[1] And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
And he — The Lord represented to me in a vision.
Standing — Ministering in his office.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 2
[2] And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
The Lord — Christ, as a mediator, rather chuses to rebuke him in his father's name, than in his own.
Is not this — Joshua.
Verse 3
[3] Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
With filthy garments — The emblem of a poor or sinful state.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 4
[4] And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
And he — Christ.
Unto those — Ministerial angels.
I have caused — What angels could not take away, Christ did; he removed the filth of sin, the guilt and stain of it.
With change of raiment — Clean and rich, the emblem of holiness.
Verse 5
[5] And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
I said — Zechariah takes the boldness to desire that for Joshua, which might add to his authority, and he asks the thing of Christ.
A fair mitre — The proper ornament for the head of the high-priest.
With garments — All the garments which appertained to the high priest.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 6
[6] And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
Protested — Solemnly declared.
Verse 7
[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
My charge — The special charge and office of the high-priest.
Judge — Be ruler in the temple, and in the things that pertain to the worship of God there.
Keep — Not as a servant, but as the chief, on whom others wait, and at last thou shalt have place among my angels.
Verse 8
[8] Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Thy fellows — Thy associates in the priestly office.
That sit — As assessors in a council.
Wondered at — The unbelieving Jews wonder at them; at their labour and expense in attempting to build such a house.
Bring forth — God the Father will bring forth a much more wonderful work.
The Branch — The Messiah.
Verse 9
[9] For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Behold — Behold (pointing to a particular stone) that stone which I have laid in the sight of Joshua.
Upon one stone — On that stone are seven eyes, probably so placed, that they may look many ways; so it was a more exact emblem of Christ, and of his perfect knowledge and wisdom.
I have removed — I have pardoned the iniquity of this land at once. The temple, founded on such a corner-stone, guarded and watched over by all-seeing Providence, is the blessing and honour of that people, whose sins are all forgiven.
Verse 10
[10] In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
In that day — Of removing the sins of my people.
Shall ye call — Ye shall invite one another to refresh yourselves with the sweet fruit of the vine and fig-tree. When iniquity is taken away, we receive precious benefits from our justification, more precious than the fruits of the vine or fig-tree. And we repose ourselves in sweet tranquillity, being quiet from the fear of evil.
Zechariah 3 Bible Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Verse 1
[1] And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
And he — The Lord represented to me in a vision.
Standing — Ministering in his office.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 2
[2] And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
The Lord — Christ, as a mediator, rather chuses to rebuke him in his father's name, than in his own.
Is not this — Joshua.
Verse 3
[3] Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
With filthy garments — The emblem of a poor or sinful state.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 4
[4] And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
And he — Christ.
Unto those — Ministerial angels.
I have caused — What angels could not take away, Christ did; he removed the filth of sin, the guilt and stain of it.
With change of raiment — Clean and rich, the emblem of holiness.
Verse 5
[5] And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
I said — Zechariah takes the boldness to desire that for Joshua, which might add to his authority, and he asks the thing of Christ.
A fair mitre — The proper ornament for the head of the high-priest.
With garments — All the garments which appertained to the high priest.
The angel — Christ.
Verse 6
[6] And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
Protested — Solemnly declared.
Verse 7
[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
My charge — The special charge and office of the high-priest.
Judge — Be ruler in the temple, and in the things that pertain to the worship of God there.
Keep — Not as a servant, but as the chief, on whom others wait, and at last thou shalt have place among my angels.
Verse 8
[8] Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Thy fellows — Thy associates in the priestly office.
That sit — As assessors in a council.
Wondered at — The unbelieving Jews wonder at them; at their labour and expense in attempting to build such a house.
Bring forth — God the Father will bring forth a much more wonderful work.
The Branch — The Messiah.
Verse 9
[9] For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Behold — Behold (pointing to a particular stone) that stone which I have laid in the sight of Joshua.
Upon one stone — On that stone are seven eyes, probably so placed, that they may look many ways; so it was a more exact emblem of Christ, and of his perfect knowledge and wisdom.
I have removed — I have pardoned the iniquity of this land at once. The temple, founded on such a corner-stone, guarded and watched over by all-seeing Providence, is the blessing and honour of that people, whose sins are all forgiven.
Verse 10
[10] In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
In that day — Of removing the sins of my people.
Shall ye call — Ye shall invite one another to refresh yourselves with the sweet fruit of the vine and fig-tree. When iniquity is taken away, we receive precious benefits from our justification, more precious than the fruits of the vine or fig-tree. And we repose ourselves in sweet tranquillity, being quiet from the fear of evil.