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
11 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 am going to bring My servant, the Branch
on Zechariah 3:8-10
Joshua and his companions are “a sign” of “My servant, the Branch”, the title of Isaiah 4:2 and Jeremiah 23:5. On a stone with “seven eyes”, compared with Isaiah 28:16, the LORD will “remove the iniquity of this land in a single day”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 8, 9.) Listen, great priest Jesus, and your friends who dwell before you, for they are men who foresee. Behold, I will bring my servant the East, for behold, the stone which I placed before Jesus, upon it are seven eyes. LXX: Listen, therefore, great priest Jesus, and your neighbors who sit before your face, for they are men who observe wonders, that is, spectators of miracles, for behold, I will bring my servant the East, for the stone which I placed before Jesus, upon it are seven eyes. Our people in this place are being hindered by the Jews, because according to the context and the wording of the discourse, they should understand Jesus the priest as the son of Josedech, rather than the Lord and Savior. For if the discourse is about the Lord, and it is said about Christ: 'Hear, O great Jesus the priest', who is it referring to: 'Behold, I will bring forth my servant the East, who is called by another name, and he has been given before Jesus, and upon this stone there are seven eyes?' On the contrary, our opponents strive to assert that Jesus is the great High Priest, and the East, and the Stone, according to different understandings, are called Christ. But how this can be said of himself is very difficult to explain. Therefore, those who want Jesus to be the son of Josedech, the great High Priest, interpret his friends who dwell or sit before him, and who are men bearing signs, as his disciples and prophets. For prophets are placed as signs of future events. So what is it that Jesus and his friends are compelled to hear: I will bring my servant, the East, and the rest? Above, God had promised (or permitted) Jesus, the great high priest, that if he walked in his ways and kept his commandments, he would judge his house, guard his courts, and give him ministers of angelic dignity. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening4 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.
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,
Hear now concerning him, thou and the rest of the priests, thy fellows, who sit before thee, at thy feet, as learners, but whom thou art to look upon as thy fellows, for all you are brethren; let the high priest, and all the inferior priests, take notice of this, for they are men wondered at. " They are set for signs, for types and figures of Christ's priesthood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Joshua the high priest typifies Messiah, as Joshua's "fellows" typify believers whom Messiah admits to share His Priesthood (1Pe 2:5; This, its typical character, then, is a pledge to assure the desponding Jews that the priesthood shall be preserved till the great Antitype comes.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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” Eze 8:1. They are “images of the things to come” Heb 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” Isa 8:18 of the future Israel. Isaiah, walking naked and barefoot, was “a sign and portent” Isa 20:3 against Egypt. God tells Ezekiel, that in the “removal of his stuff, as stuff for the captivity, I have set thee for a portent unto the house of Israel” Eze 12:6. I, he explains his act, “am your portent; like as I have done, so shall it be done unto you” Eze 12:11. When forbidden to mourn on the death of his wife; “Ezekiel is unto you for a portent; according to all that he hath done, shall ye do; and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God” Eze 24:24. Wherein then were Joshua and the other priests portents of what should be? One fact alone had stood out, the forgiveness of sins. Accusation and full forgiveness, out of God’s free mercy, were the substance of the whole previous vision. It was the full reinstatement of the priesthood. The priesthood so restored was the portent of what was to come. To “offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; Lev 9:7; “to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year” Lev 16:34, was the object of the existence of the priesthood. […]
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
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On this verse
About Zechariah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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; 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.