Zaccaria 6:11 Commento

The two kingdoms of providence and grace are what we are all very nearly interested in, and therefore are concerned to acquaint ourselves with, all our temporal affairs being in a necessary subjection to divine Providence, and all our spiritual and eternal concerns in a necessary dependence upon divine grace; and these two are represented to us in this chapter - the former by a vision, the latter by a type. Here is, I. God, as King of nations, ruling the world by the ministry of angels, in the vision of the four chariots (Zac 6:1-8). II. God, as King of saints, ruling the church by the mediation of Christ, in the figure of Joshua the high priest crowned, the ceremony performed, and then explained concerning Christ (Zac 6:9-15).

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 6 This chapter contains a vision of four chariots, and the explanation of it; and an order to make crowns of gold and silver for certain uses mentioned; and a famous prophecy concerning the Messiah as the builder of the temple, the church. The chariots are described by their number, four; by the place, the mountains, from whence they came out; and by the different colour of the horses in each of them, Zac 6:1 upon the prophets inquiry what these were, an explanation is given of them; and they are said to be the four spirits of the heavens; and are described by their situation, standing before the Lord of the whole earth; by their mission from him; by each of the places to which they were sent; and by their success, or by the good effects produced, at least by some of them, Zac 6:4 then follows the order to make the crowns; and it is declared what they should be made of, gold and silver; from whom they were to be had, and who were to be concerned herein; and what was to be done with them; they were to be put upon the head of Joshua the high priest, Zac 6:9 who, being an eminent type of Christ, a prophecy concerning him is ordered to be delivered to him; who is described by his name, the man, the Branch; by the place he should grow up from; by the work he should do, building the temple of the Lord; by the glory he should have on account of it; and by the offices of King, Priest, and Prophet, he should execute, Zac 6:12 and after this was done, then the crowns were to be laid up in the temple of the Lord for a memorial, by the four men above mentioned, Zac 6:14 and though the Messiah is the chief builder of the temple, the church, yet it is suggested that others, and even Gentiles, should come and build in it; and which when done, it would be evident that the prophet had his mission to the Jews of the Lord; and the chapter is closed with a promise of the accomplishment of all this, should they diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord, Zac 6:15.

And speak unto him, saying,.... That is, to Joshua the high priest, having the crowns on his head: thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; which is not to be understood of Zerubbabel, as some Jewish writers interpret it; for he was not "the Branch", by way of eminency, much less that righteous Branch of David, called the Lord our righteousness, Jer 23:5 the same that is here meant; besides, he was already grown up out of his place; nor did he build a temple, from which he had great glory; nor was he either king or priest, only governor of Judah; and, however, not both, as this person is represented to be; and who is no other than the Messiah; and so the Targum paraphrases the words, "behold the man Messiah is his name;'' and Jarchi owns that some of their Rabbins interpret the words of the King Messiah. The "Branch" is a name by which the Messiah goes in the Talmud (k), and in other Jewish writings. It is asked (l), what is the name of the King Messiah? it is answered, among others, his name is the "Branch"; as it is said, "behold the man whose name is the Branch; he shall grow up out of his place": elsewhere (m) they speak of five letters doubled, which are the foundation of deliverance to certain persons, or point thereat. The first four, they observe, were accomplished in the deliverance of Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, of Isaac from the Philistines, of Jacob from Esau, and of the Israelites from Egypt; and the fifth, which is the letter the first letter of "Tzemach", the Branch, by it they say the holy blessed God will redeem Israel at the end of the four monarchies; as it is said, "behold the man whose name is the Branch", &c.; Philo the Jew (n) interprets this passage of a divine Person, the Son of God, by whom no other than the Messiah is meant, "we have heard (says he) one of the friends of Moses, i. e. Zechariah, saying thus, behold the man "whose name is the east", or rising sun (so the Greek version renders the words); a new appellation, if you can think it said of one consisting of soul and body; but if of that incorporeal one, bearing the divine image, you will own that the name is fitly given him, the ancient Sun, the Father of beings will cause to arise; whom otherwise he names the first begotten, and who, being begotten, imitates the ways of his Father; and looking at his archetypal exemplars, forms the same.'' Abendana (o), a modern Jew, observes, that "it is right that the Targum interprets it of the Messiah, for of him it is spoken; therefore it is written, "and he shall grow up out of his place"; for he shall go forth from him, and shall be of the seed of Zerubbabel,--and the King Messiah shall bear the glory of the kingdom, and he shall rule upon the throne of his kingdom;'' and when he is called a man, the meaning is not that he is a mere man, nor was he really man before his incarnation; but as he was to be man, and his incarnation was drawing near, he is so called: of his name the "Branch", see Isa 4:2, and Joshua, he is directed to look upon himself, with the crowns on his head, as a type of him; and so were the prophet, and those that were with him; and he is to be beheld, as before in type, so now in truth, by faith, with love and affection, with diligent attention, and great admiration: and he shall grow up out of his place: or, "from under him" (p); which may regard his natural descent as man, and the persons or person from whom he sprung; as from Abraham, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, and particularly from David, from the royal seed, as Jarchi interprets it: or else the place from whence this Branch arose, the land of Judea, the tribe of Judah, the city of Bethlehem, where he was born; or Galilee, and particularly Nazareth, where he was brought up, and grew, and increased in the stature of his body, and in the wisdom of his mind: or it may be rendered, "from his inferior place" (q); his superior, place, as the Son of God, is heaven; his inferior place, as the Son of man, is the earth; from whence he may be said to be, being born of a woman; and so this Branch is called "the fruit of the earth", and said to spring out of it, Isa 4:2 or it is same as from himself, as Aben Ezra observes; and so Calvin; for this Branch did not grow up through any sowing and planting of man, but without any hand or concern of his in it; Christ was born of a virgin, through the power of the Highest, and through his own power, as God: and he shall build the temple of the Lord; not a material temple, but the spiritual temple, the Church; called so in allusion to the temple of Jerusalem, built by Solomon; which was typical of the church, in the builder of it, Solomon, the church being built by Christ the antitypical Solomon, the true Peace, and Peacemaker; in the situation of it on a mount, which denotes the safety, visibility, and exalted state of the church; in the matter of it, being made of choice stones, and excellent timber, to which believers in Christ, who as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, are fitly compared; in the magnificence and stateliness of it, especially as the church will be in the latter day, when the glorious things spoken of it will be fulfilled; and in its strength and firmness, as well as in its holiness: and it is called "the temple of the Lord", because it is of his building, where he dwells, and where he is worshipped; and in the building of it Christ has a great concern; he is not only the foundation and cornerstone of it, but he is the chief, the master builder of it; he builds it on himself, and builds it up by his Spirit, his ministers, his word and ordinances, making thereby continually an increase of it, and additions to it; see Mat 16:18. (k) T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 5. 1. (l) Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1. (m) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. fol. 58. 1. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 18. fol. 223. 2. (n) De Confus. Ling. p. 329. (o) Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc. (p) "subter eum", V. L. Pagninus; "ad verbum, de sub se", Calvin, Drusius; "de subter se", Cocceius; "ex sub eo", Burkius. (q) "Ex inferiore loco", Vitringa in Jesaiam, c. iv. 2. "E leco suo humili", Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 47.

