Zechariah 11:2

Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen,.... By which are designed the princes, nobles, and magistrates of the land: so the Targum interprets them of kings and princes; see Nahum 2:3: because all the

Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen.

Howl, fir tree; either mean men, or houses and towns built with firs. For the cedar is fallen; the greater and better escape not, much less shall the meaner and worse. Because the mighty is spoiled; howl because the mighty men, cities, fortresses, and munitions are taken, sacked, and ruined; or else held by enemies, which is worse, and of defences and safety to us, are become our greatest annoyances and dangers. Oaks of Bashan; oaks either literally, as they were used in that country, for building palaces, cities, towns, and fortresses; or else figuratively, the great men of that country, a land very fruitful and pleasant, of which . The forest of the vintage; either all strong places which were for guarding and defending the vineyards; or Jerusalem itself, compared to a forest in regard of the many and tall houses in it; this best pleaseth most interpreters. In short, all are called to weep, and cry, and howl for the miseries that will come upon all sorts, high and low, on-them and theirs. Is come down; is laid desolate.

Zechariah 11:2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.Ver. 2. Howl, fir tree] That is, ye of lower rank, or ye meaner cities, those daughters of Jerusalem, that felt the Roman’ s force; howl, take up a loud outcry, a doleful ditty, after the manner of those that are carried captive by the enemy, Psalms 137:3. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us, qui contumulabant nos, that threw us on heaps (so Tremellius rendereth it, confer Isaiah 25:2), or those that made us howl, ululatores nostri (so Schindler), required of us mirth. Because all the mighty are spoiled] The magnificos, the men of power, as they are called, Psalms 76:5, stout-hearted and every way able for strength, courage, and riches; which often take away the life of the owners, Proverbs 1:19, and expose them to spoil; as every man desireth to lop the tree that hath thick and large boughs and branches. Howl, O ye oaks of Bashan] Og’ s country, who only remained of the remnant of giants, Deuteronomy 3:11. The Jews fable that he escaped in the flood by riding astride on the ark. By the oaks of his country understand the strong and eminent. The Chaldee rendereth it, Satrapae provinciarum, ye provincial governors. For the forest of the vintage] Or, the defenced forest, viz. of Lebanon, i.e. Jerusalem, that seemed impregnable, but at length came down, ruit alto a culmine, as a cedar that is felled by a mighty one, Isaiah 10:34. Death hewed its way through a wood or forest of men in a minute of time from the mouth of a murdering piece, or some such warlike engine. When the sword is once sharpened it makes a sore slaughter; "it contemneth the rod," Ezekiel 21:10; q.d. what does this silly rod do here? these lesser and lighter judgments? let me come, I will make work among them; down with these oaks, down with this defenced forest, &c.

XI. (1-3) Here, as in Zechariah 9:1-8, we have intimation of an invasion of the land of Israel from the north, only, whereas in the former case Philistia, as well as Syria and Phœnicia, was to be the sufferer, here it is “the pride of Jordan that is to be spoiled.” Some have considered the first three verses of this chapter to be a distinct prophecy by themselves. To this supposition no valid objection can be made. But the terms of the prophecy are so vague that it is impossible to decide with any degree of satisfaction to what particular invasion it refers. It might be descriptive of any invasion which took place from the north, whether Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, or Roman. Others take these verses as introductory to the prophecy that follows, and consider them to be descriptive either of a storm breaking over the country (comp. Psalms 29 and, with some, Isaiah 2:10-22) from the north, or else of some terrible visitation which would come upon the land, similar to the invasions which had taken place in the days of old. In any case, these verses have so little necessary connection with what follows, that it will make little difference to our interpretation of the remainder of the chapter which of the above theories we adopt. (Compare for similar expressions, Isaiah 37:24; Isaiah 14:8; Jeremiah 25:34-36.)

Verse 2. Howl, fir tree] This seems to point out the fall and destruction of all the mighty men.

2. fir tree] or cypress. It is uncertain what tree is meant. See Dict. of Bible, Art. “Cypress.” for the cedar is fallen] Grand trees as were the firs, or cypresses, the cedars were grander still. The fall therefore of the latter might well make the former howl in despair at their own assured fate. “Nam si cedris haud parcitur, aliis arboribus, quæ minoris quam illæ pretii sunt, multo minus parcetur.” Rosenm. the mighty] i.e. the mighty trees, “præstantes scil. arbores, cedri,” Rosenm., who compares, “a goodly cedar,” Ezekiel 17:23, where the Heb. word is the same. Possibly, however (especially as the clause is additional or parenthetical and mars the symmetry of the parallelism), it is thrown in to suggest the figurative or allegorical reference to the rulers and chiefs of Israel which lies behind and goes together with the literal reference. The goodly ones, R. V. Bashan] Compare the association of “Gilead and Lebanon,” chap. Zechariah 10:10. “From the heights of Lebanon the destructive storm sweeps down on the land of Bashan, and the oaks, the pride of the land (with their kindly shade from the burning heat), are likewise felled by the enemy to meet the wants of the invading army, and to construct his means of offence and defence.” Wright. forest of the vintage] Rather, inaccessible forest.

Howl, O cypress, for the cedar is fallen - Jerusalem or the temple having been likened to Lebanon and its cedars, the prophet carries on the image, speaking of the priests princes and people, under

OF THE ENEMIES, Zechariah 11:1-3.These verses do not form an independent piece, nor are they to be connected with Zechariah 11:4 ff., for the opening words of Zec 11:4 show that there a new prophecy begins.