Глава 9

Zechariah 9:1. Prophecy of the word of the Lord in the land of Adrach, and Damascus is its sacrifice. Aquila translated: “and his rest is in Damascus.” For the Lord looks upon men and upon all the tribes of Israel, Zechariah 9:2. And Imath is within its borders, or according to other interpreters: “and in Imath adjacent to it.” Therefore, the Prophet predicts that these ancient evil cities: Adrach, Damascus, Imath, will offer sacrifices to God, freed from their former delusion; because He who looks upon all people, and not only the tribes of Israel, will take care of them also. Adrach is a city of Arabia; and Imath is now called Epiphania. But the divine scripture calls the great Emis Imath. These cities, illuminated by the light of the knowledge of God, will do what they must. Tire and Sidon, as if they became wiser. Zechariah 9:3. And Tire built strongholds for herself, and gathered silver like a finger, and gold like the sand of her ways. Zechariah 9:4. For this reason the Lord will hunt me down and smite his strength in the sea, and he will be surrounded by fire. Zechariah 9:5. He will see Ascalon and be afraid, and Gaza will be in great pain, and Ekron will be ashamed of his fall; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ascalon will not be inhabited. Tire and Sidon, says the Prophet, boasting of wealth and relying on strong fences, will be given over to disasters of all kinds; because some of them will be drowned by the overflowing sea, and some will be burned with fire, when the God of all pronounces this judgment on them. And the words: “The Lord will inherit me” have this interpretation: since they removed themselves from God’s care for them; then they will experience God’s power by experience. Askalon and Gaza, seeing this, will come into fear, and together with Akron they will lament that “they have become ashamed,” that is, Tire, about their fall. But I will put an end to the kingdom of Gaza, and I will deprive Ascalon of its inhabitants; I will make it and Azoth inhabited by foreigners. For this: “Ascalon will not be inhabited,” says the Prophet about the inhabitants of that time, whom God handed over to be beaten and into slavery. Why did I add: Zechariah 9:6–7. And foreign women will move into Azoth, and I will destroy the annoyance of the foreigners. And I will remove the blood from their mouths, and their abominations from the midst of their teeth. Therefore, admonition sent by God is the mother of good deeds; because as a result of this, the foreigners, as the Prophet said, abandoned their former lawlessness and wickedness and accepted the knowledge of God. For this was expressed by the Prophet, immediately adding: And these also will be abandoned to our God, and they will be like the captain of a thousand in Judah, and Ekron like the Jebusite. For, having abhorred the sacrifices of idols, with which they were previously filled, they will submit themselves to God’s care for them, and those numbered among Judah will be distinguished like certain captains of thousands, and will become equal in honor to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Prophet called these “Jebusites” because Jerusalem was anciently called Jebus. Zechariah 9:8. And I will set up an erection for My church, so that it cannot go through, nor can it return below, and it will not come and drive you out: for now you have seen My eyes. I will make My church glorious, and My people will be filled with strength, so that the enemies who dare to attack it, having suffered punishment from it, will not return and will not see their homes; others, seeing their misfortune and being afraid, will remain in their houses and will not dare to attack this people; because it pleases Me to have this concern for them at this time. And this came to fulfillment under the Maccabees under the military leadership of Judah, Jonathan and Simon; because after winning the victory, they enslaved the cities of foreigners, populated them with Jews instead, and made it so that even among the foreigners, many learned piety. But the exact event of the prophecy appeared at the coming of our Savior; because now, having renounced the charms of idols, both the Askalonites and the Akkaronites and other foreigners have accepted the light of the knowledge of God, and those of them who received the lot of shepherd are distinguished like certain thousand officers and military leaders. Therefore, the All-Holy Spirit, having proclaimed this, indicates the reason for these blessings, and calls out through the mouth of the Prophet: Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, daughters of Zion, preach, daughters of Jerusalem: behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and saving, he is meek, and always on the yoke and the young stallion. This is clearly interpreted by the events themselves; because the King prophesied by the Prophet came, and with His righteousness he destroyed sin, with His meekness he crushed the pride of the devil, and, having used a donkey’s stallion for his work, he has as his worshipers kings who ride on chariots decorated with gold and precious stones. Blessed Jacob also foretells this stallion, saying: “Tie your lot to the vine” (Gen. 49:11). Zechariah 9:10. And he will consume chariots from Ephraim, and horses from Jerusalem, and he will consume the bow, and multitudes, and peace from tongues. Driven by this moderation, the King of all, the Prophet says, “will consume chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem,” crushing their insolence and insane kingdom. He