Four chariots come out from between the two mountains of brass — the four winds of heaven going forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth, and those toward the north country have quieted His spirit; crowns of silver and gold are set upon the head of Joshua the high priest: 'Behold, a man whose name is the Shoot, and who shall grow up out of his place, and build the temple of Hashem... and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
verse value 4445
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "two·of" (שְׁנֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "chariots" (מַרְכָּבוֹת֙, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·agained" (וָאָשֻׁ֗ב), "chariots" (מַרְכָּבוֹת֙), "going·out" (יֹֽצְא֔וֹת). The root הר appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 22x in Zechariah); "going·out" (root יצא, 22x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root הר ("the·mountains") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·mountains', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: וָאָשֻׁ֗ב [and·I·agained] (309) + וָאֶשָּׂ֤א [and·I·lifted] (308) + עֵינַי֙ [my·eyes] (140) + וָֽאֶרְאֶ֔ה [and·I·saw] (213) + וְהִנֵּ֨ה [and·behold] (66) + אַרְבַּ֤ע [four] (273) + מַרְכָּבוֹת֙ [chariots] (668) + יֹֽצְא֔וֹת [going·out] (507) + מִבֵּ֖ין [between] (102) + שְׁנֵ֣י [two·of] (360) + הֶֽהָרִ֑ים [the·mountains] (260) + וְהֶהָרִ֖ים [and·the·mountains] (266) + הָרֵ֥י [mountains·of] (215) + נְחֹֽשֶׁת [copper] (758) = 4445.
Rashi
“And the mountains, the mountains of copper.” This is an indication of the strength of these kingdoms, which comes to them from between the two mountains, which is hard and steadfast. These are the four chariots, the agents of the Holy One, blessed be He, to grant dominion to the four kingdoms: Babylonia, Media, Greece, and Edom.
Radak
“And I looked, and behold, four chariots coming out from between two mountains; and the mountains were copper mountains.” This refers to the visions of the four kingdoms, which he saw twice, and then returned and saw them a third time, more clearly than the first times, and he called them chariots. The chariot consists of four horses, to indicate the strength of each one in its time, that they reigned in the world, and each one was hostile to Israel. Furthermore, he saw that they were coming out from between two mountains, and this indicates their strength, as strong as mountains, and the mountains were copper mountains. Copper is iron that cuts, called “acier” in the foreign tongue, and there is something similar in Scripture: “One of them was the goers of slander, copper and iron,” which explains that it is stronger than stone, that it cuts and invalidates stone. And to give them even more strength, He showed that they were copper mountains. Moreover, He mentioned copper to associate the Name, as in “I have divined, and the LORD has blessed me on your account,” and by the hand of the four kingdoms, Israel was tested and tried.
Metzudat David
And I returned. I returned and lifted up my eyes:
“Four chariots.” They allude to the four kingdoms that ruled under the heavens, as if riding in chariots, which is a matter of greatness and dominion.
“And the mountains, mountains of copper.” This implies that the chariots were strong and passed between mountains of copper without breaking, thereby alluding to the strength of those kingdoms.
Metzudat Zion
"Chariots." The wagons that the horses pull them:
Malbim
“And I looked up again, and behold, in the first vision he saw a man riding on a red horse, which is the kingdom of Greece, which seized dominion after Darius. And now He showed him the kingdoms that will stand in the world until the end of days. And he saw four chariots coming out; each chariot consists of four horses, for each kingdom comprises four kingdoms, since each of the four winds of the world is ruled by a different kingdom and is influenced by a specific minister who receives from the upper chariot, which is also divided into four winds, as stated in the commentary on Ezekiel’s chariot. And he saw them coming out from between the two mountains, for he saw that they would be divided: two chariots came out of the mountain of destruction and are destined to do evil to Israel, and two chariots came out of the mountain of appointment to do good to Israel. And the mountains are mountains of copper, for the kingdom of Babylon, which was the kingdom of gold, and the kingdom of Media, which was of silver (as Nebuchadnezzar saw them in his dream), have already passed from the world, and now the kingdom of Greece will begin, which was likened in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to copper, which comes after silver.”
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
verse value 2875
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "horses" (סוּסִ֣ים, 5 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·chariot" (וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 176: horses, horses. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "in·the·chariot" (בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה), "the·first" (הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה), "second" (הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית). The root סוס appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'red', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה [in·the·chariot] (269) + הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה [the·first] (561) + סוּסִ֣ים [horses] (176) + אֲדֻמִּ֑ים [red] (95) + וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה [and·in·the·chariot] (275) + הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית [second] (765) + סוּסִ֥ים [horses] (176) + שְׁחֹרִֽים [black] (558) = 2875.
Rashi
"Red horses." These are the ones who mounted Babylon, which is red, as it is written: "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38).
