John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 12:8

"In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them." — Zechariah 12:8 (ASV)

He goes on with the same subject, and he says that God would be like a shield to protect the Jews. For though the verb יגן, igen, is used here, yet as it is derived from מגן, megen, which means a shield, that metaphor is to be understood here: that the Jews, though without power and without warlike instruments, would yet be safe under the protection of God, for he, being their shield, would be sufficient.

God is here indirectly contrasted with all kinds of fortresses which men too anxiously seek and on which they vainly depend. The Prophet, then, no doubt claims here for God a power that, in opposition to the whole world and when no other help appears, would be found sufficient to subdue all enemies and to save his people. Jehovah then shall be, he says, a shield.

But there seems to be something inconsistent here; for he had said before that the Jews would be safe wherever they lived, even if they did not dwell in Jerusalem. Yet now he confines this promise to the citizens of Jerusalem. The answer to this is plain: we observed yesterday that the piety of those was commended who had preferred to undergo many and grievous trials in returning home, and then to expose themselves to many dangers, rather than to continue in exile, as in that case they wholly separated themselves from the temple.

Now since this was the object of the Prophet, it is no wonder that at one time he names the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and at another time he includes generally all the Jews. By saying in the last verse that the citizens of Jerusalem were not to glory over the country people scattered in the villages, he intended, in adopting this way of speaking, to humble the citizens of Jerusalem, but not to exclude them from the promise made to all.

Since God then was to be the defender of all, the Prophet returns again to Jerusalem. For since God had chosen his sanctuary there, it is not to be wondered that the place was precious in his sight. But it was still necessary to take away all pride from the Jews, so that they might not, as has been said, trust in earthly aids and supports. This is the meaning when he says the protection of God shall be on the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

He now adds—The feeble among them shall be like David. Some give a refined explanation—that as David, who was not trained for war and was by no means strong, being almost a boy, yet slew the proud giant Goliath, so the feeble among the Jews, as they think, will, by God’s power, be made victorious over their enemies.

But this seems forced. The Prophet, then, I have no doubt, connects the whole together and considers David as a king; for when David slew Goliath, he was yet a boy, remarkable for no valor. After he attained the kingdom, he became more eminent, we know, in every way, than all the kings of the earth.

It is then this eminence which the Prophet has in view when he says that the least and the most despised among them would be like David; as though he had said—“They shall all be endowed with royal and heroic valor, not only the common people, but even those who seemed to be like women and who possessed nothing that was manly; they would yet excel as David in heroic valor.”

It then follows—And the whole house of David shall be as angels; that is, the royal posterity shall be remarkable for angelic valor. And it was necessary to add this, so that the faithful might not think that the house of David, from which salvation was to be expected, would be reduced to nothing. For whatever had been promised to them might have vanished, if that promise on which the salvation of the whole people was founded—

Thy house shall remain for ever (Psalms 89:37).

Now, as Zechariah seemed to have cast down and wholly overthrown the royal house, it might have occurred to the minds of the faithful, “From where then shall our salvation arise? For it is certain that without Christ we are wholly lost.” Now Christ was not to come forth, except from the house of David.

The Prophet then opportunely declares here that the royal house would be most eminent, as though all the men belonging to it were angels. He uses the word אלהים, aleim, which also means God; but he adds in the same sentence—As the angel of Jehovah before their face. The Prophet, no doubt, compares here the posterity of David to the angel who had been the leader of the people and the minister of redemption.

We conclude that angel was Christ; for though God then appointed many angels to his people, yet Christ, as is well known, was their prince and head. The Prophet then instructs the Jews here to look for the perpetual aid of God, since in the royal house were not only angels, but even the very leader of the fathers, who had exercised the ineffable power of God in redeeming the people.

We now, then, perceive the Prophet's design: The import of the whole is that God would so undertake the defense and protection of his people as to be of himself sufficient, without any other aid. It also means that the minister of salvation would be in the royal house itself.

For as formerly, when their fathers were led out of Egypt, God had exercised his power through an angel, so now he had set over them a Mediator. In accordance with this meaning, he adds, לפניהם, lepeniem, “before their face.”

He instructs the faithful to attend to the royal house, which was then deprived of all dignity, so that it had no power to help. Indeed, nothing was then seen in the posterity of David but what was degrading and even contemptible. Yet the Prophet instructs them to expect salvation from that house, which was so brought down as to possess nothing worthy of being noticed.

We may now ask, when was this prophecy fulfilled? Zechariah indeed predicts great things, but in reviewing all histories, nothing of a corresponding character is to be found.

It must nevertheless be observed that this blessed and happy state was promised to the Jews because Christ was to arise from them, and also because Jerusalem was to be the mother of all Churches. For from there the law was to go forth, and from there God had determined to send forth the royal scepter, so that the Son of David might rule over the whole world.

Since this was the case, we may now easily understand how the condition of that miserable people would become happier and more glorious than under the rich and flourishing kingdom of David; for Christ would eventually come, in whom complete happiness was to be found.

We may now also add this—that though few of the Jews embraced the favor of Christ, and the rest fell away, thus giving place to the Gentiles, yet however small the portion of the faithful was, the Prophet still does not speak here hyperbolically. For it is the thing itself that ought to be regarded. The fact that the Jews did not enjoy this blessed state was owing to their own ingratitude, but this detracts nothing from the felicity Zechariah describes here. Let us proceed.