Zechariah 3:1
וַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־יְמִינ֖וֹ לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ׃
and He caused me to see Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Messenger of YHWH, and Satan standing on his right to oppose him.
Paraphrase: Shortly after this vision, God gave me another. This time, I was standing in the heavenly courtroom of YHWH. The Angel of YHWH was sitting in the judgment seat. Standing in the dock was Joshua the high priest. The prosecuting attorney was Satan himself.
Comments:
Satan was standing to satan him.
Zechariah 3:2
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־הַשָּׂטָ֗ן יִגְעַ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה בְּךָ֙ הַשָּׂטָ֔ן וְיִגְעַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ בְּךָ֔ הַבֹּחֵ֖ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הֲל֧וֹא זֶ֦ה א֖וּד מֻצָּ֥ל מֵאֵֽשׁ׃
And YHWH said to Satan, “YHWH rebukes you, Satan.” And YHWH, who is choosing Jerusalem, rebukes you. Is this not a stick being plucked from the fire?
Paraphrase: Satan then arose and presented the case against Joshua. As he proceeded, the Angel of YHWH interrupted him. “You are a liar and the father of lies!” He said with great indignation. “I demand that you stop slandering this man!”
Comments:
Both instances of יִגְעַר appear to be jussive, but there is nothing morphological to indicate this; it’s a judgment made from the context. I’ve treated them as ordinary YQTLs; see §k.
Zechariah 3:3
וִיהוֹשֻׁ֕עַ הָיָ֥ה לָבֻ֖שׁ בְּגָדִ֣ים צוֹאִ֑ים וְעֹמֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י הַמַּלְאָֽךְ׃
Now Joshua was clothed in clothing of filth and was standing before the Angel.
Paraphrase: Now Joshua was standing in the dock facing the Angel of YHWH. His appearance, however, was utterly repulsive. His clothes were covered in filth and human excrement. The sight and smell caused people to fall back in astonishment. Joshua himself was mortified and his head hung in shame.
Comments:
צוֹאים “filthy” only occurs in this form in v3 and 4. It means to be fouled with human excrement. Smith, Micah–Malachi, p198.
Zechariah 3:4
וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶל־הָעֹמְדִ֤ים לְפָנָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָסִ֛ירוּ הַבְּגָדִ֥ים הַצֹּאִ֖ים מֵעָלָ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו רְאֵ֨ה הֶעֱבַ֤רְתִּי מֵעָלֶ֙יךָ֙ עֲוֺנֶ֔ךָ וְהַלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֹתְךָ֖ מַחֲלָצֽוֹת׃
And he answered and said to those standing before him saying, “Cause his clothes of filth to be removed from off him. And he said to him, “See I have caused your guilt to pass away from off you and have clothed you in royal robes.
Paraphrase: Then the Angel of YHWH gave an order to His attendants. “Remove this man’s clothes and get him new ones.” So the attendants stepped forward, took Joshua by the arm, and led him away to get his clothes changed. When they returned, everyone could see that his old clothes were gone and he had been clothed in new priest’s garments. There was the chest piece, the ephod, the robe, the fitted tunic, and the sash. (Exodus 28:4) Then the Angel of YHWH announced with great joy, “Look, at your new clothes! In the same way that your dirty clothes have been exchanged for clean ones, I have caused the filth of your sin and guilt to be washed away. Yes, it’s true as we often sing together, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12) Now look at the clothes that you are wearing; they are robes fit for a king!“
Comments:
Sometimes the infinitive, as with וְהַלְבֵּשׁ, continues the action of a preceding finite verb. §4a
Zechariah 3:5
וָאֹמַ֕ר יָשִׂ֛ימוּ צָנִ֥יף טָה֖וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ֩ הַצָּנִ֨יף הַטָּה֜וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וַיַּלְבִּשֻׁ֙הוּ֙ בְּגָדִ֔ים וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה עֹמֵֽד׃
And I said, “Let them cause a clean turban to be placed on his head. And they caused a clean turban to be placed on his head, and they clothed him in clothes and the Angel of YHWH was standing.
