Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 6:12
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
12. the Branch ] See chap. Zec 3:8 and note.
out of his place ] Lit. from under him. Comp. for the expression Exo 10:23; and for the meaning Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2. Other less satisfactory renderings are, it shall grow up under Him, i.e. all things fair and good shall spring up and flourish under Him. Cf. Pers. Sat. 2, 38: “quidquid calcaverit hic, rosa fiat” (Maurer); or, “ He shall sprout forth from under Himself, i.e. send forth shoots as from a parent stem.” ( Speaker’s Comment.)
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The prophet is taught to explain his own symbolic act. Behold the Man whose name is the Branch . Not for himself, but for Christ, whose name Joshua bare, and whose Priesthood and Princedom he represented, was the crown given him. The prophet had already foretold the Messiah, under the name of the Branch. Here he adds,
And he shall grow up out of His place – Lowly and of no seeming account, as God foretold by Jeremiah, I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David Jer 33:15; and Jesus Himself said, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit Joh 12:24. Alone He grew up before God, as a tender plant Isa 53:2, unknown of man, known to God. It is that still, Divine Life at Nazareth, of which we see only that one bright flash in the temple, the deep saying, not understood even by Joseph and Mary, and then, He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them (see Luk 2:49-51).
And he shall build the temple of the Lord – The material temple was soon to be finished, and that by Zerubbabel, to whom this had been promised, Zec 4:10, not by Joshua. It was then a new temple, to be built from the foundation, of which He Himself was to be the foundation Isa 28:16; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20-21, as He said, On this rock I will build My Church Mat 16:18; and in Him all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple to the Lord Eph 2:21. Osorius: He it is, who built the house; for neither Solomon nor Zerubbabel nor Joshua son of Josedech could build a house worthy of the majesty of God. For the Most High Act 7:48-49, Stephen says, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet; Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool; what house will ye build Me, saith the Lord? For if they could have built a house for God, He would not have allowed His house to be burned and overthrown. What then is the house of God which Christ built? The Church, founded on faith in Him, dedicated by His Blood, stablished by the stayedness of divine virtue, adorned with divine and eternal riches, wherein the Lord ever dwelleth.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH!] I cannot think that Zerubbabel is here intended; indeed, he is not so much as mentioned in Zec 3:8. Joshua and his companions are called anshey mopheth, figurative or typical men; the crowning therefore of Joshua in this place, and calling him the BRANCH, was most probably in reference to that glorious person, the Messiah, of whom he was the type or figure. The Chaldee has, “whose name is my MESSIAH,” or CHRIST.
And he shall grow up out of his place] That is, out of David’s root, tribe, and family.
And he shall build the temple of the Lord.] This cannot refer to the building of the temple then in hand, for Zerubbabel was its builder: but to that temple, the Christian Church, that was typified by it; for Zerubbabel is not named here, and only Joshua or Jesus (the name is the same) is the person who is to be crowned and to build this spiritual temple.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Speak unto him; Joshua, but in hearing of others, and in the name of the Lord.
Behold; consider thoroughly the import and meaning of this unusual ceremony.
The man; thou, Joshua, art the type or figure, but he that is the man signified by thee, is that great person God hath promised, and you do expect, and who shall come.
Whose name is the Branch; whom you know by the name of the Branch, who was called so long since, Messiah Ben David; this wonderful person is the man that is crowned, as King and Priest, by proxy, or in effigy: thou, O Joshua, art the portrait; he is the Branch itself, Zec 3:8.
He shall grow up; though you may perhaps suspect the root dry or dead, yet assuredly it is not, the Branch will spring up, Messiah, King and Priest, shall be born in due time.
Out of his place; of the same tribe and family, and in the same place, foretold.
He shall build the temple; he it is, though unseen, that stands by you, that builds the material temple: neither Zerubbabel nor Joshua, nor all the Jews, could do any thing without Christ in the present building, which is yet far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, beautify, and preserve, and dwell in for ever.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Behold, the mannamely,shall arise. Pilate unconsciously spake God’s will concerning Him,”Behold the man” (Joh19:5). The sense here is, “Behold in Joshua a remarkableshadowing forth of Messiah.” It is not for his own sake that thecrown is placed on him, but as type of Messiah about to be at onceking and priest. Joshua could not individually be crowned king, notbeing of the royal line of David, but only in his representativecharacter.
