Zechariah 6:5

5 And the angel answered, and said to me, These be four winds of heaven, which go out, that they stand before the lordshipper of all earth. (And the angel answered, and said to me, These be the four winds of the heavens, which go out from before the Lord, who ruleth over all the earth.)

Zechariah 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 6:5

And the angel answered and said unto me
In order to grant him his request, and explain the vision of the chariots: these [are] the four spirits of the heavens;
or, "the four winds of the heavens"; the apostles and ministers of the Gospel may be compared to "the winds", because their ministry is the ministration of the Spirit, which is like wind that blows invisibly, powerfully, and where it listeth; and because in and by it the Spirit breathes life and comfort into the souls of men; and because of the powerful efficacy and penetrating nature of the word preached by them, and their swiftness and readiness to do the will of God: angels are called "spirits" or "winds", ( Psalms 104:3 Psalms 104:4 ) they are created spirits, and so differ from God; are incorporeal ones, and so differ from men; and are immaterial and immortal, and so die not: they are spiritual subsistences, and spirits of the heavens, or heavenly spirits; heaven being the place of their abode and residence; and they may be compared to "winds", for their invisibility, wonderful penetration into places and things, their very great swiftness, and prodigious power and strength. The Targum paraphrases the words thus,

``these are the four kingdoms, which are as the winds of heaven;''

and so the same are signified by the four winds in ( Daniel 7:2 ) to which they may be compared for their swift and forcible carrying all before them, and for their fickleness and changeableness; and to which, the several parts of the world, into which they went, agree: which go forth, from standing before the Lord of all the earth:
so the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel, stood before him in his eternal purposes and decrees from everlasting; and went forth, having their commission from him in time; and were sent by him into the several parts of the world he is the Lord of; and by whom they were filled with gifts, grace, and courage, fitting them for their work. Angels also stand before him, ministering unto him; always behold him; are in his presence, and enjoy his favour; and go forth from him, being sent forth by him on various accounts into all the parts of the world; which Jehovah is the Creator, Upholder, and Governor of: moreover, this is applicable to the four monarchies; these stood before the Lord in his vast and infinite mind; in the secret decrees of it, before the world was; and the sending and going forth of them from him show that they were powers ordained of God, who has the government of the whole world in his hands.

Zechariah 6:5 In-Context

3 and in the third four-horsed cart were white horses, and in the fourth four-horsed cart were diverse horses, and strong. (and the third four-horsed cart, or chariot, had white horses, and the fourth four-horsed cart, or chariot, had dappled horses.)

4 And I answered, and said to the angel that spake in me, What be these things, my lord? (And I said to the angel, who spoke to me, What be these things, my lord?)

5 And the angel answered, and said to me, These be four winds of heaven, which go out, that they stand before the lordshipper of all earth. (And the angel answered, and said to me, These be the four winds of the heavens, which go out from before the Lord, who ruleth over all the earth.)

6 In which were black horses, they went out into the land of the north; and the white went out after them; and the diverse went out into the land of the south. (The cart, or the chariot, which had the black horses went out to the land of the north; and that which had the white horses went out to the west; and that which had the dappled horses went out to the land of the south.)

7 Forsooth they that were strongest went out, and sought for to go, and run about by all earth. And he said, Go ye, and walk ye through the earth. And they walked through the earth. (And the chariot with the red horses went out to the east; and they all sought to go, and to run about through all the earth. And he said, Go ye, and run ye through all the earth. And so they ran through all the earth.)