THE SHEPHERD-KING 345
own nation who should have led them, but only misled them ; and of whom, alas ! there has been no lack at any time or period in Jewish history.
DHtfiy, atudim " he-goats," though it does sometimes (as in Isa. xiv. 9) signify rulers or princes, must not here be confounded with " the shepherds," but must be viewed in the light of Ezek. xxxiv., where, after judgments are announced against the false shepherds (or rulers), we read, " And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, as well (as between} the rams and the he-goats (atudim} " 1 where the latter stand for the rich and strong ones among the people themselves who oppressed the humble and the poor.
And not only will He deliver them from the false shepherds, the best part of the promise is contained in the second half of the verse, " For Jehovah of Jwsts hath visited (or visits } His flock, the house of Judah, and makes them as His goodly horse in the war (or battle )." The perfect tense of paqad, " to visit," is used here also pro phetically of what God has resolved to do and will assuredly carry out. And when He visits His flock for good, and assumes His shepherd-care of them, they will be no more like distressed and scattered sheep, a prey to any wild beast, but they shall be strong in Jehovah and in the power of His might. He shall make them (or " set them ") " as His goodly horse," or, as the phrase may be rendered, "the horse of His Majesty" that is, the horse fit and equipped for the God of Majesty to ride forth upon " in battle," to execute His judgments upon the nations.
We now come to the 4th verse of the roth chapter, which I regard as one of the richest Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. In keeping with Zechariah s style, which I have so often had occasion to point out in my notes on the earlier chapters, we have in this short verse not only allusions, but a terse summary of a number of utterances by the "former prophets" in reference to the character and mission of Israel s promised Redeemer. 1 Ezek. xxxiv. 17.
