Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 8

Verse 1

Zec 8:1, Lord of hosts means he is Lord of armies or great numbers of people. Such a Being could properly demand attention to His word.

Verse 2

Zec 8:2. Exo 20:5 tells us that the Lord Is jealous and gives the reason. He will not divide his love with false gods and when they receive or attempt, to obtain (through their worshipers) a part of that devotion it provokes the divine wrath. The people of Israel had gone off after these gods and then the jealousy of their true God was aroused. It is the logical thing for a jealous husband to chastise an unfaithful wife, hence God did so with his wife by sending her into captivity.

Verse 3

Zec 8:3, But a husband does not thus punish his wife because he has ceased to love her, but rather because he still loves her in spite of her unfaithfulness. Hence this verse says that He will return unto Zion, which means that He will show his unbroken love for his wife by living with her again; will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

Verse 4

Zec 8:4, This prediction is literal and denotes the perfect safety that will he enjoyed in the city of Jerusalem. Even the man so old that he has to walk with a cane will be living on .the streets as a peaceful citizen which indicates not only the safety of the place, but that it has been that way for a long time.

Verse 5

Zec 8:5, There are at least two points of significance in this verse. One is the assurance of a numerous young population, which was something much desired by the Jews. Another is that Jerusalem will be so secure after its recovery from the effects of the invasion that came before the captivity that, the children will be safe while playing in the streets and open places of the city.

Verse 6

Zec 8:6. If it be marvelous or difficult means that, although it seems "too good to be true" in the eyes of the people, it will not be so with the Lord who is powerful.

Verse 7

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.

Verse 8

Zec 8:8. Be my people does not mean they will have to become Jews, for they have always been that. It means they will be a part of a people as an organized nation with Jerusalem as its capital.

Verse 9

Zec 8:9. The Lord offers these words for the encouragement of His people. Which were . . . days . . . foundation was laid. The work on the temple was started almost a score of years prior to this verse hut was stopped until the second year of the present king of Persia. It is now the fourth year of this king (chapter 7: 1) and the work on the temple is in good progress, The people are exhorted to be as cheerful over the prospects as they were at the very beginning. They now have the same prophets and they are speaking by the same divine authority that they did in the start of tile reconstruction period, hence there ts much reason for feeling reassured.

Verse 10

Zec 8:10. An observation that should encourage the people now is that previously the times were hard. There was internal strife and incomes were small and scarce.

Verse 11

Zec 8:11. It has all been changed by the Lord and there is no enemy to fear as there was in the days just gone.

Verse 12

Zec 8:12. This verse promises a state of genera! prosperity for the land. This will be through the fertility of the seed and soil, also by the help of the seasons in which an abundance of moisture will be dropped from the sky,

Verse 13

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.

Verse 14

Zec 8:14. The former generations were punished severely by the Lord. That was not bcause of the mere fact that they sinned, but because they ignored all the admonitions and refused to repent when they could have done so. Then it was too late for them to avert the doom decreed tor them, for the Lord had declared what was to be the fate to come and He repented not; would not change it.

Verse 15

Zec 8:15. The Lord promised to be as firm in his forecast of blessings for His people as he was in the predictions of the chastisement.

Verse 16

Zec 8:16. The promise of favor from God was made on condition of the proper conduct of the people. Whereas they had formerly been cruel and unjust toward each other, they were now expected to deal in truth or true security for a neighbor.

Verse 17

Zec 8:17, False oaths were forbidden in Old Testament times even, while all oat.hs of every kind are prohibited in the New (Mat 5:33-37; Jas 5:12).

Verse 18

Zec 8:18, The inspiration of Zechariah is the thought in this verse.

Verse 19

Zec 8:19. The feasts were seasons of celebrations for the blessings of God. They were done on various occasions, and the ushering in of the months was one of the chief times for such activities. The numerical references to the months is for emphasis only, because each of the 12 months had its holy day signified by the new moon.

Verse 20

Zec 8:20-23. Contrary to my usual procedure, I have made one paragraph of these verses because the comments will apply to them as a whole. It is another instance where the prophet jumps from fleshly to spiritual Israel. It is a prediction of the setting up of the church and the reign of Christ in his kingdom starting at Jerusalem, The same prediction is in Isa 2:1-4 and Mic 4:1-5, and the fulfillment is recorded in the book of Acts, beginning in the second chapter. It is the kingdom the prophet Daniel saw in his prediction of the kingdom to “stand for ever” (Dan 2:44).