Zech. 8 The restoration of Jerusalem, Zech. 8:1–8. The people are encouraged to build the temple by a promise of God’s blessing, Zech. 8:9–15. Truth and justice required of them, Zech. 8:16–17. Joy and enlargement of the church promised, Zech. 8:18–23.

Again, or And, Heb.; as the word of reproof in the former chapter, so the word of consolation in this chapter, was from God. The Lord of hosts: hereby God assureth the Jews that what he promiseth he can perform, and therefore in this chapter, where so many things, so great, are promised, this name…

I was; I have been in time past, in days of old before the captivity, and I have been so since the captivity for some years past. Jealous for Zion: properly it is the passion of a lover or husband, mixed of love, care, and anger in their highest degrees for the beloved, and against all that is…

I am returned; I did in anger depart from sinful, and incorrigible, and unhumbled Israel, and sent them into a long captivity, and a far distance from my house; but now I am pacified, they punished, and I will be no longer absent from them; I am returned, not by change of place, but by change of my…

Old men; very old men, and very old women: formerly war, or famine, or pestilence and wasting disease, or wild beasts, did cut off men and women before they grew to old age; but now it shall be otherwise, I will bless with health and long life in a peaceful state.

The streets; every street. Shall be full of boys and girls; have many young ones healthful, strong, brisk, and lively, the present joy and future hope of all; so will I fulfil the promise of multiplying your children.

If it be marvellous: these things promised may perhaps seem very strange and difficult, if not impossible. In the eyes; in the judgment and opinion, or rather, to the unbelief of this people. The remnant of this people: few in number, exceedingly poor, and perpetually surrounded with dangers.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: here again God engageth his almighty power to make good his promise. Behold; consider well what power is to do this. I will save my people, bring them safe, from the east country; Persia and Media, which lay east from Jerusalem, and, being now masters of Babylon and…

I will bring them; though many things interpose to hinder, none shall keep them from returning; I will lead the way, I will guard them in it, I will supply their necessities, I will give strength to the weak and cheer up the dejected, I will gather and carry too.

Let your hands be strong; be of good courage, and hearten on each other to the expectation of God’s promise, and the doing your duty. Ye, you returned captives, that hear: this is an argument to revive their courage, they hear God by his word very fairly proposing great things.

For before these days, for eighteen years together, there was no hire; reward or recompence, no profit by the labour of man or beast, sowing or planting: see Hag. 1:6–11, Hag. 2:15–17, Mal. 3:10–11. Or else, though the poor Jew laboured and received wages, it profiled him not, God blasted it.

But now; since this people go about building the temple and restoring my worship with some cheerfulness. I will not be unto the residue of this people: God changeth not, his not being what he was to this people is a change of his providence and his dealings with them.

For the seed, which before brought nothing, or very little, forth, shall now prosper into a plentiful harvest, such as Mal. 3:10. The vine shall give her fruit: this was very much the wealth and support of that people; this had been blasted, as Hag.

As ye were a curse; as threatened Deut. 28:37, Jer. 24:9, Jer. 29:18, all which came upon them in this seventy years’ captivity, and the miseries that preceded. Among the heathen; nations who knew the misery which they heaped on the Jews, nations among whom they were scattered.

As I thought, determined first, then declared my resolution, in my threats and many warnings given, to punish you, Jews, the body of that nation; you, one with your fathers.

So again; so with like steadiness of mind with an equal unchangeableness, I have purposed and promised to do well to you, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and house of Judah. Fear ye not; for if in punishing, which I love not, I was constant, in blessing, which pleaseth me, I cannot but be constant.

These are the things that ye shall do; you to whom I am returned, whom I have promised to bless, you have something to do that the blessing may come upon you, and look you do it. Beside building the temple and restoring public worship in sacrifices, these things ye must do.

Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour: see Zech. 7:10. Love no false oath: see Zech. 5:4; you that must not lie to a man, must not swear to a lie before God, Ps. 15:4, Ezek. 17:18–19.

This 19th verse is a final decision of the proposed case, and the whole of this verse stands on a proviso or condition, that they do those things required, Zech. 8:16–17; then shall their fasting cease, and turn into joy and feasts.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: this solemn attestation, that it is the Lord of hosts who will do that great thing next promised, calls both for our heeding and believing of it.

The inhabitants of one city shall go to another; great was the zeal and forwardness of primitive converts to bring others into the church, and to acquaint them with the doctrine of Christ; and this is here foretold under the zeal and forwardness of the Jews to gather one another, and to ascend thus…

This verse is both confirmation and illustration to the former; there it was people, here it is many people, and mighty, or great; not the poor, and contemptible. and few, but people of a greater figure in the world.

The Lord seems delighted with the reporting what should be done in those days of the building up his Jerusalem, and therefore he bids his prophet report it again, as he doth in this last verse of the chapter.