SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:23
En aquel día, dijo el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, te tomaré, oh Zorobabel, hijo de Salatiel, siervo mío, dijo el SEÑOR, y te pondré como anillo de sellar; porque yo te escogí, dice el SEÑOR de los ejércitos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Haggai 2:23
Verse 23. In that day, saith the Lord] Some think, says this same learned writer, that ZerubbHebel is put here for his people and posterity: but it may well be said that the commotions foretold began in the rebellion of Babylon, which Darius besieged and took; and exercised great cruelties upon its inhabitants. - Herod. lib. iii., sec. 220. Justin. i. 10. Prideaux places this event in the fifth year of Darius; others with more probability, in the eighth year. Compare Zech. ii. 9. ions will make thee as a signet] I will exalt thee to high dignity, power, and trust, of which the seal was the instrument or sign in those days. Thou shalt be under my peculiar care, and shalt be to me very precious. See Jer. xxii. 24; Cant. viii. 6; and see the notes on these two places.
For I have chosen thee] He had an important and difficult work to do, and it was necessary that he should be assured of God's espeeial care and protection during the whole.
ON the three last verses of this prophecy a sensible and pious correspondent sends me the following illustration, which I cheerfully insert. Though in many respects different from that given above, yet I believe that the kingdom of Christ is particularly designed in this prophecy.
"I think there is an apparent difficulty in this passage, because the wars of the Persians and Babylonians were not so interesting to the rising commonwealth of the Jews as many subsequent events of less note in the world, but which were more directly levelled at their own national prosperity; and yet neither the one nor the other could be termed 'a shaking of the heavens and the earth, and an overthrow of the throne of kingdoms.' "I know not if the following view may be admitted as an explanation of this difficult passage. I take 'the shaking of the heavens and earth' here (as in ver. 6) to have a more distant and comprehensive meaning than can belong to ZerubbHebel's time, or to his immediate posterity; and that it extends not only to the overthrow of kingdoms then existing, but of the future great monarchies of the world; and not excepting even the civil and ecclesiastical establishments of the Jews themselves. For I take 'the heavens,' in the prophetic language, uniformly to denote the true Church, and never the superstitions and idols of the nations.
"What, then, are we to understand by the promise made to ZerubbHebel, 'I will make thee as a signet?' In the first place, the restitution of the religious and civil polity of the people of Israel, conformably to the promises afterwards given in the four first chapters of Zechariah. And, secondly, as the royal signet is the instrument by which kings give validity to laws, and thereby unity and consistence to their empire; so Jehovah, the God and King of Israel, condescends to promise he will employ ZerubbHebel as his instrument of gathering and uniting the people again as a distinguished nation; and that such should be the permanency of their political existence, that, whilst other nations and mighty empires should be overthrown, and their very name blotted out under heaven, the Jews should ever remain a distinct people, even in the wreck of their own government, and the loss of all which rendered their religion splendid and attractive.
"In confirmation of this interpretation, I would refer to the threatening denounced against Jeconiah, (called Coniah, Jeremiah xxii.,) the last reigning king of Judah, and the progenitor of ZerubbHebel. I apprehend I may be authorized to read Jeremiah xxii. 24 thus: 'As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, be the signet upon my right hand, yet will I pluck thee thence, and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life,' &c.
"If it be considered that the kings of Judah were in an especial and peculiar manner the delegates of Jehovah, governing in his name and by his authority, a peculiar propriety will appear in their being resembled to signets, or royal seals contained in rings. Compare Gen. xli. 42; Esth. iii. 10, 12; viii. 2, 8; Dan. vi. 7. And the promise to ZerubbHebel will be equivalent to those which clearly predict the preservation of the Jewish people by the Divine command. see Zech. ii.; and the faithfulness of God to his covenant concerning the Messiah, who should be born of the seed of Abraham, and in the family of David, of whose throne he was the rightful Proprietor.
"According to this view, by the promise, 'In that day;-I will make thee as a signet,' &c., must be understood, that the preservation of the Jews as a distinct people, when all the great empires of the heathen were overthrown, would manifest the honour now conferred on ZerubbHebel as the instrument of their restoration after the Babylonish-captivity. Thus the promise to Abraham, Gen. xii., 'I will make of thee a great nation-and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed,' evidently referred to a very distant future period and the honour connected with it could not be enjoyed by Abraham during his mortal life." M. A. B.
