Zechariah 3:5

I said] Here the prophet himself seems to intervene in the vision. But a more probable reading is 'he said.' A fair mitre] lit. 'a clean turban.' The root of the word indicates that it was made of a long piece of fine linen wound round and round: see Exodus 28:36.

7. God's solemn charge to Joshua. Judge my house] i.e. regulate the Temple and its services. Places to walk] RV 'a place of access,' probably to intercede with God for the people: Joshua is to have the right of entrée at the heavenly court. Among these that stand by] the attendant angels.

8. A great Messianic promise. Joshua and his fellow-priests are a sign of God's favour, which will culminate in the appearance of the Branch or Sprout, i.e. the Messiah King. So also on the stone (Zechariah 3:9) with its seven eyes or facets—the stone prepared to be the headstone of the Temple—God will engrave the name of His Messiah, as a token of national sin forgiven. Men wondered at] men of omen: or perhaps the meaning is that being priests they could interpret symbols or omens; consequently they would know what the Branch signified. Branch] better, 'Sprout.' The word has no article in Heb. It was well known as a symbol of the Messiah: cp. Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15. The new sprout was to grow from the nearly dead (extinct) stem of David.