consumed the “bow” through the Romans, and gave much peace to the nations, and brought convenience to the preachers of the truth. For as soon as there was one kingdom, internecine uprisings ceased, peace was established in the whole universe, the Apostles, entrusted with the preaching of piety, fearlessly flowed in, and going around the universe, they caught people in life. And what is most extraordinary of all, he who mounted the stallion, not having where to lay his head, as soon as he wanted, prevailed over all the land and sea. This was also foretold by the prophetic word, And it has waters from sea to sea, and from rivers to the sources of the earth. And I marvel at the stupidity of the Jews, who with extreme shamelessness dare to apply this prophecy to Zerubbabel. They themselves admit that Zerubbabel did not even take possession of all Palestine, but only Judea; The prophet predicted that He who mounts a stallion will possess the whole universe. Moreover, we know that the Lord mounted a stallion, and for Zerubbabel to do this, not one of those who wrote about divine deeds has said this until now. Therefore, if the Lord Christ, according to prophecy, mounted a stallion, and also prevailed over the world, if they believe and preach about Him that He is the true God, if He crushed the kingdom of Ephraim and Israel; then the Prophet foretold this about Him, and this prophecy was clearly fulfilled. And the addendum agrees with this: Zechariah 9:11. And you, in the blood of your covenant, brought forth the prisoners from the pit of destitute water. For those whom You redeemed and freed with Your precious blood—those, having freed them from the “ditch without water,” You sent with Your saving covenants to preach freedom to everyone. And by “ditch” anyone who wants to mean either eternal death or idolatry’s charm will not sin against the truth. For through the mouth of Jeremiah the God of all says: “My people have done two evils: They have forsaken the fountain of living waters for Me, and dug up for themselves treasures of brokenness that cannot contain water” (Jer. 2:13). This is how the Prophet called the difficult and useless service of idols; because, tiring themselves with this service, people did not gain any benefit from it, but they ruined true life. And they, who were prisoners in this ditch, having released them and brought them out, and with His precious blood, giving them freedom, the Lord Christ sent them on the path of life, giving them a new covenant. Moreover, the Prophet also says: Zechariah 9:12. Sit in the stronghold, bind the host, and for one day of your coming I will repay you. For instead of these heavy bonds, I surrounded you with other most pleasant bonds of My love, teaching you to remain persistently with Me, to study My laws, to be under the firm protection of My guardianship, and instead of the former captivity, to enjoy freedom and life together. For the Prophet says about this: “I will repay you.” Zechariah 9:13. Judah has already strained you like a bow to fulfill Ephraim, and I will raise up your children in Zion against the children of Greece, and I will wield you like the sword of a warrior. Judas and Ephraim he calls those who descend from them, and whom he took up arms “against the children of the Greeks,” giving them “weapons that are not carnal,” but “mighty with God to destroy the firmament,” in order to overthrow with them human “thoughts,” and “every tribute charged to the mind of God,” and to take captive “every mind into the obedience of Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). He said about them: “Like a bow, I will bend like a warrior’s sword.” Through them he crushed the vain artifice of the philosophers; through them he taught the universe piety; The prophetic word speaks about them like this: “Your arrows are more subtle, more powerful, into the hearts of the enemy of the kings” (Ps. 44:6). But, as in the image, this prophecy had its fulfillment under the Macedonians; because the children of Zion, rushing against the sons of the Greeks, put many thousands of Macedonians to flight, and, having erected a victory monument, returned as victors, and restored the devastated altar. They did this because the God of all struggled and gave them irresistible help. The Prophet says this: Zechariah 9:14. And the Lord will appear upon them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning: and the Lord God Almighty will sound the trumpet, and will go forth in the noise of His rebuke. Desiring to take revenge on them, he will deafen them with thunder, frighten them with lightning, and using the clouds as if some kind of slings, he will hit them with hail stones and cover them with them. Zechariah 9:15. And they will drink their blood, it is said like water, that is, victory will give them the greatest pleasure. For God is not talking about drinking human blood. And could anyone say this, Who forbade those who lived both before the law and under the law to even eat the blood of animals? And they will fulfill the okrini, like an altar, that is, offerings from the booty of war. Zechariah 9:16. And the Lord God will save them in that day, like His people as His sheep; holy stones will be cast upon His land, because for the sake of the saints God will save others too, and will deliver His sheep from the attacking beasts. Zechariah 9:17. If there is any good of His, and if there is any good of His, there is wheat for the young men, and sweet-smelling wine for the virgins. Bl. Theodoret, instead of ἐλπίδος (about hope), reads: επἰ τῶ αραπτῶμας.