Zechariah 1:17

Cry yet, saying,.... That is, "prophesy again", as the Targum paraphrases it; publish and declare openly before all: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread

Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

Cry yet: the prophet’ s commission is either enlarged, or more full instructions given to him, to raise the hope and stablish the faith of the people of God. My cities: Jerusalem and the cities of Judah are mine, saith the Lord, and as mine I will build, beautify, enrich, fortify, defend, and enlarge them. Through prosperity, through increase of families and persons, they shall send forth colonies, and plant new towns and cities; and through increase of wealth and cattle be able to build their cities, and stock their colonies. Be spread abroad; swarm as bees, and send out their young ones. The Lord, their God, shall yet comfort Zion, Zion his church, with comforts fit for a church. Choose Jerusalem; type of the civil state as here joined with Zion; the kingdom shall be blest in itself, and be a blessing to others, much like that : all this an effect of my choosing it, and dwelling in it.

Zechariah 1:17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.Ver. 17. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities] Here are four "yets" in this one verse, and all very gracious ones; to break their hard hearts, and to raise their faith in his promised mercies. For it is as if God should say, Though I was sore displeased with your fathers, and ye are risen up in their rooms a very race of rebels, so that I have had indignation against you full seventy years, Zechariah 1:12, yet I do you to know, and by my prophet I proclaim, with great earnestness and evidence of truth, that I do yet own you my cities, so that ye are not discovenanted, and will yet prosper you (so that it shall no more be said, This is Zion whom no man careth for, Jeremiah 30:17; for you shall have plentiful increase of men, cattle, and all manner of fruits of the earth, as Zechariah 2:4), yea, you shall have a fulness of all things, not only repletive, but diffusive, not only of abundance, but of redundance too; your cup shall overflow into the lesser vessals of others. My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad] Diffundentur, diffiuent nut effluent. You shall have not for necessity only, but for lawful delight and honest affluence. And the Lord shall yet comfort Zion] sc. With spiritual comforts, taking her into his winecellar, Cant. ii., yea, into the wilderness, and there speaking to her heart, Hosea 2:13. And shall yet choose Jerusalem] That is, settle her in the sound assurance of her election and adoption, whereof those outward blessings are both fruits and pledges. Hence David doubts not to conclude his spiritual good estate and hopes of eternal happiness frown his external enjoyments, Psalms 23:5-6 "Thou preparest a table before me, thou anointest mine head, my cup runneth over." Hence he infers, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." In all that is here said we may see that Scripture fully made good, Jeremiah 51:5 "Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." And herein God dealt with his people according to his prerogative, and not according to his ordinary course. When the cursed Canaanites had filled their land from corner to corner with their uncleaunesses they were devoted to destruction, Ezra 9:11. When the Edomites grew insolent and ripe for ruin they were called the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord had indignation for ever, Malachi 1:4.

(17) Be spread abroad—i.e., be filled to overflowing; LXX. inserts “And the angel that spake in me said to me.” (Comp. Zechariah 2:4.) The same verb and conjugation is used in Zechariah 13:7 of “being scattered,” in a bad sense, and such is the ordinary use of the verb. But in another conjugation this verb is used in Genesis 10:18 of “being spread,” not in a bad sense. “Then let the world forbear their rage, The Church renounce her fear; Israel must live through every age, And be the Almighty’s care.”

Verse 17. My cities - shall yet be spread abroad] The whole land of Judea shall be inhabited, and the ruined cities restored.

17. be spread abroad] Some would render “overflow,” comparing Proverbs 5:16. But the more usual sense of the word, “spread abroad, or “disperse,” gives a good meaning. Not only shall the Temple be rebuilt, and the metropolis restored, but cities, owned and blessed by God (“my cities”), shall be scattered throughout the land. The scope, then, of the first vision is clear. It conveys a distinct promise and prophecy of three future events. “My house shall be built,” Zechariah 1:16. This was accomplished four years later in the sixth year of Darius (Ezra 6:15). “A line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem,” Zechariah 1:16. This was done some seventy years later, when the city was rebuilt by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:15). “My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad,” Zechariah 1:17. The fulfilment of this is to be found in the history of the Jews under the Asmonean princes. Beyond this the first prophecy does not expressly go; though its concluding words, “The Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem,” are at least an implied promise of better things, than any which befell the Jews before the coming of Christ. The Second Vision. The four horns and the four workmen. Zechariah 1:18-21. (Heb., 2:1–4.) The scene changes. The first vision had foretold as certain the punishment of the heathen, with which the prosperity of Israel was bound up. This vision takes a step in advance and depicts that punishment as already come. The prophet turns again to the field of view, which he had ceased to contemplate while he gave heed to the words of the interpreting angel, or pursued the thoughts which those words suggested. Looking up, he sees now before him four mighty horns. The beast, or beasts, which bear them are hidden from his view. The horns alone stand out from the surrounding gloom (Zechariah 1:18). In answer to the question, which he addresses to the interpreting angel, he is told that these horns represent the powers which have scattered his people (Zechariah 1:19). And now he sees, in the unfolding of this vision granted him by Jehovah, four artificers or smiths coming out to view, and proceeding one towards each of the four towering horns (Zechariah 1:20). In answer to a further question by the prophet, the interpreting angel tells him that these artificers are come to demolish and drive away these horns (Zechariah 1:21).

Cry yet - A further promise; not only should Jerusalem be rebuilt, but should as we say, overflow with good ; and God, who had seemed to cast off His people, should yet comfort her, and should show in act that He had chosen her.

14-17. The interpreting angel joins to the interpretation an exhortation to make the message known to all the people. Cry thou — So that all may hear (compare Zechariah 1:4).