Zechariah 12:1

“The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, etc.] And against their enemies; for the good of the church of God, for its joy, comfort, and salvation; or, “concerning Israel”f263; what shall befall them in the latter day, as the destruction of antichrist, prophesied of in the preceding chapter (<381101>Zechariah 11:1-17); and what is hereafter said may be believed that it shall be accomplished. The Lord is described in the greatness of his power, speaking as follows: saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens: as a curtain, (<19A402>Psalm 104:2) the expanse or firmament of heaven, which is stretched out as a canopy over all the earth around: and layeth the foundation of the earth;…”

“JERUSALEM THE INSTRUMENT OF JUDGMENT ON HER FOES HEREAFTER; HER REPENTANCE AND RESTORATION. (Zac 12:1-14) burden--"weighty prophecy"; fraught with destruction to Israel's foes; the expression may also refer to the distresses of Israel implied as about to precede the deliverance. for Israel--concerning Israel [MAURER]. stretcheth forth--present; now, not merely "hath stretched forth," as if God only created and then left the universe to itself (Joh 5:17). To remove all doubts of unbelief as to the possibility of Israel's deliverance, God prefaces the prediction by reminding us of His creative and sustaining power. Compare a similar preface in Isa 42:5; Isa 43:1; Isa 65:17-18. formeth . . .…”

“The burden of the word of the Lord for - Rather, “upon (see at Nahum 1:1, p. 129) Israel.” If this prophecy is a continuation of the last, notwithstanding its fresh title, then “Israel” must be the Christian Church, formed of the true Israel which believed, and the Gentiles who were grafted into them. So Cyril; “Having spoken sufficiently of the Good Shepherd Christ, and of the foolish, most cruel shepherd who butchered the sheep, that is, antichrist, he seasonably makes mention of the persecutions which would from time to time arise against Israel; not the Israel according to the flesh, but the spiritual, that Jerusalem which is indeed holy, “the Church of the Living God” 1 Timothy 3:15.…”

“12:1–14:21 The theme of Jerusalem versus the nations binds the four messages of Zechariah’s second oracle together; the nations are gathered against Jerusalem at the beginning (12:1-9) and the end (14:1-15) of the oracle. Through the repetition of the phrase on that day, the oracle looks to the future day of the Lord. The picture it presents mixes judgment with blessing for Jerusalem. The oracle’s focal point is the cleansing of the people of Israel (13:1); it culminates with God’s universal Kingdom (14:16-21). These visions of the future encouraged the Judeans of Zechariah’s day to be faithful in spite of their seeming insignificance and helplessness.”

“Cir, am 3504, bc 500 burden: Zac 9:1; Lam 2:14; Mal 1:1 for: Isa 51:22, Isa 51:23; Jer 30:10, Jer 30:16, Jer 50:34; Eze 36:5-7; Joe 3:19, Joe 3:21; Oba 1:16, Oba 1:17 which: Job 26:7; Psa 102:25, Psa 102:26, Psa 104:2, Psa 136:5, Psa 136:6; Isa 40:12, Isa 40:22, Isa 42:5; Isa 44:24, Isa 45:12, Isa 45:18, Isa 48:13, Isa 51:13; Jer 10:12, Jer 51:15; Heb 1:10-12 formeth: Gen 2:7; Num 16:22; Ecc 12:7; Isa 57:16; Jer 38:16; Eze 18:4; Heb 12:9 Zechariah 12:2”

“"Burden of the word of Jehovah over Israel. Saying of Jehovah, who stretches out the heaven, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him." This heading, which belongs to the whole prophecy in ch. 12-14, corresponds in form and contents to that in Zac 9:1. The burden of Jehovah over Israel stands by the side of the burden of Jehovah over the land of Hadrach, the seat of the heathen power of the world ( Zac 9:1). And as the reason assigned for the latter was that the eye of Jehovah looks at mankind and all the tribes of Israel, so the former is explained here by an allusion to the creative omnipotence of Jehovah. Only there is nothing in our heading to answer…”