And the angel that talked with me ,.... See Zechariah 1:9 , came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep ; into which he fell, after he had had the former vision; see Daniel 8:18 . read more
And said unto me, What seest thou ?.... That is, after he was awake, and had looked about him: And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold ; such an one as was in the tabernacle of Moses, only with this difference; that had no bowl on the top, nor seven pipes to it, nor two olive trees on each side of it, with two pipes to them, Exodus 25:31 such a candlestick was never in being, only in vision; and is an emblem of the church of Christ, into which the light of the... read more
And the two olive trees by it ,.... Which are explained in; see Gill on Zechariah 4:14 , one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof ; in Zechariah 4:11 they are said to be on the right and left sides of the bowl or candlestick, which is the same; for the situation of them was alike, with respect to the one and the other: according to Fortunatus Scacchus, these two olive trees did not arise out of the earth, and the top of the candlestick; but... read more
So I answered, and spake to the angel that talked with me ,.... The same that awoke him out of sleep, and asked him what he saw: saying, What are these, my lord ? that is, what do they signify? what do they represent? or what are they emblems of? for he knew what they were; that they were a candlestick, and two olive trees; but he was desirous of knowing what the meaning of them were. read more
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me ,.... Either to upbraid him with his ignorance and stupidity; or rather to quicken his attention, and that of others, to the interpretation of it he was about to give him: Knowest thou not what these be ? art thou ignorant of the design of them? or knowest thou not what is meant by them? and I said, No, my lord ; he made an ingenuous confession of his ignorance, joined with great respect unto, and veneration of, the angel... read more
The angel - came again, and waked me - Abp. Newcome considers this vision as represented on the same night, Zechariah 1:8 , with the preceding ones. See the latter part of Zechariah 1:10 , compared with Zechariah 3:9 . After some interval the prophet, overpowered with the vision which had been presented to him, was awakened from his prophetic trance as from a sleep. read more
A candlestick all of gold - This candlestick is formed in some measure after that of the sanctuary, Exodus 25:31 , Exodus 25:32 ; : but in that of the sanctuary there was no bowl, nor seven pipes, nor seven lamps, nor the two olive trees. The two olive trees were to supply the bowl with oil; the bowl was to communicate the oil to the seven pipes; and the seven pipes were to supply the seven lamps. In general, the candlestick, its bowl, pipes, lamps, and olive trees, are emblems of the... read more
Verse 1 Another vision is narrated here, — that a candlestick was shown to the Prophet, on which there were seven lights. He says that the candlestick was formed all of gold: and he says that to the seven lamps there were as many cruses, (infusoria — pourers,) or, as some think, there were seven cruses to each lamp: but the former view is what I mostly approve, that is, that every lamp had its own cruse. He further says, that there were two olive-trees, one on the right, the other on the left... read more
Verse 2 The Prophet was also reminded to be attentive to the vision — What seest thou? Then there was presented to him a sight which we have described; but the Prophet by seeing could have seen nothing, had he not been instructed by the Angel. We must also observe, that this tardiness of the Prophet is useful to us; for we hence more surely conclude, that nothing was represented without a design; but that the whole was introduced for his benefit, though he overlooked, as with closed eyes, what... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zechariah 4:1-10
Here is, I. The prophet prepared to receive the discovery that was to be made to him: The angel that talked with him came and waked him, Zech. 4:1. It seems, though he was in conference with an angel, and about matters of great and public concern, yet he grew dull and fell asleep, as it should seem, while the angel was yet talking with him. Thus the disciples, when they saw Christ transfigured, were heavy with sleep, Luke 9:32. The prophet's spirit, no doubt, was willing to attend to that... read more