Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among theDead Sea Scrolls, that is, 4Q80 (4QXIIe; 75–50 BCE) with extant verses 2–10.[9][10][11][12]
The fourth of Zechariah's eight visions revealedJoshua, thehigh priest of Israel ("Jeshua" inEzra–Nehemiah), who was accused bySatan ("the Adversary", acting as the prosecuting counsel in the heavenly court) but acquitted.[16] His subsequent "cleansing" gives the sign that God will forgive and cleanse the community, signified by the renewal of the temple services.[5][16]
The prophet sees a real person, the high priest Joshua, unlike the symbolic objects seen in other visions.[17] He is wearing dirty clothing, possibly referring to the clothes worn inmourning.[18]
The replacement of Joshua's "filthy clothes" (verses 3–4) with new apparel gives the legitimation of the new temple and priesthood.[19] The new clothes are "festal apparel",[20] and a cleanpriestly turban.[21]
The resumption of the temple worship will lead to the coming of "the Branch" (verse 8), who will restore the kingship into a new era (verse 10), when the iniquity of the land will be cleansed in one day (verse 9).[19]
for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.[22]
"Thy fellows": The priests, who sat with the high priest in council (cf.2 Kings 4:38;Ezekiel 8:1, etc.), were not seen in the vision.[23]
"Men wondered at": Septuagint:διότι ἄνδρες τερατοσκόποι εἰσί, "men observers of wonders;" Vulgate:Quia viri portendentes sunt (cf.Isaiah 8:18); can be rendered, "men of portent, sign, or type," that the Revised Version has, "men which are a sign," those who foreshadow some future events, for good things to come;[24]NKJV: "they are a wondrous sign",lit. "men of a sign or wonder".[25]
"The Branch" (Hebrew:tsemakh): generally seen as a reference toMessiah, coming from the almost extinct royal line of David (Zechariah 6:12;Isaiah 4:2;Isaiah 11:1;Jeremiah 23:5;Jeremiah 33:15).[27] The word is translated by the Septuagint asἀνατολήν, in the sense of "shoot" as well as "sunrise" (cf.Jeremiah 23:5;Ezekiel 16:7;Ezekiel 17:10), and by the Vulgate asorientem (similarly in the Syriac and Arabic; cf.Luke 1:78).[24]Aben Ezra noted that "many interpreters say this Branch is the Messiah: and he is called Zerubbabel, because he is of his seed, even as he is called David; and David my servant shall be their Prince for ever" (cf.Ezekiel 37:25).[28]
^abExell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors).On "Zechariah 3". In:ThePulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
Boda, Mark J. (2016). Harrison, R. K.; Hubbard, Jr, Robert L. (eds.).The Book of Zechariah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.ISBN978-0802823755.
