Zechariah 3:8
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest
What he was about to say further concerning the bringing forth of
the Messiah, the antitype of him, and of all the priests:
thou and thy fellows, that sit before thee;
the Jews interpret F23 these of Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah, for whom wonders were wrought in delivering them from
the fiery furnace; but rather they design the priests and the
prophets, and chief men, that came up with Joshua out of the
captivity; and especially the young priests that sat before him
as his disciples, to be instructed by him in things belonging to
the priestly office: for they [are] men wondered
at;
or, "men of a sign" F24, or "wonder"; typical of Christ,
the great High Priest; they were "men wondered at", as all the
people of God are: they are wondered at by themselves, that God
should have any love to them, any thoughts concerning them; make
a covenant with them in his Son; send him to die for them; call
them by his grace; make them sons and heirs of his, and at last
bring them to glory: and they are wondered at by the men of the
world; that they should make such a choice as they have; that
they should bear afflictions with so much cheerfulness and
patience; that they should be so supported under them, and even
thrive and flourish amidst them. The life of a believer is all a
mystery, and wonderful: and they are wondered at by the angels,
as they are the chosen of God, the redeemed of the Lamb, and
called from among men; and they shall be the spectators of
wonderful things themselves, which they will be swallowed up in
the admiration of to all eternity. The Targum paraphrases the
words thus,
``for they are men worthy to have miracles wrought for them;''
and indeed, though they are not worthy, yet miracles of grace are
wrought for them, and one follows:
for, behold, I will bring
forth my servant the BRANCH;
not Zerubbabel, as some interpret it; but the Messiah, as the
Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it; and which is the sense of some
other Jewish writers. Kimchi, though he interprets the Branch of
Zerubbabel, yet observes there are some of their interpreters who
explain it of the Messiah; and it is as if it was said, though I
bring you this salvation, yet I will bring you a greater salvation
than this, at the time I shall bring forth my servant the Branch:
and again they interpret it of him, because the name of the Messiah
is Menachem, i.e. the Comforter; and which is numerically the same
with "Tzemach", the Branch; and Aben Ezra, who first explains it
the same way as Kimchi, yet adds, but many interpreters say this
Branch is the Messiah: and he is called Zerubbabel, because he is
of his seed, even as he is called David; and David my servant shall
be their Prince for ever, (
Ezekiel 37:25 )
likewise another Jewish writer, R. Abraham Seba
F25,
understands it of the Messiah. The heathens used to call their
heroes the branches of the gods; the branch of Jupiter, and the
branch of Mars are frequently met with in the poets
F26, and
perhaps taken from this name of the Messiah; who is the servant of
God as Mediator, and became so by being made of a woman, and made
under the law; and is a servant of God's choosing, sending, and
rewarding; the chief of whose service lay in the redemption of his
people; and who was an obedient, diligent, prudent, and faithful
servant. The name of "the Branch" is given him elsewhere, (
Isaiah 4:2 ) (
Jeremiah 23:5
) and designs his descent as man, and the meanness of it; and yet
his fruitfulness in himself, and to his people: the "bringing" him
"forth" intends his incarnation; and shows that he existed before,
and was with God, and is brought forth by him as an instance of his
grace and love to men; and because this was a matter of great
moment, and very wonderful, and would certainly be done, and
deserved attention, the word "behold" is prefixed to it. The
Septuagint render this word by (
anatolh) , "the rising sun", or that part of the heavens
where the sun rises, the east; and the Vulgate Latin version has
"orientem", "the east": hence another Zechariah calls the Messiah
"the Day spring from on high", (
Luke 1:78 ) and one of his
titles is "the Sun of righteousness", (
Malachi 4:2 ) . The
eastern part of the heavens was attributed by the heathens to their
gods, and reckoned their seat and abode
F1; and from
hence the Messiah came, that man from heaven; he was born in the
eastern part of the world. Some render the words, in (
Micah 5:2 ) , "his goings
forth are out of the east"
F2; and it was from the mount of Olives,
which was to the east of Jerusalem, that he went up to heaven; and
from the same point of the heavens will he come again, since his
feet will stand on that mountain, (
Acts 1:11 Acts 1:12 ) (
Zechariah
14:4 ) he is the Angel said to ascend from the east, (
Revelation
7:2 ) and perhaps it is owing to this version of the word here,
and elsewhere, when used of the Messiah, that he came to be known
among the Gentiles by this name; to which it is thought Tacitus
F3 has respect, when he says,
``many were persuaded that in the ancient books of the priests
were contained a "prophecy", that at that time "Oriens", or the
east, should prevail;''
that is, such an one should exist, or rule in the world, whose name
is "Oriens", or the rising sun.