the Messiah comes. The days of Messiah are to last from his coming to the end of the world, but the prophet does not mark out the period of this great interval, in which these events are to take place. On the contrary, arguing only from this prophecy, without a reference to others, we may infer, that Messiah's glory was not to commence with his coming. For the prophet describes him as "a lowly, afflicted man, and riding on an ass," which tells us plainly that his beginning is to be in humiliation, not in glory. And, further, the prophet gives a very significant intimation, that the deliverance of Israel was to be posterior to the spread of his dominion amongst the Gentiles; for, after the prediction that he should speak peace to the Gentiles, and that his dominion should be from sea to sea, he adds, most significantly, "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water," which the Jewish commentators interpret of the deliverance of the Jews: now, if this deliverance was to take place immediately on the coming of the Messiah, why should he, as it were, make it a secondary event, and connect it with the preceding passage by an "also?" The very form of the address, "As for thee also," intimates that there should be something wrong with Israel, but that, notwithstanding, they should be ultimately delivered.

Having thus answered the objections, I will now briefly show that the circumstances of our Lord's advent do answer to the prediction.

I. The time of his advent. The prophet here connects the coming of Messiah with the times of the second temple, and after the destruction of Damascus, Tyre, and Philistia, by the Greeks. At this time Jesus of Nazareth appeared.

II. The circumstances of his advent. He was just or righteous, so that none of his judges found any fault

in him, and he himself could challenge the Jews to convince him of sin. He was saved by the Lord from all his enemies, and rose triumphantly from the dead. He was lowly and afflicted, and he did literally ride into Jerusalem upon an ass.

III. The results of his coming. He spoke peace to the Gentiles, and his dominion does even now extend to the ends of the earth. Within three centuries from his appearance, Christianity held the sceptre of the world. And though Mahometanism offered a temporary obstacle to its extension, we now see that power prostrated, and Christianity holding within its grasp the means of universal empire. From India to America; from the extreme north, down to the newly-discovered islands of the Southern Ocean, Christianity possesses the ascendancy, and Christians, if not restrained by those principles of love, justice, and holiness, which Jesus has taught them, might, at any moment, take possession of the world. It is true, we, as well as the Jews, look for something far beyond this, but that which we see with our eyes, is a pledge that God will accomplish the remainder. Never since the beginning of the world did any form of religion possess such power, or extend so widely as the religion of Jesus. The most powerful, the most civilised, the most scientific nations that the world ever saw, acknowledge Jesus as their Lord, and the sun never sets upon his kingdom.

IV. Whilst his dominion has been spreading amongst the Gentiles, the Jews still remain in the pit where there is no water, as the prophet intimates, and God still cries to them, Turn to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope; and I will cause the Messiah to return to you.

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CHAPTER X.

1. "Ask ye."-In that time, if ye ask of God, blessed be He, rain in the time of the latter rain, the Lord who makes the lightnings will immediately hear your prayer, and make lightnings,* and will give rain. The lightnings shall be with the rain, as it is said, "And a way for the lightnings of the thunder."

comes.

ibi

??, These

are they which flash in the time of rain before the crash The root of this word is . Our rabbies, of blessed memory, have interpreted it to mean cloud. As to that which is said, "In the time of the latter rain," which is the last rain, and falls in the days of Nisan, the meaning is, Yea, even at the last, if they want rain, he will give it them, and the herb shall grow quickly.

(rain of rain). Two synonymes are here put together in regimen, as 78, "earth of dust" (Dan. xii. 2), and 1, "out of the miry clay" (Ps. xl. 3), to signify abundance of rain, which he will give to those who live in that time.

"To every one grass in the field."-To every one of them he will give grass in the field. Our rabbies, of blessed memory, have interpreted it thus: "In the time when Israel doeth the will of God, He doeth their will: so that if one man alone, and not the others, want rain, he will give rain to that one man, and if a man want one herb alone in his field or garden, and not another, he will give rain to that one herb, according as one of the saints

* Bright clouds; compare margin.

+ Though Kimchi only quotes the last half of this verse, his allusion is really to the whole. "When he made a decree for the rain," &c. (Job xxviii. 24.)

used to say, This plot of ground wants rain, and that plot of ground does not want rain, [and so the rain fell.] *

2. "For the Teraphim have spoken vanity."-Then they shall know that the Teraphim have spoken vanity, for they shall see that the prophecies uttered by the true prophets are fulfilled. The evil prophecies have been fulfilled in the desolation of the land, and the consolations shall be fulfilled at that time. Then they shall know that the possessors of Teraphim who led them astray before the desolation of the land, and also the diviners and the false prophets with their dreams, who, before the desolation, used to promise them peace, then they shall know that they gave vain comfort, and that all was lie, and vanity, and nothingness.

"Therefore they went their way as a flock."-They went their way, and were led in captivity from their land, as a flock that has no shepherd.

"They were abased (English, troubled) because there was no shepherd." means, "They were humbled;"

Nor abase himself for the noise of , וּמֵהֲמוֹנָם לֹא יַעֲנֶה as

them" (Isa. xxxi. 4),

ing of humbling.†

where also this root has the mean

3. "Against the shepherds."-These are the kings of Greece, who oppressed Israel before the day when the house of the Hasmoneans rose up against them. After likening Israel to a flock, he likens the kings that ruled to shepherds, or he-goats that go before the flock, and the flock after them.

"Upon the he-goats I will visit."-Their sin upon

them.

"For the Lord of hosts hath visited."-He hath remembered their affliction and oppression, and hath promised to save them.

*Talm. Bab. Taanith, fol. ix., col. 2.

↑ And so our translators have in that passage.

"His flock."—He will not leave them in the hand of the shepherds any longer.

"And hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle."-As a horse whose strength and might are seen in the battle, as it is said of him, "He rejoices in his strength he goeth on to meet the armed men." (Job xxxix. 21.)

4. "Out of him is the corner."-Corner is spoken parabolically of the head of the people, as it is said, "Draw ye near hither all the corners of the people" (1 Sam. xiv. 38), i. e., the heads of the people. The meaning here in Zechariah is, that the head over them shall not be from the Greeks.

"The nail."-This is the governor; and so it is said, "I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place." (Isaiah xxii. 23.)

"The battle bow."-For they shall not want the help of another people: their hands alone shall be sufficient for them.

"Out of him came forth every oppressor together.”. For they shall oppress their enemies.

5. "And they shall be as mighty men which tread down in the mire of the streets."—Israel shall be as the mighty men of Greece, such as they were at first, and they shall be treading and trampling their enemies in the mire of the streets.

"In the battle (war).”—In that war which they shall wage with them.

"And the riders on horses shall be ashamed."-The enemies who came against them riding on horses shall have shame, for Israel shall overcome them, though on foot.

6. “And I will strengthen.”—I will give them strength against their enemies.

"And I will bring them again."-nizin is a word compounded of win, "And I will cause them to

'azwin!,

I