John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 14:19

"This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles." — Zechariah 14:19 (ASV)

He repeats the same thing, and almost in the same words; yet it is not done without reason. For we ought to consider how difficult it was to believe what is said, as the Jews who had returned to their country were few in number, not warlike, and opposed by their enemies on every side. Since the Church was then almost every moment in danger, it was no wonder that the faithful needed to be strengthened under their trials, which often disturbed and troubled their minds. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet often repeats the same thing.

This, he says, shall be the sin of Egypt and of all nations, and so on. The word חטאת, chethat, properly means wickedness, sin; but just as piaculum in Latin sometimes means sin and sometimes expiation, so does חטאת, chethat, in Hebrew: it signifies at one time sin, and at another time the sacrifice by which sin is atoned. And for this reason Christ is said to have been made sin; for when He offered Himself as an expiation, He sustained the curse which belonged to us all, by having it transferred to Himself (Galatians 3:13). Since Christ then was an expiation, He was on this account called sin. And the Greek translators did not change the name, because they saw that חטאת, chethat, in Hebrew, is taken for a sacrifice or punishment as well as for sin; therefore, they used the word hamartia indiscriminately.

So then the Prophet says that this would be the sin or the punishment of Egypt and of all nations. It is as if he had said, “If they despise the God of Israel and condemn His worship, such stubborn disobedience will not go unpunished, for God will show Himself to be the vindicator of His own glory.”

Therefore, we conclude that we should desire nothing more than for God to reveal Himself to us, so that we may not presumptuously wander after superstitions but worship Him purely. For no one rightly worships God except the one who is taught by His word.

It is, then, a special favor when the Lord prescribes for us the rule by which we may rightly worship Him. But when we do not assent to His true and legitimate worship, we see here that our whole life is accursed.