Black. To carry Media, which darkened the faces of Israel in the days of Haman:
Radak
In the chariot. This is an allusion to the kingdom of Babylon, as I explained:
“Black horses.” This is what it stated above as “speckled” [horses], and it alluded to the kingdom of Media and Persia; it called them above “speckled,” and here “black,” because they are two nations, even though they constitute one kingdom. And some say that He showed him a black hue because their faces were darkened during their reign, and this was in the days of Haman. And some say that these hues correspond to their custom in the color of their garments, and one [nation] was accustomed to a speckled hue, and the other to a black hue.
Metzudat David
"Red horses." In it, red horses were harnessed to draw it, and this alludes to Babylonia, of which it is said, "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38), and the appearance of gold is reddish.
Black horses. This alludes to Persia, for in their days the faces of Israel were blackened, in the days of Haman.
Malbim
In the first chariot were red horses, representing the kingdom of Greece, which emerged first; they were prepared to shed much blood, as seen in the first vision of a man riding on a red horse. And in the second chariot were black horses, representing the kingdom of Rome, which came after the kingdom of Greece; they too were prepared to shed blood. This is included in the vision of blackness, as our Sages of blessed memory stated (in the chapter "These Are the Tereifot"): "Black is red, only it has become diseased." Furthermore, the appearance of blackness indicates the dark and gloomy exile and the long night that Israel will experience in the exile of Rome. These two chariots emerged from one side, the north.
and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled bay horses.
verse value 3203
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "horses" (סוּסִ֣ים, 5 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·chariot" (וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 275: and·in·the·chariot, and·in·the·chariot. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "third" (הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֖ית), "white" (לְבָנִ֑ים), "fourth" (הָרְבִעִ֔ית). The root סוס appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'white', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה [and·in·the·chariot] (275) + הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֖ית [third] (1045) + סוּסִ֣ים [horses] (176) + לְבָנִ֑ים [white] (132) + וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה֙ [and·in·the·chariot] (275) + הָרְבִעִ֔ית [fourth] (687) + סוּסִ֥ים [horses] (176) + בְּרֻדִּ֖ים [spotted] (256) + אֲמֻצִּֽים [strong] (181) = 3203.
Rashi
White [horses]. To carry Persia, which built the House.
“Dappled.” They are spotted [i.e., marked] in order to combine them with the Greeks, who afflicted Israel with various decrees, each different from the other.
"Amutzim." To join with Ishmael (one manuscript: Edom). And I do not know what the word "Amutzim" means. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as "ash-colored ones."
Radak
And in the third chariot, white ones. This alludes to the kingdom of Greece. And we do not know why He compared them to white ones. And Rabbi Saadia Gaon, of blessed memory, wrote that because the first king of Greece was Alexander of Macedon, who was a wise philosopher, and wisdom is a white and bright thing, therefore that kingdom was compared to white ones.
And in the fourth chariot, speckled-gray, ash-colored horses. In this chariot he saw two shades of speckled gray, which is a shade that has white spots resembling hail, and they are within another shade. And the reason that this shade was shown to him regarding the kingdom of Ishmael is because they intend to uphold the Torah of Moses, which is white like hail, but they mix it with many beliefs, just as the hail is mixed with the appearance in them, whether a black appearance or another appearance. "Amutzim": the Targum says of it "qatmanin," meaning that their appearance is like the appearance of ash. And this chariot alludes to the kingdom of Rome, which humbled the kingdom of Greece, and it rules in the world. And he saw in it two shades, because there is another kingdom with it that rules in the world, and it is the kingdom of Ishmael. And so it said regarding the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, as Daniel interpreted it, "and the kingdom shall be divided."
Metzudat David
“White horses.” They allude to Greece and its inhabitants, because their custom was to wear white garments, and all their excellence and beauty were characterized by whiteness in the extreme.
"Barudim amutzim." They allude to Ishmael and the Romans, who are from the descendants of Esau and rule together with Ishmael, as it is stated in Daniel. And the "barudim" allude to Ishmael, because they possess some whiteness and clarity, since their origin is from Abraham, and they adhere to some of his commandments, for they are circumcised. And the "amutzim" allude to the ancient Romans, because they burned the Temple and reduced it to ashes.
Metzudat Zion
Barudim. Those having white spots resembling hail; and likewise, "spotted and speckled" (Genesis 31:10).
"Amots." Those who have a plump appearance. So too the Targum [translates it as] "qatmanin," which means "plump" in Aramaic.
Malbim
And in the third chariot, white horses: after the kingdom of Rome is abolished, another kingdom will arise that will not shed as much blood and will not harm Israel as much, and the exile will be eased in the four corners of the world, as it is in this millennium, where the horses of the chariots are white and possess kindness. And in the fourth chariot, dappled, strong horses: behold the kings who will arise close to the time of redemption, depicted as dappled, strong ones, for the reason stated in verses 6 and 7.
Then I answered and said to the angel that spoke with me: ‘What are these, my lord?’
verse value 870
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·angel" (אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 127: and·I·answered, to·the·angel. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "who·spoke" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah); "what·are·these" (root אלה, 24x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: וָאַ֙עַן֙ [and·I·answered] (127) + וָֽאֹמַ֔ר [and·I·said] (247) + אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ [to·the·angel] (127) + הַדֹּבֵ֣ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּ֑י [with·me] (12) + מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה [what·are·these] (81) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 870.
