Chapter 10

1 God is to be sought unto, and not idols. 5 As he visited his flock for sin, so he will save and restore them.

1. Of the Lord. Zechariah shows that if God’s people are to receive the promised blessings, they must seek them from the Lord, not from idols (v. 2). The assurance of abundance (ch. 9:17) prompts the prophet to appeal to his people to trust in God alone for their material and spiritual benefits.

Latter rain. This rain came in the spring, at the close of the rainy season, and was needed to mature the grain before the harvest (see Deut. 11:14). The early rain began the rainy season, in the fall, to promote the growth of the seed just sown (see Vol. II, p. 108). Copious rains early and late were a token of God’s care and favor, His temporal and spiritual blessings (see Isa. 30:2; Jer. 5:24; Joel 2:23).

Bright clouds. Heb. chazizim, “thunderclouds.” The figure of the latter rain is used to describe the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days (see on Joel 2:23). It is now the “time of the latter rain,” when men ought to send up earnest petitions that the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man may speedily be realized (see AA 55; TM 506).

2. Idols. Heb. teraphim, household gods usually in the form of small human figurines (see on Gen. 31:19).

Vanity. Futile, utterly worthless responses.

Diviners. Those who pretended to reveal the will of the gods (see Jer. 29:8).

Went their way. Confidence in these deceivers caused the Israelites to be led into captivity.

No shepherd. Probably a reference to their having no king to lead and protect them (see Hosea 3:4).

3. The shepherds. The context seems to imply that these false shepherds were the apostate leaders of Israel, the princes, priests, and prophets whom God held chiefly accountable for all the woe that had come upon Israel in connection with the Captivity (Isa. 3:12; 9:16; cf. Jer. 2:8, 26, 27; 8:1, 2; 10:21; 32:32; Eze. 22:23–31; Eze. 34:2–10; etc.). In Zech. 11:15, 17, it is implied that these false shepherds had abandoned their flock, and in ch. 10:2 the people of Israel are represented as sheep going astray because they have no shepherd to lead them in the right way (cf. Jer. 5:1–5; Eze. 34:5; etc.).

Others have suggested that the “shepherds” represent the heathen kings who ruled the Israelites during the time they had “no shepherd” (v. 2) of their own. God had used these heathen “shepherds” as His instruments to chastise His people (see Isa. 10:5, 6), but they had exercised undue cruelty toward His people.

Goats. Heb. Фattudim, “he-goats” (Gen. 31:10, 12; Deut. 32:14), also used metaphorically of leaders, for example, here and in Isa. 14:9.

His flock. God will visit His flock in blessing and will make His people strong to overcome their foes (see ch. 9:13).

4. Corner. Or, “cornerstone,” or, perhaps, “corner tower.” The various figures emphasize Judah’s steadfastness and security. The Jews regarded this verse as a Messianic prediction.

Nail. Compare Isa. 22:23.

5. Mighty men. The presence of God would ensure the chosen people of complete triumph over their enemies. These promises of victory were “conditional on obedience” (PK 704) and were never realized by Israel because of their persistent refusal to fulfill the divine purpose.

6. House of Judah. The southern kingdom (see 1 Kings 11:31, 32).

House of Joseph. The ten tribes comprising the northern kingdom of Israel are thus named because the most numerous and prominent of the northern tribes was that of Ephraim, a son of Joseph (Gen. 41:50–52).

As though. To the returned exiles God promised restoration full and free. If they had cooperated with the purposes of Heaven, they soon would have enjoyed a prosperity not to be distinguished from that which it had been their privilege earlier to obtain (see pp. 31, 32).

Thus it may be with the sinner. Though guilty of grievous transgression, he may obtain pardon full and free. When, by faith, he accepts the righteousness of Christ, he is accepted before God as if he had not sinned (see SC 62).

7. They of Ephraim. That is, those of the northern kingdom. Because of their sin the ten tribes were “given no promise of complete restoration to their former power in Palestine” (PK 298). However, a glorious destiny awaited those among these tribes who would join themselves to the Lord and unite with the remnant of Judah.

8. Hiss. Or, “whistle.” The LXX renders the opening clause, “I will make a sign to them.”

9. Sow. Heb. zaraФ, often used in the sense of scatter, and doubtless so here. The opening clause may be translated “though I scattered them” (RSV).

10. Egypt. See Jer. 43; 44 concerning the Jews who dwelt in Egypt.

Assyria. Here representing the territory of Assyria now held by Persia (see on Ezra 6:22).

Gilead and Lebanon. Countries on the eastern and northern boundaries of Israel, which were first depopulated (2 Kings 15:29; see on 1 Chron. 5:26).

11. Through the sea. A reference to the miracle of the Red Sea (Ex. 14). God would again be willing to work miraculously in the deliverance of His people.

River. Heb. yeХor, frequently designating the Nile (Ex. 1:22; 2:3; etc.; see on Ex. 2:10). However, yeХor may also apply to other streams. In Dan. 12:5–7 it refers to the Tigris. Some think it here refers to the Euphrates, which the exiles who returned from Babylon would cross on their way to Jerusalem. Others, by a consideration of the parallelism, think that the Nile is meant.

Brought down. Punishment would be visited upon those nations that had held God’s people captive (see Isa. 10:12; 13:1–22; Eze. 29 to 32; etc.).

12. Walk up and down. Or, simply, “walk,” as the same verb form is rendered in Gen. 5:22. The LXX reads “glory,” which necessitates the change of one letter in the Hebrew. Compare Micah 4:5.

Ellen G. White comments

1    AA 55; Ev 701; EW 271; ML 60; MM 335; TM 506; 5T 214; 8T 21

11   PK 366