Zechariah 8:20-23
Chapter 8
20
Thus says the God of hosts: “Peoples will come from other nations, from great cities.
21
The inhabitants of one town will talk with those of another and say: ‘Come, let us go and seek the favor of the Lord, and I, too, will seek the Lord.’
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Many great people and powerful nations will come, seeking the Lord, the God of hosts, in Jerusalem, and will pray to him.”
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Thus says the God of hosts: “In those days, ten men from different languages spoken in various lands will take hold of a Jew by the hem of his garment and say: We, too, want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Commentaries
Ten Promises.
The Lord manifests his infinite mercy and renews his plan to reestablish the covenant with his people (cf. Ezk 36:26-28). The prophet exhorts the people to keep alive the memory of the experience of divine compassion and forgiveness (cf. Hos 11:8-9; Isa 43:25), inviting them to live in truth, justice, and harmony (16-19). At the same time, he encourages them to persevere in the work of restoring Jerusalem, especially in rebuilding the temple, the holy place where the Glory of the Lord desires to dwell once again among his people (cf. Hg 2:4-9; Ezk 43:1-5). In this way, Jerusalem will be an open city, where all peoples will praise the Lord and its inhabitants will lead foreigners to the one true God.