And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying . Either "the word of prophecy from the Lord", as the Targum paraphrases it; the visions being ended, the prophetic part of the book begins; and many excellent prophecies concerning the Messiah, and his kingdom, are contained in this and the following chapters: or an order from the Lord, which is expressed in the next verses Zechariah 6:10 . read more
Take of "them of" the captivity ,.... That is, some of them that were returned from the captivity of Babylon, and who are mentioned by name: even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon ; either with Zerubbabel and Joshua, when they came from thence; or who were now just come from those that remained there: and come thou the same day ; this very day in which they were come from thence: and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah ; where the above... read more
Then take silver and gold , &c.; Which the Jewish writers suppose were brought by the above men from their brethren in Babylon, as a free will offering towards the building of the temple: and make crowns ; two at least, one of silver, and another of gold; the one to be put upon the head of Joshua the high priest; the other upon the head of Zerubbabel, as Kimchi conjectures; though, according to the text, they seem to be both, or all of them, be they as many as they will, to be put... read more
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, Jeremiah 23:5 the same that is here meant; besides, he was already grown up out of his place; nor... read more
Even he shall build the temple of the Lord ,.... Which is repeated, as Kimchi observes, for confirmation sake: and he shall bear the glory ; that is, of building the temple; and the phrase denotes that the glory of it shall be upon him, shall be hung upon him, as in Isaiah 22:24 and so shall be visible; that it would be weighty and heavy, he having many crowns on his head, put there by all the saints, who everyone of them ascribe glory to him; that it would continue, and not pass away... read more
And the crowns shall be to Helem ,.... The same with Heldai, Zechariah 6:10 , and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah ; the same with Josiah, Zechariah 6:10 , for a memorial in the temple of the Lord ; the crowns, after they had been put upon the head of Joshua, were taken off, and laid up in some part of the temple, of which the Jews make mention in their Misna F18 Massech. Middot, c. 3. sect. 8. ; and say there were golden chains fixed to the beams... read more
And they that are afar off shall come ,..... Into the temple; not the material temple; nor is this a prophecy which was fulfilled in Herod, a stranger, repairing that, as Kimchi suggests; but into the spiritual temple, the church; and is a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, who are said to be "afar off", Ephesians 2:12 , from God; from having his image on them; from subjection to his law; from the knowledge and fear of him; and from communion with him: from Christ; from the... read more
Take of them of the captivity - The names that follow were probably those to whom the silver and golden vessels of the temple were intrusted; and who might have had bullion of silver and gold, for particular purposes, about the ornaments of the temple. The house of Josiah - Probably an artificer in silver, gold, etc. read more
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. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zechariah 6:9-15
God did not only at sundry times, but in divers manners, speak in time past by the prophets to his church. In the former part of this chapter he spoke by a vision, which only the prophet himself saw; here, in this latter part, he speaks by a sign, or type, which many saw, and which, as it was explained, was an illustrious prediction of the Messiah as the priest and king of his church. Here is, I. The significant ceremony which God appointed, and that was the coronation of Joshua the high... read more