Zechariah 14:19

Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Ver. 19. This shall be the punishment of Eyypt, and the punishment] Or sin; indeed, the sin of sins, to slight God’s ordinances and offers of grace; and to neglect so great salvation as is tendered by Christ. This very sin is its own punishment. This is condemnation, or hell beforehand, Joh 3:19. This brought Capernaum down from heaven to hell, Mat 11:23. Pagans that never heard of Christ shall have an easier judgment than such, Mat 11:24, for they shall have a double condemnation. One from the law, which they had broken, wherein Christ found them; another from the gospel, for rejecting Christ and the bath of his blood, to the which even princes of Sodom are invited, Isa 1:10. See Joh 12:48 Mat 21:44. It is with such as with a malefactor, that being dead in law, doth yet refuse a pardon. Danaeus observeth here that mention is made of the feast of Tabernacles especially, 1. Because this feast was now most solemnly kept among the Jews, Neh 8:16-18, and secondly, Because it was a most evident testimony of the first gathering together of the people of Israel, that is, of a free ordained Church; therefore it was better liked of the people, and a more evident sign of their uniting or knitting together within themselves, as is unto us the holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

punishment--literally, "sin"; that is, "punishment for sin."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 19. This shall be the punishment - of all nations that come not up] God will have his public worship established everywhere, and those who do not worship him shall lie under his curse.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He repeats the same thing, and almost in the same words; but yet it is not done without reason: for we ought to consider how difficult it was to believe what is said, as the Jews who had returned to their country were few in number, and unwarlike, and on every side opposed by their enemies. Since then the Church was almost every moment in danger, it was no wonder that the faithful had need of being strengthened under their trials, which often disturbed and harassed their minds. This then is the reason why the Prophet repeats often the same thing.

This, he says, shall be the sin of Egypt and of all nations, etc. The word חטאת, chethat, properly means wickedness, sin; but as piaculum in Latin sometimes means sin, and sometimes expiation, so חטאת, chethat, in Hebrew: it signifies at one time sin, at another the sacrifice by which sin is atoned: and hence Christ is said to have been made sin; for when he offered himself as an expiation, he sustained the curse which belonged to us all, by having it transferred on himself (Galatians 3:13.) As Christ then was an expiation, he was on this account called sin. And the Greek translators did not change the name, because they saw that חטאת, chethat, in Hebrew, is taken for a sacrifice or punishment as well as for sin; hence they used the word hamartia indiscriminately.

So then the Prophet says that this would be the sin or the punishment of Egypt and of all nations, as though he had said, “If they despise the God of Israel and condemn his worship, such a contumacy shall not be unpunished; for God will show himself to be the vindicator of his own glory.” And hence we conclude, that nothing ought to be more desired by us than that God should reveal himself to us, so that we may not presumptuously wander after superstitions, but purely worship him; for no one rightly worships God, except he who is taught by his word. It is then a singular favor, when the Lord prescribes to us the rule by which we may rightly worship him: but when we assent not to his true and legitimate worship, we here see that our whole life is accursed. It now follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(19-21) We cannot see, as many commentators affirm, that these concluding verses clearly indicate a passing away of everything that is distinctly Levitical. They only state that in that day there will be a general elevation of everything in sanctity. Even “the bells upon the horses” will, like the plate of gold on the mitre of the high priest, have inscribed on them “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” (Exo_28:36, &c.). The pots of the sanctuary in which the “peace offerings” were cooked will be raised to the grade of sanctity of the bowls in which the blood was caught; and ordinary pots will be raised to the grade of sanctuary pots. Neither can we see in this passage a promise of the restoration of the Mosaic ritual, for the whole chapter is composed in most unmistakably figurative language.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. punishment] Lit. sin, as in margin of A. V. and R. V., but sin here as manifested in its consequences. Comp. Lam_3:39, where it is literally, a man for his sins.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This shall be the punishment of Egypt,.... Or "sin" (d), as in the original text: rightly is the word rendered "punishment", as it is by the Targum:

and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles; which will be one and the same; they shall have no rain, or what answers to it; they shall all have a famine; or it will be different, Egypt shall be punished with a consumption of their flesh, and the other nations with want of rain: the former sense seems best.

(d) "peccatum", V. L.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This shall be the sin of Egypt and the sin of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles - For before the coming of the Saviour, good perhaps had been in part the excuse of the pagan, that they had been called by none. For no one had preached unto them. Wherefore the Saviour also, pointing out this in the Gospel parables, said, ‘the laborers’ Mat 20:7, called ‘at the eleventh hour, said, No man hath hired us.’ But when Christ cast His light upon us, ‘bound the strong man’ Mat 12:29, removed from his perverseness those subject to him, justified by faith those who came to Him, laid down His life for the life of all, they will find no sufficient excuse who admit not so reverend a grace. It will be true of the pagan too, if Christ said of them, ‘If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin’ Joh 15:22.”

The prophet says “sin,” not punishment , for sin includes “the punishment,” which is its due, and which it entails: it does not express the punishment, apart from the sin. It was “the sin” which comprised and involved all other sin, the refusal to worship God as He had revealed Himself, and to turn to Him. It was to say, “We will not have” Him “to reign over us” Luk 19:14.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Sin, or punishment. Formerly various nations were excluded from the religion or assemblies of Israel, Leviticus xxii. 25., and Deuteronomy xxiii. 1. Now all are invited and compelled to enter the Church, so that they can have no excuse, Luke xiv. 24. (Calmet) --- Those rejected by the Jews might still have true faith. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And what he saith of Egypt, he saith of all contemners of his law and worship; their sin is the same, their punishment shall be the same, for with God is no respect of persons.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The punishment; literally, sin; amartia : peccatum; here obviously the punishment of sin sin with all its fatal consequences. (comp. Num_18:22 Lam_3:39 Lam_4:6)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

These verses continue the description of the final war for the city of Jerusalem and of how God will save her.

translationWords

punish

Egypt

nation

festival

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.