I think, however, that we have lived to see the spirit of this prophecy fulfilled. The earth has been shaken; another shaking, and time shall be swallowed up in eternity.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts , etc.] When all these kingdoms, and their thrones and strength, are destroyed; which shows that what follows cannot be understood literally of Zerubbabel, who lived not to see these things done: will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord ; that is, the Messiah, as is owned by Abarbinel; who says f45 , “the King Messiah shall come, who is of the seed of Zerubbabel; and he shall be the seal of the structure, and the end of the kingdoms; as it is said, “I will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts”; for this no doubt is said concerning the days of the Messiah:” and another Jewish writer f46 , quoting the above author for the sense of this passage, and ( Ezekiel 37:25), adds, “for the King Messiah he will be David, and he will be Zerubbabel, that he may be a rod going out of their stem;” and another on these words observes, “without doubt this is said concerning the expected Messiah, who will be of the seed of Zerubbabel; and therefore this promise was not at all fulfilled in him; for in the time of this prophecy he was but governor of Judah, and he never rose to greater dignity than what he then had:” indeed these writers wrongly suppose the Messiah yet to come, and whom they in vain expect; and apply this, as they do many other prophecies, to the coming of Christ in the flesh, which belong to his spiritual appearance in his churches, or to his personal coming at the last day: however, this shows the conviction on their minds of the application of this and such like prophecies to the Messiah, who may be called Zerubbabel, as he is sometimes David, because he sprung from him, was of his lineage, and because he was a type of him, in bringing the people of the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity, in rebuilding the temple, in the government of the people, and in being chosen of God, and precious; as well as a servant of the Lord, as here expressed, and which is often mentioned as a character of the Messiah, ( Isaiah 49:3 53:11): and will make thee as a signet ; preserve, protect and defend, love, value, and esteem, and advance to great honour and dignity, power and authority: the signet or seal on a man’s right hand, being what he always wears, is ever in sight, and he is careful of; as well as is what he greatly esteems, and is dear unto him, and he highly values; and by which a prince signs his decrees and edicts; (see Isaiah 49:2) ( Song of Solomon 8:6 Matthew 28:18): for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts ; to be the Redeemer and Saviour of his people; to be their King and Governor, and the Judge of the world. Christ is peculiarly God’s elect, and in whom all his people are chosen; be is the chosen of God, and precious, ( Psalm 89:19) ( Isaiah 42:1 1 Peter 1:20 2:4). The Targum is, “for in thee I am well pleased;” which is said by God the Father concerning Christ more than once, ( Matthew 3:17 17:5). It is a prophecy of the exaltation of Christ after he had done his work, as the Lord’s servant, and especially in the latter day, when he shall be King over all the earth; all which cannot be so well applied to Zerubbabel; unless with Reinbeck we understand it of the time of his resurrection from the dead at the last day; when great honour shall be put upon him as a faithful servant, and great love and affection expressed to him; but that will be no other than what will be common to all the saints and chosen of God; Christ, in whom all prophecies terminate, and so this, is doubtless intended.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-23 - The Lord will preserve Zerubbabel and the people of Judah, amidst their enemies. Here is also foretold the establishment and continuance of the kingdom of Christ; by union with whom his people are sealed with the Holy Ghost, sealed with his image, thus distinguished from all others Here also is foretold the changes, even to that time when the kingdo of Christ shall overthrow and occupy the place of all the empires whic opposed his cause. The promise has special reference to Christ, wh descended from Zerubbabel in a direct line, and is the sole Builder of the gospel temple. Our Lord Jesus is the Signet on God's right hand for all power is given to him, and derived from him. By him, and in him, all the promises of God are yea and amen. Whatever changes tak place on earth, all will promote the comfort, honour, and happiness of his servants __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ביום 3117 ההוא 1931 נאם 5002 יהוה 3068 צבאות 6635 אקחך 3947 זרבבל 2216 בן 1121 שׁאלתיאל 7597 עבדי 5650 נאם 5002 יהוה 3068 ושׂמתיך 7760 כחותם 2368 כי 3588 בך בחרתי 977 נאם 5002 יהוה 3068 צבאות׃ 6635
