Zechariah 8:7

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, etc.] As being something wonderful, of great importance, and deserving attention: I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; this can not be understood of bringing those Jews that remained in Babylon, and other places, to their own land, for Babylon lay north of Judea; (see <380606>Zechariah 6:6,8), and as yet there were no Jews in the western part of the world; but now they are chiefly in the east and west, from whence they will be gathered at the time of their general conversion; though this may refer to the times of the apostles of Christ, and to their ministry in the several parts of the world, who went forth, east, west,…”

“save my people from . . . east . . . west--that is, from every region (compare Psa 50:1; the "West" is literally, "the going down of the sun") to which they are scattered; they are now found especially in countries west of Jerusalem. The dispersion under Nebuchadnezzar was only to the east, namely, to Babylonia. The restoration, including a spiritual return to God (Zac 8:8), here foretold, must therefore be still future (Isa 11:11-12; Isa 43:5-6; Eze 37:21; Amo 9:14-15; also Zac 13:9; Jer 30:22; Jer 31:1, Jer 31:33).”

“I will save My people from the East country and from the West country - Dionysius: “that is, the whole world; for Israel had been scattered in every part of the world.” God had said to Israel, “I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back” Isaiah 43:5-6. The two tribes had been carried to Babylon and had been dispersed, or had been allowed to migrate to the various provinces of the Babylonian or Persian empire. But these were in the East, though commonly called the north, because they invaded Israel from the north. Those who had migrated to Egypt were in the south. As yet none were in the West. The…”

“The east - country - Persia and Media, which lay east from Jerusalem, and were now masters of Babylon. Zechariah 8:8”

“8:7 from the east and from the west: This is an idiom meaning from all the regions to which the Hebrews were dispersed (compare Isa 43:5-6).”

“I: Psa 107:2, Psa 107:3; Isa 11:11-16, Isa 27:12, Isa 27:13, Isa 43:5, Isa 43:6, Isa 49:12, Isa 59:19, Isa 66:19, Isa 66:20; Jer 31:8; Eze 37:19-25; Hos 11:10, Hos 11:11; Amo 9:14, Amo 9:15; Mal 1:11; Rom 11:25-27 west country: Heb. country of the going down of the sun, Psa 50:1, Psa 113:3 Zechariah 8:8”

“Zac 8:7. "Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I save my people out of the land of the rising and out of the land of the setting of the sun. Zac 8:8. And I bring them hither, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and will be my people, and I shall be their God, in truth and righteousness." The deliverance of the people of God out of the heathen lands did indeed commence with the return of a body of exiles from Babylon under the guidance of Zerubbabel, but their deliverance out of all the countries of the earth is still in the future. Instead of all countries, the land of the rising (the east) and the land of the setting (the west) are individualized (cf. Psa 50:1; Psa 113:3; Isa…”