Albert Barnes Commentary Zechariah 10:4

Albert Barnes Commentary

Zechariah 10:4

1798–1870
Presbyterian
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes Commentary

Zechariah 10:4

1798–1870
Presbyterian
SCRIPTURE

"From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together." — Zechariah 10:4 (ASV)

Out of him came forth - Or rather, “From him is the corner,” as Jeremiah says, “Their nobles shall be from themselves, and their governor shall go forth from the midst of them” (Jeremiah 30:21). Her strength, though given by God, was to be inherent in her, though from her also was to come He who was to be the head cornerstone, the sure Foundation and Crown of the whole building.

From you the nail - An emblem of fixedness in itself (as Isaiah says, “I will fasten him a nail to a sure place” (Isaiah 22:23)) and of security given to others dependent on Him, as Isaiah says further, “And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, from the vessels of cups to the vessels of flagons” (Isaiah 22:24); all, of much or little account, the least and the greatest. Osorius: “Christ is the cornerstone; Christ is the nail fixed in the wall, by which all vessels are supported. The word of Christ is the bow, from which the arrows rend the king’s enemies.”

From it every exactor shall go forth together - God had promised (Zechariah 9:8) that no "oppressor," or "exactor" (Isaiah 14:2), shall pass through them anymore. He seems to repeat it here. “From you shall go forth every oppressor together; go forth,” not to return, as Isaiah had said, “Thy children shall make haste to return; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee” (Isaiah 49:17).

From it, its cornerstone; from it, the sure nail; from it, the battle bow; from it—he no longer closely joins with this source that which should be from it or of it, but rather—from it shall go forth every oppressor together; one and all, as we say; a confused pell-mell body. As Isaiah says, “all that are found of thee are bound together” (Isaiah 22:3); “together shall they all perish” (Isaiah 31:3); or, in separate clauses, “they are all of them put to shame; together they shall go into confusion” (Isaiah 45:16).