Read Chapter 9, click here.
Zechariah chapter
10:
A simple exegesis
based on grammatical observations of the Hebrew text. Some references to Bible
Commentaries and Hebrew Lexicons are made to enhance my understanding of the
text
By Stephen Ng
Zech. 10:1 שַׁאֲל֨וּ מֵיְהוָ֤ה מָטָר֙ בְּעֵ֣ת מַלְק֔וֹשׁ יְהוָ֖ה עֹשֶׂ֣ה
חֲזִיזִ֑ים
וּמְטַר־גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙
יִתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֔ם
לְאִ֖ישׁ עֵ֥שֶׂב
בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
Zech. 10:2
כִּ֧י הַתְּרָפִ֣ים דִּבְּרוּ־אָ֗וֶן
וְהַקּֽוֹסְמִים֙ חָ֣זוּ שֶׁ֔קֶר
וַֽחֲלֹמוֹת֙ הַשָּׁ֣וא יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ
הֶ֖בֶל יְנַֽחֵמ֑וּן
עַל־כֵּן֙ נָסְע֣וּ
כְמוֹ־צֹ֔אן
יַעֲנ֖וּ כִּֽי־אֵ֥ין
רֹעֶֽה׃ פ
Zech. 10:3
עַל־הָֽרֹעִים֙ חָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֔י
וְעַל־הָעַתּוּדִ֖ים
אֶפְק֑וֹד
כִּֽי־פָקַד֩ יְהוָ֨ה
צְבָא֤וֹת אֶת־עֶדְרוֹ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה וְשָׂ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם
כְּס֥וּס הוֹד֖וֹ
בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
Zech. 10:4
מִמֶּ֤נּוּ פִנָּה֙ מִמֶּ֣נּוּ יָתֵ֔ד
מִמֶּ֖נּוּ קֶ֣שֶׁת
מִלְחָמָ֑ה
מִמֶּ֛נּוּ יֵצֵ֥א
כָל־נוֹגֵ֖שׂ יַחְדָּֽו׃
Zech. 10:5
וְהָי֨וּ כְגִבֹּרִ֜ים בּוֹסִ֨ים בְּטִ֤יט חוּצוֹת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְנִ֨לְחֲמ֔וּ
כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עִמָּ֑ם
וְהֹבִ֖ישׁוּ
רֹכְבֵ֥י סוּסִֽים׃
Zech. 10:6
וְגִבַּרְתִּ֣י ׀ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יְהוּדָ֗ה וְאֶת־בֵּ֤ית יוֹסֵף֙ אוֹשִׁ֔יעַ
וְהֽוֹשְׁבוֹתִים֙ כִּ֣י רִֽחַמְתִּ֔ים וְהָי֖וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־זְנַחְתִּ֑ים
כִּ֗י אֲנִ֛י יְהוָ֥ה
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם וְאֶעֱנֵֽם׃
Zech. 10:7
וְהָי֤וּ כְגִבּוֹר֙ אֶפְרַ֔יִם
וְשָׂמַ֥ח לִבָּ֖ם
כְּמוֹ־יָ֑יִן
וּבְנֵיהֶם֙ יִרְא֣וּ
וְשָׂמֵ֔חוּ
יָגֵ֥ל לִבָּ֖ם
בַּיהוָֽה׃
Zech. 10:8
אֶשְׁרְקָ֥ה לָהֶ֛ם וַאֲקַבְּצֵ֖ם כִּ֣י פְדִיתִ֑ים וְרָב֖וּ כְּמ֥וֹ רָבֽוּ׃
Zech. 10:9
וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙ בָּֽעַמִּ֔ים וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים יִזְכְּר֑וּנִי וְחָי֥וּ
אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם וָשָֽׁבוּ׃
Zech. 10:10
וַהֲשִֽׁיבוֹתִים֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמֵֽאַשּׁ֖וּר אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם
וְאֶל־אֶ֨רֶץ
גִּלְעָ֤ד וּלְבָנוֹן֙ אֲבִיאֵ֔ם
וְלֹ֥א יִמָּצֵ֖א
לָהֶֽם׃
Zech. 10:11
וְעָבַ֨ר בַּיָּ֜ם צָרָ֗ה וְהִכָּ֤ה בַיָּם֙ גַּלִּ֔ים וְהֹבִ֕ישׁוּ כֹּ֖ל
מְצוּל֣וֹת יְאֹ֑ר
וְהוּרַד֙ גְּא֣וֹן
אַשּׁ֔וּר וְשֵׁ֥בֶט מִצְרַ֖יִם יָסֽוּר׃
Zech. 10:12
וְגִבַּרְתִּים֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃ ס
Chapter 10 is a continuation of the
poetic writing from the previous chapter.
The natural break in this chapter is at
the end of verse 2 before it continues until the end of the chapter.
