This section records the eighth (and last) vision in the series which forms an
inclusio with the first, focusing on the pacifying of the north country, the direction where the majority of attacks on Israel came from (cf. Jeremiah 1:14).[5]
Verse 5
And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth."[14]
"Spirits of heaven": or "winds of heaven" (
MEV). The Hebrew word for "spirit" may also mean "wind" or "breath" depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV "the four winds of heaven").[15]
The command to crown Joshua (6:9–15)
Following the eight visions, this section provides a closure of the cycle by describing the crowning of Joshua as a 'messianic' leader.[5]
Verse 11
Then take silver and gold, and make crowns,
and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;[16]
"Silver and gold": A part of what was brought from
Babylon or the contributions from the Jews in the diaspora, the kings and princes in the area (see
Ezra 6:8, etc.;
Ezra 7:15, etc.).[17]
"Make crowns": Zechariah was to get the crowns made (compare
Exodus 25, passim). The plural may here be used intensively for "a noble crown," as in
Job 31:36[17] (also in
Job 19:9,
Proverbs 4:9;
Proverbs 12:4;
Proverbs 14:24;
Proverbs 16:31.
Proverbs 17:6); or it may signify the two metals of which the crown was made, two or more wreaths being intertwined to form it.[17] Here Joshua may symbolize 'a Person in whom the offices of priest and king were united' (cf.
Psalm 110; in
Revelation 19:12 Jesus (= "Joshua" in Hebrew) is said to wear many crowns on his head, referring to 'a diadem composed of many circlets'), because a high priest's "mitre" (
Zechariah 3:5; made of the plate or "flower" of pure gold with the engraving "Holiness to the Lord"
Exodus 28:36[18]) is never called a crown, but what to be set on Joshua's head is a royal crown.[17]
Verse 12
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying,
"Behold, the man" (
Hebrew: הנה איש, hi-nêh’îš[20]): This phrase is used in a speech to draw attention to someone different from the one in conversation (
1 Samuel 9:6,
17;
2 Samuel 18:26; cf.
Joshua 2:2), so Joshua here is not the Branch (the Sprout figure), but that figure is 'accessible and approaching' the scene.[21]Pilate spoke similar words regarding
Jesus, "Behold the man" (
John 19:5).[22]
"He shall build the temple of the Lord": In the time of Zechariah, the temple was soon to be finished by Zerubbabel, to whom this had been promised (
Zechariah 4:10), not by
Joshua the High Priest, but then a new temple is to be built from the foundation, of which the builder is to be "the foundation" (
Isaiah 28:16;
1 Corinthians 3:11;
Ephesians 2:20–21), as said, "on this rock I will build My Church" (
Matthew 16:18); and in him "all the building, fitly framed together0, groweth unto an holy temple to the Lord" (
Ephesians 2:21).[23]
^
abcdExell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors).
On "Zechariah 6". In: The
Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
Boda, Mark J. (2016). Harrison, R. K.; Hubbard, Jr, Robert L. (eds.).
The Book of Zechariah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
ISBN978-0802823755.
This section records the eighth (and last) vision in the series which forms an
inclusio with the first, focusing on the pacifying of the north country, the direction where the majority of attacks on Israel came from (cf. Jeremiah 1:14).[5]
Verse 5
And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth."[14]
"Spirits of heaven": or "winds of heaven" (
MEV). The Hebrew word for "spirit" may also mean "wind" or "breath" depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV "the four winds of heaven").[15]
The command to crown Joshua (6:9–15)
Following the eight visions, this section provides a closure of the cycle by describing the crowning of Joshua as a 'messianic' leader.[5]
Verse 11
Then take silver and gold, and make crowns,
and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;[16]
"Silver and gold": A part of what was brought from
Babylon or the contributions from the Jews in the diaspora, the kings and princes in the area (see
Ezra 6:8, etc.;
Ezra 7:15, etc.).[17]
"Make crowns": Zechariah was to get the crowns made (compare
Exodus 25, passim). The plural may here be used intensively for "a noble crown," as in
Job 31:36[17] (also in
Job 19:9,
Proverbs 4:9;
Proverbs 12:4;
Proverbs 14:24;
Proverbs 16:31.
Proverbs 17:6); or it may signify the two metals of which the crown was made, two or more wreaths being intertwined to form it.[17] Here Joshua may symbolize 'a Person in whom the offices of priest and king were united' (cf.
Psalm 110; in
Revelation 19:12 Jesus (= "Joshua" in Hebrew) is said to wear many crowns on his head, referring to 'a diadem composed of many circlets'), because a high priest's "mitre" (
Zechariah 3:5; made of the plate or "flower" of pure gold with the engraving "Holiness to the Lord"
Exodus 28:36[18]) is never called a crown, but what to be set on Joshua's head is a royal crown.[17]
Verse 12
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying,
"Behold, the man" (
Hebrew: הנה איש, hi-nêh’îš[20]): This phrase is used in a speech to draw attention to someone different from the one in conversation (
1 Samuel 9:6,
17;
2 Samuel 18:26; cf.
Joshua 2:2), so Joshua here is not the Branch (the Sprout figure), but that figure is 'accessible and approaching' the scene.[21]Pilate spoke similar words regarding
Jesus, "Behold the man" (
John 19:5).[22]
"He shall build the temple of the Lord": In the time of Zechariah, the temple was soon to be finished by Zerubbabel, to whom this had been promised (
Zechariah 4:10), not by
Joshua the High Priest, but then a new temple is to be built from the foundation, of which the builder is to be "the foundation" (
Isaiah 28:16;
1 Corinthians 3:11;
Ephesians 2:20–21), as said, "on this rock I will build My Church" (
Matthew 16:18); and in him "all the building, fitly framed together0, groweth unto an holy temple to the Lord" (
Ephesians 2:21).[23]
^
abcdExell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors).
On "Zechariah 6". In: The
Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
Boda, Mark J. (2016). Harrison, R. K.; Hubbard, Jr, Robert L. (eds.).
The Book of Zechariah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
ISBN978-0802823755.