For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished; and half of the city
shall go forth into captivity, and the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
All Commentaries on Zechariah 14:2 Go To Zechariah 14
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
I will gather This seems to be a prophecy of what was done by Antiochus, (Challoner) or of the last siege, (Worthington) by the Romans. (St. Jerome; Theodoret; Eusebius, Dem. vi. 18.) (Calmet)
Vespasian collected numerous forces. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 1.)
Titus had six legions and many auxiliaries, Arabs (Tacitus, Hist. v.)
Various nations composed their army. (Worthington)
Rifled, or demolished. None was left standing. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vii. 6.; Heges. v. 49.)
St. Jerome and others think that the city on Sion was spared, (Calmet) and 40,000 were permitted to dwell where they had a mind. (Josephus, Jewish Wars vii. 15.)
But it is not said that they continued at Jerusalem. Half the Jews therefore perished, and those who maintained the siege found a grave in the city. (Theodoret)
Half only denotes a considerable part, as ver. 8. Those who followed our Saviour's admonition, retired before, and were safe (Calmet) at Pella, chap. x. 11. Septuagint, "the rest of my people shall not be destroyed out of the city."