Branch(See on Zec3:8; Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5;Jer 33:15).
he shall grow up out of hisplaceretaining the image of a “Branch”; “Heshall sprout up from His place,” that is, the place peculiar toHim: not merely from Beth-lehem or Nazareth, but by His own power,without man’s aid, in His miraculous conception [HENDERSON];a sense brought out in the original, “from under Himself,”or “from (of) Himself” [CALVIN].MOORE makes it refer toHis growing lowly in His place of obscurity, “as a tenderplant and a root out of a dry ground” (Isa53:2), for thirty years unknown except as the son of a carpenter.MAURER translates, “UnderHim there shall be growth (in the Church).” English Versionaccords better with the Hebrew (compare Ex10:23). The idea in a Branch is that Christ’s glory is growing,not yet fully manifested as a full-grown tree. Therefore men rejectHim now.
build the templeThepromise of the future true building of the spiritual temple byMessiah (Mat 16:18; 1Co 3:17;2Co 6:16; Eph 2:20-22;Heb 3:3) is an earnest to assurethe Jews, that the material temple will be built by Joshua andZerubbabel, in spite of all seeming obstacles. It also raises theirthoughts beyond the material to the spiritual temple, and also to thefuture glorious temple, to be reared in Israel under Messiah’ssuperintendence (Eze40:1-43:27). The repetition of the same clause (Zec6:13) gives emphasis to the statement as to Messiah’s work.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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
Mt 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The meaning of this is explained in Zec 6:12-15. Zec 6:12. “And speak to him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold a man, His name is Tsemach (Sprout), and from His place will He sprout up, and build the temple of Jehovah. Zec 6:13. And He will build the temple of Jehovah, and He will carry loftiness, and will sit and rule upon His throne, and will be a priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between them both. Zec 6:14. And the crown will be to Chelem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedahjah, and the favour of the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. Zec 6:15. And they that are far off will come and build at the temple of Jehovah; then will ye know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to you; and it will come to pass, if ye hearken to the voice of Jehovah your God.” Two things are stated in these verses concerning the crown: (1) In Zec 6:12 and Zec 6:13 the meaning is explained of the setting of the crown upon the head of Joshua the high priest; and (2) in Zec 6:14, Zec 6:15, an explanation is given of the circumstance, that the crown had been made of silver and gold presented by men of the captivity. The crowning of Joshua the high priest with a royal crown, which did not properly belong to the high priest as such, as his headdress is neither called a crown ( atarah ) nor formed part of the insignia of royal dignity and glory, had a typical significance. It pointed to a man who would sit upon his throne as both ruler and priest, that is to say, would combine both royalty and priesthood in his own person and rank. The expression “Speak thou to him” shows that the words of Jehovah are addressed to Joshua, and to him alone ( is singular), and therefore that Zerubbabel must not be interpolated into Zec 6:11 along with Joshua. The man whom Joshua is to represent or typify, by having a crown placed upon his head, is designated as the Messiah, by the name Tsemach (see at Zec 3:8); and this name is explained by the expression . These words must not be taken impersonally, in the sense of “under him will it sprout” (lxx, Luth., Calov., Hitzig, Maurer, and others); for this thought cannot be justified from the usage of the language, to say nothing of its being quite remote from the context, since we have , and not (under him); and moreover, the change of subject in and would be intolerably harsh. In addition to this, according to Jer 33:15, the Messiah is called Tsemach , because Jehovah causes a righteous growth to spring up to David, so that Tsemach is the sprouting one, and not he who makes others or something else to sprout. , “from under himself,” is equivalent to “from his place” (Exo 10:23), i.e., from his soil; and is correctly explained by Alting in Hengstenberg thus: “both as to his nation and as to his country, of the house of David, Judah, and Abraham, to whom the promises were made.” It also contains an allusion to the fact that He will grow from below upwards, from lowliness to eminence.
