Zechariah 3


Zechariah 3 is the third of the total 14 chapters in the Book of Zechariah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Zechariah, and is a part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets. The chapter contains the vision of Joshua, the high priest, being cleansed before God. It is a part of a section consisting of Zechariah 1–8.

Text

The original text was written in the Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 10 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Codex Cairensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, and Codex Leningradensis.
Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, that is, 4Q80 with extant verses 2–10.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Marchalianus. Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, that is, Naḥal Ḥever 8Ḥev1 with extant verses 1–7.

Commentary

Zechariah's fourth of the eight visions in chapters 1–8 shows the high priest Joshua
accused by "the Satan" but acquitted. His subsequent "cleansing" gives the sign that God will forgive and cleanse the community, signified by the renewal of the temple services.

Vision of the High Priest (3:1–5)

In the fourth of the eight visions, the prophets sees a real person, the high priest Joshua, instead of symbolic objects like in other visions. The replacement of Joshua's "filthy clothes" with new apparel gives the legitimation of the new temple and priesthood.

The Coming Branch (3:6–10)

The resumption of the temple worship will lead to the coming of "the Branch", who will restore the kingship into a new era, when the iniquity of the land will be cleansed in one day.

Verse 8

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