John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 14:11

"And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely." — Zechariah 14:11 (ASV)

Zechariah concludes what he said in the last verse by saying that Jerusalem, when restored by God to its pristine state, would be a populous city. For the indefinite verb used here means the same as if he had said that the number of people would be as great as it had been before, even though only a small portion had returned. We indeed know how difficult it is to fill a city with inhabitants once it has been deserted, especially after a long interval of time. But the Prophet here exhorts the Jews to entertain hope, for the Lord would again gather a large number of people, so as to fill the city with inhabitants.

He adds, there shall be no more utter destruction. By the word חרם (cherem), I have no doubt the Prophet means all utter ruin, such as had happened when the people were driven into exile. And for this reason and in the same sense, Isaiah says that God had sworn that the destruction of the city would be like the deluge of Noah (Isaiah 54:9), for He would never again bring such a grievous and dreadful vengeance on His people.

But we learn from the whole passage that this prophecy extends to the kingdom of Christ. For though Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, it is still true that God had been the perpetual guardian of that city, since the fullness of time had come when Christ was revealed. It is then the same as if the Prophet had said that such would be the moderation of God’s anger that the city's name would not entirely perish, nor would the whole population be forced to migrate. This, then, is what he understands by חרם (cherem).

He now adds that those who returned there shall dwell safely in Jerusalem, for the Lord would protect them and with an extended hand defend them against all enemies. We have elsewhere reminded you of the Prophet’s purpose; for he wished to goad the tardiness and sloth of those who valued their pleasures in Chaldea so much that returning to the inheritance promised them from above was unpleasant and grievous to them.

Hence he shows what a great benefit of God they had deprived themselves of; for being dispersed among the heathen nations, they did not know that God’s aid was provided for them. They indeed deprived themselves of that promise which especially belonged to the remnant who dwelt in Jerusalem.

The Prophet also had a particular concern for those miserable inhabitants of the land who, having been motivated by God’s promises, had despised all dangers and difficulties, and then had willingly undergone vast troubles so that they might possess their own country. The Prophet then shows that they had no reason to repent, for the Lord would bless them and make them dwell safely in the midst of enemies, by whom we know they were surrounded on every side. Furthermore, the city would become populous, even though they were not then many in number.