Radak
“And I answered.” Because he had already seen two visions concerning this matter, and in the second one, which was of four horns, it was explained to him more clearly than it had been explained to him in the first, as the angel had explained it to him; and now, upon seeing also four chariots, and knowing that they were shown to him to introduce a new matter, he asked the angel, “What are these, my lord?” That is to say, what new matter do they come to introduce? For I have already seen the visions, which are an allusion to the four kingdoms; if so, what are these? For what purpose were they shown to me?
And the angel answered and said to me: ‘These chariots go forth to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.
verse value 3421
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֗לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלָ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "going·out" (יוֹצְא֕וֹת, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "from·presenting·themselves" (מֵֽהִתְיַצֵּ֖ב). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֥עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ [messenger] (96) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + אֵ֗לֶּה [these] (36) + אַרְבַּע֙ [four] (273) + רוּח֣וֹת [winds·of] (620) + הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם [heaven] (395) + יוֹצְא֕וֹת [going·out] (513) + מֵֽהִתְיַצֵּ֖ב [from·presenting·themselves] (547) + עַל־אֲד֥וֹן [before·lord·of] (161) + כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) = 3421.
Rashi
These are the four winds of the heavens. The princes of the nations of the ancient kingdoms that rule over the four winds of the heavens:
"They go forth from presenting themselves," etc. [quoting the verse itself] "And they stood" etc. They came before Him, and He granted them permission from His mouth to rule.
Radak
And it answered: These are the four winds. Just as “to the four winds” and similarly “and he came to Jerusalem” is like “to Jerusalem,” “son of Saul” is like “to the son of Saul,” and similar cases, the meaning is: These are the four chariots going out to the four winds of the heavens, that is, to grant permission to the four kingdoms to rule in the four directions, each in its appointed time, that is, throughout the entire world, which consists of four corners.
“From standing before the Lord, the Master of all the earth.” This means that they acted as agents sent by the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: “And the sons of God came to stand before the Lord.”
Metzudat David
These are the four winds of the heavens. These go forth to the four winds of the heavens to rule over all of them, each one in its proper season.
They go out. And they go out from the place where they stood before the Master of all the earth to inquire about that government, and He granted it to them, and behold, they are going to rule.
Metzudat Zion
“Four.” Like “to four,” the lamed being omitted; and likewise “they were [servants] to the son of Saul” (2 Samuel 4:2) — where the proper form is “to the son of Saul.”
Winds. Corner and beyond:
From the word "standing firm." The matter of standing:
"Upon the Lord." Before "the Lord" and adjacent to it:
Malbim
These are the four winds of the heavens, for every kingdom encompasses the four winds, as is alluded to in the four horses that are in every chariot. They emerge from standing before the Master of all the earth, who sent them to rule over the land by the command of the Exalted and the Lofty One.
That wherein are the black horses goes forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country;
verse value 3697
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "north" (צָפ֔וֹן, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·after·them" (אֶל־אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 322: to·land·of, to·land·of. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "that·in·it" (אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֞הּ), "the·horses" (הַסּוּסִ֣ים), "black" (הַשְּׁחֹרִ֗ים). The root יצא appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·in·it" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "to·land·of" (root איל, 34x in Zechariah); "issuing" (root יצא, 22x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·after·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֞הּ [that·in·it] (508) + הַסּוּסִ֣ים [the·horses] (181) + הַשְּׁחֹרִ֗ים [black] (563) + יֹֽצְאִים֙ [issuing] (151) + אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ [to·land·of] (322) + צָפ֔וֹן [north] (226) + וְהַ֨לְּבָנִ֔ים [and·white] (143) + יָצְא֖וּ [they·went·out] (107) + אֶל־אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם [to·after·them] (295) + וְהַ֨בְּרֻדִּ֔ים [and·spotted] (267) + יָצְא֖וּ [they·went·out] (107) + אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ [to·land·of] (322) + הַתֵּימָֽן [south] (505) = 3697.
Rashi
"In which the black horses go forth to the land of the north." To carry Media. It does not state "go forth" regarding the red ones, for the dominion of Babylonia had already ceased.
“And the white ones went out after them.” To carry off Persia, the two of them [Media and Persia] together in the north, and they ruled over Babylon.
And the speckled ones went forth to the land of the south. To carry off Greece, and they would take the kingdom from the hand of Persia; and in the translation of Rav Saadia, in Daniel, I saw: "The king of the South" is the king of Yon.
Radak
“Which is in it.” And it did not mention the Edomites, because the kingdom of Babylon had already passed, and the kingdoms of Media and Persia went forth first to the land of the north, which is Babylon, to destroy it, and afterward they ruled over all the kingdoms of the earth. And the white ones, which are the kingdom of Greece, went forth after them, because their kingdom became strong; for Alexander of Macedon, the first king of Greece, killed Darius in Babylon and took the kingdom from him, and afterward he and those who came after him ruled over the entire world.
