Zechariah 8

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

1 And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying,

2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: ¹I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.

3 Thus says the LORD: ²I have returned to Zion and ³will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, ⁴and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, ⁵and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: ⁶Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: ⁷If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, ⁸should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts?

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, ⁹I will save my people ¹⁰from the east country and from the west country,

8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. ¹¹And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, ¹²in faithfulness and in righteousness."

9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: ¹³"Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of ¹⁴the prophets who were present on ¹⁵the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

10 For before those days ¹⁶there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.

11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts.

12 ¹⁷For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, ¹⁸and the heavens shall give their dew. ¹⁹And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

13 And as ²⁰you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, ²¹so will I save you, and ²²you shall be a blessing. ²³Fear not, but ²⁴let your hands be strong."

14 For thus says the LORD of hosts: ²⁵"As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts,

15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; ²⁶fear not.

16 These are the things that you shall do: ²⁷Speak the truth to one another; ²⁸render in your gates judgments ²⁹that are true and make for peace;

17 ³⁰do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and ³¹love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."

18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

19 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the ³²fourth month and the fast of the ³³fifth and the fast of the ³⁴seventh and the fast of the ³⁵tenth shall be to the house of Judah ³⁶seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love ³⁷truth and peace.

20 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.

21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ³⁸'Let us go at once ³⁹to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.'

22 ⁴⁰Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and ⁴¹to entreat the favor of the LORD.

23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ⁴²ten men ⁴³from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for ⁴⁴we have heard that God is with you.'"

Zechariah 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The restoration of Jerusalem. (1-8) The people encouraged by promises of God's favour, and exhorted to holiness. (9-17) The Jews in the latter days. (18-23)

Verses 1-8 The sins of Zion were her worst enemies. God will take away her sins, and then no other enemies shall hurt her. Those who profess religion must adorn their profession by godliness and honesty. When become a city of truth and a mountain of holiness, ( zechariah 8:4-5 ) describe a state of great outward peace, attended with plenty, temperance, and contentment. The scattered Israelites shall be brought together from all parts. God will never leave nor forsake them in a way of mercy, for this he has promised them; and they shall never leave nor forsake him in a way of duty, as they have promised him. These promises were partly fulfilled in the Jewish church, betwixt the captivity and the time of Christ's coming; and they had fuller accomplishment in the gospel church; but the full import must be as to the future times of the Christian church, or the future restoration of the Jews. With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible; so far are God's thoughts and ways above ours. In the present low state of vital godliness, we can hardly conceive that so complete a change can be made; but a change thus extensive and glorious, can be brought to pass by the almighty power of the new-creating Spirit, in less time than he was pleased to employ in creating the world. Let the hands of all who labour in the cause of the gospel be strong, serving the Lord in true holiness, assured that their labour shall not be in vain.

Verses 9-17 Those only who lay their hands to the plough of duty, shall have them strengthened with the promises of mercy: those who avoid their fathers' faults have the curse turned into a blessing. Those who believed the promises, were to show their faith by their works, and to wait the fulfilment. When God is displeased, he can cause trade to decay, and set every man against his neighbour; but when he returns in mercy, all is happy and prosperous. Surely believers in Christ must not trifle with the exhortation to put away lying, and to speak every man peace with his neighbour, to hate what the Lord hates, and to love that wherein he delights.

Verses 18-23 When God comes towards us in ways of mercy, we must meet him with joy and thankfulness. Therefore be faithful and honest in all your dealings; and let it be a pleasure to you to be so, though thereby you come short of the gains others get dishonestly; and, as much as in you lies, live peaceably with all men. Let the truths of God rule in your heads, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Thus the ancient servants of God drew the notice of heathen neighbours, whose prejudices were softened. A great increase to the church shall be made. Hitherto the Jews had been prone to learn the idolatries of other nations: what more unlikely than that they should teach religion to their conquerors, and to all the principal nations of the earth! Yet this is expressly foretold, and it came to pass. Hitherto the prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled, and no doubt future events will explain it further. It is good to be with those who have God with them; if we take God for our God, we must take his people for our people, and be willing to take our lot with them. But let not any one think that mere zeal, either for Jews or Gentiles, will stand in the place of personal religion. Let us be living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men, so that others may wish to go with us, and to have their portion with us in the realms of bliss.