(Verse 9 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Take from the exiles, from Holdai, from Tobiah, and from Idah, and come in that day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Sophaiah, who came from Babylon. And take silver and gold, and make crowns, and put them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and say to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: Behold a man whose name is the Branch, and he shall grow up from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. And he himself will build a temple for the Lord, and he himself will bear the glory, and he will sit and rule on his throne, and he will be a priest on his throne, and there will be counsel of peace between them both. And the crowns will be for Helem, Tobiah, and Idajah, and for Hen son of Zephaniah, a memorial in the temple of the Lord. And those who are far off will come and build in the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will come to pass, if you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God. LXX: And the word of the Lord came to me saying: Take what is from the captivity, from the princes and from their benefactors, and from those who know them: and you shall enter on that day into the house of Josiah the son of Sophonias that came from Babylon, and you shall take silver and gold, and shall make crowns, and shall set them on the head of Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold a man, the Orient is his name, and under him shall he spring up, and shall build a temple to the Lord, and he shall take upon himself the glory, and shall sit, and shall rule upon his throne. And there shall be a priest at his right hand, and there shall be counsel of peace between the two: but the crown of expectation and of benefit to him, and to them that know her, and to the beloved son of Zephaniah, and to the psalm in the house of the Lord, to them that are far off, they shall come and build in the house of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to you. And it shall come to pass, if hearing you will hear the voice of the Lord your God. Once I set forth the hidden doctrine of Hebrew learning, and the concealed discipline of the masters of the synagogue, namely, that which is agreeable to the holy Scriptures. To reveal in Latin. Therefore, it is necessary for me to draw lines of history in the darkest places and thus bring forth what I have learned from ecclesiastical men, leaving it to the reader's discretion as to what they should follow more. And first, the order of the reading must be restored, so that what is said becomes clear according to the letter. Take, it says, from Holdai, and from Tobia, and from Idaja, who came from the Babylonian captivity, and you shall take from them gifts that are offered, silver and gold, and you shall enter the house of Josiah, son of Zephaniah; and there you shall make crowns, distinguished by the variety of gold and silver, not one crown, but either two or more: for Ataroth, namely, στέμματα, signifies not one, but either dual or plural number. When you make the crowns, you shall set one of them on the head of Jesus, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord.”’ And when he has built that, he himself will also receive glory, that is, another crown, which in Hebrew is called 'Hod', and in another language 'ἐπιδοξότης', in another 'εὐπρέπεια', in another 'ἀρετὴ', in another 'δόξα', which all mean illustrious, beauty, virtue, or glory. They think it refers to Zerubbabel, who, rising suddenly from a low and captive state, built the temple of the Lord, and sat on his throne, ruling with princely power. And the high priest, too, said he, Jesus the son of Josedech will sit on the priestly throne, and with united minds and councils, they will govern the people of God. And there will be peace between those two, that is, between the one who is of the royal tribe and the one who is descended from the Levite line, so that they may jointly rule the priesthood and the kingdom of God's people. And you shall consecrate the very crowns that you have made of gold and silver, after they have been placed on the head of Joshua, the son of Josedech, and on the head of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, with their names from whom they have been offered, in the temple, that is, Helem, and Tobiah, and Iddo, and Hen. The second and third names are the same as above. The first has been changed, and instead of Holdai he now uses Helem. The fourth, which was not mentioned above, is Hen, of whom we will speak in the following. And after having stored the crowns in the temple of the Lord, and consecrated them for everlasting memory, the nations from all the ends of the earth, scattered afar, will come and each one will build in my temple according to their own abilities. And then, at the end of events and with the prosperity of all, you will know that the Lord has sent me, and that I have foretold everything by His command. But all these things will be if you obey the commandments of the Lord and fulfill his commands. Holdai is interpreted as the prayer of the Lord, which in Greek is more significantly called the Litany of the Lord. Tobiah is a good man, known by the Lord. Instead of Holdai, Helem is now placed in the first place, which is interpreted as a dream; and in the fourth place, Hen is added, which means grace. The crowns of these four men will be with the son of Zephaniah, whom we read above Josiah, who is the guardian and custodian of the temple of the Lord, and there they will rest with eternal station. The Hebrews Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, who came from captivity, commemorate that they brought gold and silver as gifts to the temple, as well as the crowns of the high priest and the prince. They also mention that above, Hen, that is, favor, Daniel came with a gift. And for this reason, Helem is placed in place of Holdai, so