Zechariah 6:7

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹And again I lifted up my eyes and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains-mountains of bronze. ²The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, ³the third white horses, and the fourth dappled horses-all of them strong. ⁴So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?" ⁵And the angel told me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶The one with the black horses is going toward the land of the north, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south." ⁷As the strong horses went out, they were eager to go and patrol the earth; and the LORD said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth.⁸Then the LORD summoned me and said, "Behold, those going to the land of the north have given rest to My Spirit in the land of the north."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the bay: Zechariah 1:10, Genesis 13:17, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Job 1:6, Job 1:7, Job 2:1, Job 2:2, Daniel 7:19, Daniel 7:24

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 9:11 - I have Zechariah 1:8 - speckled Zechariah 1:11 - We Zechariah 6:3 - grisled

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,

Genesis 6:2
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.

Genesis 6:3
So the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years."

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and afterward as well, when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:20
Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive.

Genesis 6:22
So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

Psalms 37:20
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD has made everything for His purpose-even the wicked for the day of disaster.

Hosea 4:3
Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the bay went forth, and sought to go,.... Without leave: these design either the Romans; or, since distinct from the grisled, the Huns, Goths, and Vandals; who sought to go out of their own places into other countries: and were desirous

that they might walk to and fro through the earth: without control; overrunning as they, did the Roman empire, and set up ten kingdoms in it; unless this is to be understood of the land of Judea only, through which the Romans walked to and fro at pleasure, and subdued it:

and he said; that is, the Lord of the whole earth, before whom they stood:

Get ye hence, walk to and fro through the earth; as being filled with indignation at them, and yet suffered them to have their will; and so Kimchi interprets the phrase,

"he gave them power to go and subdue lands;''

and to the same purpose Jarchi,

"he gave them power to rule with great authority; and this is the kingdom of Edom or Rome:''

So they walked to and fro through the earth; either the land of Judea, as the Romans did, and made it a Roman province; and these may represent Rome Papal, set up and supported by the above people, even the beast of Rome, which has reigned over the kings of the earth, to whom the ten kings gave their kingdom and power.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the strong went forth and sought to go, that they might walk to and fro through the earth - The mention of their strength corresponds to the extent of the power and commission, for which they asked, to go to and fro, up and down, at their will, unhindered, through the whole earth. The Babylonian empire held Egypt only out of Asia; the Persian was conquered in its efforts against Europe, in Greece; Alexander’s was like a meteor, gleaming but breaking into the four: the Roman combined East and West and within large limits tranquilly.

And he said go, walk to and fro in the earth - He commanded, and they, which were before withheld, went, “and they walked to and fro on the earth,” ordering all things at their will, under the Providence of God, whereby He gave free access to the Gospel in all their wide empire. The Greek empire being extinguished, the Romans no longer went into any given country, but superintended and governed all human things in (it is the language of the New Testament) “all the world.” Cyril: “These same, the dappled and ashen-grey horses were commanded to traverse the earth, and they did traverse it; for they mastered all under heaven, and ruled the whole earth, God consenting and arraying those who swayed the Roman might with this brilliant glory. For, as God, He knew beforehand the greatness of their future piety.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 6:7. And the bay went forth — The Seleucidae, who conquered Syria and the upper provinces, and who wished to extend their conquests, and "sought to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth," were of unbounded ambition, and sought universal empire; such as Antiochus the Great. "So they walked to and fro," did extend their conquests; and harassed many countries by their vexatious and almost continual wars. Some think the Romans are meant, who carried their conquests hither and thither, just as the Divine providence permitted them.