1Under the type of Joshua the high priest receiving clean garments, 6and a covenant of promise from God, 8Christ, the Branch and corner stone, is foretold.
1AND 1he shewed me 2Joshua 3the high priest standing 4before the angel of the LORD, and 5Satan standing 6at his right hand 7to resist him.
1 Namely, the Angel, see Zech. 2:3, 4.
2 This Joshua is likewise mentioned in Hag. 1:1, 12; 2:3. He is brought in here as a type of the church, being at that time the chief overseer or governor thereof on earth as high priest; yet otherwise, since he has brought or conducted the people out of the Babylonian captivity and has rebuilt the temple and was actually the high priest, he was likewise a type of Jesus Christ, both in name and in deed.
3 Hebr. the great priest.
4 Joshua stood before this Angel, that is, Christ, as an accused person before his judge, and Satan being the accuser. Others take the word standing, here, for, serving, ministering, as Psalm 135:2.
5 This signifies an adversary or resister. See Job 1 on verse 6.
6 Namely, at Joshua’s right hand.
7 That is, that he charges and accuses him (namely, Joshua) before Christ, as being unworthy that he should rebuild the temple under his direction. See Rev. 12:10. The Hebrew words, which are used here, import as much as if we would say: The resister stood to resist him. Compare the words of the text with Eph. 6:12.
2And 8the LORD said unto Satan, 9Thea LORD 10rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath 11chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not 12this 13a brand plucked 14out of the fire?
8 Namely, the Son of God, Whom before he had called the Angel of the LORD.
9 That is, God the Father.
a Jude verse 9.
10 That is, repulse thee with thy false accusation; He disgraces, disowns and condemns thee, and justifies His faithful servant Joshua. See Jude verse 9.
11 See Zech. 1:17; 2:12.
12 Namely, the high priest Joshua.
13 See Isa. 7 on verse 4. Other, as a firebrand rescued out of the fire?
14 That is, out of the Babylonian captivity; or, rescued out of the common destruction, in order that I would show him My favor. Why then do you desire that I would disgrace him? See Amos 4:11.
3Now Joshua was clothed 15with filthy garments, and stood before 16the angel.
15 That is, with defiled, unclean, polluted garments, wherewith were shown his sins and impurities, as appears from verse 4.
16 Namely, of the Angel, spoken of verse 1, Who was the Lord Christ.
4And 17he 18answered and spake 19unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto 20him he said, 21Behold,b I have 22caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee 23with change of raiment.
17 Namely, Christ, Who forgives sins and justifies the unrighteous. Also later in the text again: And (namely, after they had taken away the filthy garments from him) unto him, he (namely, Christ) said.
18 That is, said.
19 That is, unto the other angels, who are His ministers, always standing ready to execute His commands, Heb. 1:14.
20 Namely, Joshua.
21 That is, from this you shall perceive the truth of this matter: I have taken away from you your unrighteousness, which was signified, verse 3, by the filthy garment. Compare Isa. 6:7; Jer. 1:9.
b Micah 7:18.
22 See 2 Sam. 12 on verse 13.
23 Thus they were wont to call new, pure, goodly garments, such as people used to wear only on festive days. See Judges 14:12. Here by the change of raiment is understood the righteousness of Christ, true holiness or spiritual ornament. Compare Mat. 22:11; Luke 15:22.
524And I said, Let them set a fair 25mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with 26garments. And the angel of the LORD 27stood by.
24 Other, Then I said, namely, by myself, as being the words of the prophet, wishing such a thing might come to pass by the will of God.
25 Of the word mitre see the annotation at Exod. 28 on verse 4. The mitre signifies the priestly office, unto which the Lord has ordained and confirmed Joshua, having first cleansed and sanctified him from his sins. See 1 Peter 2:9.
26 Namely, the change of raiment, as is verse 4.
27 Namely, ready to execute the Father’s command.
6And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
7Thus saith 28the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and 29if thou 30wilt keep my charge, 31then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep 32my courts, and 33I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
28 Namely, God the Father, Who, for the benefits wherewith He bestows upon people, requires thankfulness, namely, continual practice in godliness, Luke 1:74, 75; 1 Peter 1:15, 16.
29 That is, if thou shalt carefully keep and observe Mine ordinances and commandments as I will have them kept.
30 Hebr. wilt guard.
31 That is, then shalt thou also have the oversight and government of My church, such as thy forefathers had it. See 2 Chron. 19:11. The church is oftentimes called God’s house, as Num. 12:7; Jer. 11:15; 12:7; Heb. 3:2.
32 That is, thou shalt continually abide in thine high priestly office, and have and keep the supervision over My church. It is the same thing which He has said immediately before in other words.
33 That is, after this life I shall take thee up into everlasting life and cause thee to walk among the holy angels here standing, and others of the heavenly hosts. Compare Mat. 22:30; 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 12:22.
8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and 34thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men 35wondered at: for, behold, 36I will bring forth 37my servant 38the BRANCH.c
34 That is, thy companions, the priests, standing under thine supervision. Or, in general, the godly people, who partake with thee.
35 Or, a wonder. Hebr. men of wonder. Some understand this so: that they were wondered at with amazement by wicked men, since they heard the Word of the Lord. See Isa. 8:18. Yet some understand it that they were looked upon as a great wonder, since they were so wonderfully delivered out of the Babylonian captivity and brought back again into their own country, being the same a sign of the spiritual deliverance by Christ. See Psalm 71 on verse 7.
36 Namely, the Father; Whose words relate here the Lord Christ. See verse 6.
37 That is, Christ. See Isa. 42 on verse 1; 52:13. The sense is: I shall cause Him to appear in the world in the fullness of time, and He shall do My will, as a faithful servant does the will and command of his master.
38 Namely, the Messiah, Who is a Branch out of the stem of Jesse. See Jer. 23 on verse 5; 33:15; Zech. 6:12. Some retain the Hebrew word zemach in the text.
c Isa. 4:2; 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 6:12.
9For behold 39the stone that I have laid before Joshua; 40upon one stone shall be 41seven eyes: behold, 42I will engrave the gravingd thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity 43of that land 44in one day.
39 Namely, Christ, (called the BRANCH shortly before in verse 8), Who is the Foundation and the Cornerstone of His church; as Christ was formerly typified by the cornerstone of the temple, Psalm 118:22; Isa. 28:16; so here now again, when the temple has been founded and renewed in the presence of Joshua.
40 Or, in that stone, namely, in Christ, there shall be, first the fullness of the Godhead, and thereafter abundance of spiritual gifts, and lastly a complete care for His church. Other, over. Understanding thereby the great care which the Father had over Christ and His Kingdom.
41 Compare the words of this verse with the words of Zech. 4:10 and Rev. 5:6.
42 That is, I shall curiously hew and fashion Him, as they use to polish and garnish a precious stone; that is to say: I will adorn Christ with all manner of spiritual graces. Hebr. I shall open his openings, which words some apply to the sufferings and wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherewith all our unrighteousness are blotted out, and our salvation is purchased.
d engraving
43 Namely, of the church of Jews and Gentiles.
44 Namely, on that day when Christ shall be crucified.
10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, 45shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
45 That is, ye shall live in peace, and enjoy abundance of all things. See 1 Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4. Yet this is not so much to be understood of a temporal peace and welfare, as of a contentedness and quietness of mind and peace of conscience, through faith, that God is reconciled with us in Christ. Compare Isa. 2:4, 5; 25:6, 7; Hosea 2:14, 17; 14:5, 6, 7; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13, 14, 15; Micah 4:4; 5:4, 5; in which places the same, under figurative expressions, the peace of the church and of every member is represented.