This Sprout will build the temple of the Lord. That these words do not refer to the building of the earthly temple of stone and wood, as Ros. and Hitzig with the Rabbins suppose, is so obvious, that even Koehler has given up this view here, and understands the words, as Hengstenberg, Tholuck, and others do, as relating to the spiritual temple, of which the tabernacle and the temples of both Solomon and Zerubbabel were only symbols, the temple which is the church of God itself (Hos 8:1; 1Pe 2:5; Heb 3:6; and Eph 2:21-22). Zechariah not only speaks of this temple here, but also in Zec 4:9, as Haggai had done before him, in Hag 2:6-9, which puts the correctness of our explanation of these passages beyond the reach of doubt. The repetition of this statement in Zec 6:13 is not useless, but serves, as the emphatic before this and the following sentence shows, to bring the work of the Tsemach into connection with the place He will occupy, in other words, to show the glory of the temple to be built. The two clauses are to be linked together thus: “He who will build the temple, the same will carry eminence.” There is no “antithesis to the building of the temple by Joshua and Zerubbabel” (Koehler) in ; but this is quite as foreign to the context as another view of the same commentator, viz., that Zec 6:13 interrupts the explanation of what the shoot is to be. , eminence, is the true word for regal majesty (cf. Jer 22:18; 1Ch 29:25; Dan 11:21). In this majesty He will sit upon His throne and rule, also using His regal dignity and power for the good of His people, and will be a Priest upon His throne, i.e., will be at once both Priest and King upon the throne which He assumes. The rendering, “And there will be a priest upon His throne” (Ewald and Hitzig), is precluded by the simple structure of the sentences, and still more by the strangeness of the thought which it expresses; for the calling of a priest in relation to God and the people is not to sit upon a throne, but to stand before Jehovah (cf. Jdg 20:28; Deu 17:12). Even the closing words of this verse, “And a counsel of peace will be between them both,” do not compel us to introduce a priest sitting upon the throne into the text by the side of the Tsemach ruling upon His throne. cannot be taken as a neuter in the sense of “between the regal dignity of the Messiah and His priesthood” (Capp., Ros.), and does not even refer to the Tsemach and Jehovah, but to the Moshel and Kohen , who sit upon the throne, united in one person, in the Tsemach . Between these two there will be atsath shalom . This does not merely mean, “the most perfect harmony will exist” (Hofmann, Umbreit), for that is a matter of course, and does not exhaust the meaning of the words. Atsath shalom , counsel of peace, is not merely peaceful, harmonious consultation, but consultation which has peace for its object; and the thought is the following: The Messiah, who unites in Himself royalty and priesthood, will counsel and promote the peace of His people.
This is the typical meaning of the crowning of the high priest Joshua. But another feature is added to this. The crown, which has been placed upon the head of Joshua, to designate him as the type of the Messiah, is to be kept in the temple of the Lord after the performance of this act, as a memorial for those who bring the silver and gold from the exiles in Babel, and , i.e., for the favour or grace of the son of Zephaniah. Chen is not a proper name, or another name for Josiah, but an appellative in the sense of favour, or a favourable disposition, and refers to the favour which the son of Zephaniah has shown to the emigrants who have come from Babylon, by receiving them hospitably into his house. For a memorial of these men, the crown is to be kept in the temple of Jehovah. The object of this is not merely “to guard it against profanation, and perpetuate the remembrance of the givers” (Kliefoth); but this action has also a symbolical and prophetic meaning, which is given in Zec 6:15 in the words, “Strangers will come and build at the temple of the Lord.” Those who have come from the far distant Babylon are types of the distant nations who will help to build the temple of the Lord with their possessions and treasures. This symbolical proceeding therefore furnishes a confirmation of the promise in Hag 2:7, that the Lord will fill His temple with the treasures of all nations. By the realization of what is indicated in this symbolical proceeding, Israel will perceive that the speaker has been sent to them by the Lord of hosts; that is to say, not that Zechariah has spoken by the command of God, but that the Lord has sent the angel of Jehovah. For although in what precedes, only the prophet, and not the angel of Jehovah, has appeared as acting and speaking, we must not change the “sending” into “speaking” here, or take the formula in any other sense here than in Zec 2:13, Zec 3:2, and Zec 4:9. We must therefore assume, that just as the words of the prophet pass imperceptibly into words of Jehovah, so here they pass into the words of the angel of Jehovah, who says concerning himself that Jehovah has sent him. The words conclude with the earnest admonition to the hearers, that they are only to become partakers of the predicted good when they hearken to the voice of their God. The sentence commencing with does not contain any aposiopesis ; there is no valid ground for such an assumption as this in the simple announcement, which shows no trace of excitement; but v e hahah may be connected with the preceding thought, “ye will know,” etc., and affirms that they will only discern that the angel of Jehovah has been sent to them when they pay attention to the voice of their God. Now, although the recognition of the sending of the angel of the Lord involves participation in the Messianic salvation, the fact that this recognition is made to depend upon their giving heed to the word of God, by no means implies that the coming of the Messiah, or the participation of the Gentiles in His kingdom, will be bound up with the fidelity of the covenant nation, as Hengstenberg supposes; but the words simply declare that Israel will not come to the knowledge of the Messiah or to His salvation, unless it hearkens to the voice of the Lord. Whoever intentionally closes his eyes, will be unable to see the salvation of God.
The question whether the prophet really carried out the symbolical action enjoined upon him in Zec 6:10., externally or not, can neither be answered in the affirmative nor with a decided negative. The statement in Zec 6:11, that the prophet who was hardly a goldsmith, was to make the crown, is no more a proof that it was not actually done, than the talmudic notice in Middoth iii., concerning the place where the crown was hung up in the temple, is a proof that it was. For in Zec 6:11 may also express causing to be made; and the talmudic notice referred to does not affirm that this crown was kept in the temple, but simply states that in the porch of the temple there were beams stretching from one wall to the other, and that golden chains were fastened to them, upon which the priestly candidates climbed up and saw crowns; and the verse before us is then quoted, with the formula as a confirmation of this.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The vision is now explained; for if the chief priest, without this explanation, had been adorned with two crowns, there must have been much talk among the people, “What means this?” God here shows that what he has commanded to be done to Joshua does not belong to him, but has a reference to another, Thou shalt say to him, Behold the Man, Branch is his name. It is the same as though the Prophet had expressly testified that Joshua was not crowned, because he was worthy of such an honor, or because he could look for royal dignity; but that he was to bear this honor for a time, in order that the Jews might understand that one was to arise who would be both a king and a priest. Hence he says, that there would be a man, whose name was to be Branch
As to this name, it has been explained elsewhere. I omit those refinements with which some are delighted; but as I have shown in another place, the simple and true reason why Christ is so called, is, because he was not like a tall tree, with deep and strong roots, but like a small plant. He is indeed called in another place, “a shoot from the root of Jesse.” (Isa 11:1.) But the meaning is the same; for that root of Jesse was obscure and of no repute. Besides, this kind of shoot has nothing in it that is illustrious. We hence see that Christ is called Branch, because his beginning was contemptible, so that he was of hardly any repute among heathens; nay even among his own nation. But God intimates at the same time, that this little plant would be set, as it were, by his own hand, and thus would gather strength. Though then the beginning of Christ was humble, yet God declares, that he would give vigor for continued growth, until he should attain to a great height. In this sense it is that Christ is called Branch: and we clearly conclude, that the minds of the people were transferred to Christ who was to come, that they might not fix their attention on Joshua, who was then but a typical priest. Say to Joshua, Behold the man, whose name is Branch. Where is that man? He does not speak of Joshua; he does not say, “Thou art the man;” but he says, Behold the man, whose name is Branch, that is, who comes elsewhere. We then hence learn, that these crowns were those of Christ, but given to Joshua, that the Jews might see in the type, what was as yet hid under hope.
