John Wesley

“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me…

“Unto all the people - By their messengers. And seventh - For the murder of Gedaliah, slain by Ishmael. Even to me - You pleased yourselves in it, not me; you wept more for the inconveniences of the thing than the sinfulness of it.”

I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

“In truth and in righteousness - This signifies both God's part, and their part; on God's part truth, on their's righteousness, obedience to God's righteous law.”

And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”

“In Jerusalem - Literally understood, you have the first fruits of them mentioned, Acts ii, 10-12. Mystically, Jerusalem is the church of Christ. To pray - To perform all gospel-worship.”

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us…

“A Jew - To whom the gospel was first preached. We have heard - And now see, and are assured. That God - The true God, the only true God, whom to know is life eternal.”

This is the burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach and Damascus its resting place—for the eyes of men and of all the tribes of…

“Hadrach - This is the name of a city in Celosyria, and here signifies the country also. It was not far from Damascus. The rest thereof - This burden shall lie long as well as heavy on Damascus.”

I will remove the blood from their mouths and the abominations from between their teeth.

“Take away his blood - Though proud and warlike nations have delighted to shed blood, and, as it were, to eat the blood of their enemies, yet God will overthrow their power, and take the prey out of their mouth.”

But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of those who march to and fro, and never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now…

“I will encamp - To defend it from all its enemies. Mine house - This temple, but as it is an emblem of the church. The army - Of the Persian and the Grecian army, whose march lay through Judea.”

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

“He is just - The righteous one, who cometh to fulfil all righteousness. Having salvation - To bestow on all that believe in him.”

And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations.

“I will cut off - When the Messiah comes and sets up his kingdom, he will need no external force. Neither chariot, bow nor sword, brought salvation to him, neither shall they be mentioned in the day of his conquest.”

As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

“As for thee - Oh Jerusalem; these words are Christ's words to her. By the blood - By my blood, in which thy covenant as confirmed; 'tis God's covenant as made by him, 'tis Zion's covenant as made for her, 'tis Christ's also as made…”

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double.

“Turn ye - The prophet exhorts the Jews to hasten to Christ, who is the salvation and high tower of the church. Prisoners of hope - Captives, yet not without hope.”

For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece.

“O Greece - Against the Grecians or Ionians, who had oppressed the Jews, and bought them for slaves, against whom the Jews took arms, under the conduct of the Maccabees, to whom Christ made good much of this promise.”

How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.

“His goodness - Infinite goodness is the fountain of all the good done for this people. His beauty - How wonderful the beauty of Divine Providence in Israel's deliverance and salvation?”

This is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,

“My God - God the father speaks to Christ. Of the slaughter - Appointed to the slaughter. The Jews, during four hundred and fifty years, were a flock of slaughter to the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and afterwards the Romans.”

So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock.

“Bands - The beauty of grace and glory, the bands of love and peace.”

Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”

“Then - After that time of his patient feeding the flock, and cutting off the unfaithful shepherds. Cut off - By the sword or famine.”

Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

“Even beauty - Which was the beauty and glory of them, the covenant of God, with all the blessings of it. That I might break - Declare it null. Christ calls it his covenant, for he was the mediator of it.”

Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

“Weighed - Which was the manner of paying money in those days. Thirty pieces - Which amounts to thirty-seven shillings and six- pence, the value of the life of a slave, Exod. xxi, 32.”

And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me.

“Cast them to the potter - Or rather, cast them into the house of the Lord for the potter; all which the Jewish rulers acted over. Then - So soon as I saw what value they put upon me.”

On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness.

“I will open mine eyes - I will watch over my people for good. This eye of God open upon his people, is his wise, powerful, gracious providence for them.”

On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around…

“Like a hearth - A hearth on which fire is thoroughly kindled. In her own place - Not built as Nineveh, Babylon, or Rome, in some place near old cities, but in the very same place where old Jerusalem stood.”

The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that…

“The tents - The unfenced places, the open country, the cottages, or tents. First - First the weaker are saved, next the stronger.”

On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God…

“As David - A mighty man of valour. The house of David - Those of the royal line shall be for prudence, and prowess in the conduct of the armies of Israel, most excellent; exprest here in an hyperbole.”

Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One…

“I will pour - This was fulfilled on Christ's exaltation, when he sent the Comforter to his disciples, it is daily performed to the children of God, and will be continually, 'till we are brought to be with Christ forever.”

the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives,

“The house of Levi - The sacerdotal tribe were the most bitter persecutors of Christ, they hired the traitor, they sought witness; the high priest, (head of that family) condemned him to die, for all which they shall one day reckon with God, and therefore…”