Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 4:12
And I answered again, and said unto him, What [be these] two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?
12. olive branches ] Having seen the vision (1 3), and received a general explanation of it (4 10), Zechariah now desires a further explanation of one particular feature (11 14). What, he asks, are the two olive trees (11)? and then, immediately recasting his question in more exact terms, the two olive branches? The word is allied to, if not identical with, that used for “ears of corn.” It may refer to the pointed shape of the twigs of the olive tree, or to the fact that these branches were studded thick with berries, like the grains in an ear of corn. (Kimchi.)
pipes ] Rather tubes, or spouts; the word being different from that translated “pipes,” Zec 4:2. Which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty, &c. R. V.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
What are the two spikes of the olive? – Comparing the extreme branches of the olive-tree, laden with their fruit, to the ears of corn, which were by or in the hand of the golden pipes, which empty forth the golden oil from themselves. Zechariahs expression, in the hand of or, if so be, by the hand of the two pipes, shows that these two were symbols of living agents, for it is nowhere, used except of a living agent, or of that which it personified as such.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. What be these two olive branches] That is, two boughs laden with branches of olive berries.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I answered; I went on to discourse, which is the signification of the Hebrew phrase here used.
Again, Heb. a second time. Said unto him, the angel that talked with the prophet.
What be these two olive branches? two principal branches, one in each tree, fuller of berries, higher than the rest, and hanging over the golden pipes.
Which through the two golden pipes: these were fastened to the golden bowl, on each side one, with a hole through the sides of the bowl, to let the oil that distilled into them from those olive branches run into the bowl, and out of that bowl it was, through so many golden pipes, conveyed into the seven lamps.
Empty; freely, without any violence offered, drop the oil out of themselves, yet so that still they are full of oil for perpetual supply to the lamps.
Golden oil, because of its preciousness, or from its colour.
Out of themselves: a supernatural work, and, emblem of supernatural grace: these branches, filled from the true olive tree, ever empty themselves, and are ever full; so are the gospel ordinances, filled by Christ, always filling his members, true Christians, and ever full for all believers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. throughliterally, “bythe hand of,” that is, by the agency of.
branchesliterally,”ears”; so the olive branches are called, because as earsare full of grain, so the olive branches are full of olives.
golden oilliterally, “gold,” that is, gold-like liquor.
out of themselvesOrdinancesand ministers are channels of grace, not the grace itself. The supplycomes not from a dead reservoir of oil, but through living olivetrees (Psa 52:8; Rom 12:1)fed by God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I answered again, and said unto him,…. Before he could have an answer to the former question, he puts the following, as being of the same import:
What [be these] two olive branches; which grew upon the olive trees, and were nearest to the candlestick, and the pipes that were to the lamps: these, in Zec 4:14, are interpreted of the two anointed ones, or sons of oil, and may design the ministers of the word, if, by the “golden oil” after mentioned, is meant the Gospel; even a set of evangelical preachers in Gospel times, in the various periods of the church; Christ’s faithful witnesses, who stand on each side of the bowl, and receive out of Christ’s fulness gifts and grace to fit them for their work; and on each side of the candlestick, the church, to impart the oil of the Gospel to it. These may be compared to “olive trees” for their beauty and comeliness in the eyes of saints, to whom they bring the good news of salvation by Christ, Ho 14:6 and for their greenness and flourishing condition, being filled with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, Ps 52:8 and for their fruitfulness; for, as the olive tree produces an oil used both for light and food, so they bring the Gospel with them, which is the means of spiritual light, and contains in it refreshing and delightful food, De 8:8 and for their fatness, with which they honour God and men, Jud 9:9 so ministers of the Gospel honour Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, by ascribing the contrivance, obtaining, and application of salvation to each of them; and they honour men, by acquainting them what honour all the saints have through Christ, being made kings and priests by him; and by showing them what honour they shall have hereafter. And they may be compared to “olive branches”, with respect to Christ the good olive tree, in whom they are as branches; are bore by him, and subsist in him; receive all they have from him, and do all they do in his strength: and also for their tenderness and weakness in themselves, and for their fruitfulness from him.
