John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 10:6

"And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back; for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Jehovah their God, and I will hear them." — Zechariah 10:6 (ASV)

Zechariah pursues the same subject: that the work of redemption, the beginning of which the Jews saw, would not be incomplete, for the Lord would eventually fulfill what He had begun. The Jews themselves could not accept those beginnings, which were not even a hundredth part of what God had promised. It was therefore necessary for them to lift their minds higher, so that they might hope for much more than what was evident before their eyes.

And this truth is very useful to us, for we are accustomed to confine God’s promises to a short period, and when we thus enclose Him within narrow limits, we, as it were, prevent Him from doing what we need. Let the example of the return of the people of Israel always come to our minds. The Lord had promised through His Prophets that they would become very prominent, and in every way rich and happy. However, when this did not happen after their return to their country, many of the Jews thought they had been deceived, as they had expected God to fulfill His word immediately. But they should have suspended their hope and expectation until Christ came into the world. On this, then, the Prophet now insists: that the Jews were to rest patiently until the appointed time came, when the Lord would prove that He is not only in part but a complete redeemer of His people.

Now he says, I will strengthen the house of Judah, and the house of Joseph will I save. We know the kingdom of Israel had gradually fallen completely; for at first, four tribes were driven into exile, and afterwards, the whole people perished, so that everyone thought the name of the ten tribes had become extinct.

The Lord afterwards brought dreadful ruin upon the kingdom. But it must be observed that while the two kingdoms existed, they harbored severe animosities towards each other. The rebellion that occurred under Jeroboam always caused the Jews to intensely hate their brethren, the Israelites, as they indeed deserved. For they had, in a way, rejected God by rejecting the son of David and had become, in a sense, estranged from the body of the Church.

Now then, Zechariah promises something extraordinary when he says that the two peoples shall be united, so as to be one again, as before the rebellion. For the house of Joseph means the same as the house of Ephraim; and we know that by taking a part for the whole, the house of Ephraim is taken for the whole kingdom of Israel. We now understand the Prophet’s meaning: that the state of the people would be happier than it had been since the ten tribes separated from the kingdom of Judah, or from the house of David, for God would gather for Himself a Church from all the children of Abraham.

He then adds, I will bring them back and cause them to dwell. The verb here, הושבותים, eushebutim, is thought to be derived from שב, sheb, or from שוב, shub. However, those who think these are words with different meanings are mistaken, because some refer to one root and others to the other; nor can this view be maintained. But those who carefully consider the rules of grammar say that the verb is a compound. It means that God would not only restore the ten tribes but also cause them to dwell, that is, give them a permanent home in their country.

He then adds, Because I have pitied them. Some read this in the future tense, but I retain the past, for the Lord assigns here a reason for their future gathering: because He would deal mercifully with His people. He then recalls the attention of the Jews to the fountains of His mercy, as if He had said, "Though they have deserved eternal ruin, He will still hear their groanings, because He will be merciful to them."

Since their calamity was an obstacle that prevented the Jews from expecting any such thing, He adds, They shall be as though I had not cast them away. By these words He reminds them that the punishment inflicted on the people would be only for a time. He then encourages them to take courage, though they were like the lost or the dead, for He would put an end to their miseries. When God says that He had cast away His people, it ought to be understood according to human perception, as we have observed elsewhere. For adoption was unchangeable, but external appearance could have led to no other conclusion than that the people had been rejected by God. The Prophet’s meaning, however, is clearly this: though God had dealt severely with that people and inflicted on them the heaviest punishment on account of their treachery, His vengeance would not be forever, for He would give way to mercy.

He adds another reason: For I Jehovah am their God. He means by this sentence that adoption would not be void, though He had for a time rejected the Jews. For by calling Himself their God, He reminds them of His covenant, as though He had said that He had not in vain made a covenant with Abraham and promised that his seed would be blessed. Since God had pledged His faith to Abraham, He says here that He would be the God of His people; not that they deserved anything, but because He had freely chosen both Abraham and his seed.

Finally, He says, And I will hear them. He seems here to exhort them to prayer, so that, relying on this promise, they might ask God for what had been promised. Though this verb is often understood in a sense that is not strictly correct (for God is said to hear even those who do not call on Him), what I have stated is more suitable here: that the people are encouraged to prayer, as God freely invites us to Himself for this purpose, so that our prayers may harmonize with His promises. This is the meaning.