Zechariah 3:8

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. HEAR NOW, O JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST, THOU, AND THY FELLOWS THAT SIT BEFORE THEE. On account of the magnitude of what He is about to say, He now demands solemn attention. THY FELLOWS THAT SIT BEFORE THEE - thy subordinate colleagues in the priesthood; not that they were actually then sitting before him; but their usual posture in consultations was on chairs or benches before him, while he sat on an elevated seat as their president. FOR THEY ARE. From speaking to Joshua, He passes to speaking of him and them, in the third person, to the attendant angels (cf. Zechariah 3:9). MEN WONDERED AT - Hebrew ...

The angel shows here, that what had been hitherto shown to Zechariah was typical; for the reality had not as yet come to light, but would appear in its time. We have said that God’s design was to lead the godly to the expectation of Christ; for these beginnings of favor were obscure. It behaved them, therefore, to hope for far more than they saw; and this appears evident from the verse before us, in which the angel says, _hear now_. He makes this preface to gain attention, as though he said, that he was going to speak of something remarkable. Then he adds, _thou and thy associates who stand before thee; I will send my servant the Branch _ Let us notice this, which is the main part of the verse, _Behold, I send my servant, the Branch_. The God of hosts no doubt refers to the priest, who is eminent beyond the common comprehension of men. He is called a Branch, because he was to come forth...

6-10 All whom God calls to any office he finds fit, or makes so. The Lord will cause the sins of the believer to pass away by his sanctifying grace, and will enable him to walk in newness of life. As the promises made to David often pass into promises of the Messiah, so the promises to Joshua look forward to Christ, of whose priesthood Joshua's was a shadow. Whatever trials we pass through, whatever services we perform, our whole dependence must rest on Christ, the Branch of righteousness. He is God's servant, employed in his work, obedient to his will, devoted to his honour and glory. He is the Branch from which all our fruit must be gathered. The eye of his Father was upon him, especially in his sufferings, and when he was buried in the grave, as the foundation-stones are under ground, out of men's sight. But the prophecy rather denotes the attention paid to this precious Corner-stone...

Verse Zechariah 3:8. _O JOSHUA - THOU, AND THY FELLOWS_] Thy _countrymen_, who have now returned from your captivity, in a very _wonderful_ manner. אנשי מופת _anshey mopheth, figurative men_, men whose office and ministration _prefigured_ the Lord Jesus Christ; and therefore it is immediately added, "I will bring forth my servant The BRANCH." Abp. _Newcome_ thinks this means _Zerubbabel_, so called because he was the grandson of Jehoiakim, or Jeconiah, king of Judah, Matthew 1:12, and heir to the throne of Judah. The _Chaldee_ has, "My servant the Messiah." Isaiah 4:2. I think the word cannot apply to Zerubbabel, except as a _type_ of Christ; in that sense it may be understood of him....

THOU AND THY COMPANIONS WHICH SIT BEFORE THEE; YEA MEN OF MARVELOUS SIGNS ARE THEY - o It seems probable that the words addressed to Joshua begin here; else the “men of signs” would be the companions of Joshua, to the exclusion of Himself. His companions are probably ordinary priests, who sit as sharing his dignity as priest, but “before him,” as inferiors. So Ezekiel says, “I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Israel were sitting before me” Ezekiel 8:1. They are “images of the things to come” Hebrews 10:1. Isaiah’s two sons, with their prophetic names, “Haste-spoil speed-prey, and a-remnant shall-return,” were with his own name, “salvation-of-the-Lord, signs and portents” Isaiah 8:18

EXPOSITION ZECHARIAH 3:1 _§ 6. The fourth vision: Joshua the high priest before the angel._ ZECHARIAH 3:1 HE SHOWED ME. The Septuagint and Vulgate give, "The Lord showed me." Some suppose that it was the interpreting angel who showed this vision; but his duty was to explain, not to present, the visions. So in Zechariah 1:20 it is the Lord who shows the "four craftsmen." This vision is closely connected with the last. In that it was declared that the Lord would again dwell in Jerusalem, and visit his people with blessings. But to fit them for the presence and favour of Jehovah they must be pure. To this end they must have a hol

HEAR NOW, O JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST,.... What he was about to say further concerning the bringing forth of the Messiah, the antitype of him, and of all the priests: THOU AND THY FELLOWS, THAT SIT BEFORE THEE; the Jews interpret w these of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, for whom wonders were wrought in delivering them from the fiery furnace; but rather they design the priests and the prophets, and chief men, that came up with Joshua out of the captivity; and especially the young priests that sat before him as his disciples, to be instructed by him in things belonging to the priestly office: FOR THEY [ARE] MEN WONDERED AT; or, "men of a sign" x, or "wonder"; typical of Christ, the great High Priest; they were "men wondered at", as all the people of God are: they are wondered at by themselves, that God should have any love to them, any thoughts concerning them; make a covenant with them i...

BRANCH (_ See Scofield) - (Isaiah 4:2). _...

CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The fourth night vision (Zechariah 3:1) _ 2. The message of the vision (Zechariah 3:6) Zechariah 3:1. The fourth vision is like the first and second, closely connected with the foregoing one. It gives the crowning event of Israel's restoration. The prophet recognizes in the figure, which is seen by him, Joshua the high priest, who is standing before the angel of the Lord, while at his right hand stands Satan to oppose him. Joshua was not clothed with his clean, priestly robes, but he wears filthy garments. Jehovah rebukes Satan and terms Jerusalem a brand plucked from the fire. After the accuser is rebuked, the filthy garments of the high-priest are removed, his iniquity is fo

THE TRIAL OF JOSHUA. Several corrections are necessary in this paragraph, some of which are confirmed by the LXX. In Zechariah 3:2 read, And the angel of the Lord said. In Zechariah 3:4 f. read with LXX, Take the filthy garments from off him (And he said unto him, Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee); and clothe him with rich apparel, and set a fair mitre, etc. In Zechariah 3:8 we should probably read, Thou and thy fellows which sit before thee are men which, etc. Among the Hebrews any disaster was regarded as a sign of Divine displeasure or, to use a common Heb. figure of speech, a sign that the Lord was bringing a charge against the person afflicted. The satan or opponent for here, as in Job, the word i