He afterwards adds, He shall arise from himself, or grow up from his own place, literally, from under himself. Here also some have too refinedly philosophised, — that Christ arose from himself by his own power, because he is the eternal God. I think, on the contrary, that all human means are only excluded, as though the Prophet had said, that though Christ was like a little plant, he would yet grow up as though he had roots deeply fixed in the earth. There is indeed no doubt, but that Christ grew up by his own celestial power, and this is what the words of the Prophet include; but what he meant was this, — that Christ had nothing in his beginning calculated to draw the admiration of men. Though then Christ was only a shoot, yet God had sufficient power, that he should grow from his own place, (66) that though human means were absent, it would yet be enough, that God should bless this branch, so as to cause it to grow to its proper height.
He then says, And he shall build the temple of Jehovah. This is a remarkable passage: it hence appears that the temple which the Jews had then begun to build, and which was afterwards built by Herod, was not the true temple of which Haggai had prophesied, when he said,
“
The glory of the second house shall be greater than that of the first.” (Hag 2:9.)
For though the temple of Herod was splendid, yet we see what the Spirit declares in this place, — that to build the temple would be Christ’s own work. Hence no one, had he heaped together all the gold and the silver of the world, could have built the true temple of which Haggai prophesied, and of which Ezekiel has so largely spoken near the end of his book. Christ alone then has been chosen by the Father to build this temple. Christ indeed himself was a temple as to his body, for the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him, (Col 2:6😉 but he built a temple to God the Father, when he raised up everywhere pure worship, having demolished superstitions, and when he consecrated us to be a royal priesthood.
We now then see what was shown to the Prophet, — that though the Jews were then exposed to many evils, to reproaches and wrongs, yet Christ would come to restore all things to a perfect order, that he would be not only a king but also a priest; and further, that his beginning would be obscure and despised by the world, and yet that he would attain without any earthly helps his own elevation; and, lastly, that his own proper office would be to build a temple to God.
(66) And he shall branch out from his place,— Newcome. Henderson follows our version. The Targum’s version is remarkable, “Behold the man, Messiah is his name; who shall be revealed.” The metaphor is dropped, and revelation or manifestation was understood to be the meaning of “growing out of his place.” “Out of his place,” that is, “out of Bethlehem,” says Henry. “Out of David’s root, tribe and family,” says Adam Clarke. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) The man.Better, a man, as in Isa. 32:2.
Branch.See Note on Zec. 3:8.
Shall build.This verb is often used in a figurative sense: e.g., of a family (Gen. 16:2). Since Zerubbabel is not even mentioned in this passage, Zechariahs hearers could not possibly have thought that this symbolical action was merely a repetition of the promise of Zec. 4:9, but must have perceived that the building of the Temple here spoken of referred to something of a higher nature than the material building then in progress.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
DISCOURSE: 1247
CHRIST SAVING BY HIS UNITED OFFICES
Zec 6:12-13. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
MANY of the most important prophecies were introduced with remarkable and appropriate signs. When God foretold to Moses the deliverance of his people from their bondage in Egypt, he appeared to him in a burning bush, which represented the state of his Church as persecuted on every side, but preserved from injury by his presence in it. Thus was Joshua the high-priest now made to receive an honour which described in a very significant manner the glory and dignity of the promised Messiah. Some of the Jews who had chosen to remain in Babylon after that their brethren had returned to their own land, shewed that they were not altogether unmindful of their brethren or their God, by bringing a present of gold and silver for the use of the newly erected temple: and God instantly commanded that two crowns should be made of the gold and silver, and that these crowns should, in the presence of the donors, be put upon the head of Joshua: then, in explanation of this sign, the prophet was ordered to direct their attention to the promised Messiah, in whom all honour and power, whether regal or priestly, should be combined [Note: ver. 911.].
This prophecy will lead us to consider,
I.
