Zechariah 3:8

that sit before thee not, "who are now (seen) sitting," for Joshua, the High Priest, alone appears in the vision, but "who are accustomed to sit," as the inferior priests ("thy fellows") before the High Priest to receive his commands. So "the sons of the prophets" sit before Elisha for instruction, 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 6:1; and "the elders of Israel" in like manner before Ezekiel, Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1.

for they are men wondered at Rather, men of sign, or type: men which are a sign, R. V. "Men who in their persons (and office) shadow forth future events. Ezekiel 12:6; Ezekiel 12:11; Ezekiel 24:24; Ezekiel 24:27." Gesen. This clause is a quasi-parenthesis. The direct address is interrupted, and a reason, as it were, given for making it: "To Joshua and his fellows I foretell the coming of -my servant, Branch," because they, the priesthood, in all their office and ministry, as well as in what has just happened to them in the vision in the person of their chief, are types of Him."

my servant A frequent name of Messiah in Isaiah, e. g. Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:11. In Acts 3:13; Acts 3:26; Acts 4:27; Acts 4:30; the R. V. has restored the true rendering of παῖς, "Servant," not "Son," or "Child." This vision is thus more distinctly Messianic than those which preceded it.

The Branch Lit. Branch, or Shoot, or Sprout; the word being used as a proper name without the article. Comp. Zechariah 6:12; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15. The use by the LXX. of ἀνατολή, "that which rises or springs up," for Branch in these passages has led to the "Dayspring" (rightly so rendered as the context shews) of Luke 1:78. The early and repeated failures of succeeding High Priests and their fellows to fulfil the conditions and claim the privilege of Zechariah 3:7, as we learn from the Books of Ezra (Ezra 10:18) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:4-5; Nehemiah 13:28-29), and from the Gospel history, must have made this promise of the "Branch" especially precious to the faithful while they waited for its fulfilment (Luke 2:38).