זכריה, פרק ח׳, פסוק ז׳

A vision of future redemption centers on the ultimate return of the Jewish people from their global dispersion back to their homeland. God promises to actively rescue and deliver His people from the various places of their exile [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This promise of rescue highlights the lands of the east and the setting of the sun, representing the west [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

There are different perspectives on the significance of these directions. One approach views them as a broad representation of the entire populated world. In this sense, the east and the west symbolize every nation where the Jewish people have been scattered. The assurance is that every exiled individual will be gathered from all four corners of the earth and brought back to their land, while those already living in the Land of Israel will be protected from ever facing exile again [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Alternatively, these directions carry a more specific historical and geographical meaning. The land of the east points directly to the ancient empires of Babylon and Persia [אבן עזרא], or to the regions where the ten tribes were sent into exile [מלבי״ם]. Conversely, the land of the setting sun represents the nations of Egypt and Assyria [אבן עזרא], or the distinct locations where the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were banished [מלבי״ם].