The name and work of the Messiah
Christ is here referred to as the man whose name is The Branch
[Frequently is he characterized by the prophets under this appellation [Note: Zec 3:8. Isa 4:2.]. Its import is, that he was to be a scion or shoot springing out of the stem of Jesse, that is, to be born of the house of David, when it was cut down and reduced to the lowest state [Note: Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2.]. But though he was to appear in such a weak and mean condition, yet he was to sit upon the throne of his father David and to reign for ever. Nor can we err in applying this prophecy to Christ, since another prophet, speaking of him by the very same name, expatiates in exalted terms upon the glory of his majesty, and declares that the name whereby he should be still more eminently distinguished, should be, Jehovah our Righteousness [Note: Jer 23:5-6.]. In due time he grew up out of his place, both out of Bethlehem, where he was born, and out of Nazareth, where he was brought up. We do not indeed find him called The Branch by any of the New Testament writers; but, as the place where this branch was to grow up seems to be so particularly specified, it is not impossible but that this prophecy received its accomplishment in that contemptuous appellation given to him, The Nazarene [Note: Mat 2:23. The Hebrew word Netzer signifies a Branch.]: at all events it was fulfilled in that title so often ascribed to him, The Son of David [Note: Mat 20:30-31; Mat 21:9.].]
The work to which he was appointed was, to build the temple
[The material temple was now rebuilding under the auspices of Zerubbabel and Joshua. In reference to that, the prophet speaks of another temple (of which that which was now erecting was but a type or shadow,) which should in due time be raised by the Messiah himself; and he repeats his declaration both to denote the great importance of it, and the certainty of its accomplishment. This temple is no other than the Church of God, which Jesus Christ has founded on the earth, and against which neither the power nor the policy of hell shall ever prevail [Note: Mat 16:18. Eph 2:20-21.].]
To him also, as the only builder, was to be given all the glory
[Whatever instruments he uses, they can effect nothing but through the agency of his Spirit. Whether Paul plant or Apollos water, it is Christ alone that can give the increase [Note: 1Co 3:7.]. The workmen in the material temple might say of the carved work, This and that was the work of my hands; it was formed by my skill, and is a monument of my power: but, in the Church of God, there is not one stone laid in the whole building, which was not dug from the quarry, fitted for its place, and fixed in its station by the hand of Jesus: and the chisel has as much right to boast against him who worketh with it, as any instrument, which the Lord may use, has to arrogate to himself any part of his honour [Note: Isa 10:15.]. When the top-stone shall be brought forth with shoutings, there shall not be one in heaven or earth, who will not ascribe the glory to the Divine Architect, crying, Grace, grace unto it [Note: Zec 4:7.]!]
As his work was to be glorious, so were also,
II.
The offices whereby he was to execute that work
Mean as his appearance was, he was appointed to bear the highest offices:
1.
He was to rule both as a King and as a Priest
[As King of kings and Lord of lords, he erects his throne over all in heaven and earth. But he exercises also a government which the Father has committed to him in his mediatorial capacity. This relates more immediately to the Church, the minutest concerns of which are all subject to his controul [Note: Eph 1:22.]. But though a King, he executes also the office of a Priest; and appeared to the beloved Apostle arrayed in priestly vestments, in token that he still carries on the work which he began on earth [Note: Rev 1:13.]. In him the kingly power of Zerubbabel, and the priestly office of Joshua, were to be united: and it was for this reason that both the crowns were put upon the head of Joshua, who in so remarkable a manner represented him. Being a priest upon his throne, his government was to be mild, like that of a compassionate Priest; and his intercession effectual, like that of an Almighty King.]
2.
By these united offices he was to perform the work assigned him
[The salvation of men has been contrived by infinite wisdom, and is effected only in that way which God has appointed. It is not accomplished either by power alone or by price alone; but by price and by power. Christ in his priestly office atones; and in his kingly office imparts the benefit of that atonement: the counsel of peace is between them both. However meritorious the death of Christ might be as a sacrifice, we can receive no salvation by it, unless he exert his almighty power to renew and sanctify our nature; nor, on the other hand, would his grace be sufficient to bring us unto God, unless he had offered a sacrifice for our sins, and continued in heaven to make intercession for us. But by making satisfaction to the injured Majesty of heaven, and delivering us out of the hands of all our spiritual enemies, he both effects our reconciliation with God, and renders us meet for our heavenly inheritance.]
Infer
1.
What abundant provision has God made for our peace!