"And the dappled horses went out to the south country." This is the land of the south, because Rome is in the north. Julian the Caesar, who reigned over Rome, began to wage war against the kingdom of Greece, and the beginning of his wars extended to the land of Egypt, which is in the south. In all the lands, the Greeks were then prevailing, but this Julian the Caesar overpowered them. He transferred the sovereignty from the Greeks and restored it to the Romans.
Metzudat David
“Which is in it.” The chariot in which are the black horses which allude to Persia, go forth to Babylonia, which stands in the north, to rule over it and to destroy it (and he did not mention anything about the red horses which allude to Babylonia, for the dominion of Babylonia had already been exhausted).
"And the white ones." The chariot in which were the white horses, which allude to the nations, went out after the black horses to rule over Persia and to corrupt them.
And the "Brodim" [the dappled ones]: They are those who allude to Ishmael. They went out to the land of Yemen, to give rule to Ishmael, who dwells in the southern extremity. And it was not said of them, "They went out after them," because they did not corrupt the Greeks; rather, Rome corrupted the Greeks. And Rome, too, is from the descendants of the Greeks, for Titus corrupted the Gentiles, as it is written in Daniel, and she rules as one together with Ishmael.
Malbim
“Which had black horses” – He did not explain the red horses, concerning which he had already spoken in the first vision; therefore, he began with the black ones, which represent the kingdom of Rome. This kingdom will go forth to the land of the north to seize dominion there, and it too will be northern, for from there evil will break out to destroy Jerusalem. “And white horses went out after them” – He did not specify in which direction the white horses went, for they have no specific spirit of their own; rather, they went out after the black ones and spread throughout the east and the west. These represent all the kings who will rule after the kingdom of Rome is abolished, each man in his place. “And dappled horses went out toward the south” – Near the days of the Messiah, a speckled kingdom will arise. They will be similar to the white ones, only that black and white spots will be found in them, for they too will be stirred up to wars. From among them will come forth Gog and Magog, who will come from the depths of the north to the south, which is the Land of Israel. Then they will divide into two camps fighting one another, as is explained in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39: in the end of days, the children of Edom will be stirred up – they will then be the dappled ones – to conquer the Land of Israel from the hands of the Ishmaelites, who are the bay horses, for the latter will strive to stand against the warriors, and they will fight one another. And this is what is said:
and the bay went forth’. And they sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth; and he said: ‘Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth.’ So they walked to and fro through the earth.
verse value 4267
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "go" (לְכ֖וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·walked·to·and·fro" (וַתִּתְהַלַּ֖כְנָה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 293: in·the·land, in·the·land, in·the·land. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·strong" (וְהָאֲמֻצִּ֣ים), "and·they·sought" (וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙), "to·go" (לָלֶ֙כֶת֙). The root הלך appears 5 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah); "they·went·out" (root יצא, 22x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root בקש ("and·they·sought") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְהָאֲמֻצִּ֣ים [and·strong] (192) + יָצְא֗וּ [they·went·out] (107) + וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ [and·they·sought] (424) + לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ [to·go] (480) + לְהִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ [to·walk] (490) + בָּאָ֔רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לְכ֖וּ [go] (56) + הִתְהַלְּכ֣וּ [walked] (466) + בָאָ֑רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וַתִּתְהַלַּ֖כְנָה [and·they·walked·to·and·fro] (916) + בָּאָֽרֶץ [in·the·land] (293) = 4267.
Rashi
And the Amutzim went forth and sought. From before Him, that there would be great length for their dominion, to go throughout the land:
"And He said, 'Go, walk through the land.' He gave them permission to exercise great dominion, namely, the kingdom of Edom."
Radak
And the word "veha-amatzim" (the strong ones) is an allusion to the kingdom of Ishmael, who exerted themselves on their own initiative to seek a kingdom, no matter where it might be. Therefore, the text did not assign them a direction, as it is stated: "And they sought to go and walk in the land."
"And He said." This means that He granted them permission to wander and to conquer lands.
Metzudat David
And the strong [horses] (amutzim). They are the ones alluding to the ancient Romans; they went forth from before the Master of the whole earth and asked Him to go. And as an additional clarification it says, "to walk about in the land" — to rule over it, they too, so that they would not be lost within the collective of the nations, the source of their origin.
And He said. The Omnipresent said to them: Go, walk through the land and rule over it; you too shall do so.
"And they went in and out." This means that indeed it was so, for they ruled over the land, just as Ishmael did.
Malbim
"And the strong ones went out" – meaning that they went out to war against the dappled ones, and they sought to go and patrol the land, with the intention in their minds of seizing the kingdom of the dappled ones and going to their land for war. However, they only sought to do so because they would fall there among the fallen surrounding Jerusalem in the war of Gog and Magog. And it says, "Go," which refers to all four kingdoms. After recounting the vision of the four chariots, he relates that he heard the angel saying to them, "Go, patrol the land," thereby informing them of the decree of the watchers, that they would rule in the land until the end of days.