that from the interpretation of the name which is called a dream, it may be shown that Daniel was placed in captivity, and that the three boys knew the mysteries of the royal dream. For when three boys were taken, Daniel prayed to the Lord and obtained the interpretation of the dream (Daniel II). According to history, this is an attempt to explain Circumcision. However, it is necessary for us to say what our ancestors said according to the Septuagint translators. Take from the captivity and from the princes, and from her useful things, and from those who know her, gold and silver, and upon entering the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, who himself came from Babylon, make golden and silver crowns, which you will place upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest. The captivity of the Jews, that is, confessing the Lord of the people, is due to vices and sins: those who begin to do penance, and desire the former Jerusalem, that is, the Church of Christ, forsake and abandon it in Babylon, and are offered by the princes of the captives, and by their helpers, that is, those of the captivity (who themselves were handed over to the angel of Satan for their own utility, unto the perdition of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved (I Cor. V), and by those who know it, namely, the captivity, to be turned into a good part after punishment. But gold and silver are offered by those who both confess the Lord with understanding and speech, and from them, that is, from gold and silver, crowns are made in the house of Josiah, who is interpreted as saved, and he is the son of the visitation of the Lord, that is, the oversight of the Lord. For he is visited by the Lord who had previously been seriously ill. And rightly Josiah is called saved, because he himself also returned from Babylon. And crowns are placed upon Jesus, the son of Josedech the high priest, because as we progress and return to better things, the Lord is crowned by each of our virtues. Indeed, we are crowned with the virtue of repentance, and the Savior receives a crown in each of us, according to what Paul also says: Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge, the Lord, shall give to me: and not to me only, but also to all who love the appearing of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ (I Tim. IV, 8). From where he received the name 'crown of justice' and 'Father of the Lord Savior'. For Josedec means Lord of justice, because he renders to each one according to his works. James also speaks of this crown in his Epistle: Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him (James 2). And the prophet is commanded that after he has placed the crown, or crowns, upon the head of Jesus, the son of Josedec the high priest, he should speak to him, and say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, a man, his name is the Rising Sun: and beneath him will arise, and so on. We do not divide Jesus, nor can we make two persons into one person; but he himself who is called Jesus, because he saved the world, and is called the Orient, because in his days righteousness arose. And it is sung in the Psalm: Truth has arisen from the earth (Ps. LXXXIV, 12), because he, who was born from the virgin womb in the completion of the ages, has said: I am the truth (John XIV, 6), and the final hour has come, as it is written in the Epistle of John (I John II, 18): Little children, it is now the final hour, in which he has called the people standing and doing nothing from the Gentiles, and has sent them to the vineyard (Matt. XX). Moreover, if he becomes different according to the diversity of names, he will be another shepherd, another ram, another lamb, another gate, another stumbling block, and another rock of offense. Therefore, the one who is crowned with our virtues will arise and be called the East. To whom the Father spoke: You are my Son, today I have begotten you (Ps. 2:7): And beneath him a multitude of believers will arise, and he will build the house of the Lord, the Church, and he himself will receive power and beauty and progress, and the glory of each one, and he will sit and reign on his throne, on the throne of David, of whom it is also written in the Gospel: And there shall be a priest at his right hand (Luke 1), or according to the Hebrew, above his throne; for he is both king and high priest: and he will sit on both the royal and the priestly throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two, so that neither the royal summit may detract from the dignity of the priesthood, nor the dignity of the priesthood from the royal summit, but that both may agree in the glory of the Lord Jesus, the one and only. I read in a certain book (Zech. 6:13): And peaceful counsel shall be between two, to be referred to the Father and to the Son: because it is not His own, but the Father's will that He came to do, and the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father (ibid., 14). But the crown, that is, the sign of victory, is promised also to those who await Him and understand the benefit of their former captivity and know all the mysteries of God, so that they may be in the grace of the son of Zephaniah, that is, in the visitation of the Lord. And those who were in Babylon said (Ps. CXXXVI, 1, 2): By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows in its midst we hung up our lyres, after they had returned to Jerusalem, let them receive a psalm and a timbrel, and let them sing in the church of the Lord. And those who were far from Judaea because of great sins, let them come with true confession, and let them rebuild the house of the Lord according to their individual progress, and then the entire congregation will know with one mind that the Almighty Lord has sent a prophet to them. But all the promises will be fulfilled if they are willing to listen to the Lord and, after repentance, remain in good works.