Which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves? if by the “two” olive trees and branches, or anointed ones, ministers of the Gospel are intended; then, by the “golden oil”, is meant, not the Spirit and his grace, which is sometimes compared to oil; nor inward spiritual joy and peace, the oil of gladness, for ministers cannot communicate either of these to others; but the Gospel, and the precious truths of it, compared to “oil”, because of a healing, cheering, and refreshing nature; and because beautifying, feeding, and fattening; and because of a searching and penetrating nature, and being pure, unmixed, and good for light: and to “golden” oil, or oil, that, being poured out, is like liquid gold, for colour, value, splendour, purity, and duration: and this they “empty out”; which phrase denotes the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel they come with; their free and ready delivery of it; their faithfulness in giving out all, and keeping back nothing that may be profitable; and their ease and satisfaction of mind in so doing and this they do, not out of the corrupt fountains of moral philosophy; nor from the writings of others; nor out of their own heads, or from mere notional knowledge; but out of their hearts, and from their inward experience of Gospel truths; and which is not to be understood exclusive of Christ, or of the Scriptures of truth, from whence they fetch all truth; nor have they this knowledge and experience of or from themselves. The means by which they communicate the golden oil of the Gospel are “the two golden pipes”, the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances; which are like “pipes” or canals, through which Gospel grace is conveyed; and are “golden”, are valuable, to be kept pure, and are durable; they are but “pipes”, or means, and not to be depended on, yet they are “golden”, and not to be despised. But if by the two olive trees, or anointed ones, are meant two divine Persons, of which see Zec 4:14 then by the “golden oil” may be intended the grace of God, often compared to “oil” in Scripture, in allusion to oil in common, or to the anointing oil, which was made of precious spices; or rather, as here, to the lamp oil for the candlestick in the tabernacle, which was pure oil olive: grace, like oil, is of a cheering and refreshing nature, hence called “oil of gladness”; very beautifying and adorning; like oil, it makes the face to shine; and by it the church, and all believers, become “all glorious within”: it is of a searching nature; like oil, it penetrates into the heart, and has its seat there; and as oil will not mix with other liquid, so neither will grace with sin and corruption: but chiefly, as here, may it be compared to oil olive, because it burns and gives light, as that does in the lamp. The lamp of a profession, without the oil of grace, is a dark and useless thing. Grace is a light in the inward parts, and causes the light of an outward conversation to shine in good works before men; and this may be truly called “golden”, being exceeding valuable, yea, much more precious than gold that perisheth; it being as durable, nay, much more durable than that, for it will last for ever, and can never be lost; see 1Pe 1:7 and of this the word and ordinances are the means; and so may be designed by the pipes, through which it is conveyed to the souls of men; for “faith”, and other graces of the Spirit, “come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”, Ro 10:17 hence says the apostle to the Galatians, Ga 3:2, “received ye the Spirit”; that is, the special gifts and graces of the Spirit, comparable to the best oil and purest gold; “by the works of the law”, or through the preaching of that, through the doctrine of justification by the works of it, “or by the hearing of faith?” by the doctrine of justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ, or by the Gospel preached and heard: this is the usual way in which the Spirit and his grace are communicated to men; hence the Gospel is called the “Spirit”, and “the ministration of the Spirit”, 2Co 3:6 and this seems to be a further confirmation of this sense of the words, since this golden oil is distinct from the pipes through which it flows; as grace is from the Gospel, through which it is received; whereas, in the other sense, they seem to coincide.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I have said that there is some difference in the visions though the angel relates hardly anything new, except respecting the flowing and the tubes; but as a new explanation is given, Zechariah no doubt more fully considered what he had slightly looked on before. The more attentive then to the vision the Prophet became, the more confirmed he was; for God showed to him now what he had not sufficiently observed before, namely, that there were pipes or tubes through which the oil flowed into each of the pourers, and further, that these flowing or a continual running of the oil, was like that of a river, which runs through its own channel. But God intended to instruct his Prophet by degrees, that we may learn at this day to apply our thoughts to the understanding of his doctrine; for the instruction to be derived from it is not of an ordinary kind, as I have already reminded you. Indeed the state of things in our time is nearly the same with that of his time: for Christ now renews by the power of his Spirit that spiritual temple which had been pulled down and wholly demolished; for what has been the dignity of the Church for many ages? Doubtless, it has been for a long time in a dilapidated state; and now when God begins to give some hope of a new building, Satan collects together many forces from all parts to prevent the progress of the work. We are also tender and soft, and even faint-hearted, so that hardly one in a hundred labors so courageously as he ought.
