Zacharias 1:18

18 And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold four horns.

Zacharias 1:18 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 1:18

Then I lifted up mine eyes
To behold another vision which follows: and saw, and behold four horns;
either iron ones, such as Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made to push the Syrians with, ( 1 Kings 22:11 ) or horns of beasts, as the horns of unicorns, to which the horns of Joseph are compared, ( Deuteronomy 33:17 ) and signify kingdoms or kings, and these very powerful and mighty; and so the Targum interprets them of "four kingdoms"; and which Kimchi and Abarbinel understand of the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; so ten horns, in ( Daniel 7:24 ) ( Revelation 17:12 ) design ten kings or kingdoms; unless rather, seeing these horns were such who had already distressed and scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem; and two of the above monarchies were not yet in being, the Grecian and Roman, when this vision was seen; and one of those that were, were friends to the Jews, as the Persians; they may in general signify all the enemies of the Jews that were round about them, on the four corners of them; as the Syrians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, on the north; the Ammonites and Moabites on the east; the Edomites and Egyptians on the south; and the Philistines on the west; as Junius thinks. Cocceius interprets them of four kings, Shalmaneser, Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes the first, called Longimanus; and may be applied to the antichristian states, Pagan and Papal, in the various parts of the world, called horns, ( Daniel 7:24 ) ( Revelation 12:3 ) ( 13:1 ) .

Zacharias 1:18 In-Context

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord: I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; and my house shall be rebuilt in her, saith the Lord Almighty, and a measuring line shall yet be stretched out over Jerusalem.
17 And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry yet, and say, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Yet shall cities be spread abroad through prosperity; and the Lord shall yet have mercy upon Sion, and shall choose Jerusalem.
18 And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold four horns.
19 And I said to the angel that spoke with me, What are these things, lord? And he said to me, These are the horns that have scattered Juda, and Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 And the Lord shewed me four artificers.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.