Then cried he upon me, and spoke to me, saying: ‘Behold, they that go toward the north country have eased My spirit in the north country.’
verse value 3277
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "me" (אֹתִ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·go·out" (הַיּֽוֹצְאִים֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 226: north, north. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·he·cried·out" (וַיַּזְעֵ֣ק), "and·spoke" (וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר), "that·go·out" (הַיּֽוֹצְאִים֙). The root צפון appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיַּזְעֵ֣ק [and·he·cried·out] (193) + אֹתִ֔י [me] (411) + וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר [and·spoke] (222) + אֵלַ֖י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + רְאֵ֗ה [see] (206) + הַיּֽוֹצְאִים֙ [that·go·out] (162) + אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ [to·land·of] (322) + צָפ֔וֹן [north] (226) + הֵנִ֥יחוּ [have·eased] (79) + אֶת־רוּחִ֖י [my·spirit] (625) + בְּאֶ֥רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + צָפֽוֹן [north] (226) = 3277.
Rashi
See those who go forth to the land of the north. To carry Media and Persia:
They have set at rest My spirit. They quieted My anger against Babylon, in that they destroyed Belshazzar and the seed of Nebuchadnezzar. This is what is said (Isaiah 48:14): "The Lord loves him; he will do His pleasure on Babylon, etc."
Radak
"And he cried out." This means: He called out to Me in a loud voice and said to Me, "Behold, those who went forth to the land of the north have left My spirit in the land of the north." This means: These black ones who went forth to Babylonia to destroy it brought Me delight when they destroyed it; they left My spirit—namely, My anger that I had against them, because they harmed Israel excessively, as it is stated: 'For I was angry with them a little, but they helped to make evil.'
Metzudat David
And He called me. This means: He called to me with a loud voice.
See. Consider that those who go forth to the land of the north are Persia, which went forth to the land of Babylon to destroy it.
"They have set at rest My spirit." They calmed My anger that I had against Babylonia, for through the vengeance that was executed upon it, My anger was appeased.
Metzudat Zion
“Me.” This means: “To me.”
“Let them rest.” From the word *hanachah* (resting) and *hashketah* (silencing).
"רוחי" (My spirit). The matter of anger is akin to that of "ינחל רוח" (he shall inherit spirit/anger) in Proverbs 11:29.
Malbim
"And He called me, and He spoke to me": He aroused me to cry out with a great and bitter cry, and He also spoke to me words of comfort. And he explains what is written, "And He called me": See those going out to the land of the north, that the prophet cried out concerning the red and black horses going out to the land of the north, because the Lord showed him the evils and troubles that would befall Israel through them. And what is written, "And He spoke to me," he explains that He said to me, "Leave My spirit in the land of the north," meaning that they have calmed and allayed My anger that I had against Israel, and I am destined to improve their end, for the spirit of wrath has subsided.
’Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, that are come from Babylon; and come you the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
verse value 4659
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. The shortest word is "from" (מֵאֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Zephaniah" (בֶן־צְפַנְיָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 447: and·from, and·from. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "take" (לָק֙וֹחַ֙), "exiles" (הַגּוֹלָ֔ה), "from·Heldai" (מֵחֶלְדַּ֕י). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·came" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 40x in Zechariah); "that" (root הוא, 31x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root לקח ("take") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jedaiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Rashi
“Taken from the exile, from Cheldai, etc.,”: those who came from Babylonia. “All these men”:
Radak
"Taken." An infinitive in place of an imperative, such as "Go and call out."
“From the exile.” From those who came from the exile, namely Heldai, Tobijah, and Yedayah, and Josiah. They brought silver and gold as a voluntary offering for the construction of the House. The word of the Lord came to the prophet, informing him of this, and He told him to take the silver and the gold and make crowns from them.
"And you shall come, on that day." On the day that you will come there, for He did not say to him that he should go there on the day of the prophecy.
“And you shall come to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.” For it was in his house that the others were [gathered], and this is what is stated: “those who came from Babylon, Josiah with the ones mentioned.”
Metzudat David
Liqqach. This is the voluntary gift of silver and gold mentioned in the subsequent verse:
From the exile. From those who come from the exile, from Babylonia, and he returns and explains from whom, and says: from Cheldai, and from Tobiah, etc.
“On that day” – the phrase is construed as referring to the end of the verse, to indicate that it will come on that day when they will come from Babylonia. And since it stated, “and you shall come,” it was necessary to explain first to where he will come, and it said, “and you shall come to the house of Yoshiyahu,” etc., for there the exiles returning from the exile will come.
