| Geneva Study Bible And the LORD showed me four {s} craftsmen. (s) These craftsmen or smiths are God's instruments, who with their mallets and hammers break these hard and strong horns which would overthrow the Church, and declare that no enemies' horn is so strong, but God has a hammer to break it in pieces. Scofield Reference Notes [2] And the Lord The word charash, trans. "carpenter," is lit. carver, engraver. Zech 1:21 makes it plain that, whatever the four carvers may be, they are used to "fray," or carve away (Heb. charad) in the sense of diminishing, enfeebling, the great Gentile world-powers. They may stand for Jehovah's "four sore judgments," the sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence Ezek 14:21 the four horses of Rev. 6. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 20. four carpenters-or "artificers." The several instrumentalities employed, or to be employed, in crushing the "Gentile" powers which "scattered" Judah, are hereby referred to. For every one of the four horns there was a cleaving "artificer" to beat it down. For every enemy of God's people, God has provided a counteracting power adequate to destroy it. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 1:18-21 The enemies of the church threaten to cut off the name of Israel. They are horns, emblems of power, strength, and violence. The prophet saw them so formidable that he began to despair of the safety of every good man, and the success of every good work; but the Lord showed him four workmen empowered to cut off these horns. With an eye of sense we see the power of the enemies of the church; look which way we will, the world shows us that; but it is only with an eye of faith that we see it safe. The Lord shows us that. When God has work to do, he will raise up some to do it, and others to defend it, and to protect those employed in doing it. What cause there is to look up in love and praise to the holy and eternal Spirit, who has the same care over the present and eternal interests of believers, by the holy word bringing the church to know the wonderful things of salvation! | 
