Explore the Bible Online

Zechariah 3:1-10

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

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. 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? 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 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. 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. 6. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, 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. 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. 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. 10. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

Zechariah 3:1-10 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Zechariah 3:1

Theological / Devotional

He shewed me. The fourth vision (vs. 1-10) was given to show the power of Christ “to vanquish the accuser of His people” (PK 583). It was given at a time when “the steady advancement made by the builders of the Temple greatly discomfited and alarmed the hosts of evil” (PK 582). See on ch. 1:8.

Joshua. The first high priest after the Captivity. He is called Jeshua in Ezra 2:2, a transliteration of the Aramaic form of the name, instead of the Hebrew, as here. See further on Ezra 2:2. In this vision the high priest represents Israel standing before God.

Angel of the Lord. That is, “the Angel which is the Lord,” meaning Christ (cf. Jude 9; see PK 584; see on Ex. 23:20, 21).

Satan. Heb. hassatan, literally, “the adversary.” The word comes from the verb satan, which means “to accuse,” “to act, as an adversary.” The verb occurs in Ps. 38:20; 71:13; 109:4, 20, 29,; Zech. 3:1. The noun is applied to an earthly adversary in 1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:22; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25; Ps. 109:6, and to an angel in Num. 22:22, 32. In each of these references the Hebrew noun is without the article. With the article the noun occurs 14 times in Job 1:6 to 2:7, and 3 times in Zech. 3:1, 2. In each of these instances it is translated “Satan.” Once the noun is translated “Satan” when it is without the article in the Hebrew (1 Chron. 21:1).

To resist. Heb. sapan, “to accuse,” “to act as an adversary” (see above under “Satan”). While Joshua was interceding before God for his people, Satan stood close by to oppose and thwart his endeavors by bringing against Joshua and his people the charge of sinfulness (cf. 1 Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:10). He pointed to the transgressions of Israel as a reason why the people should not be restored to divine favor (see PK 583; cf. Zech. 1:11; 2:12). They did not deserve to be restored to the covenant relationship (see on Zech. 1:16).

By SdaBc