Charles Ellicott Commentary Zechariah 6
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Zechariah 6
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Zechariah 6
"And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass." — Zechariah 6:1 (ASV)
And I turned ... eyes. —Better, And again I lifted up my eyes (Zechariah 4:1; Zechariah 5:1; Zechariah 8:3).
There came. —Better, coming forth. The prototypes of these two mountains were, no doubt, the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and Mount Zion, between which lies the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the Lord judges (such is the meaning of the name) the nations (Joel 3:2 and following). But the mountains themselves were visionary, and are represented as of brass, to denote, according to some, the immovable firmness of the place where the Lord dwells, and where He has founded His kingdom.
"And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. [The chariot] wherein are the black horses goeth forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country. And the strong went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he to me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, they that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon; yea, take [of them] silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah; even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. And [this] shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God." — Zechariah 6:1-15 (ASV)
A SERIES OF SEVEN VISIONS.
Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15. Between the commencement of Zechariah’s prophetic labours and the incidents recorded in Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15, the Prophet Haggai received the revelation contained in Haggai 2:10-23. On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, just five months after the rebuilding of the Temple was resumed, Zechariah sees a succession of seven visions in one night, followed by a symbolic action (Zechariah 6:9–15).
"In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;" — Zechariah 6:2 (ASV)
Red. —Better, bay, as in Zechariah 1:8. “Red” is applicable to cows, but “bay” to horses.
"and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses." — Zechariah 6:3 (ASV)
For grisled and bay, read only the first word, grey, as in Zechariah 1:8. It is necessary (with the Syriac Version) to make this conjectural emendation. This is because (as the Hebrew text now stands), in this verse the “grisled and bay horses” are spoken of as identical, while in Zechariah 6:6-7 they are distinguished from one another. Moreover, the “red horses” are not mentioned again. Septuagint, ποικίλοι ψαροί.
"And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." — Zechariah 6:5 (ASV)
Spirits.—Better, winds.
Which go forth.—Better, going forth. “Winds,” from which He makes His messages (Psalms 104:4), are most appropriately used here as symbolic of the working of God’s Spirit. (Daniel 7:21; John 3:8.) Here the words of the angel-interpreter pass imperceptibly into the prophet’s own description of the scene.
From standing is correct; but the Septuagint has παραστῆναι, “to stand by.”
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