Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 6:10
Take of [them of] the captivity, [even] of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
10. Take ] Lit. to take. This has been thought to be a general direction, extending to all that they had brought, “let (their offerings) be received, or accepted;” the special taking of silver and gold for a particular purpose by the prophet being mentioned in the next verse. But there is no reason whatever to suppose that the Jews who were rebuilding the temple had ever any scruple about receiving such offerings even from heathens (Ezr 1:4; Ezr 1:6-7; Ezr 6:8-10), so that such a direction would have been superfluous. It is better, therefore, to render with A. V. “ take ( thou)” sc. “silver and gold,” the direction being interrupted to tell the prophet where to meet with these men, and resumed at the beginning of Zec 6:11.
the captivity ] used of the Jews who had returned from exile to their own land, Ezr 9:4; Ezr 10:8; but also, as here, of those who were still in exile, Eze 1:1; Eze 3:11; Eze 3:15.
which are come from Babylon ] This clause is transposed in A. V. from the end of the verse where it stands in the Hebrew. It should be left there, as in R. V., and rendered, to which they are come from Babylon. It will then read: Take of the captivity, even of Heldai of Tobijah and of Jedaiah ( their messengers and representatives) and come thou ( thyself to take it in person), even come into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, to which they have come from Babylon and take silver and gold, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Take of the captivity – Of that which they had brought with them. The captivity was, in Jeremiah ), and Ezekiel Eze 1:2; Eze 3:11, Eze 3:15; Eze 11:24-25, the title of those who had been actually carried captive and were at that moment in captivity. Ezra continues it of those who had been in captivity, though now returned from exile. Yet not without a reference to the circumstances or causes of that captivity. It is the captivity Ezr 1:11 which Sheshbazzar brings from Babylon, or Ezra subsequently; the children of the captivity Ezr 8:35, who set themselves to build the temple of God Ezr 4:1; who dedicated it and kept the passover . The title is used apparently as an aggravation of sin, like that which had been chastened by that captivity. Here, the term seems to imply some blame, that they remained of their own accord in this state of severance from the altar, where alone special worship of God and sacrifice could be offered. They had been removed against their will; yet, as Christians often do, acquiesced in the loss, rather than forego their temporal advantages. Still they wished to take part in the work of restoring the public worship, and so sent these men, with their contribution of gold and silver, to their brethren, who had returned; as, in the first times of the Gospel, the Christians everywhere made collections for the poor saints, who dwelt in Jerusalem. And this their imperfect zeal was instantly accepted.
And go thyself – To make the act more impressive, on that same day, as matter of urgency, and thou shalt come to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, whither they have come from Babylon . The exiles who had brought presents for the building of the temple, lodged, it seems, in the house of Josiah, whether they doubted or no that their presents would be accepted, since they chose Babylon, not Jerusalem for their abode. This acceptance of their gifts symbolized the incoming of those from afar. It is remarkable that all five names express a relation to God. Tobiah in Neh 2:10; Neh 6:1; 3) the Tobias here and 14; 4) Tobit and Tobias in his book), The Lord is my good; Yedaiah, God knoweth or careth for; Josiah, The Lord supporteth ; Zephaniah, The Lord hideth, and perhaps Cheldai, The Lords world . They had taken religious instead of worldly names. Probably Zechariah was first to accept the offerings from the three exiles, and then to take the actual gold from the house of Josiah whither they had brought it. The pilgrims from Babylon and their host are included in one common blessing.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. 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, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Take, gold and silver, of those that are come out of Babylon lately, to make their oblation to the Lord, or to bring the oblation of them who yet were in Babylon, but remembered Jerusalem and the temple.
And come thou; go fetch them if they lodge elsewhere, and bring them in thy company.
The same day; the same day in which they come, or else in the same day that I speak unto thee, delay not.
And go into the house of Josiah: some say he was a goldsmith, others, that he was treasurer for the temple, and that these persons before named had brought a rich present to him for the temple and the service of the Lord.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Take of them ofthe captivityTake silver and gold (Zec6:11) from them. The three named came from Babylon (wheresome of the exiled Jews still were left) to present gifts of silverand gold towards the building of the temple. But in Zec 6:11;Zec 6:14, “crowns” aredirected to be made of them, then to be set on Joshua’s head, and tobe deposited in the temple as a memorial of the donors, until Messiahshall appear.
Heldaimeaning”robust.” Called Helem below.
Tobijahthat is, “thegoodness of God.”
