(vv. 1-3) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I have been almost very jealous over Zion, and have been jealous over her in great wrath. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I will return unto Zion, and will dwell in Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts a holy mountain.
This is the last prophecy of this prophet to the Jewish people to build the temple. For after he had punished the wicked saints, as an example, that they should not do so again, lest they should think that there should be more wrath behind, and make them stupid and afraid, he comforted them further, and promised them abundantly, how they should not only have peace from their enemies round about, but that it should be well again in all the land, and that Jerusalem should be a mighty and famous city, full of people and goods etc., in all safety and peace for ever, until Christ's coming. Therefore this whole chapter is full of sweet, kind words, that he may describe how peace shall be made.
(2) For the first time there shall be forgiveness of sins, and the wrath of God shall be at an end, because he saith, I have been almost angry with Zion. For where there is still wrath, there is no peace in the heart; the conscience is stupid and despondent, that [it] can do nothing. For sins still press upon it, because it feels no forgiveness.
3) On the other hand, such forgiveness and grace shall be proven by the deed, when he says: "I return to Zion"; henceforth there shall be peace and laughter, joy and gladness in the heart, and the conscience shall be secure and confident in God's grace [Rom. 5:1], so that it can also clench with pleasure and do what it is commanded.
4 Thirdly, such grace shall not cease, but abide and continue at Jerusalem, saying, I will dwell at Jerusalem. For if God is with us, who can be against Him? [Rom. 8, 31.] And what harm can sin, death, the world, and
Devil, where God dwells? Must not all angels also be there and serve, and help to manage such peace and bliss?
005 Fourthly, the fruit and profit of this tabernacle and grace shall appear, that it shall be glorious in spiritual things, saying, Jerusalem shall be called a faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord a holy mountain: that is, there shall be no idolatry, nor hypocrisy, nor unholiness therein, as before; but there shall be truth and faithfulness, that the doctrine may be right and godly; and that the service of God in mount Moriah [1 Bi. 22:2], that is, in the temple, shall also be righteous, pure, and holy. For the people will be faithful and devout, shunning the doctrine of men and idolatry, clinging only to God's word, thereby becoming holy and faithful, that is, righteously devout, without all hypocrisy.
For where God dwells, there is God's Word and Spirit (as is often said). Where God's Word and Spirit are, there it makes holy and righteous people, both with teachings and life, so that [it] also breaks out among many others, and the city becomes famous from it, for the example of many others, as he says here, that Jerusalem shall be called a faithful city, or a city of truth, that is, in German, it is to be famous, as it is right and honest in it, and not false hypocrisy or deceit is in it, as it happens, where man's teaching rules, without God's word or next to God's word.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet dwell in the streets of Jerusalem old men and old women, that walk with staves before their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of babes and maidens playing out of the streets.
(7) Fifthly, temporal benefits also, that it may be glorious in time and in body, saying, Jerusalem shall be full of people, both young and old. But this cannot be where there is war and strife.
as the young crew is slain, and there is not much playing or dancing in the streets. It must be good in the country where the children in the city jump, dance and play in the streets, and the old people live and walk safely.
(8) And let us note here what a great gift is temporal peace in the land, that God Himself praises such a gift who gives it, and we, alas, do not give thanks for it, nor recognize it.
(9) Notice also how the work of children, as the playing and dancing of the young world in the streets, is not an evil thing, but pleases God, that he also praises it here for his gift, and yet seems to us to be a lost and useless thing. The monasteries and convents should give half of their goods and sanctity, so that their nature and works would have half as much testimony in the Scriptures; how will they stand when Christ will say that the children's singing and dancing in the streets is dearer to him than all their howling and grumbling in their churches [Matth. 11, 17], and that the wreaths and dolls of the maidens, the horsebit and red slits of the babes, are much more pleasing to him than all their caps, plates, shirts, chasubles and ornaments? For even though such a thing of theirs is also a child's play, since it is without God's word, it is not to be compared to that child's play, but rather to a monkey's play and fool's work.
V. 6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Thinketh it impossible in the sight of the remnant of the people at this time; shall it be impossible in mine eyes also? saith the Lord of hosts.
(10) Here he comes before your unbelief, which, when it hears such a great, glorious promise, and yet looks at the present, as it rhymes with nothing at all, and is not at all like it, it considers it an impossible thing. Therefore he wants to establish such unbelief here, which he does by calling them to close their eyes and not to look at the present, but to pay attention only to his word, which is greater than all the present. As if to say: You must not pay attention to your thoughts or conceits, but to me and my word. Your conceit
He puts his eyes on the present, and because he sees the city so desolate, and neither young nor old people are found playing and making merry in it, but rather there is all weeping and mourning, and the city still lies in ashes, the enemies still rage and rage around, so that neither peace nor commerce can be, he thinks it is in vain and all is lost, and not at all possible; but if you look to me alone, you must confess that before me no thing is impossible. Behold, what is the cost of raising up and comforting a silly, frightened heart, that it may become strong in faith, and how tender, soft, noble a thing it is for a conscience, how easily it is corrupted, and so hard to heal.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will redeem my people from the going forth of the land, and from the going down of the sun. And I will bring them to dwell in Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.