Paraphrase: Upon seeing Joshua’s new clothes, I leaped for joy. One thing, however, was noticeably missing. Joshua was not wearing the priestly turban. (Exodus 28:36-37) I could not contain myself any longer. “Someone get a clean turban for his head, the one with the gold plate in it that says Holiness to YHWH!” At this, the Angel of YHWH stood and nodded in agreement. One of the attendants ran to fetch it. When he returned, everyone gathered around and watched as the Angel of YHWH fixed the turban to Joshua’s head. When He finished, we sang for joy, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This is YHWH’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; we have blessed you from the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 118:22-26)
Comments:
Zechariah 3:6
וַיָּ֙עַד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה בִּיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לֵאמֹֽר׃
And the Angel of YHWH charged Joshua saying,
Paraphrase: Then the Angel of YHWH gave a charge to Joshua.
Comments:
Zechariah 3:7
כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַ֤י תֵּלֵךְ֙ וְאִ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגַם־אַתָּה֙ תָּדִ֣ין אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י וְגַ֖ם תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר אֶת־חֲצֵרָ֑י וְנָתַתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מַהְלְכִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָעֹמְדִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
Thus says YHWH of armies. If in My ways you walk and if My guard you guard then even you will be the judge of My house and even you will guard my courts, and I will give to you the places between these ones standing.
Paraphrase: Thus says YHWH, the Great King of heaven and earth, the One who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens (Revelation 3:7), “I give you this charge, Joshua, My servant. If you will walk in My ways and be careful to keep all My commands (Genesis 26:5), then I will give you the key to this temple. (Matthew 16:19) You will preside over this house as high priest. You will have authority to administer all the affairs of this temple.
Comments:
Zechariah 3:8
שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֞א יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ׀ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֗וֹל אַתָּה֙ וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מוֹפֵ֖ת הֵ֑מָּה כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י מֵבִ֛יא אֶת־עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח׃
Hear please, Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions sitting before you, for men of a sign they are, for behold, I am causing My Servant, the Sprout to come.
Paraphrase: Now Joshua, listen closely. You and your colleagues are priests, and all of you are signs pointing to a greater reality that is still future. You are all signs that there is a Person coming; He is My Servant of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke. (Isaiah 42:1–4, 49:1–6, 50:4–9, and 52:13–53:12) He is the Sprout of which Isaiah has also spoken. (Isaiah 11:1)
Comments:
Zechariah 3:9
כִּ֣י׀ הִנֵּ֣ה הָאֶ֗בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אַחַ֖ת שִׁבְעָ֣ה עֵינָ֑יִם הִנְנִ֧י מְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃
For behold, the stone which I placed before Joshua; on one stone seven fountains. Behold, I am opening her opening; an utterance of YHWH of armies. And I will remove the guilt of this land in one day.
Paraphrase: Again, Joshua, look and pay attention to this; this is a word from Me. Look at this large stone. It represents the priesthood which in recent times has become very ineffective. When you came in today, you were covered with filth. The other priests are much like this dry stone, so ineffective and fruitless. But now step back and watch what I will do. I am going to open seven fountains on this one stone. Just as the rock in the wilderness provided water to the nation of Israel, so I will open seven fountains in the priesthood. The water will flow from them again, and My people will be cleansed. Yes, this baptism will be so large and so powerful that it will remove all the guilt of My people in one day. (Zechariah 13:1)
Comments:
Zechariah 3:10
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תִּקְרְא֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ אֶל־תַּ֥חַת גֶּ֖פֶן וְאֶל־תַּ֥חַת תְּאֵנָֽה׃
In that day, an utterance of YHWH of armies, you will call each man to his friend under the vine and under the fig tree.
Paraphrase: Then will come an era of unparalleled prosperity and happiness. Each family will have plenty. Men and women will go from place to place calling on their friends and enjoying each other’s company. This is a promise of the Great King of heaven and earth.
Comments:
The noun is often used to mean each one or every one (§d on p14).