Zechariah 9:17

9:9-17 The prophet breaks forth into a joyful representation of the coming of the Messiah, of whom the ancient Jews explained this prophecy. He took the character of their King, when he entered Jerusalem amidst the hosannas of the multitude. But his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It shall not be advanced by outward force or carnal weapons. His gospel shall be preached to the world, and be received among the heathen. A sinful state is a state of bondage; it is a pit, or dungeon, in which there is no water, no comfort; and we are all by nature prisoners in this pit. Through the precious blood of Christ, many prisoners of Satan have been set at liberty from the horrible pit in which they must otherwise have perished, without hope or comfort. While we admire Him, let us seek that his holiness and truth may be shown in our own spirits and conduct. These promises have accomplishment in the spiritual blessings of the gospel which we enjoy by Jesus Christ. As the deliverance of the Jews was typical of redemption by Christ, so this invitation speaks to all the language of the gospel call. Sinners are prisoners, but prisoners of hope; their case is sad, but not desperate; for there is hope in Israel concerning them. Christ is a Strong-hold, a strong Tower, in whom believers are safe from the fear of the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the assaults of spiritual enemies.

To him we must turn with lively faith; to him we must flee, and trust in his name under all trials and sufferings. It is here promised that the Lord would deliver his people. This passage also refers to the apostles, and the preachers of the gospel in the early ages. God was evidently with them; his words from their lips pierced the hearts and consciences of the hearers. They were wondrously defended in persecution, and were filled with the influences of the Holy Spirit. They were saved by the Good Shepherd as his flock, and honoured as jewels of his crown. The gifts, graces, and consolations of the Spirit, poured forth on the day of Pentecost, Ac 2 and in succeeding times, are represented. Sharp have been, and still will be, the conflicts of Zion's sons, but their God will give them success. The more we are employed, and satisfied with his goodness, the more we shall admire the beauty revealed in the Redeemer. Whatever gifts God bestows on us, we must serve him cheerfully with them; and, when refreshed with blessings, we must say, How great is his goodness!

Zechariah 9:17 . How great is his goodness — Infinite goodness is the fountain of all the good done for his people. And how great is his beauty — How wonderful is the beauty of divine providence in Israel’s deliverance and salvation. Corn shall make the young men cheerful — Plentiful harvests shall make the young men cheerful in sowing, reaping, and partaking of the fruits thereof. And new wine the maids — There shall be such plenty of wine that all, young and old, shall be cheered with it. Or rather, new wine is put here for the grapes which make it, as bread is frequently put for bread- corn, and then the sense will be, that the young men, employed in bringing in the harvest, should rejoice at seeing the great plenty of it, and the young women, occupied in gathering the grapes, should be as cheerful on account of the plenty of the vintage: or that, by the divine blessing, both those who reaped the corn, and those who gathered in the vintage, should thrive and be happy in their respective occupations.

For how great is his goodness! infinite goodness is the fountain of all that good done for this people; the prophet admires it, and suggests what is fit to be done by those that come and view those stones set up for trophies. How great is his beauty! how wonderful the beauty of Divine Providence in all the great effects of it in Israel’s deliverance and salvation! Corn shall make the young men cheerful; plentiful harvests shall make the young men cheerful in sowing, reaping, labouring in harvest work, as well as in eating the knits thereof. And new wine the maids; such plenty of wine, that all, young and old, shall be cheered with it. And now these are the sweet fruits of temporal salvation, but the fruits of spiritual, shadowed out by these, are much more glorious, refreshing, and worth our praise and wonder.

17 . his goodness … his beauty ] i.e. either Israel’s ( their prosperity , R. V. margin), as thus delivered and honoured by God (comp. Hosea 14:6 ), or God’s, the exclamation being drawn from the prophet by the consideration of the great things he had been commissioned to make known. “The goodness and the beauty are the goodness and beauty of God, whose great doings had been his theme before.” Pusey, who quotes Osirius: “The prophet, borne out of himself by the consideration of the Divine goodness, stands amazed while he contemplates the beauty and Deity of Christ: he bursts out with unwonted admiration! How great is His goodness, who to guard His flock shall come down on earth to lay down His life for the salvation of His sheep! How great His beauty, who is the brightness of the glory and the Image of the Father , and comprises in His Godhead the measure of all order and beauty!”

