Zechariah 3:7
in Zechariah 3“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house and will also have charge of My courts; and I will give you a place among these who are standing here.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee a place of access among these that stand by.
KJV
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
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This verse in Zechariah 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Vers. 6, 7.) And the angel of the Lord stood and testified to the angel of the Lord saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you walk in my ways and keep my custody, you shall also judge my house and keep my courts and I will give you those who walk among those who stand here.
This site's exposition
the angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua
on Zechariah 3:6-7
The restored office comes with a charge: “If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house”. Joshua is also promised “a place among these who are standing here”, among the attendants of the vision itself.
This site's exposition
If you walk in My ways
Barnes traced walking in the ways and keeping the LORD's instructions to the Law, and to David's charge to Solomon at 1 Kings 2:3. To govern the house of the LORD included judging, as Deuteronomy 17:9-13 gives it to the priests. The place among those standing here rewards that obedience.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Christ is a high priest, as Joshua was, for sinners and sufferers, to mediate for those that have been under guilt and wrath. And it was fit that Joshua should understand the priesthood of Christ, because all the virtue of his priesthood, its value and usefulness to the church, depended upon and was derived from the priesthood of Christ.
My charge - The special charge and office of the high-priest. Judge - Be ruler in the temple, and in the things that pertain to the worship of God there.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
If thou wilt walk in My ways and if thou wilt keep My charge - Both of these are expressions, dating from the Pentateuch, for holding on in the way of life, well-pleasing to God and keeping the charge given by God. It was the injunction of the dying David to Solomon, “Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes ...” 1Ki 2:3. Then shalt thou also judge My house - Judgment, in the place of God, was part of the high priest’s office Deu 17:9-13; Deu 19:17; Mal 2:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
English Version is therefore better. Priests are called angels or "messengers" (Mal 2:7); they are therefore thought worthy to be associated with heavenly angels. So these latter are present at the assemblies of true Christian worshippers (1Co 11:10; compare Ec 5:6;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
If thou wilt walk in my ways - If ye, Israelites, priests and people, now restored to your own land, will walk in my ways, etc., ye shall be a part of my family; and have places - mansions - in eternal glory, with all them that are sanctified.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֞ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֗וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| בִּדְרָכַ֤י | bidrakhai | in ways my | H1870 → | 707 times |
| תֵּלֵךְ֙ | telekh | you will walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְאִ֣ם | veim | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י | mishmarti | charge my | H4931 → | |
| תִשְׁמֹ֔ר | tishmor | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תָּדִ֣ין | tadin | you will govern | H1777 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּיתִ֔י | beiti | house my | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְגַ֖ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר | tishmor | you will guard | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲצֵרָ֑י | chatzerai | courts my | H2691 → | |
| וְנָתַתִּ֤י | venatati | and I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| מַהְלְכִ֔ים | mahlekhim | goings | H4109 → | |
| בֵּ֥ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הָעֹמְדִ֖ים | haomedim | those [who] are standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
כֹּה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֞רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֗וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
בִּדְרָכַ֤יin ways my
bidrakhaiH1870 →707 times
תֵּלֵךְ֙you will walk
telekhH1980 →1546 times
וְאִ֣םand if
veimH518 →1069 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣יcharge my
mishmartiH4931 →
תִשְׁמֹ֔רyou will keep
tishmorH8104 →468 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
תָּדִ֣יןyou will govern
tadinH1777 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּיתִ֔יhouse my
beitiH1004 →2046 times
וְגַ֖םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
תִּשְׁמֹ֣רyou will guard
tishmorH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֲצֵרָ֑יcourts my
chatzeraiH2691 →
וְנָתַתִּ֤יand I will give
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֙to <the> you
lekha
מַהְלְכִ֔יםgoings
mahlekhimH4109 →
בֵּ֥יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
הָעֹמְדִ֖יםthose [who] are standing
haomedimH5975 →521 times
הָאֵֽלֶּה׃<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
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
Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve…
it leads to
- Luke 22:28–30
You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials.
- 1 Corinthians 6:2–3
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
- Matthew 25:31
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
- Luke 22:28–30
Through
Genesis 26:5because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
it leads to
- Matthew 7:24
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Genesis 22:16
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
- James 2:21
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
- Psalms 112:1–2
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
- Matthew 7:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Zechariah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zechariah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.