Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 2:2
Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what [is] the breadth thereof, and what [is] the length thereof.
Whither goest thou? it is evident the prophet did not in so bold a manner inquire before, which may possibly be for that he apprehended this man to be one lesser than an angel; nor doth he ask the meaning of this hieroglyphic, but, understanding what it meant, the prophet inquires only where the platform was to be laid.
To measure; to take the exact dimensions of it, that it may answer Gods promise, and be capable to receive its inhabitants.
Jerusalem; the city, which was to be built hereafter, but first the temple is to be built.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. To measure Jerusalem(CompareRev 11:1; Rev 21:15;Rev 21:16).
to see what isthe breadth . . . what is the lengthrather,”what is to be the due breadth and length.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said I, Whither goest thou?…. As it showed great freedom and boldness in the prophet to put such a question to the man with the measuring reed, it was great condescension in him to return him an answer, as follows:
and he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem; not literally understood, which was not yet thoroughly built; but the Gospel church, often so called; see Heb 12:22 and this measuring of it denotes the conformity of it to the rule of God’s word; a profession of the true doctrines of it, and an observance of the ordinances of it, as delivered in it; and an agreement of the walk, life, and conversation of its members with it:
to see what [is] the breadth thereof, and what [is] the length thereof; the length of the New Jerusalem is as large as the breadth; its length, breadth, and height, are equal, Re 21:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He then asks him where he was going; the answer given is, to measure Jerusalem, to see what was its breadth and its length. The design of the prophecy is then stated, Behold, inhabited shall be Jerusalem throughout all its villages, (29) as it could not contain within its walls so large a multitude of men. God then would so increase his people, that they could not be contained within its walls, but that the limits of the Church would be spacious. Inhabited then shall be Jerusalem throughout all its villages, that is, through the whole country around. This is the meaning.
We now see the design of the Holy Spirit. As a small portion only had returned from exile, the faithful might have become disheartened when they found that the restoration of the Church was very far from being so splendid as what had been so often predicted and promised. It was therefore necessary that they should be encouraged, in order that they might patiently wait while God was performing by degrees, and step by step, what he had testified. That they might not then confine God’s favor to a short period, or to a few days, the Prophet says here, that the measure of Jerusalem was different in the sight of God from what it was in the sight of men. With regard to the “line”, it was according to the ancient custom; for we know that they did not then use a ten foot pole or some such measure, but a line.
The Prophet, by saying that he raised up his eyes and saw this man, reminds us that Jerusalem was to be regarded prospectively: for they could hardly be induced then to build the city as a small and obscure town. We hence see that a difference is to be here noticed between the external aspect of Jerusalem, such as it was then, and its future condition, for which they were to look though not then visible. This then is the design of the prophecy, when it is said, that when Zechariah raised up his eyes, he saw a measure or a line in the hand of a man. He further reminds us that he was attentive to these visions, for by asking he proves that he was not asleep or indifferent, as many are who extinguish every light by their sloth; and I wish there was no such torpor prevailing among us in the present day! for we justly suffer punishment for our contempt, whenever we heedlessly and negligently attend to what God sets before us. Let us then learn greater attention and diligence from the Prophet’s example.
He asks where he was going, the answer given is, to measure: and then he shows what would be the measure of Jerusalem, that it would hereafter extend beyond the walls, as that compass would not contain the vast number of the people. “God will extend,” he says, “far and wide the holy city; it will no longer be confined as before to its own walls, but will be inhabited through all its villages.” There is then no doubt but that God intended here to bear witness respecting the propagation of his Church, which was to follow a long time afterwards, even after the coming of Christ. For though Jerusalem became wealthy and also large in its compass, and, as it is well known, a triple city, and heathen writers say that it was among the first of the cities of the East when Babylon was still existing, yet this prophecy was not verified in the state of Jerusalem, for it was not inhabited without its walls, nor did it spread through the whole of Judea. We hence conclude, that the spiritual Jerusalem is here described, which differs from all earthly cities.
(29) Literally it is, “villages shall Jerusalem inhabit;” Jerusalem is to be taken, as “land” in Zec 1:21, for its inhabitants. [ פרזות ] were villages, open, unwalled, not fortified. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) What is . . .Since there is no verb is or will be expressed in the original, it has been disputed whether the reference is to the actual or to the future condition of Jerusalem. But, we have little hesitation in saying that the whole vision is prophetic of the state of Jerusalem from its restoration to the time when Gods protection should be eventually removed from it. To this latter event, however, no reference is as yet made.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.”
Reader, observe the familiarity of the Prophet, and then turn to that scripture, Isa 45:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 2:2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what [is] the breadth thereof, and what [is] the length thereof.
Ver. 2. Whither goest thou? ] This was great boldness; but the prophet understood himself well enough; and Christ approves and assents to it in a gracious answer here, and especially Zec 2:4 . Great is the confidence of a good conscience toward God, 1Pe 3:21 . See Isa 63:16-17 Hab 1:12 . We may come boldly to the throne of grace, Heb 4:16 .
To measure Jerusalem
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jerusalem. With’eth. See note on Zec 1:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Whither: Zec 5:10, Joh 16:5
unto: Jer 31:39, Eze 45:6, Eze 48:15-17, Eze 48:30-35, Rev 11:1, Rev 21:15-17
Reciprocal: Job 38:5 – who hath stretched Eze 40:3 – with Amo 7:7 – a wall Zec 1:16 – and Zec 1:19 – What
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 2:2-3. Upon inquiry, the man with the measuring line told Zechariah he was going to measure Jerusalem. This is the same thing that is stated in Zec 1:16. It pertains to the reconstruction period when the building of Jerusalem and vicinity was to be restored after the return from exile.