Zechariah 4:10

“For who hath despised the day of small things? etc.] This literally refers to the building of the second temple, which was contemptible to the enemies of Judah, Sanballat, and others; and little in the eyes of many of the Jews themselves, who had seen the former temple; yet not in the eyes of the Lord of hosts, (<150312>Ezra 3:12 <370203>Haggai 2:3,6-9) and so the Targum paraphrases the words, “for who is he that despiseth this day, because the building is small?” but in the spiritual sense, to the building up of the church by conversion: the first work of conversion may be called day “of small things” to men; it may be called a “day”, because a time of light into themselves, their sin and…”

“who . . . despised . . . small things--He reproves their ungrateful unbelief, which they felt because of the humble beginning, compared with the greatness of the undertaking; and encourages them with the assurance that their progress in the work, though small, was an earnest of great and final success, because Jehovah's eye is upon Zerubbabel and the work, to support Him with His favor. Contrast, "great is the day of Jezreel" (Hos 1:11) with "the day of small things" here. they shall rejoice . . . with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord--rather, "they, even those seven eyes of the Lord (compare Zac 3:9), which . . . shall rejoice and see (that is, rejoicingly see) the plummet…”

“The simplest rendering is marked by the accents. “For who hath despised the day of small things? and (that is, seeing that there have rejoiced and seen the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, these seven, the Eyes of the Lord, they are running to and fro in all the earth,” 1:e., since God hath with joy and good-pleasure beheld the progress of the work of Zerubbabel, who can despise the day of small things? The day of small things was not only that of the foundation of the temple, but of its continued building also. The old men indeed, “that had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes” Ezra 4:12. But while in progress too,…”

“For who hath despised - In the work of God, the day of small things is not to be despised. God often chuses weak instruments, to bring about mighty things: and tho' the beginnings be small, he can make the latter end greatly to increase. For - Tho' they undervalued the meanness of the second temple, yet when finished, they shall rejoice in it. The plummet - The perpendicular with which Zerubbabel shall try the finished work. With those seven - In subordination to the Divine Providence expressed by the seven eyes, which were on that stone. And those that have the plummet in their hand, must look up to these eyes of the Lord, must have a constant regard to the Divine Providence, and as in…”

“4:10 A plumb line, a cord with a tin or lead weight attached to one end, is used in construction to ensure that a wall is vertical. • The seven lamps: Seven signifies completeness or perfection. God sees all that takes place on earth; he controls the fates of peoples and nations.”

“despised: Ezr 3:12, Ezr 3:13; Neh 4:2-4; Job 8:7; Pro 4:18; Dan 2:34, Dan 2:35; Hos 6:3; Hag 2:3; Mat 13:31-33; Co1 1:28, Co1 1:29 for they: etc. or, since the seven eyes of the Lord shall rejoice, Isa 66:11, Isa 66:14; Luk 15:5-10, Luk 15:32 and shall: Amo 7:7, Amo 7:8 plummet: Heb. stone of tin those: Zac 3:9; Rev 8:2 they are: Zac 1:10, Zac 1:11; Ch2 16:9; Pro 15:3; Rev 5:6 Zechariah 4:11”