Albert Barnes Commentary Zechariah 8:2

"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath." — Zechariah 8:2 (ASV)

Thus saith the Lord of hosts - Jerome: “At each word and sentence in which good things, for their greatness, almost incredible are promised, the prophet prefaces it with, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts,’ as if he would say, ‘Do not think that what I pledge to you is my own, and do not refuse me belief as a man. What I unfold are the promises of God.’”

I was jealous - Literally, “I have been and am jealous for.” He repeats in words slightly varied, but in the same rhythm, the declaration of its tender love with which He opened the series of visions, thereby assuring beforehand that this was, like that, an answer of peace.

The form of words shows that this was a jealousy for, not with her; yet it was one and the same strong, even infinite love, by which God, as He says, “clave unto their fathers to love them and chose their seed after them out of all nations” (Deuteronomy 10:15). His jealousy of their sins was part of that love, by which, (Dionysius), “without disturbance of passion or of tranquillity, He inflicted rigorous punishment, as a man fearfully reproves a wife who sins.” They are two different forms of love according to two needs.

Rup.: “The jealousy (Zelus) of God is good, to love people and hate the sins of people. Conversely, the jealousy of the devil is evil, to hate people and love the sins of people.”

Osorius: “Since God’s anger had its origin in the vehemence of His love (for this sort of jealousy arises from the greatness of love), there was hope that the anger might readily be appeased toward her.”