Zechariah 8:12

For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:9-17 Those only who lay their hands to the plough of duty, shall have them strengthened with the promises of mercy: those who avoid their fathers' faults have the curse turned into a blessing. Those who believed the promises, were to show their faith by their works, and to wait the fulfilment. When God is displeased, he can cause trade to decay, and set every man against his neighbour; but when he returns in mercy, all is happy and prosperous. Surely believers in Christ must not trifle with the exhortation to put away lying, and to speak every man peace with his neighbour, to hate what the Lord hates, and to love that wherein he delights.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the seed shall be peace - o"Your seed shall be peace and a blessing, so that they will call it 'a seed of peace.'" The unusual construction is perhaps adopted, in order to suggest a further meaning. It is a reversal of the condition, just spoken of, when there was "no peace to him that went, or to him that returned."

The vine shall give her fruit and the ground shall give her increase - The old promise in the law on obedience Leviticus 26:4, as the exact contrary was threatened on disobedience Leviticus 26:20. It had been revived in the midst of promise of spiritual blessing and of the coming of Christ, in Ezekiel EZechariah 34:27. Ribera: "By the metaphor of sensible things he explains (as the prophets often do) the abundance of spiritual good in the time of the new law, as did Hosea Hos 2:21-22, Joel Joe 2:23-25; Joel 3:18, Amos Amo 9:13, and many others." "And I will cause the remnant of the people to inherit." Ribera: "As if he said, I promised these things not to you who live now, but to the future remnant of your people, that is, those who shall believe in Christ and shall be saved, while the rest perish. These shall possess these spiritual goods, which I promise now, under the image of temporal." As our Lord said, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son" Revelation 21:7.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. seed … prosperous—that is, shall not fair to yield abundantly (Ho 2:21, 22; Hag 2:19). Contrast with this verse Hag 1:6, 9-11; 2:16.

dew—especially beneficial in hot countries where rain is rare.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For the seed, which before brought nothing, or very little, forth, shall now prosper into a plentiful harvest, such as Malachi 3:10.

The vine shall give her fruit: this was very much the wealth and support of that people; this had been blasted, as Haggai 1:11, now it shall be blest, and bring forth her expected fruit.

The ground shall give her increase; summarily, the ground you plant shall abundantly bring forth her fruit to your satisfaction.

The heavens shall give their dew; the heavens, which before were as brass, and made your earth as iron, hard, barren, shall now drop down their rain, and make the earth fruitful. Much like that Psalm 72:3 Hosea 2:18.

I will cause, by my special, singular providence, and blessing on them.

To possess; to enjoy, have the things, and the comfort of them; whereas before, though they ate, they were not satisfied, had not enough, Haggai 1:6.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For the seed shall be prosperous,.... Being cast into the earth, it shall spring up again, and produce a large increase; whereas before, though they sowed much, it came to little, Haggai 1:6,

the vine shall give her fruit; be loaded with clusters, and produce large quantities of wine; whereas before there was a drought upon the new wine; and where there were wont to be had fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty, Haggai 1:11,

and the ground shall give her increase; as usual, meaning of wheat and barley; whereas before there was a drought upon the corn, and where there used to be a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten, Haggai 1:11,

and the heavens shall give their dew; which makes the earth fruitful; whereas before the heaven over them was stayed from dew, and instead of it were blasting, mildew, and hail, Haggai 1:10,

and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things; as a symbol of better things inherited by the remnant according to the election of grace; and who have the promise both of this life and that to come; and who, seeking in the first place spiritual things, have all others added to them, convenient for them.

Geneva Study Bible

For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. the seed shall be prosperous] Lit. The seed of peace (there shall be). This gives a very good sense, when we remember that the Hebrew words here used have a wide meaning. Seed is not only that which is sown, but sometimes seed-time, or sowing (Genesis 8:22), sometimes produce or harvest (Job 39:12). Peace is prosperity and plenty. So that the words may be paraphrased, The processes of agriculture shall prosper. Another rendering, however, according to which this clause is in apposition with the words immediately following, The seed (or plant) of peace, namely, the vine, shall give, &c., has been strongly supported. The vine is then thought to be called “the seed of peace,” because “it can only flourish in peaceful times, and not when the land is laid waste by enemies.” But one fails to see how this is a peculiarity of the vine. It would seem to be equally true of corn and other products of the earth. Moreover, such an apposition destroys the balance of the three following clauses, which form a threefold expansion of the general statement with which the verse begins. In the Speaker’s Commentary it is said, “The vine is pre-eminently a plant of peace.” But in all the passages referred to in support of the assertion the fig-tree is associated with the vine. It is difficult, therefore, to see how the vine can be singled out as the plant of peace.

to possess] Lit. to inherit. Comp. ὁ νικῶν κληρονμήσει ταῦτα, Revelation 21:7.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - The seed shall be prosperous; literally, (there shall be) the seed of peace. The crops sown shall be crops of peace, safe and secure, in contradistinction to the threat in Leviticus 26:16, that the seed should be sown in vain, for it should be devoured by an enemy (Knabenbauer). Or, more generally, all farming labours shall succeed and prosper. Jerome's paraphrase is, "There shall be universal peace and joy;" Septuagint," But I will show forth peace." Another way of understanding the words which has found much favour with modern commentators is to take the clause in apposition with the words immediately following; thus: "The seed (i.e. growth) of peace, the vine, shall give its fruit." But there is no especial reason why the vine should be called "the seed of peace." It is not peculiar among fruit trees for requiring a time of peace for its cultivation. And the term "seed" is very inappropriate to the vine, which was not raised from seed, but from cuttings and layers. Perowne also points out that such a rendering destroys the balance of the three following clauses, which explain and expand the general statement that agriculture shall prosper. Dr. Alexander takes "the seed of peace" to be that from which peace springs; i.e. that peace should be radically established in the land, and from this fact the results following should ensue. This affords a very good sense; but it is probably a metaphor quite unintended by the prophet. The Syriac reads differently, "The seed shall be safe." The remnant (see on ver. 11). To possess; to inherit; Septuagint, κατακληρονομήσω (Revelation 21:7). This promise recalls the blessings in the old Law (Leviticus 26:4, etc.; Deuteronomy 33:28; Psalm 67:6). Zechariah 8:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But now the Lord will act differently to His remaining people, and bless it again with a fruitful harvest of the fruits of the field and soil. כּי in Zechariah 8:12, "for," after a negative clause, "but." זרע השּׁלום, not the seed will be secure (Chald., Pesh.), but the seed of peace, viz., the vine. This is so designated, not because there is a berâkhâh in the grape (Isaiah 65:8); but because the vine can only flourish in peaceful times, and not when the land is laid waste by enemies (Koehler). On the words which follow, compare Leviticus 26:4., Psalm 67:7; Haggai 1:10; Haggai 2:19. "Future abundance will compensate for the drought and scarcity of the past" (Jerome).