Zechariah 6:12
in Zechariah 6And 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 the temple of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah;
KJV
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:
⋯
This verse in Zechariah 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseTherefore God helps the city, producing in it early morning by his own rising and coming. "Behold a man," it is said, "the Orient is his name." For those upon whom the spiritual light will rise, when the darkness that comes from ignorance and wickedness is destroyed, early morning will be at hand. Since, then, light has come into the world in order that he who walks about in it may not stumble, his help is able to cause the early morning.
This site's exposition
Here is a man whose name is the Branch
on Zechariah 6:12-13
The word over Joshua names “a man whose name is the Branch”, the title Isaiah and Jeremiah give the righteous shoot of David's line. This Branch will build the temple, rule on His throne and “be a priest on His throne”, joining offices the law kept apart.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The inscription, "for the octave," therefore, that we not look to the present time, but that we look toward the "octave." For whenever this transitory and fleeting time ceases, in which one thing comes to be and another is dissolved, and the necessity of coming to be has passed away, and that which is dissolved no longer exists … the hebdomad too, which measures time, will by all means halt. Then that "octave," which is the next age, will succeed it. The whole of the latter becomes one day, as one of the prophets says when he calls the life, which is anticipated "the Great Day." For this reason the perceptible sun does not enlighten that day, but "the true light," the "sun of righteousness," who is designated "rising" by the prophecy because he is never veiled by the settings.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32:315-17 · Written before 253.
proposed
Nor was there night in Peter when he confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," when the heavenly Father revealed it to him, but there was night in him too at the moment of his denial. And in the present instance, moreover, when Judas received the morsel [and] went out immediately, night was present in him at the same time he went out, for the man whose name is "Sunrise" was not present with him because he left "the Sun of justice" behind when he went out. And Judas, who was filled with darkness, pursued Jesus; but the darkness and the one who had taken it up did not apprehend the light that was pursued. Wherefore also, when he said as word of justification, "I have sinned because I betrayed just blood" and "went and hanged himself," Satan, who was in him, led him to the noose and hung him, at which time the devil also touched his soul. For Judas was not such that the Lord could say to the devil on his behalf what he said on Job's behalf, "But touch not his soul."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Out of his place - Of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold. He shall build - He it is, though unseen, that stands by you, who build the material temple, far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, preserve, and dwell in forever. The glory - Of both kingly and priestly office; the glory of both those crowns shall abide on him.
He shall grow up for himself (so some read it) propria virtute--by his own vital energy, shall be exalted in his own strength. That, as Joshua was an active useful instrument in building the temple, so the man, the branch, shall be the master-builder, the sole builder of the spiritual temple, the gospel-church. He shall build the temple of the Lord; and it is repeated (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And speak unto him, saying,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Behold the man whose name is The Branch! - I cannot think that Zerubbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in Zec 3:8. Joshua and his companions are called אנשי מופת anshey mopheth, figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the Branch, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he was the type or figure. The Chaldee has, “whose name is my Messiah,” or Christ.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
MAURER translates, "Under Him there shall be growth (in the Church)." English Version accords better with the Hebrew (compare Ex 10:23). The idea in a Branch is that Christ's glory is growing, not yet fully manifested as a full-grown tree. Therefore men reject Him now. build the temple--The promise of the future true building of the spiritual temple by Messiah (Mt 16:18;
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
The prophet is taught to explain his own symbolic act. “Behold the Man whose name is the Branch” . “Not for himself, but for Christ, whose name Joshua bare, and whose Priesthood and Princedom he represented,” was the crown given him. The prophet had already foretold the Messiah, under the name of the Branch. Here he adds, And he shall grow up out of His place - Lowly and of no seeming account, as God foretold by Jeremiah, “I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David” Jer 33:15; and Jesus Himself said, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” Joh 12:24. Alone He grew up before God, as a tender plant Isa 53:2, unknown of man, known to God. It is that still, Divine Life at Nazareth, of which we see only that one bright flash in the temple, the deep saying, not understood even by Joseph and Mary, and then, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them” (see Luk 2:49-51). And he shall build the temple of the Lord - The material temple was soon to be finished, and that by Zerubbabel, to whom this had been promised, Zec 4:10, not by Joshua. It was then a new temple, to be built from the foundation, of which He Himself was to be “the foundation” Isa 28:16; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20-21, as He said, “On this rock I will build My Church” Mat 16:18; and in Him “all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple to the Lord” Eph 2:21. Osorius: “He it is, who built the house; for neither Solomon nor Zerubbabel nor Joshua son of Josedech could build a house worthy of the majesty of God. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
whose name is the Shoot He is Zerubbabel, mentioned above (3:8): “Behold, I bring My servant, the Shoot,” since his greatness burgeoned little by little. Some interpret this as referring to the King Messiah, but the entire context deals with the [time of the] Second Temple.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֥ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֛ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֖וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אִ֞ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| צֶ֤מַח | tzemach | [is] Branch | H6780 → | |
| שְׁמוֹ֙ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו | umitachtav | and from under him | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יִצְמָ֔ח | yitzmach | he will sprout | H6779 → | |
| וּבָנָ֖ה | uvanah | and he will build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֵיכַ֥ל | heikhal | [the] temple of | H1964 → | 80 times |
| יְהוָֽהּ׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְאָמַרְתָּ֤and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֥הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֛רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֖וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּה־there!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
אִ֞ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
צֶ֤מַח[is] Branch
tzemachH6780 →
שְׁמוֹ֙name his
shemoH8034 →864 times
וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יוand from under him
umitachtavH8478 →505 times
יִצְמָ֔חhe will sprout
yitzmachH6779 →
וּבָנָ֖הand he will build
uvanahH1129 →376 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הֵיכַ֥ל[the] temple of
heikhalH1964 →80 times
יְהוָֽהּ׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
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 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 33:15
In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout for David a righteous Branch, and He 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.”
- 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 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:32–33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Isaiah 4:2
Through
Isaiah 4:2On 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.
it leads to
- Zechariah 3:8
Hear 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 3:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Zechariah
This page draws on 11 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); Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 45:18.5; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2:5.53; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32:315-17.