Zechariah 12:1

1 The burden of the word of the LORD upon Israel, said the LORD, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.

Zechariah 12:1 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 12:1

The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel
And against their enemies; for the good of the church of God, for its joy, comfort, and salvation; or, "concerning Israel" F24; what shall befall them in the latter day, as the destruction of antichrist, prophesied of in the preceding chapter ( Zechariah 11:1-17 ) ; and what is hereafter said may be believed that it shall be accomplished. The Lord is described in the greatness of his power, speaking as follows: saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens:
as a curtain, ( Psalms 104:2 ) the expanse or firmament of heaven, which is stretched out as a canopy over all the earth around: and layeth the foundation of the earth;
firm and sure, though upon the seas and floods, yea, upon nothing, ( Psalms 24:2 ) ( Job 26:7 ) : and formeth the spirit of man within him;
the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, gifts and endowments; which is of his immediate creation, and which he continues daily to form, and infuse into the bodies of men, and holds in life there; hence he is called the Father of spirits, ( Hebrews 12:9 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F24 (le) "de", Piscator, Drusius; "super Israele", Cocceius, Burkius.

Zechariah 12:1 In-Context

1 The burden of the word of the LORD upon Israel, said the LORD, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I place Jerusalem as a cup of poison unto all the peoples round about and also unto those of Judah who shall be in the siege against Jerusalem.
3 And it shall be that in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone unto all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, and all the Gentiles of the earth shall gather themselves together against her.
4 In that day, said the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with madness; but I will open my eyes upon the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.
5 And the captains of Judah shall say in their heart, My strength is the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the LORD of the hosts, their God.
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010