Zechariah 9:10

“And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, etc.] That is, the military one; signifying that wars shall cease, (<194609>Psalm 46:9): and the horse from Jerusalem; the warlike one; (see <330510>Micah 5:10). Ephraim designs the ten tribes, and Jerusalem stands for the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; and the sense is, that these shall be one in the days of the Messiah, as Kimchi observes; and that all instruments of war shall be removed from them, and there shall be an entire peace between them; (see <231113> Isaiah 11:13 <263716>Ezekiel 37:16,19): and the battle bow shall be cut off; another instrument of war. The Targum paraphrases it, “I will break the strength of those that make war, the…”

“(Isa 2:4; Hos 2:18; Mic 5:10). Ephraim . . . Jerusalem--the ten tribes, and Judah and Benjamin; both alike to be restored hereafter. speak peace--command it authoritatively. dominion . . . from sea . . . river . . . ends of . . . earth--fulfilling Gen 15:18; Exo 23:31; and Psa 72:8. "Sea . . . sea," are the Red Sea and Mediterranean. The "river" is the Euphrates. Jerusalem and the Holy Land, extended to the limits promised to Abraham, are to be the center of His future dominion; whence it will extend to the remotest parts of the earth.”

“And I will cut off the chariot - The horse is the symbol of worldly power, as the ass is of meekness. “Some,” says the Psalmist, “put their trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” Psalms 20:7. “A horse is but a vain thing to save a man” Psalms 33:17. “He delighteth not in the strength of a horse” Psalms 147:10). In scarcely any place in Holy Scripture is the horse spoken of in relation to man, except as the instrument of war. It represents human might, which is either to be consecrated to the Lord, or destroyed by Him (see Micah 5:10). As the “stone, cut out without hands” Daniel 2:34, broke in pieces and absorbed into itself all the kingdoms…”

“I will cut off - When the Messiah comes and sets up his kingdom, he will need no external force. Neither chariot, bow nor sword, brought salvation to him, neither shall they be mentioned in the day of his conquest. The heathen - The Heathens through him shall be reconciled unto God, and one another, Eph 2:17. From the river - From Euphrates to the utmost end of Canaan, to the Mediterranean sea; a type of all the world, which was in due time to be the inheritance of Christ. Zechariah 9:11”

“9:10 As used here, Israel stands in contrast to Judah, the southern kingdom. The pairing of Israel and Jerusalem signifies a reunited Israel and the regaining of the covenant land. • The kingdoms of Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, and Israel were established by military conquest. By contrast, the kingdom of the Messiah will dismantle the machinery of war and eradicate all arsenals of weapons (see Isa 2:4; 9:5; Mic 5:10-11; Joel 3:10). • The Euphrates River was the northern boundary of the Promised Land (Gen 15:18). • the ends of the earth: The righteous king will establish universal peace.”

“I will: Hos 1:7, Hos 2:18; Mic 5:10, Mic 5:11; Hag 2:22; Co2 10:4, Co2 10:5 the battle: Zac 10:4, Zac 10:5 he shall: Psa 72:3, Psa 72:7, Psa 72:17; Isa 11:10, Isa 49:6, Isa 57:18, Isa 57:19; Mic 4:2-4; Act 10:36; Rom 15:9-13; Co2 5:18, Co2 5:20; Eph 2:13-17; Col 1:20, Col 1:21 his dominion: Psa 2:8-12, Psa 72:8-11, Psa 98:1-3; Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7, Isa 60:12; Mic 5:4; Rev 11:15 from the river: Deu 11:24; Kg1 4:21 Zechariah 9:11”

“Just as the coming of the King does not contain within itself a sign of earthly power and exaltation, so will His kingdom not be established by worldly power. The war-chariots and horses, in which the kingdoms of the world seek their strength, will be exterminated by Jehovah out of Ephraim and Jerusalem (cf. Mic 5:9). And so also will the war-chariots, for which "the battle-bow" stands synecdochically. Ephraim denotes the former kingdom of the ten tribes, and Jerusalem is mentioned as the capital in the place of the kingdom of Judah. Under the Messiah will the two kingdoms that were formerly divided be united once more, and through the destruction of their military power will their nature be…”