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Zechariah 10

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Seek the Lord for Provision 1–2

1
Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. ​
2
For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. ​

Judgment on False Shepherds 3–5

3
Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. ​
4
Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. ​
5
And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. ​

The Gathering and Strengthening of Israel 6–12

6
And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. ​
7
And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. ​
8
I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. ​
9
And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again. ​
10
I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. ​
11
And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. ​
12
And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Zechariah 10

Verse 1

the latter rain — Malqosh, the spring rain, named with 'the first rain' in Deut 11:14. The people are told to ask for it of the LORD, not of idols: 'Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain?… art not thou he, O LORD our God?' (Jer 14:22). 'Bright clouds' is chaziz, a flash of lightning.

Verse 2

the idols have spoken vanity — 'Idols' is teraphim, household images, such as those Rachel 'had stolen' (Gen 31:19). 'Vanity' is aven, nothingness, and 'false' is shav, emptiness. 'Went their way' is nasa', to pull up the tent pins and set out. The flock is 'scattered, because there is no shepherd' (Ezek 34:5; Matt 9:36).

Verse 3

the shepherds… the goats — The goats are attudim, the he-goats that lead the flock, a name for the leaders of a people, like 'the chief ones of the earth' in Isa 14:9. One verb, paqad, serves for 'I punished the goats' and 'hath visited his flock'. 'Goodly' is hod, majesty, the word rendered 'glory' in 6:13.

Verse 4

the corner… the nail… the battle bow — 'Corner' is pinnah, a corner and so a chief, recalling 'the head stone of the corner' (Ps 118:22) and 'a precious corner stone' (Isa 28:16). The 'nail' is yated, a peg fastened 'in a sure place' (Isa 22:23). All come 'out of him', out of Judah (v.3), where the sceptre was to stay (Gen 49:10).

Verse 5

in the mire of the streets — Tit, mud, as in 'I did stamp them as the mire of the street' (2 Sam 22:43) and 'trodden down as the mire of the streets' (Mic 7:10). They fight 'because the LORD is with them', and the 'riders on horses' are confounded, as in Hag 2:22, 'the horses and their riders shall come down'.

Verse 6

the house of Joseph — The tribes descended from Joseph stand beside 'the house of Judah'; his son Ephraim is named in v.7. 'Cast them off' is zanach, the verb of Lam 3:31, 'the Lord will not cast off for ever'. 'Will hear them' is anah, to answer, the reverse of 7:13, where they cried and he 'would not hear'.

Verse 7

Ephraim… like a mighty man — Gibbor, a warrior, the word of 'mighty men' in v.5. Ephraim's name was given for fruitfulness: 'God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction' (Gen 41:52). The wine is the gladness of Ps 104:15, 'wine that maketh glad the heart of man', and the rejoicing (gil) is 'in the LORD'.

Verse 8

I will hiss for them — Sharaq, to whistle shrilly as a summons. The LORD uses it to call the nations, 'will hiss unto them from the end of the earth' (Isa 5:26), and to call the fly and the bee from Egypt and Assyria (Isa 7:18); here it gathers his own. 'Redeemed' is padah, ransomed, as from Egypt (Deut 7:8); 'increased' recalls Ex 1:7.

Verse 9

I will sow them among the people — Zara', the sower's verb, used of the LORD's own planting in Hos 2:23, 'I will sow her unto me in the earth'. Scattering becomes the place of remembering: 'they shall remember me in far countries', as Solomon prayed that captives might 'bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives' (1 Kgs 8:47).

Verse 10

Egypt… Assyria… Gilead and Lebanon — The two lands are those of Hos 11:11, where Israel comes 'as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria'. Gilead lies east of the Jordan and Lebanon to the north. 'Place shall not be found for them' has its likeness in Isa 49:20, 'The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell'.

Verse 11

pass through the sea — The crossing recalls the sea made 'dry land' in Ex 14:21 and the promise that the LORD 'shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod' (Isa 11:15). The 'river' is ye'or, the word for the Nile. 'The pride of Assyria' (ga'on) and 'the sceptre of Egypt' (shebet) are the two powers of v.10.

Verse 12

walk up and down in his name — Halak, the verb of Enoch who 'walked with God' (Gen 5:22), in the form for walking to and fro. 'Strengthen' is gabar, as in v.6, where the LORD strengthens the house of Judah. The strength is 'in the LORD', as Paul says, 'be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus' (2 Tim 2:1).