Zech. 7 The Jews having sent to inquire concerning the set fasts, Zech. 7:1–3, Zechariah reproveth the hypocrisy of their fasts, Zech. 7:4–7. They are exhorted by repentance to remove the cause of their calamity, Zech. 7:8–14.

It came to pass; a most usual form of speech, introductory to what shall afterwards be spoken. In the fourth year; when the Jews had now been two years in building the temple, and probably it was in good forwardness. Of king Darius; son of Hystaspes, about A. M, 3487, as Arch.

When they, either the captives which still continued in Babylon, or the Jews returned out of captivity, but who dwelt in the country at distance from Jerusalem, had sent unto the house of God; the temple, which now, half built, began to be frequented by priests and people, and where Haggai and…

To speak unto, to consult with, the priests: they were to be the ordinary casuists, and ought to be able and ready to answer all cases of conscience, as Mal. 2:7. Which were in; had their residence in or about the temple.

Then, when these men had proposed their case, and expected the priests’ answer, came the word of the Lord; an answer from God, which follows in the 7th and 8th chapters of this book at large.

Speak unto all the people, i.e. either by their messengers who came in their name, or to all the Jews that were at Jerusalem. Of the land; by which it seems to be not the loiterers in Babylon, but the returned in Judea, that sent.

I was as little minded by you in your fasts as in your feasts, and I was as little pleased with your fasts as feasts; self was all in both, you looked no higher.

Should ye not hear the words? you needed not have thus inquired had you heeded the word written. Should you not remember, or have you not read, what Isa.

See Zech. 7:4

Thus speaketh, or did speak, i.e. to your fathers, and thus he doth speak to you now. Execute true judgment: God required former judges, and he requireth present judges, without hatred, prejudice, partiality, or bribery to give true sentence.

Oppress not; do not first misreport their persons, their actions, and their cases, and on that pretence do them wrong, and oppress them: it is double oppression, to oppress by false information, and then condemn; the first is an oppression of righteousness, the next is oppression of the righteous.

But they refused to hearken; they wilfully were ignorant, ant, would not consider nor understand. Pulled away the shoulder; next they shift from doing their duty, withdraw their shoulder from the yoke of the law, Neh. 9:29, Hos. 4:16.

They made their hearts as an adamant: though the heart of itself is far from taking impressions, and receiving kindly the law of God, yet these desperate sinners think it is too pliable, they study how to harden it, and this was the fault of many of them. An adamant; the hardest of stones.

Therefore it is come to pass; this is the very cause, and it is just too. As he cried; my Spirit by the prophets called, warned, entreated, and urged them to repent, obey, and live, but they would not; so they cried, by fasting and howling in their deep but chosen distress, in the miseries they…

But I scattered them; when they had so provoked me, I cast them out of their habitations, pursued them with the tempest of wrath that scattered them as I threatened. With a whirlwind; irresistibly, suddenly, and tearing all into pieces, as whirlwinds do.