John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 9:1

"The burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus [shall be] its resting-place (for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah);" — Zechariah 9:1 (ASV)

One thing had escaped my notice in the words of the Prophet—that great people and strong nations would come. We have said that “great” rather than “many” should be adopted. The latter meaning, that worshipers of God would come from various cities, may indeed be allowed. However, since the word עצומים, otsumim, properly means strong, and since it is certain that the Prophet means the same thing by the two words, it is more probable that he speaks of strong and valiant people, as they are not so easily subdued. For the more anyone excels in prowess, the more stiff-necked they are to undertake the yoke. Since then the strong and the brave, and those who are eminent in the world, are not so easily brought to submit to God, the Prophet expressly says that they will become teachable and willing, so that pride, as is usually the case, will not be a hindrance to them.

I come now to the passage in which the Prophet announces a heavy burden, or a severe and fearful prophecy concerning Syria and other neighboring nations. I prefer to retain the word “burden,” rather than to translate it as prophecy, as many commentators have done. For though משא, mesha, is sometimes taken simply for prophecy, yet here, it appears to me, something particular is intended. The Prophet denounces God’s judgment both on Syria and on the surrounding countries, and the word “prophecy” is not suitable, for to say “the prophecy of the word” would be strange and meaningless. But when he says, The burden of the word of God, the sentence is full and flows well. He reminds us that His word would not be ineffectual but full of effect, as it would lie like a burden on Syria and on other countries, which they would not be able to shake off. The burden then of the word of Jehovah; that is, 'I now have a prediction which will be grievous and severe to those heathens who now disturb the Jews, the chosen people.'

But this doctrine contains consolation for the godly, for they may therefore know that they are safe under God’s protection, since He wages war against their enemies. Indeed, His vengeance was now prepared against all those who harassed the Jews. Since He had previously promised that incredible favor of God which we have noted, He now declares that the Church would be safe under God’s protection, as vengeance was ready for all the ungodly.

But the Prophet here mentions only the cities known to the Jews, for it was enough to refer to them as an example, so that the Jews might therefore conclude that God would always be the protector of His Church, and that no enemies will escape unpunished. The Prophet, then, no doubt mentioned these few cities to the Jews so that they might feel assured that nothing in the world is so strong and impetuous that God cannot easily subdue and lay it prostrate. Now that we understand the Prophet’s purpose, we will turn to the words themselves.

Some think that the word חדרך, chedrak, includes the whole of Syria, which seems probable to me. Others suppose that some notable city is meant, since Damascus is immediately added. But as the matter is uncertain, and as there is no doubt that the Prophet speaks of the kingdom of Syria, I will not contest the point. Whether it is the name of a city or of a country, it is all the same, for the Prophet means that God’s vengeance was impending over the Syrians, and impending in such a way that it would not depart from them until they were wholly destroyed. For when he adds that its rest would be Damascus, he intimates that God’s judgment would not be like a storm, which soon passes away, but that it would be a heavy and burdensome mass, which could not be dissipated, according to what Isaiah says—

The word came on Jacob and fell on Israel (Isaiah 8:9).

That is, what God pronounced against Jacob fell on Israel. He indeed changes the name, but it is as though he had said, 'When God punishes Jacob, can the Israelites escape?' For they were the same. The sentence then will fall; that is, it will find its own place. In vain will they run here and there to escape.

The Jews then will gain nothing by their flight, for the vengeance now denounced by the Lord will lay hold of them. So also in this place he says, the burden of the word of Jehovah on the land of Chadrak and Damascus, the royal city, the metropolis, shall be its rest, its dwelling; for the Lord’s vengeance will fix its station there, and it cannot be removed from there.

In vain then will the Syrians try in various ways to escape, for they must be pressed down by God’s hand until they are laid prostrate. We now therefore understand in what sense the Prophet says that Damascus would be the rest, the habitation, or the abode of God’s vengeance.

He afterwards adds, For to Jehovah the eye of man. The particle כי, ki, is to be taken here, I think, as an adverb of time, “When.” There is, in reality, little difference, except that the common rendering of it greatly obscures the Prophet’s meaning. But if it is taken as an adverb of time, the passage will read better: When the eye of man shall be to Jehovah, and of all the tribes of Israel. That is, when the Jews begin to turn to God without any dissimulation but with real sincerity, then, he says, God will in every way bless them and raise up His hand against their enemies.

The Prophet had previously exhorted the Jews to repentance, for they had been too much given to sacrifices and fastings while no integrity existed among them. So also he shows again that their hypocrisy was a hindrance which prevented God from manifesting His favor to them. And thus He reminds them that the gate would be opened, and the way made plain and smooth for God’s favor and blessings, whenever they raised their eyes to Him; that is, whenever they derived their hopes from Him and fixed their dependence on Him.

For to direct the eyes to God is nothing other than to look to Him so as to fix all our thoughts on Him. Some understand “man” to mean all mortals, but I do not approve of this, nor do I doubt that the Prophet refers to the Jews alone. Doubtless, it is inconsistent with the context to regard anyone but the Jews.

It is indeed true that the Prophet speaks here of the calling of the Gentiles, but in such a way as to begin with the Jews; for as they were the first-born, it was necessary for them to have precedence. The Prophet then declares here that God would be glorious in His chosen people and would lay prostrate all the bordering enemies.

Thus, “the eye of man” signifies the same as the eye of the whole people, as though he had said that after the Jews had begun to lay aside all dissimulation, devoted themselves to God, and cast all their hopes on Him, they would then find God sufficiently powerful to lay all their enemies in the dust.

But he afterwards adds, by way of explanation, and of all the tribes of Israel. Some give this rendering, “How much more,” as though the Prophet reasoned here from the less to the greater. But, as I have already said, this cannot be maintained. First, this explanation is strained: 'The eye of man, and especially of all the tribes of Israel,' for the Jews should have had the first place. Secondly, the particle waw has no amplifying sense. In short, he intended by a small particle to show that precedence belonged to the Jews.

I do not, then, understand what those mean who would include all nations in the word “man” and then regard the Prophet as proceeding to mention the tribes of Israel. Now, what I have stated—that the true servants of God were then few—is probable enough. Hence, the Prophet here exhorts the whole people to unity in religion. Whenever, then, the whole tribes of Israel directed their eyes to God, the burden of His word would then come upon Damascus and all the Syrians.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You kindly and graciously extend Your hand to us, not only to show us once for all the right way but also to lead us throughout our whole life, and even to sustain us when we are weary and to raise us up when we have fallen—O grant that we may not be ungrateful for this Your great kindness, but render ourselves obedient to You. May we not experience the dreadful power of Your judgment, which You denounce on all Your enemies, who are to sustain a vengeance that will sink them into the abyss of endless perdition. But may we allow ourselves to be ever raised up by Your hand, until we at length reach that blessed rest to which You invite us and are ready to lead us, where we will enjoy the fullness of those blessings which have been obtained for us by Your only-begotten Son. Amen.