*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
As he spake That the salvation which is said to have been brought by Christ may not be thought doubtful on the score of novelty, he adduces as witnesses all the Prophets, who, though they were raised up at different times, yet with one consent teach, that salvation is to be expected from Christ alone. Nor was it the sole design of Zacharias to celebrate the truth and faithfulness of God, in performing and fulfilling what he formerly promised. His object rather was to draw the attention of believers to the ancient predictions, that they might embrace, with greater certainty and cheerfulness, the salvation offered to them, of which the Prophets from the beginning had testified. When Christ comes forth adorned, [1] with the testimonies of all the Prophets, our faith in him rests on a truly solid foundation. He calls them holy prophets, to secure for their words greater authority and reverence. They were not inconsiderable or ordinary witnesses, but were of the first rank, [2] and furnished with a public commission, having been separated from the common people, for that purpose, by divine authority. To inquire minutely how each of the prophets gave testimony to Christ, would lead us into a long dissertation. Let it suffice for the present to say, that they all uniformly make the hope of the people, that God would be gracious to them, to rest entirely on that covenant between God and them which was founded on Christ, and thus speak plainly enough of the future redemption, which was manifested in Christ. To this purpose are many striking passages, which contain no dark prophecies respecting Christ, but point him out, as it were, with the finger. But our chief attention is due to the signature of the divine covenant; for he that neglects this will never understand any thing in the prophets: as the Jews wander wretchedly [3] in reading the Scripture, in consequence of giving their whole study to words, and wandering from the main design.
1 - "Ornatus;" -- "revestu et garni d'excellens tesmoignages de tous les Prophetes;" -- "clothed and adorned with excellent testimonies of all the Prophets."
2 - "Classicos testes." This is a fine allusion to the Roman division into classes, (mentioned by Livy, 1:43,) from the first of which classes, as carrying greater weight and respectability, "testes," witnesses were selected for signing Testaments, -- a department of Conveyancing, which all civilized nations have guarded by the most careful provisions, and in which authenticity is peculiarly and indispensably necessary. Calvin's vernacular brings out, though with less elegance, the meaning in which classicos testes is here used, -- "bons, suffisans, et sans reproche;" -- "good, sufficient, and without reproach." -- Ed.
3 - "Misere vagantur." -- "Les Juifs ne font que tracasser et se tormenter sans profit toute leur vie;" -- "the Jews do but vex and tease themselves without advantage all their life."
His holy prophets - All the prophets are said to have referred to the Messiah, from the beginning of the world. The most striking of these were Jacob Genesis 49:10; Moses Deuteronomy 18:15; Isaiah Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 53:1-12.
Since the world began - This is not to be taken literally, for there were no prophets "immediately after" the creation. It is merely a general expression, designed to denote that all the prophets had predicted the coming of the Messiah. Compare the Luke 24:27 note; Revelation 19:10 note.
As he spake, by the mouth of his holy prophets,.... Which shows not only the veracity and faithfulness of God in his promises, but the early intimations that were given by him concerning the Messiah: for it follows,
which have been since world began; or from the beginning of the world; ever since the first hint of the Messiah, as the seed of the woman, that should bruise the serpent's head, was given, he was more or less spoken of. Adam, the first prophet, seems to have respect to him, when he calls his wife Eve, which signifies life; and because she should be the mother of all living. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of him, of his second coming, which supposes his first; and Lamech may be thought to have some regard to him, when he named his son Noah, and said what he did concerning him: Christ was spoken of to Abraham, as his seed, in whom all nations of the earth should be blessed; and God spake of him by the patriarch Jacob, under the name of Shiloh, as who should spring from the tribe of Judah, before the sceptre and lawgiver were departed from it. Moses foretold that there should arise a prophet from the midst of his brethren like unto him, to whom the Israelites were to hearken. David, the prophet, often speaks of him, particularly of his death, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension to heaven, and session at God's right hand; and the evangelical prophet Isaiah predicts his birth of a virgin, and testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Micah points out the very place of his birth; and Zechariah describes the manner of his entrance into Jerusalem, as riding on an ass: to say nothing of what Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and others, have prophesied of him, It is a common saying of the Jews (x), that "all the prophets, all of them prophesied not, "but of the days of the Messiah."
The men, by whom God spoke of the Messiah, of the mission of him, and of raising up this horn of salvation, for his people, were "prophets"; men endued with a spirit of prophecy; "holy", men, who were sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and spake, as they were moved by him; and these all spake as if it were with one "mouth"; they all agree in their accounts concerning Christ, though they lived in different periods of time, from the beginning of the world,
(x) T. Bab, Beracot, fol. 34. 2. & Sabbat, fol. 63. 1. Maimon. Hilchot Teshuva, c. 8. sect. 7.
since the world began--or, "from the earliest period."
His prophets, who have been since the world began - For there were prophets from the very beginning.
*More commentary available at chapter level.