Zechariah 8:10

10 Soothly before those days hire of men was not, neither hire of work beasts was, neither to man entering and going out was peace for tribulation; and I let go all men, each against his neighbour. (Truly before those days there was no hiring of men, or of work beasts, nor was there peace from tribulation for anyone entering in or going out; yea, I let everyone go, each against his neighbour/each against the other.)

Zechariah 8:10 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 8:10

For before these days
That the temple began to be built: there was no hire for men, nor any hire for beasts;
that turned to any account; the wages earned by the one, and with the other, were as if they were put into a bag with holes, did not prosper with them, or do them any service, ( Haggai 1:6 ) ( 2:16 ) : neither [was there any] peace to him that went out or came in,
because of the affliction;
there was no safety in passing to and fro, nor any peaceable enjoyment of what a man had, because of affliction and oppression by the enemy on every side, and from every quarter: for I set all men everyone against his neighbour;
expressive of the internal divisions and contentions among themselves, which are said to be of the Lord, because he permitted them as a chastisement upon them for their sins.

Zechariah 8:10 In-Context

8 and I shall bring them (back), and they shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem; and they shall be to me into a people, and I shall be to them into God, and in truth, and in rightwiseness. (and I shall bring them back, and they shall live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I shall be their God, in truth, and in righteousness.)
9 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Be your hands strengthened, which hear in these days these words by the mouth of prophets, in the day in which the house of the Lord of hosts is founded, that the temple should be builded (again). (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Take courage! you who hear in these days these words from the mouths of the prophets, yea, those prophets from the days in which the House of the Lord of hosts was founded, who say that the Temple should now be rebuilt.)
10 Soothly before those days hire of men was not, neither hire of work beasts was, neither to man entering and going out was peace for tribulation; and I let go all men, each against his neighbour. (Truly before those days there was no hiring of men, or of work beasts, nor was there peace from tribulation for anyone entering in or going out; yea, I let everyone go, each against his neighbour/each against the other.)
11 But now not after the former days I shall do to the remnants of this people, saith the Lord of hosts, (But now I shall not do to the remnants of this people like in the earlier days, saith the Lord of hosts,)
12 but the seed of peace shall be; the vine shall give his fruit, and the earth shall give his burgeoning, and heavens shall give their dew; and I shall make the remnants of this people for to wield all these things. (but they shall sow, or they shall plant, their seeds in peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its burgeoning, or its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I shall make the remnants of this people to possess all these things, or all that they want.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.