Malbim
“Taken.” The exiles in Babylonia sent three men, with silver and gold in their hands, to make from it two crowns: one for Zerubbabel, that he might be king of the land, and the second for Joshua, who was the High Priest; a golden crown for the king and a silver crown for the High Priest. And the Lord commanded him to take the silver and the gold brought from the exile by the hand of Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah. And He commanded him not to wait until they would come to him, but rather, “And you shall go” – that the prophet should go to them. And he should not wait until tomorrow, but on that very day, immediately. And He specified to him the place where he would find them: “And you shall go to the house of Josiah,” for there they had gathered when they arrived from Babylonia, and Josiah was also among the exiles from Babylonia.
indeed, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set the one upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
verse value 4230
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 52 letters. Verse gematria: 4230 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "and·you·will·put" (וְשַׂמְתָּ֗, 4 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehozadak" (בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָ֖ק, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·you·will·take" (וְלָקַחְתָּ֥), "silver·gold" (כֶֽסֶף־וְזָהָ֖ב), "and·you·shall·make" (וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ). 10 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root כסף ("silver·gold") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'crown', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ [and·you·will·take] (544) + כֶֽסֶף־וְזָהָ֖ב [silver·gold] (180) + וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ [and·you·shall·make] (786) + עֲטָר֑וֹת [crown] (685) + וְשַׂמְתָּ֗ [and·you·will·put] (746) + בְּרֹ֛אשׁ [in·head·of] (503) + יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ [Joshua] (391) + בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָ֖ק [son·of·Jehozadak] (267) + הַכֹּהֵ֥ן [priest] (80) + הַגָּדֽוֹל [the·great] (48) = 4230.
Radak
"And you shall take" – You shall take from them silver and gold that they brought in their hands as a voluntary offering.
"And you shall make crowns." You shall make from it two crowns, and you shall place one on the head of Joshua to appoint him as High Priest. This is similar to the pure turban that they would place on his head during prophecy, as stated above. And regarding the other crown, there was no need to mention what should be done with it, for it is known that it would be placed on the head of Zerubbabel, for he was in the position of a king, and there is no king without a crown. It is possible that before they placed the crown on his head, he was called "governor," as it is written, "Governor of Judah," and after they placed the crown on his head, they called him "king." And even though nothing of this is explicitly written, it is reasonable to say so according to logical deduction.
"And you shall make." According to Ben Naftali, [the word] is accented on the last syllable, [ending] with a tav; according to Ben Asher, it is accented on the penultimate syllable, [ending] with a shin. And so do we read it.
Metzudat David
"And you shall take silver and gold." [This refers to] what those who came from the exile brought as a voluntary offering for the House of the Lord.
"And you shall make crowns." One of silver and one of gold.
“And you shall place on the head of Joshua.” This is to allude that the crown of the High Priesthood, which he currently wears, shall be preserved for his descendants after him forever, as it is stated above, “And they set the pure turban upon his head” (above, 3:5). And it is possible that the silver one was commanded to be placed on him, because the stature of the High Priesthood is not equal to the stature of the monarchy. The second crown, of gold, was preserved to allude that the monarchy will yet be restored in the future redemption to the House of David. And He did not command that it be placed on the head of Zerubbabel, even though the Messiah will be from his lineage, because he himself was not currently a king, and it is not proper to place a royal crown upon his head.
Metzudat Zion
Crowns. Diadems:
Malbim
“And you shall take” — you shall take from them the silver and the gold; “and make crowns” — you shall make, not they. And even though you shall make two crowns, you shall place only one crown upon the head of Joshua the High Priest, and the second crown, that of the king, you shall not place upon Zerubbabel.
and speak to him, saying: Thus speaks Hashem of hosts, saying: Behold, a man whose name is the Shoot, and who shall shoot up out of his place, and build the temple of Hashem;
verse value 4455
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·from·under·him" (וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 271: saying, saying. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "behold·man" (הִנֵּה־אִ֞ישׁ), "and·from·under·him" (וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו), "had·sprouted" (יִצְמָ֔ח). The root אמר appears 4 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root היכל ("the·temple") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
“His name shall be Branch.” This is Zerubbabel, mentioned above, [as it is written:] “Behold, I will bring My servant the Branch.” And it is named so because his greatness grew little by little. And there are those who interpret it as referring to the Messiah King. But the entire matter speaks of the Second Temple period.
"And from beneath him it shall sprout." From the seed of the monarchy.
Radak
And it says, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch.” That is to say, behold, a man of your people who will be the head of Israel, and he is Zerubbabel, and he is called “Branch” because his exalted status will be like that of a plant of the earth, which grows little by little; so too his exalted status will rise little by little until it grows greatly, as Haggai prophesied concerning him: “On that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel…,” and “From beneath him shall sprout forth from his place”—that is to say, from the place where he is, which is Jerusalem, from there shall his exalted status come to him.
Metzudat David
“And you shall say to him” – to Joshua the High Priest you shall tell the reason why the second crown was not placed on Zerubbabel’s head, even though kingship was inherited by him and his descendants after him, as it is stated: “On that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring” (Haggai 2:23). And even to explain to him the reason why the crown that was upon him was of silver.
"Behold, a man whose name is Branch." This means: And behold, among your people there is a great and distinguished man who alone will be called by the name "Branch," just as the Messiah will be called so, as it is stated, "For behold, I am bringing My servant the Branch" (above 3:8). And he will be called Zerubbabel, because from beneath him—meaning, from his seed—the King Messiah will sprout forth. Therefore, he will build the Temple of the Lord, as a sign that it will be built by the Messiah who will come from his seed, as it will say in the subsequent verse. And it is as if to say: Since Zerubbabel alone will be called by the name "Branch," just like the Messiah who will come from his seed, but he himself will not reign, therefore they will not place a crown upon his head.
