Amplified Bible
Zechariah 3:1
1Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him.
Zechariah 3:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
- New International Version (NIV)Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
Context of Zechariah 3:1
Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. 2And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched and rescued from the fire?” 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord].
Read all of Zechariah 3Zechariah 3:1 word by word
וַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־יְמִינ֖וֹ לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he shewedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- me Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- the highגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- standingעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and Satanשָׂטָןώâţân · SatanH7854
- at his right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- to resistשָׂטַןώâţan · to opposeH7853
Cross-references for Zechariah 3:1
- Zechariah 1:9Then I said, “O my lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”
- Zechariah 2:3And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him,
- Zechariah 2:8For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
- Zechariah 6:11Take silver and gold [from them], and make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
- Ezra 5:2then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel [heir to the throne of Judah] and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God [Haggai and Zechariah] were with them, supporting and encouraging them.
- Haggai 1:1In the second year of Darius the king [of Persia], on the first day of the sixth month (Aug 29, 520 b.c.), the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
- Haggai 2:4But now be courageous, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘be courageous also, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be courageous, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts.
- Deuteronomy 10:8At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day.
- Deuteronomy 18:15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your countrymen (brothers, brethren). You shall listen to him.
- 1 Samuel 6:20The men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?”
- 2 Chronicles 29:11My sons, do not be negligent and careless now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to attend to His service, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”
- Psalms 106:23Therefore He said He would destroy them, [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
- Jeremiah 15:19Therefore, thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah], “If you repent [and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity], then I will restore you [to a state of inner peace] So that you may stand before Me [as My obedient representative]; And if you separate the precious from the worthless [examining yourself and cleansing your heart from unwarranted doubt concerning My faithfulness], You will become My spokesman. Let the people turn to you [and learn to value My values]— But you, you must not turn to them [with regard for their idolatry and wickedness].
- Ezekiel 44:11Yet they shall minister in My sanctuary, having oversight [as guards] at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.
- Luke 21:36But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming].”
- Genesis 48:16The Angel [that is, the Lord Himself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil, Bless the boys; And may my name live on in them [may they be worthy of having their names linked with mine], And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a [great] multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Commentaries on Zechariah 3:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And he showed me Joshua the high priest - The Angel of the Lord is the Messiah, as we have seen before; Joshua, the high priest, may here represent the whole Jewish people; and Satan, the grand accuser of the brethren. What the subject of dispute was, we perhaps learn from Judges 1:9. Michael and Satan disputed about the body of Moses. This could not refer to the natural body of the Jewish lawgiver, which had been dead about owe thousand years; it must…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And He - God, (for the office of the attendant angel was to explain, not to show the visions) “showed me Joshua the high priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord;” probably to be judged by him; as in the New Testament, “to stand before the Son of Man;” for although “standing before,” whether in relation to man or God,, expresses attendance upon, yet here it appears only as a condition, contemporaneous with that of Satan‘s, to accuse him. Although…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The restoration of the church. (1-5) A promise concerning the Messiah. (6-10) Verses 1-5 The angel showed Joshua, the high priest, to Zechariah, in a vision. Guilt and corruption are great discouragements when we stand before God. By the guilt of the sins committed by us, we are liable to the justice of God; by the power of sin that dwells in us, we are hateful to the holiness of God. Even God's Israel are in danger on these accounts; but they have relief…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Jeshua was the high priest and the religious leader among those who returned to Judah from exile in Babylon (Ezra 2:2). Jeshua worked with Zerubbabel, the governor of the restored community. They worked together to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:2; Haggai 2:1–5). Satan (literally The satan) is a member of the heavenly court. His role is to bring charges against human beings for wrongdoing. He speaks against them before God (see Job 1:6). This…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-101. Joshua as high priest (Hag 1:1) represents "Jerusalem" (Zec 3:2), or the elect people, put on its trial, and "plucked" narrowly "out of the fire." His attitude, "standing before the Lord," is that of a high priest ministering before the altar erected previously to the building of the temple (Ezr 3:2, 3, 6; Psa 135:2). Yet, in this position, by reason of his own and his people's sins, he is represented as on his and their trial (Nu 35:12). he showed…Read the comment
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In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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