011 This is a confirmation of the next promise, saying, It seemeth impossible unto you what I now promise, because ye are so few, and so stiffnecked: but my word shall come to pass. For I will and am able to do much for you, namely, I will bring both my people from the going up and going down, where they are captives and scattered, and they shall dwell at Jerusalem; there they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness; that is, they shall serve me in right faith and life, and I will prove myself again to be a right God with grace and help; and I will not be their judge in wrath and punishment, as has happened until now, since they also would not be my people in truth and righteousness.
12. and notice here the two words: "in truth and righteousness". For God does not like the hypocrite, nor does he want to be the God of the wicked, who would like him to be a God in riches and honor, that is, to make them rich and glorious in the sight of the world, so that piety and righteousness would remain where they will. No, he is not a mammon or belly god. He wants to be a God
I will be in truth and righteousness, and I will have a people who love truth and righteousness. But temporal good shall come, as will follow.
13. "Truth" means that they are righteous toward God, and not hypocrites, as those who serve God with right faith and earnestness. "Righteousness" here means love and mercy, so that they do right toward their neighbor. In which two pieces is the whole life of a holy people.
V. 9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Strengthen your hands, ye that hear these words at this time by the mouth of the prophets, in the day that the foundation of the Lord'S house is laid, that the temple may be built.
14 This is an exhortation and a comfort. As if to say, "Because you have heard such a precious promise through the prophets, be of good cheer, and approach it freshly and cheerfully, with full faith. So the prophet does not teach by promise alone what is to come to pass, but also provokes and awakens them to believe the same promise. And so that they will not think again: Yes, all that the prophets proclaim may be true, and Jerusalem may become such a city as they say; but who knows when it shall come to pass, whether it shall be delayed yet longer, as it hath been forty years? and who knows whether we also shall be the ones to do it, or whether our descendants alone shall do it? Just as they say in Haggai [Cap. 1, 2], "It is not yet time to build the house of the Lord." Such delusion and doubtful carelessness he here takes away, and says: "You, who now at this time hear these words of the prophets: I do not say of your descendants, but you, who are now present, to you such promises go forth, and you shall begin it.
For before those days the labor of men was vain, and the labor of beasts was nothing, and there was no peace from tribulation to them that went in and out; but I sent all men away, every man against his neighbor.
15 Thus also Haggai says [Cap. 1, 6] that it was evil in the land: when they had much
When they sowed, little grew, and those who gathered much put it into sacks full of holes, and there was discord from enemies and neighbors everywhere, as Ezra and Nehemiah show, as Zechariah also indicates. Because of this, the people were discontented and complained that it was not yet time to build the temple. Here he also repeals such a complaint, so that they should not make any excuse or obstacle, and says: it has happened as they complain, but it should now no longer happen; as follows:
V. 11, 12: But now will I not deal with the remnant of this people, as in the days of old, saith the Lord of hosts. But they shall be seeds of peace. The vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her increase, and the heavens shall yield their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
(16) This promise of a good time is again diligently pointed out to the present ones who heard it at that time, so that they would be sure and certain that they had been chosen for the work and would have firm faith that things would be better from now on. It is all to build up the faith, which was very weak, because they were so well afflicted and martyred by all kinds of obstacles and misfortunes.
(17) Although the words which he speaks here seem easy to us, namely, of temporal goods, of increase and rain, yet they were very hard for the Jews, because they demanded faith against so many temptations, and indeed they were very pious children who believed them; we do not believe lesser things now, in much lesser temptations. I say this so that no one will think it is a joke or a scandal where promises are preached in Scripture, even if they are about small, temporal things, they demand great, strong faith, and are great, strong words, just as these following words are great:
V. 13 And it shall come to pass, as ye of the house of Judah and of the house of Israel have been a curse among the heathen, so will I redeem you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, and strengthen your hands.
(18) Now there is a goodly and great promise, that it shall be so well with the Jews, that all the Gentiles, when they desire something good, shall desire it, saying, God grant that it may go well with thee, as with the Jews; and so a good and blessed saying shall come forth from them, as before, when they were disturbed, they were an evil example and saying, that whosoever would desire evil should say, That it may go well with thee, as with the Jews.