Jedaiahthat is, “Godknows.”
which are come fromBabylonThis clause in the Hebrew comes after “Josiahson of Zephaniah.” Therefore, MOOREthinks Josiah as well as the three “came from Babylon.” Butas he has a “house” at Jerusalem, he is plainly a resident,not a visitor. Therefore English Version is right; or MAURER,”Josiah son of Zephaniah, to whom they are come (asguests) from Babylon.”
the same dayNo timewas to be lost to mark the significancy of their coming from afar tooffer gifts to the temple, typifying, in the double crown made oftheir gifts and set on Joshua’s head, the gathering in of Israel’soutcasts to Messiah hereafter, who shall then be recognized as thetrue king and priest.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 persons were; or where they were to go along with him: this Josiah might be either a goldsmith, and therefore the prophet is sent to him to make the crowns later mentioned; or else he might be a treasurer belonging to the temple, who had gold and silver in his hands, which had been put there for the use of it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Let us now inquire, why the Prophet was bid to take gold from four men; for he says, Take from the transmigration. The word הגולה, egule, is to be taken in a collective sense, as in many other places. Take then from the exiles, who have now returned from Babylon to their own country. But he afterwards mentions four men; and there is some abruptness in the passage, but nothing that obscures the meaning of the Prophet; for he says, Take frown Heldai, and from Tobiah, and from Jedaiah; and then he adds, go in that day, enter the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. The Prophet no doubt had been commanded to go to these four, and to enter the house of one of them; and this is evident from the end of the tenth verse, where he says, who have come from Babylon (65) He had spoken only of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; and then he adds, that they had come from Babylon. I come now to the answer. Some interpreters think that these four men supplied the gold and the silver, because they were chief men among the people, and excelled others in piety. Hence they think that these four men were chosen, as a mark of distinction, to supply the gold and the silver to make the crowns: but I conjecture from the end of the chapter that their weakness is here pointed out, even because they were weak in faith and did not believe the promises of God, and thus disheartened others by their example. It is indeed certain that they were men in high authority, and excelled all others, so that the eyes of all were fixed on them; this is certain. But yet their want of faith is what is here reproved, because they did not attend sufficiently to God’s promises, and thought themselves disappointed of their hope; for they had left Babylon, where they enjoyed great abundance, and returned to the holy land, and found it uncultivated and desolate. There was indeed required great patience, when they had to plow among thorns and brambles; for that land, as I have already said, had not been regularly cultivated. Those indeed who had been sent from the East, dwelt here and there in it; but lions and wild beasts had come into it, so that the desolation of the land rendered much work necessary, when the Jews returned. I hence doubt not but that the Holy Spirit does here reprove these four men, who ought to have been leaders and standard-bearers to others; on the contrary, they broke down the confidence of the common people. And this, I say, may be learnt from the end of the chapter, where God commands the two crowns to be placed in the temple, to be a memorial to them, that they might see there the condemnation of their unbelief, as we shall show in its place.
(65) It is better to take the following words as a paranthesis, “and go thou on that day, go even into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;” then the whole paragraph might be thus rendered,—
10. Take from the exiles from Heldai, from Tobiah, and from Jedaiah, (and go thou on that day, go even into the house for Josiah the son of Zephaniah,) who have come from Babylon;
11. Yea, take from them silver and gold, and make a large (or, a double) crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high priest.
The first part is rendered by Henderson as above, and according to Calvin’s translation; but Newcome and Blayney follow our version, which does not seem to be correct; for the first “Take” is repeated, an dthen what the Prophet was to take is mentioned, having previously named the persons from whom the silver and the gold was to be taken.
As to the crown or crowns, various opinions have been entertained. The most consistent with the whole passage is that of Marckius, adopted by Hengstenberg and M‘Caul. He thinks that the plural here is used, as it is often in Hebrew, to express what is large, splended, great, or extraordinary, according to the following examples: [ שמחות ], gladnesses—great gladness, Psa 45:15; [ חכמות ], wisdoms—chief wisdom or true wisdom, Pro 1:20; [ חסדום ], mercies—great mercy, Lam 3:22; [ מוצאת ], goings forth—remarkable going forth, Mic 5:2. To which instances may be added these two: [ כהמות ], beasts—a great beast, Psa 73:22; and [ עגלות ], calves—a great calf, Hos 10:5. In confirmation of this we find the very word here used in its plural form rendered “a crown” in Job 31:36; and it is followed here, in verse 14, by a verb in the singular number. A large, or a splendid, or a double crown is evidently what is meant. Joshua had his sacerdotal mitre before, see Jos 3:5; and around this was a crown of gold, not of silver, see Exo 28:36; but in the present instance there was to be silver as well as gold. It was therefore an extraordinary crown, and designed clearly to denote what was extraordinary—a priest ruling on a royal throne.— Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE SYMBOLICAL CROWNING OF JOSHUA.
