10 1 The vanity of Idolatry. 3 The Lord promiseth to visit and comfort the house of Israel.
1 Ask you of the [a]Lord rain in the time of the latter rain: so shall the Lord make white clouds, and give you showers of rain, and to everyone grass in the field.
2 Surely the [b]idols have spoken vanity, and the soothsayers have seen a lie, and the dreamers have told a vain thing: they comfort in vain: therefore [c]they went away as sheep: they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
3 My wrath was kindled against the shepherds, and I did visit the [d]goats: but the Lord of hosts will visit his flock the house of Judah, and will make them as [e]his beautiful horse in the battle.
4 Out [f]of him shall the corner come forth: out of him the nail, out of him ye bow of battle, and out of him every [g]appointer of tribute also.
5 And they shall be as the 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.
6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will preserve the [h]house of Joseph, and I will bring them again, for I pity 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 as a giant: and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad: and their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will [i]hiss for them: and gather them: for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase, as they have increased.
9 And I will [j]sow them among the people, and they shall remember me in far countries: and they shall live with their children and [k]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 [l]shall go into the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.
12 And I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in his Name, saith the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 10:1 The Prophet reproveth the Jews, because by their own infidelity they put back God’s graces promised, and so famine came by God’s just judgment: therefore to avoid this plague, he willeth them to turn to God, and to pray in faith to him, and so he will give them abundance.
- Zechariah 10:2 He calleth to remembrance God’s punishments in times past, because they trusted not in him, but in their idols and sorcerers who ever deceived them.
- Zechariah 10:2 That is, the Jews went into captivity.
- Zechariah 10:3 Meaning, the cruel governors which did oppress the poor sheep, Ezek. 34:16, 17.
- Zechariah 10:3 He will be merciful to his Church and cherish them as a king or prince doth his best horse which shall be for his own use in war.
- Zechariah 10:4 Out of Judah shall the chief governor proceed, who shall be as a corner to uphold the building, and as a nail to fasten it together.
- Zechariah 10:4 Over their enemies.
- Zechariah 10:6 That is, the ten tribes, which should be gathered under Christ to the rest of the Church.
- Zechariah 10:8 Whereby he declareth the power of God, who needeth no great preparation when he will deliver his: for with a beck or hiss he can call them from all places suddenly.
- Zechariah 10:9 Though they shall yet be scattered and seem to be lost, yet it shall be profitable unto them: for there they shall come to the knowledge of my Name, which was accomplished under the Gospel, among whom it was first preached.
- Zechariah 10:9 Not that they should return into their country, but be gathered and joined in one faith by the doctrine of the Gospel.
- Zechariah 10:11 He alludeth to the deliverance of the people out of Egypt, whereas the Angel smote the floods and rivers.