Zechariah 1

12. Not only does Messiah stand among His people (the "myrtles," Zechariah 1:8 ), but intercedes for them with the Father ("Lord," or "Jehovah of hosts") effectively ( Zechariah 1:13 , Hebrews 7:25 ). Compare Psalms 102:13-20 Isaiah 62:6 Isaiah 62:7 , as to Judah's restoration in answer to prayer.
answered and said--said in continuation of the discourse: proceeded to say.
how long--Messiah's people pray similarly to their Head. Revelation 6:10 , "How long," &c. Heretofore it was vain to pray, but now that the divinely appointed "threescore and ten years" ( Jeremiah 25:11 , 29:10 ) are elapsed, it is time to pray to Thee for the fulfilment of Thy promise, seeing that Thy grace is not yet fully manifested, nor Thy promise fulfilled. God's promises are not to make us slothful, but to quicken our prayers. HENDERSON, dating the seventy years from the destruction of Jerusalem (588 B.C.), supposes two years of the seventy had yet to run (520 B.C.).

13. the Lord--JEHOVAH, called "the angel of the Lord (Jehovah)" ( Zechariah 1:12 ).
good words and comfortable words--literally, "words, consolations." The subject of these consolatory words is stated in Zechariah 1:14 , &c.; the promise of full re-establishment, Jeremiah 29:10 Jeremiah 29:11 (compare Isaiah 57:18 , Hosea 11:8 ).

14. Cry--Proclaim so as to be heard clearly by all ( Isaiah 40:6 , 58:1 ).
I am jealous for Jerusalem--As a husband jealous for his wife, wronged by others, so Jehovah is for Judah, who has been injured wantonly by the heathen ( Zechariah 8:2 , Numbers 25:11 Numbers 25:13 , 1 Kings 19:10 , Joel 2:18 ).

15. very sore displeased with the heathen--in contrast with "I was but a little displeased" with My people. God's displeasure with His people is temporary and for their chastening; with the heathen oppressors, it is final and fatal ( Jeremiah 30:11 ). God's instruments for chastising His people, when He has done with them, He casts into the fire.
are at ease--carnally secure. A stronger phrase than "is at rest" ( Zechariah 1:11 ). They are "at ease," but as I am "sore displeased" with them, their ease is accursed. Judah is in "affliction," but as I love her and am jealous for her, she has every reason to be encouraged in prosecuting the temple work.
helped forward the affliction--afflicted My people more than I desired. The heathen sought the utter extinction of Judah to gratify their own ambition and revenge ( Isaiah 47:6 , Ezekiel 25:3 Ezekiel 25:6 , Obadiah 1:10-17 ).

16. I am returned--whereas in anger I had before withdrawn from her ( Hosea 5:15 ).
with mercies--not merely of one kind, nor once only, but repeated mercies.
my house shall be built--which at this time (the second year of Darius, Zechariah 1:1 ) had only its foundations laid ( Haggai 2:18 ). It was not completed till the sixth year of Darius ( Ezra 6:15 ).
line--( Job 38:5 ). The measuring-line for building, not hastily, but with measured regularity. Not only the temple, but Jerusalem also was to be rebuilt ( Nehemiah 2:3 , &c.; compare Zechariah 2:1 Zechariah 2:2 ). Also, as to the future temple and city, Ezekiel 41:3,42:1-44:31,45:6'.

17. yet--though heretofore lying in abject prostration.
My cities--not only Jerusalem, but the subordinate cities of Judah. God claims them all as peculiarly His, and therefore will restore them.
through prosperity . . . spread abroad--or overflow; metaphor from an overflowing vessel or fountain (compare Proverbs 5:16 ) [PEMBELLUS]. Abundance of fruits of the earth, corn and wine, and a large increase of citizens, are meant; also spiritual prosperity.
comfort Zion--( Isaiah 40:1 Isaiah 40:2 , 51:3 ).
choose--( Zechariah 2:12 , 3:2 , Isaiah 14:1 ). Here meaning, "show by acts of loving-kindness that He has chosen." His immutable choice from everlasting is the fountain whence flow all such particular acts of love.

Zechariah 1:18-21 . SECOND VISION. The power of the Jews foes shall be dissipated.

18. four horns--To a pastoral people like the Jews the horns of the strongest in the herd naturally suggested a symbol of power and pride of conscious strength: hence the ruling powers of the world ( Revelation 17:3 Revelation 17:12 ). The number four in Zechariah's time referred to the four cardinal points of the horizon. Wherever God's people turned, there were foes to encounter ( Nehemiah 4:7 ); the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Samaritan on the north; Egypt and Arabia on the south; Philistia on the west; Ammon and Moab on the east. But the Spirit in the prophet looked farther; namely, to the four world powers, the only ones which were, or are, to rise till the kingdom of Messiah, the fifth, overthrows and absorbs all others in its universal dominion. Babylon and Medo-Persia alone had as yet risen, but soon Græco-Macedonia was to succeed (as Zechariah 9:13 foretells), and Rome the fourth and last, was to follow ( Daniel 2:1-49 , 7:1-28 ). The fact that the repairing of the evils caused to Judah and Israel by all four kingdoms is spoken of here, proves that the exhaustive fulfilment is yet future, and only the earnest of it given in the overthrow of the two world powers which up to Zechariah's time had "scattered" Judah ( Jeremiah 51:2 , Ezekiel 5:10 Ezekiel 5:12 ). That only two of the four had as yet risen, is an argument having no weight with us, as we believe God's Spirit in the prophets regards the future as present; we therefore are not to be led by Rationalists who on such grounds deny the reference here and in Zechariah 6:1 to the four world kingdoms.

19. Judah, Israel--Though some of the ten tribes of Israel returned with Judah from Babylon, the full return of the former, as of the latter, is here foretold and must be yet future.

20. four carpenters--or "artificers." The several instrumentalities employed, or to be employed, in crushing the "Gentile" powers which "scattered" Judah, are hereby referred to. For every one of the four horns there was a cleaving "artificer" to beat it down. For every enemy of God's people, God has provided a counteracting power adequate to destroy it.

21. These are the horns--rather, Those, namely, the horns being distinguished from the "carpenters," or destroying workmen ("skilful to destroy," Exodus 21:31 ), intended in the "these" of the question.
no man . . . lift up his head--so depressed were they with a heavy weight of evils ( Job 10:15 ).
to fray--to strike terror into them ( Ezekiel 30:9 ).
lifted up . . . horn--in the haughtiness of conscious strength ( Psalms 75:4 Psalms 75:5 ) tyrannizing over Judah ( Ezekiel 34:21 ).