(19) Now notice how great a thing this is, and what faith it takes for the Jews to believe that they will be a blessing, when their misfortune and misery are so great before their eyes that all the Gentiles make an abomination, an example, even a vain curse and a proverb of them. That is, of course, to make life out of death, heaven out of hell, and everything out of nothing. Of such a curse and blessing Moses wrote and prophesied much in the fifth book [Cap. 28, 15. ff], how they should become a curse, an example and a proverb to all heathens, where they would worship foreign gods. But he also mentions the house of Israel, and not only the house of Judah; not that the Israelite kingdom should return, which had been rejected and abandoned, but that many of the house of Israel joined the house of Judah, and adhered to Jerusalem and the temple.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to do you evil, when your fathers provoked me to anger, saith the Lord of hosts, and repented not: so will I in these days do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear nothing.
20 This is once again a promise of temporal goods, for he promises the same many times, and repeats the same many times, to comfort the troubled hearts. For, as has been said, a beaten, frightened heart is difficult to calm again beyond measure, so that it may show grace and mercy to God; therefore God must do here as a father does with his child when it weeps and is afraid, and must give many good words and often say, "Be silent, be silent, my dear little child," etc.
Children are not to be spoiled and presumptuous in doing their will, as they are to be pious, follows further in the text:
V. 16, 17: Now this is what you should do: Speak the truth one to another, and judge rightly, and make peace in your gates. And let no man think evil in his heart against his neighbor, nor love false oaths. For I hate all these things, saith the Lord.
21. So that the Jews do not accept such promises of temporal goods, as if God wanted vassals and hypocrites, as if he were a mammon or belly god, or as if everything they do pleases him (as the presumptuous and wicked always do, that they accept good promises, and yet leave God's commandment aside; and again, the godly almost pay attention to the commandments, and hardly accept the promises), so God has to defend here once again, just as above, on both sides: To the godly with comforting promises, so that they do not despair, but to the wicked with strict commandments, so that they do not become presumptuous. For he will do us good, and give us plenty; but he will not draw any wicked, but we shall be godly, and he will be gracious.
22 Now behold, how he doth not here speak of fasting, nor of eating, nor of clothing, nor of feasts, nor of sacrifices, nor of incense, which he would not hold his peace concerning, if it pleased him, because he saith, This is what ye ought to do; etc. that he might refrain from teaching them all things that are necessary unto their salvation. But there is nothing in this teaching but the two parts, faith and love, as we have also heard above [§ 12] in equal parts. In the first place, they are to speak the truth to one another; this is what the teaching concerns. And although it concerns everyone, it concerns especially the clergy or priests, from whom the others are to learn that they also speak the truth. But then they speak and teach the truth, if they leave off the commandments of men, their own works, and false glittering worship, and teach serving God in the
right faith and trust, without all presumption of one's own righteousness.
(23) The other thing is for the secular authorities, namely, they shall judge rightly and make peace with their court or office. This is nothing else, for they must take good care of their office, so that there may be no clamor or strife in the land against them.
(24) The third thing concerns them all together, that no one should think evil of the other; that is, as is said above [Cap. 7, § 19], they should have patience and love for one another, gladly forgive if someone offends another, not seek revenge or retribution, but do what is best, help and advise where it is necessary.
25 Last of all, they shall not love a false oath, which may be understood of an oath made in the name of other gods. But I hold that neither shall deceive the other in commerce. For in commerce it is customary to use seals and letters, witnesses and oaths, and such like covenants, to confirm the faith of one another, as the fifteenth Psalm, v. 4, says: "He who swears to his neighbor and does not change it," that is, they should not lie or deceive one another, but keep faith. For this is one of the greatest complaints in the world, that there is no faith among the people; they swear and pledge so dearly, and yet it is all frivolity and mischievousness, that God says here that he hates all this and is hostile to such a being. And this is indeed a hostile thing, by which many a pious man is deceived and must perish.
V. 18, 19: And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fasts of the fourth, and of the fifth, and of the seventh, and of the tenth months, shall be for joy and gladness unto the house of Judah, and for glad feasts of years. Only love truth and peace.
26) Here he answers the question that was presented in the beginning of chapter 7, chapter 1, [v. 3] about fasting and discipline, and says: "Only keep what I tell you, and let it be done.
1) "7-" is missing in the Erlanger.
Fasting Be Fasting. Yea, if ye keep my commandments, such fasts shall not alone cease and be ended, but because I will do so much good in Jerusalem, all the sorrow shall be forgotten, wherefore ye have chosen and kept such fasts; that henceforth there shall be joy unto you, when ye remember your fasting, and the sorrow of heart, for which ye fasted at that time, even so, when the fourth or fifth moon cometh, ye shall say: Behold, this is the season that I fasted and was grieved for the sake of the ruined temple and for the sake of the burned city; but praise be to God, the temple stands there in all honor, and the city most glorious in character. Long ago the jug of wine, the wreath and the beautiful skirt; let us be merry and praise God instead of the fasting and mourning we used to have at this time of the year. Behold, this is to turn rejoicing into joy, mourning into gladness, and fasts into glad feasts.