[A guilty conscience is not easily pacified: in the midst of all its endeavours to divert its attention from the state of the soul, it will feel many fears and secret misgivings: it will always suspect, either that something which they do not possess, is necessary for the securing of pardon, or that the exertions used for the attainment of holiness, are inadequate to the end proposed. But God has given us a Saviour, who equally bears the sacerdotal censer, and the regal diadem; and unites in himself the compassion of a Priest, with the power and authority of a King. What then can be wanting to satisfy our minds? Surely we need only believe; and according to our faith so shall it be done unto us. If our minds be but stayed on Christ as a willing and all-sufficient Saviour, we shall, according to his word, be kept in perfect peace.]
2.
How evidently must all the glory of our salvation be given to Christ!
[We always wish to ascribe some of the glory to ourselves: but the whole work is his from the foundation to the top-stone: He is the author and the finisher of our faith.Are we reconciled to God? it is through the blood of his cross. Is our peace maintained with God? it is through his prevailing intercession. Are we freed from the bondage of sin and Satan? it is through his mighty power, and victorious grace. Let him then bear the glory: on him let us hang all the glory of his Fathers house [Note: Isa 22:24.]: and let us now sing, as we hope to do to all eternity, To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen [Note: Rev 1:5-6.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Ver. 12. And spake unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying ] That is, confidently and constantly affirm and aver it; that, notwithstanding all unlikelihood and unbelief on the people’s part, Almighty God will surely bring it to pass; this heap of words importeth so much; for “do ye think the Scripture speaketh in vain?” saith St James, not without some holy indignation, Jas 4:5 .
Behold the man whose name is The Branch
He shall grow up out of his place, and shall build the temple of God
And he shall grow up out of his place
And he shall build the temple of the Lord
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
saying. Some codices, with the Septuagint and Syriac, omit this verb but in that case the Ellipsis (App-6), must be supplied in italics. See note on Psa 109:5.
the Lord of hosts. See note on Zec 1:3.
Man . . . BRANCH. Hebrew. ish. App-14. See the Structure and note on the four Gospels as a whole, p. 1304.
grow up = sprout forth. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6). Hebrew. zemach. . . zemach = a branch shall branch forth.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
BRANCH
(See Scofield “Isa 4:2”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
behold: Zec 13:7, Isa 32:1, Isa 32:2, Mic 5:5, Mar 15:39, Joh 19:5, Act 13:38, Act 17:31, Heb 7:4, Heb 7:24, Heb 8:3, Heb 10:12
whose: Zec 3:8, Psa 80:15-17, Isa 4:2, Isa 11:1, Isa 53:2, Jer 23:5, Jer 33:15, Luk 1:78, *marg. Joh 1:45
grow up out of his place: or, branch up from under him
he shall build: Zec 4:6-9, Zec 8:9, Mat 16:18, Mat 26:61, Mar 14:58, Mar 15:29, Joh 2:19-21, 1Co 3:9, Eph 2:20-22, Heb 3:3, Heb 3:4, 1Pe 2:4, 1Pe 2:5
Reciprocal: Deu 18:18 – like unto 1Ki 5:5 – as the Lord 1Ki 6:1 – build 1Ch 17:12 – He shall 1Ch 22:10 – He shall build 1Ch 28:6 – he shall Son 8:9 – we will Isa 9:6 – the government Jer 30:21 – and I Eze 17:22 – highest Eze 21:27 – until Eze 34:29 – I will Eze 37:25 – and my Eze 41:1 – to the temple Eze 44:3 – the prince Zec 4:9 – his hands Zec 6:15 – and ye Mat 21:5 – thy King Luk 2:14 – and Luk 24:44 – in the prophets Joh 1:49 – the King Act 5:24 – this Act 7:47 – General Act 13:32 – how Act 26:6 – the promise Gal 4:4 – made 1Pe 1:10 – which Rev 22:16 – I am
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 6:12. This is another instance where the prophet advances his prediction of favor for Gods people from fleshly to spiritual Israel. This and the following verses of the chapter predict the work of Christ and his kingdom upon the earth. He is called The Branch by way of importance and because His work was destined to grow up out of his place. The temple that he was to build is the church which is recognized by that name in 1Co 3:16 and 2Co 6:16.