Metzudat Zion
"Ish" – this means a great and important person.
"And beneath him." From his place, meaning: from his seed.
Malbim
And you shall say to him, and the reason is explained because thus says the Lord: Behold, a man whose name is Branch; the name of Zerubbabel is Branch, as it is stated above (3:8), for behold, I will bring My servant, the Branch. The reason for the name is that he is not a completed and perfected planting in actuality, but rather he is prepared to sprout. Therefore, he is called by the name Zerubbabel, meaning "sown in Babylon," for he is like seed hidden in the earth, destined to sprout. At present, he is only in potentiality and not in actuality, and he himself will not sprout, but rather from beneath him will sprout. This means that from his sons, who will stand in his place, will sprout the Branch who will build the Temple of the Lord, which is the last Temple that will be built in the end of days.
even he shall build the temple of Hashem; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and there shall be a priest before his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
verse value 3919
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְ֠ה֠וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "splendour" (ה֔וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·will·bear" (וְהֽוּא־יִשָּׂ֣א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 376: and·shall·rule, peace. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·he·will·bear" (וְהֽוּא־יִשָּׂ֣א), "splendour" (ה֔וֹד), "and·shall·rule" (וּמָשַׁ֖ל). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah); "and·he" (root הוא, 31x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root שלום ("peace") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·his·throne', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
And he shall bear glory. Glory is sovereignty:
And he sat. The High Priest sat on the seat of the priesthood.
“And the counsel of peace, etc.”—The prince and the priest shall love one another.
Radak
"And He shall build." The repetition of the matter is to strengthen it.
"And He shall lift up glory." Glory and majesty of the kingdom He shall lift up.
"On His throne." Just as a king sits on his throne and rules over the land.
"And the priest shall sit on his throne." This means before his throne, as it is said, "Stand before the Master of all the earth" (Zechariah 6:5), and similarly it is stated in the Book of Samuel, "And he shall walk before my anointed all the days" (1 Samuel 2:35). For the priest would come before the king to instruct him and to speak with him, and the king would not come before the priest except when he inquired through the Urim and Thummim, as it is written, "And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by judgment of the Urim before the Lord" (Numbers 27:21).
And counsel of peace shall be between the two of them. For one will not be jealous of the other, and both will agree as one in whatever they do.
Metzudat David
"And he shall build." This is referred back to the preceding verse, to say: Just as Zerubbabel now built the Temple, so too the Messiah, who will come from his lineage, will build the future Temple. And he shall bear upon his head the glory of the crown of kingship, and he shall sit upon the throne of kingship to rule.
"And the priest shall be upon his throne." The High Priest from your seed, who will serve as priest at that time, will stand before the throne of the Messiah, for he will come to him and humble himself before him. And in this way, he will explain to him the reason for the crown placed upon his head, which is of silver, for the rank of the High Priesthood is not equal to the rank of the monarchy, for the High Priest will humble himself before the king and submit to his authority and come before him.
"And counsel of peace." This means that nevertheless, they will not be jealous of the royal crown to devise strategies and schemes to fight against the Messiah; rather, they will further counsel to perpetuate the peace and to strengthen it.
Metzudat Zion
Hod. The matter of splendor and beauty:
“Priest upon his throne.” This means before his throne; and similarly, “the runners who stood by him” (1 Samuel 22).
Malbim
And "he," meaning that even though Zerubbabel is building the Temple now, there is a difference between them, for "he," meaning the Messiah who will sprout from his line, will build the Temple of the Lord, and he too will bear the glory of the Lord. Not so Zerubbabel, the builder, who does not bear the glory of the Lord. And "he will sit and rule on his throne": the Messiah will sit and rule, whereas Zerubbabel does not rule, for he is under the authority of the kings of Persia. He does not sit on his throne, for he is subjugated. And one can also interpret "on his throne" as referring to the throne of the glory of the Lord, meaning that the Messiah will sit on the throne of the Lord as king. And "the priest shall sit on his throne": then the priest too will be on his proper throne, for now even the priest is not on the throne proper to him. And then there will be counsel of peace between them, for now there is no peace between the one sitting on the throne of governance and the priest. In the days of the Hasmoneans, they donned the crown of kingship and attributed greatness to themselves. Afterwards, the crown of the priesthood was diminished by the monarchy, which sold it for money, and it was despised in their eyes. But then each will sit on his throne in peace.
And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of Hashem.
verse value 2208
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "it·will·be" (תִּֽהְיֶה֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Tobijah" (וּלְטוֹבִיָּ֣ה, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·crown" (וְהָעֲטָרֹ֗ת), "to·Helem" (לְחֵ֙לֶם֙), "and·to·Tobijah" (וּלְטוֹבִיָּ֣ה). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "it·will·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Zephaniah', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָעֲטָרֹ֗ת [and·crown] (690) + תִּֽהְיֶה֙ [it·will·be] (420) + לְחֵ֙לֶם֙ [to·Helem] (108) + וּלְטוֹבִיָּ֣ה [and·to·Tobijah] (68) + וְלִידַֽעְיָ֔ה [and·to·Jedaiah] (135) + וּלְחֵ֖ן [and·to·Hen] (94) + בֶּן־צְפַנְיָ֑ה [son·of·Zephaniah] (287) + לְזִכָּר֖וֹן [to·remembrance] (313) + בְּהֵיכַ֥ל [in·temple·of] (67) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2208.