Cross References

• 1. Zechariah 1:14
• 2. Zechariah 1:16
• 3. See Zechariah 2:10
• 4. [Isaiah 1:26]
• 5. See Isaiah 2:3
• 6. [Psalms 128:6; Proverbs 10:27]
• 7. [Psalms 118:23]
• 8. See Genesis 18:14
• 9. Zechariah 10:6
• 10. Psalms 107:3; Isaiah 43:5; [Isaiah 49:12; Ezekiel 37:21]
• 11. Zechariah 13:9; See Jeremiah 31:33
• 12. Jeremiah 4:2
• 13. 2 Samuel 16:21; [Haggai 2:4]
• 14. Zechariah 7:3; Ezra 5:1, 2
• 15. Haggai 2:18
• 16. [Haggai 1:6]
• 17. Hosea 2:21, 22; Haggai 2:19
• 18. [Haggai 1:10]
• 19. See Jeremiah 3:18
• 20. [Isaiah 43:28; Isaiah 65:15]
• 21. Zechariah 10:6
• 22. See Genesis 12:2, 3
• 23. Haggai 2:5
• 24. [See ver. 9 above]
• 25. [Jeremiah 31:28; Jeremiah 32:42]
• 26. [See ver. 13 above]
• 27. Cited Ephesians 4:25; See Psalms 15:2
• 28. See Zechariah 7:9
• 29. ver. 19
• 30. Zechariah 7:10
• 31. See Zechariah 5:4
• 32. [Jeremiah 39:2]
• 33. Zechariah 7:3
• 34. Zechariah 7:5
• 35. 2 Kings 25:1
• 36. Isaiah 35:10
• 37. ver. 16
• 38. [Zechariah 2:11; Zechariah 14:16; Isaiah 2:3]
• 39. See Zechariah 7:2
• 40. [See ver. 21 above]
• 41. [See ver. 21 above]
• 42. See Genesis 31:7
• 43. [Isaiah 66:18; Revelation 5:9]
• 44. [1 Corinthians 14:25]

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 8

This chapter contains promises of various blessings to the people of the Jews; and exhortations to each of the duties incumbent on them; and is concluded with a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. The cause of all the blessings promised is the love of God to them, signified by zeal, or jealousy for them, Zec 8:1,2. The blessings promised are the Lord's return to dwell in Jerusalem, and the integrity and holiness of that city, Zec 8:3. The long life of the inhabitants of it, and the plenty of children that should be born in it, Zec 8:4,5 and, however wonderful and incredible this might seem to some, it was not to the Lord, who was determined to bring his people that were in various distant countries to Jerusalem, and settle them there; and renew and reestablish his covenant with them, Zec 8:6-8 wherefore the Lord encourages them to go on in rebuilding the temple, Zec 8:9 and promises them that things would be better with them than in times past; that whereas there had been nothing but penury, affliction, and distress, now there should be great affluence and prosperity, Zec 8:10-12 and though before they were a curse among the nations, now they should be a blessing; and though their fathers were punished, they should be dealt well with, Zec 8:13-15 and then they are exhorted to the discharge of several duties mentioned, to which they are induced by the Lord's hatred of that which is evil, and by his turning their fasts into cheerful feasts. Zec 8:16-19 to which is added a prophecy of the calling and conversion of the Gentiles, which would make for the glory of the Jewish church; who are described by their numbers, being many people, and the inhabitants of many cities; by their association together, to pray to the Lord, and worship him; by their coming up to Jerusalem for that purpose; and by their junction with the Jews, to which they will be encouraged by having heard that God is with them, Zec 8:20-23.