John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 9:11

"As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water." — Zechariah 9:11 (ASV)

Here he applies his previous doctrine to its right use, so that the faithful might emerge from their sorrow and come to that joy which he had previously encouraged them to entertain. He then addresses Jerusalem, as if he had said, “There is no reason for you to torment yourself with perplexed and anxious thoughts, for I will accomplish what I have promised—that I would become a deliverer to my people.” For this doubt might have occurred to them: “Why does he exhort us to rejoice, while the Church of God is still partly captive, and while those who have returned to their country are miserably and cruelly harassed by their enemies?” To this objection Zechariah answers, speaking for God—that God would be able to deliver them, even if they were sunk in the deepest gulf.

We therefore see how this verse harmonizes with the other verses: he had previously spoken of the happy state of the Church under Christ as its king; but as the condition of the people then was very hard and miserable, he adds that deliverance was to be expected from God.

But we must observe that a feminine pronoun is used here when he says, even you, or, you also. Both the Latins and Greeks have been deceived by the ambiguity of the language used and have thought that the words are addressed to Christ, as if he were to draw his captives from a deep pit. But God here addresses his Church, as if he had said, “Listen, you.” And the particle גם, gam, is emphatic, meaning this: “I see that I do not prevail much with you, for you are in a way overwhelmed by your calamities, and no hope refreshes you, as you think yourselves visited, as it were, with a thousand deaths. But still, though a mass of evils disheartens you, or at least so far oppresses you as to render ineffective what I say—though, in short, you are of all people the most miserable, I will yet redeem your captives.” But God addresses the whole Church, as in many other places, as a wife.

He says, By the blood of your covenant. This seems not to belong properly to the Church, for there is no other author of the covenant but God himself; but the relation, we know, between God and his people regarding the covenant is mutual. It is God’s covenant because it flows from him; it is the covenant of the Church because it is made for its sake and laid up, as it were, in its bosom.

And the truth penetrated more fully into the hearts of the godly when they heard that it was not only a divine covenant but also the covenant of the people themselves: Then by the blood of your covenant, and so on. Some refer this, but very unwisely, to circumcision, for the Prophet no doubt was referring to the sacrifices.

It was then the same as if he had said: “Why do you offer victims daily in the temple? If you think that you thus worship God, it is a very blatant and foolish superstition. Then recall the intended purpose, or the pattern given to you from above; for God has already promised that he will be propitious to you, by expiating your sins by the only true sacrifice. And for this purpose offer your sacrifices, and that blood will bring expiation with it.”

Now since God has not appointed your sacrifices in vain, and you do not observe them in vain, no doubt the benefit will eventually come to light, for I have sent forth your captives. For God does not reconcile himself to people in order to destroy or reduce them to nothing, or to let them pine away and die; for why does God pardon people, but to deliver them from destruction?”

We now perceive why the Prophet thus speaks of the blood of the covenant in connection with the salvation of the whole people. “You daily offer victims,” he says, “and the blood is poured on the altar: God has not appointed this in vain.” Now since God receives you into favor so that you may be safe, he will therefore deliver the captives of his Church; I will send forth, he says, or, have sent forth your captives: for he expresses here in the past tense what he would do in the future.

I will send forth your captives from the pit in which there is no water. He means a deep gulf, where thirst itself would destroy miserable people unless they were drawn forth by a power from above. In short, he means, first, that the Jews were sunk in the deep; and secondly, that thirst would consume them, so that death was near at hand, unless they were miraculously delivered by God. But he reminds them that no obstacle would prevent God from raising them to light from the deepest darkness. We therefore see that this was added so that the Jews might learn to struggle against all things that might strengthen unbelief and feel assured that they would be preserved safe, for it is God’s peculiar work to raise the dead. This is the meaning. He now adds—