Rashi
"And the crowns shall be for Chelem, etc." This verse is written in a transposed order: "And the crowns shall be in the Temple of the Lord, for a good memorial, for Chelem and for Tobiah, who volunteered the silver and the gold." And those crowns were hung in the windows at the height of the Temple, as we learned in the Mishnah tractate Middot.
Chelem — he is Cheldai.
Radak
“And the crowns shall be.” Each one of the crowns shall serve as a memorial for them in the Temple of the Lord, just as it is stated in the Torah: “a memorial before the Lord,” meaning that their freewill offering shall ascend before the Lord for their good in this world and in the World to Come. And some say that “a memorial” means that they shall be remembered in the mouths of future generations, for their names were inscribed and engraved upon them.
To Chelem. He is Cheldai, mentioned above, and he had two names:
And Chen. He is Josiah, who is mentioned, and our Sages of blessed memory expounded on the verse “In the house of the Lord, for there the crowns were laid up”: after they had been placed on the head of Zerubbabel and on the head of Joshua. And so it is stated in the Mishnah in Middot: “There were golden chains fixed in the ceiling of the hall, by which the priestly officials would ascend and see the crowns in the windows,” as it is said, “And the crowns shall be for Helem, and Tobijah, and Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the house of the Lord” (Zechariah 6:14).
Metzudat David
"And the crowns shall be." Those crowns shall be for the donors of the silver and gold, each one of them, as a good remembrance in the Temple of the Lord, for there they were hung, as we learned in the tractate Middot: "One who enters the Temple and sees the crowns shall mention their name there for good."
And to Chelem. He is Chaldi, and he was known by both names. Similarly, Chan is Yoshiyahu. And because they lodged in his house, he is mentioned together with them for the good.
Malbim
And the crowns, and therefore now the crowns will not be for the king nor for the High Priest, but for Chelam, who is Cheladi, and for Tobijah and Jedaiah, and for Chan, who is Josiah, who prepared them. And despite this, they will be for a remembrance in the Temple of the Lord, for the crowns were hung at the height of the Temple (as stated above in the Mishnah of Middot), so that Israel will remember that which they are obligated to do: if they perform complete repentance, then this will be the time of redemption, and the king and the High Priest will wear the crowns. And this is what it says.
And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Hashem, and you shall know that Hashem of hosts has sent me to you. And it shall come to pass, if you will diligently hearken to the voice of Hashem your God—.’
verse value 3749
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "they·will·go·in" (יָבֹ֗אוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·far·off" (וּרְחוֹקִ֣ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·far·off" (וּרְחוֹקִ֣ים), "and·they·will·build" (וּבָנוּ֙), "if·hear" (אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root קול ("voice") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root אלהים ("your·God") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
“And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken.” “And this matter shall be for you, if you shall hearken, etc.”
Radak
“and from distant lands.” From the nations of the lands, they will come from a distant land to build in the Temple of the Lord, meaning to volunteer for the construction of the House. And it is possible that this was in the days of Herod, in the great building that he constructed in the Temple. And some say that “and from distant lands” refers to the Jews scattered in exile in a distant land.
"And it shall be, if you will heed." All that I promise you shall be, if you will heed the voice of the Lord your God.
Metzudat David
“And those who are far off shall come.” This refers to the future Temple, for then He will gather the dispersed of Israel and the scattered of Judah, and they shall come from afar, and they shall build the Temple of the Lord.
"And you shall know." Then, when it shall be so, you will know that the Lord of Hosts sent me to you to prophesy these words, and I did not speak them from my own heart.
"And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken..." The meaning is: If you hearken to the voice of the Lord to walk in His ways, then this matter shall be for you and in your days. For the very intention of the redemption from Babylonia was so that they would be in the Holy Place, in a location most prepared to serve the Lord and to pray before Him for a general and complete redemption, the redemption of the world. And similarly it is stated: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you..." (Jeremiah 29:11). And had they done so, then there would have been a truly complete redemption.
Malbim
“And the distant ones” means that if the distant ones come, namely the Israelites who are currently distant and did not return in the Second Temple period, and if they awaken and ascend all together like a wall, and come and build the Temple of the Lord, then “you shall know that the Lord sent me to you.” This means that then the promises which the Lord sent me to prophesy to you will be fulfilled. But this depends on your deeds. And regarding this it says, “And it shall come to pass,” meaning that this matter will occur if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. For then the promises will be fulfilled immediately, and the distant ones will come, and the scattered exiles of Israel will be gathered, and they will build the Temple of the Lord, and the crown will return to its former state.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim