7 And saved hath Jehovah the tents of Judah first, So that become not great against Judah Doth the beauty of the house of David, And the beauty of the inhabitant of Jerusalem.
And he answereth and speaketh unto me, saying: `This `is' a word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by a force, nor by power, But -- by My Spirit, said Jehovah of Hosts.
and greater grace he doth give, wherefore he saith, `God against proud ones doth set Himself up, and to lowly ones He doth give grace?'
And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us; on every side being in tribulation, but not straitened; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; at all times the dying of the Lord Jesus bearing about in the body, that the life also of Jesus in our body may be manifested, for always are we who are living delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our dying flesh, so that, the death indeed in us doth work, and the life in you.
for see your calling, brethren, that not many `are' wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but the foolish things of the world did God choose, that the wise He may put to shame; and the weak things of the world did God choose that He may put to shame the strong; and the base things of the world, and the things despised did God choose, and the things that are not, that the things that are He may make useless -- that no flesh may glory before Him; and of Him ye -- ye are in Christ Jesus, who became to us from God wisdom, righteousness also, and sanctification, and redemption, that, according as it hath been written, `He who is glorying -- in the Lord let him glory.'
The Pharisees, therefore, answered them, `Have ye also been led astray? did any one out of the rulers believe in him? or out of the Pharisees? but this multitude, that is not knowing the law, is accursed.'
He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart, He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly, The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty,
At that time Jesus answering said, `I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee.
and it is broken in that day, and know well do the afflicted of the flock who are observing me, that it `is' a word of Jehovah.
In that day I raise the tabernacle of David, that is fallen, And I have repaired their breaches, And its ruins I do raise up, And I have built it up as in days of old.
Thus said Jehovah: Let not the wise boast himself in his wisdom, Nor let the mighty boast himself in his might, Let not the rich boast himself in his riches, But -- in this let the boaster boast himself, In understanding and knowing Me, For I `am' Jehovah, doing kindness, Judgment, and righteousness, in the earth, For in these I have delighted, An affirmation of Jehovah.
Jehovah of Hosts hath counselled it, To pollute the excellency of all beauty, To make light all the honoured of earth.
The haughty eyes of man have been humbled, And bowed down hath been the loftiness of men, And set on high hath Jehovah alone been in that day. For a day `is' to Jehovah of Hosts, For every proud and high one, And for every lifted up and low one, And for all cedars of Lebanon, The high and the exalted ones, And for all oaks of Bashan, And for all the high mountains, And for all the exalted heights, And for every high tower, And for every fenced wall, And for all ships of Tarshish, And for all desirable pictures. And bowed down hath been the haughtiness of man, And humbled the loftiness of men, And set on high hath Jehovah alone been in that day.
For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear `it', He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.
When I said, `Lest they rejoice over me, In the slipping of my foot against me they magnified themselves.
If, truly, over me ye magnify yourselves, And decide against me my reproach;
In that hour was Jesus glad in the Spirit, and said, `I do confess to thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, that Thou didst hide these things from wise men and understanding, and didst reveal them to babes; yes, Father, because so it became good pleasure before Thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 12
Commentary on Zechariah 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The apostle (Gal. 4:25, 26) distinguishes between "Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children'-the remaining carcase of the Jewish church that rejected Christ, and "Jerusalem that is from above, that is free, and is the mother of us all'-the Christian church, the spiritual Jerusalem, which God has chosen to put his name there; in the foregoing chapter we read the doom of the former, and left that carcase to be a prey to the eagles that should be gathered to it. Now, in this chapter, we have the blessings of the latter, many precious promises made to the gospel-Jerusalem by him who (v. 1) declares his power to make them good. It is promised,
These promises were of use then to the pious Jews that lived in the troublous times under Antiochus, and other persecutors and oppressors; and they are still to be improved in every age for the directing of our prayers and the encouraging of our hopes with reference to the gospel-church.
Zec 12:1-8
Here is,
Zec 12:9-14
The day here spoken of is the day of Jerusalem's defence and deliverance, that glorious day when God will appear for the salvation of his people, which, if it do refer to the successes which the Jews had against their enemies in the time of the Maccabees, yet certainly looks further, to the gospel-day, to Christ's victories over the powers of darkness and the great salvation he has wrought for his chosen. Now we have here an account of two remarkable works designed in that day.