The first part (verses 1-2) is a call
to seek the Lord instead of following after the worship of idols, the Creator
rather than the created beings and a reprimand of Israel for their syncretistic
beliefs. The second part (verses 3-12) is about what God would do for His
people to give them hope.
Verses 1-2
Chapter
10 begins with a qal imperative masculine plural שַׁאֲל֨וּ, which can
be translated as, ‘Ask’ and ‘Seek’. This is responded by the qal imperfect (יִתֵּ֣ן)
which is translated as ‘He will give’ that brings to mind Jesus’ teaching about
prayer, “Ask, Seek, Knock, and it shall be given” (Matthew 7:7).
The
qal imperative שַׁאֲל֨וּ here is addressed to the remnant
who have returned from the exile. In times of drought, the people of God are
told to look up to the LORD to provide the much needed rain during spring time. Israel,
as an agricultural country, is largely dependent on the rain to sustain its crops.
Spring is the time when the weather starts warming up, plants grow and flowers bloom.
These plants need the rain and the only logical thing to do is to seek the
LORD, the maker of storm
clouds (חֲזִיזִים) and the rain showers (מְטַר־גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙).
Apparently,
during Zechariah’s time, a form of syncretism had continued on: the ephod meant
for the priests was misused for divination purposes and even the worship of teraphim
(תְּרָפִ֣ים which were supposed to be angels) as the household
idols was common. As early as Gen 31:19, we are told that Rachel had stolen and
hidden the teraphim, her father’s household gods. These chapels mentioned by
Zechariah here were usually located in the high places.[1] As a result of such syncretistic practices, the
flock had no proper shepherd to take care of their spiritual wellbeing. This is
the tragedy when believers give in to all kinds of divination and false
prophecies (as seen during the recent US presidential race between Donald Trump
and Joe Biden) using gematria, Bible Codes, dreams and visions, as though they
are from the Lord. Some of these false prophets such as Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj
had predicted that Trump would win, when he urged the American people to “pray
because between now and January 24, the decision could be reversed.”
We see
in the next section what God will do to the shepherds who fail to do their job
of pastoring their flocks.
Verses 3-12
Verse
3 begins with the anger of the LORD burning against the shepherds and the
leaders themselves. The Hebrew word עַתּוּדִ֖ים (or male goat) can also be translated as ‘leader.’ The male goats are
always the leaders of the flock.
Matthew
alludes to this reference of Zechariah 10:3 in Matthew 9:36.
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them,
because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”
(Matthew 9:36 NAS95)
The
flock (עֶדְר)
is now identified by Zechariah as the house of Judah (בֵּ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה). God will
once again transform Judah into His majestic horse. Any animal that is willing
to be ridden by the LORD will display the same majesty or splendour (הוֹדֹ) as the Rider
Himself. Contrasting this one Rider on His majestic horse to the many ‘riders
on the horses’ (רֹכְבֵ֥י
סוּסִֽים), there is really no comparison for the
latter will surely be put to shame.
Judah
now has the choice between putting their faith in the Rider Himself or the
horses of Egypt to protect them. If they choose the LORD of armies (יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת) they, too,
will be transformed into mighty men of war.
Verse
6 starts with the word וְגִבַּרְתִּ֣י, which means, “I will
strengthen.” In Hebrew, we see that this word shares the same root word as גִבֹּרִ֜ים which is
translated as ‘mighty men.’ This is a reminder to the house of Judah that,
someone as strong as Samson, will have to continue to be dependent on the LORD
alone. The strength comes from the LORD of armies. This is a very good reminder
of Zechariah 4:6:
לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י“
(Zechariah 4:6 HMT-W4)
Zechariah’s
message of hope continues. In Verses 8 and 10, we read that God will gather the
house of Judah together from the land that they were in bondage (Egypt) and in
exile (Assyria). God sent Jacob into Egypt because it was not time yet for Him
to give the house of Jacob the land He had promised to Abraham. He had to wait
till a time when the sins of the Canaan had reached the heights of the heavens.
But, when Israel sinned, God sent them into exile to the land of Assyria (or
Ashur). This is a strong reminder that God’s compassion makes Him willing to
wait for the unbelievers to repent of their sins, but when His people sins incessantly,
He disciplines them, yet He never forsakes them.
Just
as they had returned from these two lands (Egypt and Assyria) in the past, Zechariah
speaks of a time when God will once again bring His people back to their
homeland. We are privileged to see this prophecy being fulfilled even in our
times. The host countries which had oppressed them will be ashamed (v10).When
it is time for God to act, He turns the oppressed into victors, whilst the
oppressors will become a rubble.
Zechariah
concludes his message in chapter 10 with the purpose for which God does all
these things. He does not strengthen them for the sake of giving them an
opportunity to boast of the strength they possess, but so that they could walk
in His Name.
”וְגִבַּרְתִּים֙
בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃ ס“
(Zechariah 10:12 HMT-W4)
[1]F.W. Farrar, Second Book of Kings, The
Expositor’s Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton,
1895), 289.
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