We hence then learn how necessary for us is this doctrine: it was not, therefore, to no purpose that the Prophet did not apprehend at once and in an instant what was presented to him in the vision, but made progress by degrees.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) Olive branches.Better, bunches of olives. Two important points in the vision are here incidentally introduced for the first time: viz., the bunch of fruits on each olive-tree, and the two golden pipes, or rather, spouts.
Which through . . . themselves.Better, Which are resting in the two golden spouts, which pour out from themselves the gold [en oil]. The meaning appears to be that on each side of the golden bowl at the top of the candlestick was a golden spout turned upwards, into which the two clusters of olives poured their oil spontaneously, and from which the oil flowed into the bowl, and thence through the forty-nine pipes to the seven lamps. The gold stands for pure bright oil. Though the word which we render resting in (LXX., , in the hands ) might mean throughi.e., by means ofthe rendering of the English version is inadmissible, because the definite article (equivalent here to the relative) is prefixed to the participle, empty, or pour out. LXX., , which pour into, and lead up into the golden funnels, taking the words from themselves as an active participle, and understanding the gold as golden funnels, and not golden oil, as we do.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 4:12. What be these two olive-branches, &c. This passage may be rendered, What are the two orderers of the olive-trees, which through two golden spouts drain off the gold from them? I am inclined to suppose that by shibbalei hazzeithim, were meant two beings, probably in human shape, who were seen by the prophet employed in arranging the fruit of the olive-trees, and giving it a direction for its juice to flow into those channels, through which it might be conveyed into the body of the lamps, there to serve for food and nourishment of their light. Nor is it any objection to this more than to any other hypothesis, that they were not enumerated before among the objects of vision. They might not perhaps have presented themselves to the prophet’s view till the very instant when he had asked the question concerning the two olive-trees; and their sudden appearance may account for the immediate change of it to another, before he had received an answer to the first. This answer being thus superseded, we are left without any direct information as to the meaning of the olive-trees; but we may fairly presume them to be no other than the two dispensations of the law and the Gospel, under which were communicated the precious oracles of divine truth, which illuminate the soul, and make men wise unto salvation. Of course the orderers and directors of these dispensations must be Moses and the Lord Jesus Christ, the two sons of oil, or anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, fulfilling his will, and executing his commands. Of the latter of these it is expressly said, Isa 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, &c. Nor do I conceive that any other can be meant by the two witnesses appointed to prophesy for a certain time clothed in sackcloth, Rev 11:3 the next verse plainly shewing that an allusion is there made to this prophesy of Zechariah concerning the candlestick and olive-trees, though it is not cited word for word: These are the two olive-trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth; Rev 11:4. See Dr. Blaney
The golden oil It should be rendered the gold: there is no word for oil in the original. Archbishop Newcome proposes to read oil instead of gold, saying the sense requires it. But in the Hebrew copies there is not the least vestige of such a reading, and all the ancient versions concur in expressing gold at the end of this verse. There is no doubt but that the liquor drawn from the olive-trees must be oil; but it is here intended to represent what for its precious quality may be denominated gold; that being considered is the most valuable of all material substances, but yet of far less worth than the word of divine truth: More to be desired, says the Psalmist speaking of it, than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Psa 19:10. And again: The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver; Psa 119:72. In this sense then the original word may be used here for oil, and perhaps from the resemblance between the appearance of gold in a state of fluidity and oil.
REFLECTIONS.1st, Overcome, probably, with the glorious visions that he had seen, the prophet’s spirits failed him, and he sunk down in sleep; but he is awakened and strengthened by the Lord Jesus, to behold other visions and revelations of the Lord.
1. On his awaking, a question is put to him, What seest thou? And he looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, &c. like, in some respects, to that in the temple of old, the figure of the church of Christ; of gold, denoting its excellence and purity: the bowl upon the top of it full of oil implies that fulness of grace in Jesus, of which all genuine Christians have received; (see Joh 1:16.) The seven lamps may signify all believers in general, or the ministers of the Gospel particularly, who are burning and shining lights; and, being kindled by the fire of divine grace, are fed with constant supplies of oil from the two olive-trees, Christ and the Comforter, or the two Testaments, through the seven pipes, the various means of prayer, meditation, sacraments, &c. which Christ hath instituted as channels of conveying to us the constant influences of his grace. See the critical notes.