27 But it is written that they should love the truth and peace, lest the presumptuous wicked think that it is enough for them to rejoice on such days, and yet they are knaves. Nay, say ye therefore, be merry, and forget your fasting and your affliction, and turn your chastenings into joyful feasts; that ye nevertheless forget not my commandments, but love truth, that is, against God right doctrine, pure God's commandments, unfeigned faith, and righteous worship, that you do not become superstitious to me, or false hypocrites and glorifiers, the same peace toward your neighbor, that you do not have hatred, envy and disunity, but love and friendship, peace and favor, patience and mercy among yourselves. If the two pieces go, all is well, then let fasting cease, and make merry feasts of it, and be of good cheer. Do you see how God reverses the ways of men and demands His commandments alone?
028 But how thinkest thou of our teachers, who in this place have drawn this saying of the four fast months unto the four soft fasts, or quatember? Does it not rhyme well with them? God says that these four fasts should be over, and that they should be joyous feasts; so they draw out these words, that there should be four fasts.
sad fasting of the year. How finely the Word of God and the teachings of men go together! Yes, how finely they look at God's words, and how diligently they read them! Just as God barked that the four fasts should be nothing but feasts of joy, they teach that they should be four fasts. It is obvious that they have not considered more in this text than the word "fast", then the four moons. After that they made the quatember, regardless of how the moons or fasts rhymed or not from this text. It is enough that they found four moons there, and the word "fasting".
(29) Just as they do in other matters, that where God teaches no, they teach yes; where God teaches faith and grace, they do works and merit. They are still angry, and do not want to hear it said, how up to now the Scriptures have lain under the bench with them, and their mad dreams must have ruled everything in their place. For here you see, and you must grasp it, that they have interpreted this text, which says no to fasting, as a yes, and they have straightforwardly and absurdly drawn God's word to their jugglery, and yet, with it, as with God's word, they have deafened the world and confirmed their thing.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet shall many nations come, and the inhabitants of many cities, and shall go from city to city, saying, Let us go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts, and we will go with you.
(30) This saying and promise I understand, that not only the Jews should return to Jerusalem, as it is said above [vv. 7, 8], from all countries, but that Jerusalem should become so glorious and famous that also many Gentiles should find themselves there to worship the Lord. All this was fulfilled, as Josephus writes, that many kings and princes, along with others, did great honor to the temple at Jerusalem. And also Lucas writes [Apost. 8, 27.], how the queen Candace's chamberlain went from Mohrenland to Jerusalem. No doubt there were many such things in other cities and countries, as follows.
V.22. So many nations and peoples will come in multitudes to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, to pray before the Lord.
(31) This is the sum of it, that Jerusalem shall be very glorious, and as Haggai [Cap. 2:10] also saith, that this latter temple shall be more glorious than the former and the first. For of 1) the first temple, which Solomon built, it is not read that so many nations and kings came thither, and had so much devotion to it, as to this last, which drew almost the whole world to itself; as the histories prove. So this promise is almost great, that the temple at Jerusalem should "become so glorious", far above the temple that was built, and yet it was so bad when it was to be built. What it means to seek the Lord and to worship him has been sufficiently said.
V. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "At the time when ten men of all tongues of the Gentiles shall take a Jewish man by the tail," saying, "We will go with you, for we hear that God is with you.
Some have interpreted this saying as referring to the time of Christ, when many Gentiles in all tongues were attached to all the apostles and came to Christ. This is a good opinion, but in this place it does not seem to me to be very true. The prophet is herewith signifying how it shall come to pass, that many cities and nations shall go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord in the temple, of which he hath spoken; namely, that, because the Jews are scattered among all the Gentiles, they shall cleave unto them many Gentiles, and bring them to their faith. Then when they went to the feast at Jerusalem, the same Gentiles went with them, because they wanted to serve God with the Jews. This is why he says, "At the same time," that is, at the time when many Gentiles will go to Jerusalem, as he said above [v. 20], such a going will happen so that the Gentiles will attach themselves to the Jews, so that they will hear from the Jews that God dwells at Jerusalem. Such seemeth to me to be the most simple and sure understanding, that God may declare how glorious Jeru-.
1) In the original: "to" instead of: from.
salem and the temple, no matter how deeply it lay in ashes and shame at that time. Even though everything had to be prepared for the future kingdom of Christ, as has often been said.
033 And when he saith, Ten men of divers tongues shall cleave unto the corner of one Jewish man, is it not said, that so ten shall cleave, and not more, nor more than ten?
Nor that every Jew should bring so much with him, but it is spoken in a common language, thus: Here a Jew and there a Jew will bring many Gentiles with him, from all kinds of Gentiles and countries. As also St. Lucas Apost. 2, 5. writes that at the feast of Pentecost there were men from all nations under heaven in Jerusalem etc.