(10) Of them of the captivity.Even those who had returned from the Captivity were so called (Ezr. 4:1; Ezr. 6:19). These were probably, however, Jews who intended to remain in the land of their exile, but who were come on a visit to Jerusalem, bringing offerings of silver and gold, to show their sympathy with their brethren who were carrying on the work of the rebuilding of the Temple.
Heldai is called Helem in Zec. 6:14, and Josiah seems to be called Hen. It is very common for a person to be called by several different names in the Bible; thus Hobab, Jethro, Reuel, &c., are some of the names of Moses father-in-law. LXX. interpret the proper names as follows:Heldai as rulers, Tobijah as their useful men, Jedaiah as those who understood them.
The same day.Literally, on that day: viz., on the same day on which thou takest, &c.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 6:10. Take of them of the captivity, &c. Take a gift from the captives of the family of Heldai, namely from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah, and come, &c. into the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah, who is come from Babylon; Zec 6:11 even take the silver and the gold, &c. The persons here spoken of were those who brought the gold from Babylon, destined for the temple. Bishop Chandler observes, that the prophet’s speech is directed to Joshua only; the two crowns are put only on the head of Joshua; to him only it is said, Behold the man whose name is the Branch; as much as to say, “Behold the sign of the Branch whom I promised to David in Solomon, and by the prophets after David to the Jews, by the name of the Branch.”He shall grow up from under him, out of David’s root, his tribe and family; and shall build the temple which the Lord delights in, and act therein both as king and priest, (Zec 6:13.) that there be no more clashing of jurisdictions between the two dignities. Not a word of Zerubbabel in all this; the whole action and discourse centers in Joshua. Zerabbabel was then head of the captivity, and in right their king; but he enjoyed neither the name nor ensigns of majesty, nor had he the authority of the kings of Persia, though their substitute, to enforce obedience to the Jewish laws: such authority was not granted to the Jews before the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus. The jurisdiction bring then voluntary, it seems to have lain chiefly in the high-priest, as being best able to carry it on without civil sanctions; and in his assistants in counsel, of which Zerubbabel was principal. At least, there is nothing said of Zerubbabel in this book but what is ministerial: and the temple being finished, his commission probably was recalled, and he remanded to Babylon, where, as the Jews say, he died. For this cause Zechariah might pass by Zerubbabel, and prefer Joshua to be the representative of the Branch to come; but especially, lest in crowning one of the house of David the people should mistake him for the Messiah, and raise a jealousy of him in the Persians. To provide against these consequences, he put the crowns on a high-priest from whose tribe the Messiah was known not to descend. Thus he was secure that they would suppose Joshua to be nothing more than a type of the Messiah; and that he was crowned, not for his own sake, but in figure of another who should in truth be king. They must be led to such a judgment, the rather from the prophet’s address to Joshua and his assessors, chap. Zec 3:8. Joshua being distinguished as one of those typical persons meant by men of wonder, when the prophet, directing God’s words to him, who was in no sense the Branch they expected, adds, Behold my servant the Branch, it was hardly possible they should misconstrue his words, or fancy that Joshua was principally intended in the prophesy. See Bishop Chandler’s Defence, p. 200. Houbigant in the 11th verse, instead of crowns, reads crown.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Zec 6:10 Take of [them of] the captivity, [even] of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
Ver. 10. Take of them of the captivity ] i.e. Of the returned captives,
even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah
And come thou the same day
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
captivity: or exile, being a deputation. Hebrew. golah. The special word for the Jews captive in Babylonia (2Ki 24:15, 2Ki 24:16. Ezr 1:11; Ezr 2:1, &c. Neh 7:6. Est 2:6. Jer 28:6. Eze 1:1, &c.) Put here by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the returned exiles themselves.
go. Supply the Ellipsis (App-6), thus: “come [with them)”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
which: Ezr 7:14-16, Ezr 8:26-30, Isa 66:20, Act 24:17, Rom 15:25, Rom 15:26
the son: Zec 6:14
Reciprocal: Zec 7:2 – they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 6:10. The men named were among them who came back from Babylon. Zechariah was told to take these men and enter the house of Josiah who was then living in Judea.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
6:10 Take of [them of] the captivity, [even] of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of {l} Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
(l) To receive from him and the other three, money to make the two crowns: who were men of great authority among the Jews, and doubted of the restitution of the kingdom, and of the priesthood, and hurt others by their example.