356 VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH
in this verse undoubtedly refer to the Messiah in allusion to utterances about His person and mission by the " former prophets," so must this last clause also. Certain it is that the Messiah at His Second Coming shall gather up in Himself all authority and rule. He shall be then not only the Nasi the chosen Prince from among the people ; not only the Moshel, God s Viceroy or Deputy Ruler on the earth ; not only a constitutional King, who reigns but does not rule but He shall be the Noges, the absolute Ruler, or " Exactor " the most absolute and autocratic King the world has yet seen.
In Messiah s reign on the earth God s sovereignty will be fully manifested, but it is blessed to remember that it will be sovereignty exercised by One who is not only " glorious in holiness," infinite in wisdom and power, but by Him who is also infinite in compassion, and whose very nature is love. His absolute autocratic rule, therefore, though a terror to the ungodly, is a thought full of comfort to the righteous, for it will mean righteousness, peace and joy to this long-afflicted earth, and the very consummation of blessedness to His own people. But there is truth in
Israel s King, but as the Prince (Ezek. xxxvii. 24, 25). The Messiah was to be like unto Moses (Deut. xviii. 15), who, in himself, united the different offices of prophet, priest, and king ; so that the phrase is quite applicable to Him on that account. Just as His atoning death can be spoken of in the plural (see Hebrew of Isa. liii. 9), on account of the various sacrifices receiving their fulfilment in His own body, which He offered once and for all so, in a sense, He is many also in His reign, because all authority will meet in Him as the Centre. Aaron Pick, formerly Hebrew Professor at the University of Prague, in his Literal Translation of the Twelve Minor Prophets, renders our text thus : " From Him the Corner, from Him the Nail, from Him the Battle Bow, yea, from Him shall come forth He that conquereth all together."
The last sentence may also be understood as gathering up the ideas in the first three terms, Pkinnah, Yathed, and Qesheth milchamah. From him (Judah) the Corner, from him the Nail, from him the Battle Bow ; yea, from him shall proceed He who shall unite in Himself, not only all that is implied in these three terms, but every power and authority "together." Yet another rendering, but in the sense just suggested, is given by George Adam Smith in his Book of the Twelve Prophets, namely, "From him the Corner-stone, from him the Stay (or Tent-pin ), from him the War-bow, from him the Oppressor shall go forth together." That B Ji:, noges, is here used in a good sense, is pretty generally admitted by lexicographers and commentators. Hitzig renders it " Feldhe rr " (commander). The cognate word in Ethiopic, Negus, signifies king.
