Zechariah 3

Zechariah · Chapter 3

Zechariah 3:8

1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.6And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.9For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.Hear now, O high priest Joshua, you and your companions seated before you, who are indeed a sign. For behold, I am going to bring My servant, the Branch.Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

In a vision, Joshua the high priest has just had his filthy garments removed and his iniquity taken away. Now the LORD tells Joshua and his companions that they are a sign of something to come. God will bring forth his servant, the BRANCH. Zechariah 3:3Zechariah 3:4Zechariah 3:5Zechariah 3:8

SpeakingThe angel of the LORD speaks the words of the LORD of hosts. Zechariah reports the vision. Zechariah 3:6Zechariah 3:7Zechariah 3:1

ToJoshua the high priest and his fellows who sit before him. The verse does not name these companions. Zechariah 3:8Strong's H7453Strong's H3091J

Also involvedThe coming servant called the BRANCH, and the land whose iniquity God promises to remove in one day. Zechariah 3:8Zechariah 3:9

God calls Joshua and his companions to listen, because they are men who serve as a sign. Their cleansing points ahead to what God will do: bring his servant the BRANCH. Other prophets call the Branch a righteous king raised up for David, from the line of Jesse. Zechariah 3:8Strong's H4159Jeremiah 23:5Jeremiah 33:15Isaiah 11:1

The vision shows Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD. Zechariah prophesied in Jerusalem among the people who had returned from exile. Zechariah 3:1Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThis is one of Zechariah's eight night visions (1:7-6:8). His dated messages run from the second to the fourth year of Darius king of Persia, about 520-518 BC, while the temple was being rebuilt. Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote it, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8, including this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse explains what Joshua's cleansing means. Joshua and his fellows who sit before him are a sign that God will send the BRANCH and will remove the land's iniquity in one day, bringing peace under the vine and fig tree. Zechariah 3:8Zechariah 3:9Zechariah 3:10

In the whole of ScriptureThe BRANCH appears again in Zechariah as the man who will build the temple of the LORD. The earlier prophets promised a Branch of David who would reign and execute judgment and righteousness. Zechariah 6:12Jeremiah 23:5Jeremiah 33:15Isaiah 4:2

For readersGod's cleansing of one guilty priest was meant to point beyond itself. It promised a coming servant through whom God would deal with the sin of the whole land. Zechariah 3:4Zechariah 3:8Zechariah 3:9

  • wondered at (sign)מוֹפֵת
    Hebrew · mo.phet · H4159

    The word means a wonder, sign, or token of a future event. So Joshua and his fellows are a sign pointing ahead, not just men who amaze others. Compare Isaiah 20:3, where the prophet Isaiah himself is made "a sign and wonder." Strong's H4159Isaiah 20:3

  • BRANCHצֶ֫מַח
    Hebrew · tse.mach · H6780

    The word means a sprout or shoot, and is used of the Messiah from David's family tree. Jeremiah speaks of a righteous Branch raised to David, a King. Strong's H6780Jeremiah 23:5Jeremiah 33:15

  • my servantעֲבַד
    Hebrew · a.vad · H5650

    The word means servant or slave. Isaiah also speaks of God's chosen servant, upheld by God, who brings forth judgment to the Gentiles. Strong's H5650Isaiah 42:1

Takeaway

Joshua's cleansing was a sign of something greater. God promised to bring his servant the BRANCH, the righteous King of David's line, and to remove his people's iniquity. Zechariah 3:8Zechariah 3:9Jeremiah 23:5Zechariah 6:12

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

Behind this verse

Joshua the high priest, high priest
Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2

About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.

Who ruled
  • King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC

    Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription

  • Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC

    A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8

  • High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC

    Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2

  • Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC

    The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13

What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder

  2. 538 BC
    God's peopleThe first return

    Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65

  3. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops

    The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia conquers Egypt

    Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius crushes the revolts

    When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11

  6. 520 BC
    God's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build

    In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree

    Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe second temple is finished

    The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia's wars with Greece

    Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls

    Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza

    Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
hearשְֽׁמַֽע־she-ma'-H8085G
to hear: hear

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound …

pleaseנָ֞אna'H4994
please

נָא (na) 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation

O Joshuaיְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ׀ye-ho-SHU-a'H3091J
Joshua

יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (ye.ho.shu.a) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.2; son of: Jehozadak (H3087); father of: Joiakim (H3113); also called Jeshua at Ezr.2.2; 3.2,8; 4.3; 5.2; 1x12.1,7,10,26; § Joshua or Jehoshua = "Jehovah is salvation" 1) son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan 2) a resident of Beth-shemesh on whose land the Ark of the Covenant came to a stop after the Philistines returned it 3) son of Jehozadak and high priest after the restoration …

the priestהַכֹּהֵ֣ןha-ko-HENH3548
priest

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) 1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler 1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah) 1b) pagan priests 1c) priests of Jehovah 1d) Levitical priests 1e) Zadokite priests 1f) Aaronic priests 1g) the high priest Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

the greatהַגָּד֗וֹלha-ga-DOLH1419A
great: large

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) adj 1) great 1a) large (in magnitude and extent) 1b) in number 1c) in intensity 1d) loud (in sound) 1e) older (in age) 1f) in importance 1f1) important things 1f2) great, distinguished (of men) 1f3) God Himself (of God) subst 1g) great things 1h) haughty things 1i) greatness Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K) § Haggedolim = "the great one" (CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

youאַתָּה֙'a-TAHH0859A
you

אַנְתָּה (an.tah) you, thou (second pers. sing.) Aramaic of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

and companions yourוְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ve-re-'EI-khaH7453
neighbor

רֵעַ (re.a) 1) friend, companion, fellow, another person 1a) friend, intimate 1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense) 1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase)

who sitהַיֹּשְׁבִ֣יםhai-yo-she-VIMH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

to before youלְפָנֶ֔יךָle-fa-NEI-khaH6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

[are] men ofאַנְשֵׁ֥י'an-SHEIH0582
human

אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) 1) man, mortal man, person, mankind 1a) of an individual 1b) men (collective) 1c) man, mankind Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)

signמוֹפֵ֖תmo-FETH4159
wonder

מוֹפֵת (mo.phet) 1) wonder, sign, miracle, portent 1a) wonder (as a special display of God's power) 1b) sign, token (of future event)

theyהֵ֑מָּהHE-mahH1992
they

אִנּוּן (in.nun) these, those, they Aramaic of hem.mah (הֵ֫מָּה "they(masc.)" H1992)

forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

here Iהִנְנִ֥יhi-NIH2005
look!

הֵן (hen) interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

[am] about to bringמֵבִ֛יאme-VI'H0935P
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

servant myעַבְדִּ֖י'av-DIH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

branchצֶֽמַח׃TZE-machH6780
branch

צֶ֫מַח (tse.mach) 1) sprout, growth, branch 1a) sprouting, growth, sprout 1b) growth (of process) 1c) sprout, shoot (of Messiah from Davidic tree)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.