And in the days of Joshua, son of Jehozadak, why did an angel say to the adversary who was opposing him, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan”? And why are the Jews called “sons of Satan” for transgressing the laws, if he [the adversary] perseveres in the command he received and they transgressed the commandment? And why would he be called utterly a liar, he who remains faithful to the rule? Because that evil comes not from him but from the very one who made him so. And why should he be sent into the “outer darkness”?

The vision of the four chariots drawn by several sorts of horses, Zac 6:1-8. The other vision in thus chapter may refer in its primary sense to the establishment of the civil and religious polity of the Jews under Joshua and Zerubbabel; but relates in a fuller sense, to the Messiah, and to that spiritual kingdom of which he was to be both king and high priest. In him all these types and figures were verified; on him all the promises are yea and amen, Zac 6:9-15.

Make crowns - עטרות ataroth; but seven MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, and one ancient of my own, with the Syriac and Chaldee, have עטרת atereth, a crown, or tiara. And as Joshua the high priest is alone concerned here, I think one crown only is intended.

EIGHTH VISION. THE FOUR CHARIOTS. (Zac 6:1-8) four chariots--symbolizing the various dispensations of Providence towards the Gentile nations which had been more or less brought into contact with Judea; especially in punishing Babylon. Compare Zac 6:8 ("the north country," that is, Babylon); Zac 1:15; Zac 2:6. The number "four" is specified not merely in reference to the four quarters of the horizon (implying universal judgments), but in allusion to the four world kingdoms of Daniel. from between two mountains--the valley of Jehoshaphat, between Moriah and Mount Olivet [MOORE]; or the valley between Zion and Moriah, where the Lord is (Zac 2:10), and whence He sends forth His ministers of judgment on the heathen [MAURER]. The temple on Mount Moriah is the symbol of the theocracy; hence the nearest spot accessible to chariots in the valley below is the most suitable for a vision affecting Judah in relation to the Gentile world powers. The chariot is the symbol of war, and so of judgments. of brass--the metal among the ancients representing hard solidity; so the immovable and resistless firmness of God's people (compare Jer 1:18). CALVIN explains the "two mountains" thus: The secret purpose of God from eternity does not come forth to view before the execution, but is hidden and kept back irresistibly till the fit time, as it were between lofty mountains; the chariots are the various changes wrought in nations, which, as swift heralds, announce to us what before we knew not. The "two" may thus correspond to the number of the "olive trees" (Zac 4:3); the allusion to the "two mountains" near the temple is not necessarily excluded in this view. HENDERSON explains them to be the Medo-Persian kingdom, represented by the "two horns" (Dan 8:3-4), now employed to execute God's purpose in punishing the nations; but the prophecy reaches far beyond those times.

The high priest wore a crown above the miter (Zac 3:5; Lev 8:9). Messiah shall wear many crowns, one surmounting the other (Rev 19:12). It was a thing before unknown in the Levitical priesthood that the same person should wear at once the crown of a king and that of a high priest (Psa 110:4; Heb 5:10). Messiah shall be revealed fully in this twofold dignity when He shall "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Act 1:6).