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Zec 6:12. And speak unto him, saying Bishop Chandler justly observes, that the prophets 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, the person whom I promised to David in Solomon, and by the prophets after David to the Jews, by the name of the BRANCH. There cannot be a doubt, says Blayney, that the same person is meant by the BRANCH here, who is so called chap. Zec 3:8, and this has been already shown to be, not Zerubbabel, but the Messiah himself; of whom Joshua is made the type, or representative, by the crown placed on his head. For to what end should he have been called in to represent Zerubbabel, who was his cotemporary, and altogether as ready at hand as himself. Nor will the passage, strictly and literally translated, answer to any other but him who was at once both king and priest, and, by uniting both characters in himself, was completely qualified to bring about the counsel of peace, or reconciliation between God and man. It must be observed, however, that the human nature of our Lord is here chiefly intended by the expression, The man, the BRANCH. For, considered in his divine nature, he is not the branch out of the stem of Jesse, or David, but their root, as he is termed Isa 11:10; Rev 5:5; Rev 22:16. In this his human nature, he was small in his beginning, even as to his kingdom as well as his person; and mean in his appearance, as a mere bud or sprout, but gradually flourishing and becoming great and fruitful. As a branch, he was to be cut off, but would produce sprouts, branches, and trees of righteousness innumerable. He shall grow up out of his place Out of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold; as if he had said, Though you may suspect the root to be dry and dead, yet assuredly it is not: the branch will spring up, the Messiah, who shall be both priest and king, will make his appearance in due time. The Hebrew, , is literally, He shall spring up, or flourish, from under himself; by his own power, or by the power of his own Spirit, he shall be both stock and stem to himself. The words seem evidently to express his miraculous conception. He shall build the temple of the Lord As the preceding clause speaks of his person, his conception, and birth, so this describes his work; as if he had said, He it is that stands by you, though unseen, and enables you to build this material temple; which neither Zerubbabel, nor Joshua, nor all the Jews uniting with them, would be able to complete without him. This, however, is a temple far inferior to that spiritual building, the gospel church, which the Messiah will in due time raise, beautify, preserve, and honour; the spiritual house, in which he will dwell, 1Pe 2:4; the temple built on the foundations laid in Zion, where he will manifest his grace and glory, and be worshipped in Spirit and in truth, 1Co 3:9-16; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:19-22.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:12 And speak to him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The {n} BRANCH; and he shall grow {o} up out of his place, and he shall {p} build the temple of the LORD:
(n) Meaning Christ, of whom Joshua was the figure: for in Greek they were both called Jesus.
(o) That is, of himself without the help of man.
(p) Which declares that no one could build this temple of which Haggai speaks, but only Christ: and therefore it was spiritual, and not material; Ha 2:9 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Zechariah was then to announce in the name of sovereign Yahweh that those present should behold Joshua, whom Zechariah would designate as Branch (lit. Sprout, Heb. semah, cf. Zec 3:8; Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2; Jer 33:15; Hag 2:23). Joshua represented (was a type of) the coming messianic Branch. This name signified that the coming Shoot would shoot up from His humble place of origin (cf. Isa 53:2; Mic 5:2). "He will branch out from where He is" is a pun on the word "branch." It means, "The shoot will shoot up from beneath (where there is little promise of life)." His kingdom would be widespread. Furthermore, He would build the temple of Yahweh. Zerubbabel, not Joshua, was God’s choice to build the restoration temple (Zec 4:9-10), but Messiah, whom Joshua prefigured, would build the future temple for Yahweh (cf. Isa 2:2-4; Isa 56:6-7; Ezekiel 40-43; Mic 4:1-7; Hag 2:6-9). For amillennialists, the temple equals the church. [Note: E.g., Leupold, p. 124.]
"How appropriate therefore that both the type (Joshua) and the antitype (Jesus) have a name meaning ’the Lord saves’ (cf. NIV mg. at Mat 1:21)!" [Note: Barker, p. 639.]
The Aramaic Targum, the Jerusalem Talmud, and a Midrash all regarded Zec 6:12 as messianic. When Pilate said, "Behold, the man" (Joh 19:5), he was announcing to the Jews unwittingly that Jesus was the Branch promised in this verse.