
Strengthened be your hands. But why does the Prophet forbid the Jews to fear? even for this purpose, — that they might arouse themselves for the work which the Lord had allotted to them, and not allow fear to retard them or to prevent them to persevere.
We now then perceive how the faithful become prepared and ready to render service to God: sloth must first be shaken off — but how? even by having fear removed. What is the remedy for healing fear? even to recomb on the promises of God; for when our minds are composed, the hands and the feet and all the members will be ready to do their office. Alacrity both of mind and heart and of all the members follows, when fear is shaken off, and when men begin so to rely on God’s word, as to know that his help is enough for them against all dangers, and to dread nothing, being convinced that the Lord will by his power remove all hindrances.
(87) Calvin takes no notice of the words “House of Judah, and house of Israel.” This has occasioned difficulty to some interpreters. But Newcome thinks that “many of the ten tribes” returned with “the house of Judah” from captivity, and are here addressed. Henderson is of the same opinion, and adds these remarks — “They also (that is the house of Israel) returned to Palestine, [ בימים האלה ], in the very days (verse 15) to which it (the prophecy) refers. All attempts to discover them at more recent periods have proved utterly fruitless; and the idea that they must still exist somewhere in the world, and are still to be restored in their tribal state, has arisen from misconstruction of those prophecies which refer to the return from Babylon.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) Comp. Isa. 46:9 with Jer. 24:9. The contents of this verse is the converse of that of Jos. 23:15.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 8:13. As ye were a curse, &c. A standing form of imprecations among the heathens, who wished that their enemies might be as miserable as the Jews. This was to be changed into a blessing, to the contrary effect: “May you be as happy as the Jews who are restored.” See Grotius and Calmet. No one can help remarking, throughout the sacred writings, how careful the prophets are to inculcate the moral duties, and how great a stress is laid upon them in the sight of God; insomuch that, in neglect of these, the strictest observance of external ceremonies is so far from acceptable, that it rather inhances guilt. See Zec 8:16 and the preceding chapter.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Zec 8:13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but] let your hands be strong.
Ver. 13. As ye were a curse among the heathen ] The people of God’s wrath, and of his curse, Isa 34:5 , abhorred and accursed by all nations, Jer 24:9 ; lastly, a proverb and a pattern for any fearful imprecation, Eze 14:8 , as those that had the bloody weals of God’s visible vengeance on their backs, and, Cain-like, had his manifest mark upon their persons and proceedings. The Turks at this day so hate the Jews for crucifying Christ, that they use to say, in detestation of a thing, I would I might die a Jew, then; Let me be a Jew if I defraud thee, &c. Such a taunt and a curse this wretched people are still. As they curse Christ and his followers continually every day, so it comes into their heart like water, and like oil into their bones, Psa 109:18 .
O house of Judah, and house of Israel
So will I save you
And ye shall be a blessing
Fear not, but let your hands be strong
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
as = according as.
heathen = nations.
house of Israel. Looking on to the future fulfilment, which rests on the condition of Zec 8:8.
ye shall be a blessing. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 12:2). App-92.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a curse: Deu 28:37, Deu 29:23-28, 1Ki 9:7, 1Ki 9:8, 2Ch 7:20-22, Psa 44:13, Psa 44:14, Psa 44:16, Psa 79:4, Isa 65:15, Isa 65:16, Jer 24:9, Jer 25:18, Jer 26:6, Jer 29:18, Jer 42:18, Jer 44:12, Jer 44:22, Lam 2:15, Lam 2:16, Lam 4:15, Eze 5:15, Dan 9:11
O house: Zec 1:19, Zec 9:13, Zec 10:6, 2Ki 17:18-20, Isa 9:20, Isa 9:21, Jer 32:30-32, Jer 33:24, Eze 37:11, Eze 37:16-19
ye shall: The consideration that all nations who now worship the true God, and receive the Sacred Scriptures as His word, have derived the whole of their divine knowledge, under God, from Jewish prophets, apostles, and teachers, and that the Saviour “in whom all nations shall be blessed,” sprang from that favoured race, emphatically explains what is meant by “ye shall be a blessing.” The full accomplishment of this prediction, however, is probably reserved for the future restoration of the Jews. Zec 8:20-23, Zec 10:6-9, Gen 12:2, Gen 12:3, Gen 26:4, Rth 4:11, Rth 4:12, Psa 72:17, Isa 19:24, Isa 19:25, Mic 5:7, Zep 3:20, Gal 3:14, Gal 3:28, Gal 3:29, Hag 2:19
fear not: Zec 8:9, Isa 35:3, Isa 35:4, Isa 41:10-16, 1Co 16:13
Reciprocal: Num 5:27 – the woman Deu 31:6 – Be strong 2Sa 16:21 – the hands Isa 43:28 – and have Isa 61:9 – their seed Eze 34:26 – make them Dan 10:19 – be strong Zep 3:15 – hath taken Hag 2:5 – fear Zec 8:15 – fear Rom 4:20 – but was Eph 6:10 – be
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 8:13. Judah and Israel are named separately which shows us that all 12 tribes of the Jews came back from the captivity and that proves that the doctrine of “the lost ten tribes is a false one and at variance with the facts of history and truth of prophecy.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Even though the Israelites had been a curse among the nations in the past (cf. Deu 28:15-68; Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:22), the Lord would save them and make them a blessing to the world in the future.
"Not only the two tribes [of Judah] but the ten [of Israel]. This has never yet been fulfilled." [Note: Perowne, p. 105. Cf. Jeremiah 31:1-31; Ezekiel 37:11-28.]
One of the purposes of these promises was to remove the Jews’ present fear and give them strength to complete the temple. "Let your hands be strong" is the exhortation that frames this sixth message of encouragement (cf. Zec 8:9).