2. The prophet humbly inquires into the meaning of what he saw. What are these, my lord? And the angel, to reprove his dulness, or quicken his attention, answers, Knowest thou not what these be? He replies, with an humble confession of his ignorance, No, my lord: very graciously, therefore, this angel condescends to explain the vision to him; This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, an illustration of what God had spoken to him before, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. As the lamps were supplied with oil, without any human assistance from the olive-trees that poured the oil into the bowl, which thence was communicated to them through the seven golden pipes, so should Zerubbabel be supplied with strength from on high, for the work in which he is engaged: and thus is every faithful soul made more than conqueror, not through any natural sufficiency of man, but by the power of divine grace.
It is promised here concerning Zerubbabel,
[1.] That he shall overcome all difficulties in his way. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. Whatever opposition he met with from the Persian monarchy, or from Sanballat, and the Samaritans, it should be easily surmounted. Note; In the eye of sense, mountains unpassable obstruct the way to glory; but faith looks up to Jesus, the great Zerubbabel; and as he hath put all enemies under his own feet, so will he put them under ours, if we perseveringly cleave to him: and thus the mountain becomes a plain.
[2.] He shall see the completion of the work that he hath begun. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it, rejoicing and praising God for the ability which he hath supplied for finishing his temple. And herein, (1.) He is a type of Christ, who on the cross finished the great atonement for the sins of the world: or it may refer to the day when he shall rejoice over all his faithful saints in glory with joy and singing, Zep 3:17. (2.) Of every faithful saint of God; who, when God shall have brought him happily to the end of his labours, shall stand forth before his throne, ascribing the whole of his salvation to rich and boundless grace, and join his voice with ten thousand times ten thousand others, shouting, Grace, grace unto it.
[3.] Zerubbabel shall hereby be fully convinced, with all the Jews, of the divine mission of the prophet; or rather this may be referred to Christ, who will make his faithful people know by blessed experience, that he is indeed the Saviour of the world, and that him hath God the Father sent.
[4.] The enemies of Judah shall be confounded, and those, among themselves, who at first were disheartened, shall rejoice, when they see the work brought to so happy an issue. For who hath despised the day of small things? San-ballat, and many even of the Jews, despised the mean beginnings of the temple; but they shall quickly change their mind: for they, the Jews, who at first despaired of being able to finish the work, shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, the building rising fast and beautiful under his direction, with those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth; supported by the divine providence, and instructed by divine wisdom, he shall be enabled to complete the glorious work. Note; (1.) The work of God in the soul begins with a day of small things; the light but glimmering, the graces weak; yet these are not to be despised, for in the end, if we be faithful, they shall have great increase. (2.) Instead of being discouraged because our labours have but little success, we must be thankful for that little, and trust in him who giveth the increase. (3.) It is a great joy to all pious people to see ministers and magistrates exerting themselves in the cause of God and truth. (4.) They who are under the guidance of these seven eyes of God’s providence and grace need never despair, whatever difficulties are in their way.
2nd, Since he had found such favour in the eyes of the Lord, the prophet continues his inquiries, not to gratify his curiosity, but to furnish himself with matter for the good of his people.
1. He begs information concerning the two olive-trees, and what the two branches signify that emptied their oil into the golden bowl through the two golden pipes; and, being interrogated as before, Knowest thou not what these be? he again acknowledges his ignorance.
2. He is told what the olive-trees and branches signify. These are the two anointed ones, or the sons of oil; which some interpret of the gifts and graces of the Spirit; some of Christ and the Holy Ghost; others of Christ in his two natures, or in his offices of priest and king, from whom the golden oil of grace is poured forth; that stand by the Lord of the whole earth, God the Father, who governs the affairs of the world and the church in and by his Son, to whom all power is committed; and by the Holy Ghost, which proceeds from them both, and is the quickening Spirit in the hearts of all that believe. But see the critical notes.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What [be these] two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?
Ver. 12. What be these two olive branches, &c. ] See Trapp on “ Zec 4:3 “ See Trapp on “ Zec 4:7 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
empty the golden oil out of themselves = empty out of themselves [and fill] the golden [bowls],
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
What be: Mat 20:23, Rev 11:4
through: Hag 1:1, *marg. Heb. by the hand of
empty: etc. or, empty out of themselves oil into gold
the golden: Heb. the gold
Reciprocal: Gen 8:11 – an olive Eze 17:22 – highest Zec 4:2 – seven pipes to the seven lamps Zec 4:3 – General Zec 4:4 – What
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 4:12. The additional detail the prophet saw was the pair of branches through which the oil was poured into tiie bowls ot the lamps. It indicates the idea of the Lords doing things by various agencies.