Zechariah 3:8
in Zechariah 3Hear now, O high priest Joshua, you and your companions seated before you, who are indeed a sign. For behold, I am going to bring My servant, the Branch.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Zechariah 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseOf Him He has also spoken by the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, saying, "I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My Servant David, He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My Servant David a Prince among them."
This site's exposition
I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH
on Zechariah 3:8-10
Joshua and his fellow priests are named men wondered at, living signs pointing past themselves to my servant the BRANCH, the title shared with Isaiah 4:2 and Jeremiah 23:5 and here joined to the priestly scene, the royal and priestly branch-lines converging in one figure the way Zechariah later joins them outright at 6:11-13 when a priest is crowned. The stone laid before Joshua, engraved with seven eyes, draws the readings the bench names, a foundation stone for the rebuilt temple, a jewel of the priestly breastplate, or the messianic stone of Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22, and upon it the Lord removes the iniquity of that land in one day, which the older writers read as the single, sufficient day of the cross. The chapter's last picture, every man calling his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree, is the peace-formula of 1 Kings 4:25 and Micah 4:4, the messianic age pictured in its most domestic terms.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Wondered at - The unbelieving Jews wonder at them; at their labour and expense in attempting to build such a house. Bring forth - God the Father will bring forth a much more wonderful work. The Branch - The Messiah.
on Zechariah 3:8-10
Joshua was so here, for the law made men priests that had infirmity, Heb. vii. And, as to both, we have relief from Jesus Christ, who is made of God to us both righteousness and sanctification. Joshua is accused as a criminal, but is justified.
A sermon relating to Christ, who is here called "The branch," who should be endued with all perfections for his undertaking, should be carried triumphantly through it, and by whom we should have pardon and peace,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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, Mat 1:12, and heir to the throne of Judah. The Chaldee has, “My servant the Messiah.” See the note on Isa 4:2 (note).
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְֽׁמַֽע־ | shema'- | hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| נָ֞א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ׀ | yehoshua' | O Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֣ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַגָּד֗וֹל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ | vereeikha | and companions your | H7453 → | 188 times |
| הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים | haiyoshevim | who sit | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לְפָנֶ֔יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֥י | ʾanshei | [are] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| מוֹפֵ֖ת | mofet | sign | H4159 → | |
| הֵ֑מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנְנִ֥י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| מֵבִ֛יא | mevi' | [am] about to bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַבְדִּ֖י | ʾavdi | servant my | H5650 → | 799 times |
| צֶֽמַח׃ | tzemach | branch | H6780 → |
שְֽׁמַֽע־hear
shema'-H8085 →1159 times
נָ֞אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ׀O Joshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
הַכֹּהֵ֣ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
הַגָּד֗וֹל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙and companions your
vereeikhaH7453 →188 times
הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣יםwho sit
haiyoshevimH3427 →1079 times
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אַנְשֵׁ֥י[are] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
מוֹפֵ֖תsign
mofetH4159 →
הֵ֑מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִנְנִ֥יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
מֵבִ֛יא[am] about to bring
mevi'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַבְדִּ֖יservant my
ʾavdiH5650 →799 times
צֶֽמַח׃branch
tzemachH6780 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 11:1Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
- Zechariah 6:12
And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build…
- Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
- Acts 13:22–23
After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in…
- Jeremiah 23:5
Through
Jeremiah 23:5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
it leads to
- Isaiah 4:2
On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 4:2
Through
Isaiah 53:2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:6–7
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 2:6–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Zechariah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 46:11; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.