Albert Barnes Commentary Zechariah 1:15

"And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction." — Zechariah 1:15 (ASV)

I am very displeased - literally, “with great anger am I angered against the nations which are at ease.” The form of the words shows that the greatness of God’s displeasure against those who oppress His people is proportionate to His great and tender love toward His people. God had indeed been angered with His people; with their enemies He was “angered with a great anger,” and all the more because they were at ease, in unfeeling self-enjoyment amid the miseries of others.

I was a little displeased - Little, in comparison with what we deserved; little in comparison with the anger of the human instruments of His displeasure; little in comparison with theirs, who, in their anger, sought their own ends.

They helped forward the affliction - “He is angry with the nations at ease, because He delivered His people to be corrected, but they used cruelty toward those delivered. He wills for them to be corrected like a son by a teacher; they set themselves to slay and punish them as an enemy.” Like that in Isaiah, “I gave them into your hands; you showed them no mercy; upon the ancients you have very heavily laid your yoke” (Isaiah 47:6).

Or it may be, “helped for evil,” meaning, in order to bring about evil, as in Jeremiah, “Behold I set My face against you for evil, and to destroy all Judah” (Jeremiah 44:11). That is, as we should say, they were the instruments of God, who “cooperated in the execution of My justice toward you, but cruelly and with perverse intention.” For although the Assyrians and Chaldeans devastated the Jewish people, God so ordaining it insofar as He willed through them to punish the sins of His people at that time, yet they did it, not in view of God and out of zeal for righteousness, but out of pride, covetousness, and with the worst ends.

Hence God says by Isaiah, “Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, and the staff in his hand is My indignation. However, he does not think so, but his heart is to destroy and cut off nations not a few” (Isaiah 10:5, 7).