17. his goodness … his beauty—the goodness and beauty which Jehovah-Messiah bestows on His people. Not as Maurer thinks, the goodness, &c., of His land or His people (Ps 31:19; Jer 31:12). make … cheerful—literally, "make it grow." new wine the maids—supply, "shall make … to grow." Corn and wine abundant indicate peace and plenty. The new wine gladdening the maids is peculiar to this passage. It confutes those who interdict the use of wine as food. The Jews, heretofore straitened in provisions through pressure of the foe, shall now have abundance to cheer, not merely the old, but even the youths and maidens [Calvin].

Verse 17. - His goodness. The goodness, i.e. the prosperity, of Israel or the land. Revised Version margin, "their prosperity." If the affix "his" is referred to Jehovah, the nouns "goodness" and "beauty" must be taken, not as his attributes, but as gifts bestowed by him, the prosperity and beauty which he confers. But it is more suitable to the context to consider the reference to be to the people, who in the next clause are divided into young men and maidens, and to take the "goodness," or goodliness, as appertaining more especially to the former, and the "beauty" to the latter. His beauty (comp. Ezekiel 16:14 ). (For the Messianic interpretation, see Psalm 45:2 ; Isaiah 33:17 .) Corn...new wine. This is an expression often found to denote great abundance and prosperity. The two are distributed poetically between the youths and maidens ( Deuteronomy 33:28 ; Psalm 72:16 ; Jeremiah 31:12, 13 ; Joel 2:18, 19 ). Make...cheerful; literally, make sprout. It probably refers to the increase of population occurring in times of plenty. This outward prosperity is a symbol of God's favour and the uprightness of the people. In these things, too, we may see adumbrated the spiritual blessings of the gospel, which are, as corn and wine, to strengthen and refresh the soul. Zechariah 9:17

For how great is His goodness - For it is unutterable! As the Psalmist said, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1 , and Jacob, "How awful is this place!" Genesis 28:17 , and the Psalmist, "How awful are Thy doings!" The goodness and the beauty are the goodness and beauty of God, whose great doings had been his theme throughout before. Of the goodness the sacred writers often speak , since of this we have extremest need. And this He showed to Moses, "I will cause all My goodness to pass before thy face" Exodus 33:19 . Of this we know somewhat personally in this life; for beside the surpassing. amazingness of it in the work of our redemption, we are surrounded by it, immersed in it, as in a fathomless, shoreless ocean of infinite love, which finds entrance into our souls, whenever we bar it not out.

Goodness is that attribute of God, whereby He loveth to communicate to all, who can or will receive it, all good; yea, Himself , "who is the fullness and universality of good, Creator of all good, not in one way, not in one kind of goodness only, but absolutely, without beginning, without limit, without measure, save that whereby without measurement He possesseth and embraceth all excellence, all perfection, all blessedness, all good." This Good His Goodness bestoweth on all and each, according to the capacity of each to receive it, nor is there any limit to His giving, save His creature's capacity of receiving, which also is a good gift from Him. "From Him all things sweet derive their sweetness; all things fair, their beauty; all things bright, their splendor; all things that live, their life; all things sentient, their sense; all that move, their vigor; all intelligences, their knowledge; all things perfect, their perfection; all things in any wise good, their goodness." The beauty of God - Belongs rather to the beatific vision. Yet David speaks of the Beauty of Christ, "Thou art exceeding fairer then the children of men" Psalm 45:2; and Isaiah says, "Thine eyes shall behold the King in His beauty" Isaiah 33:17. But the Beauty of God "eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can heart of man conceive." Here, on earth, created beauty can, at least when suddenly seen, hold the frame motionless, pierce the soul, glue the heart to it, entrance the affections.