New English Translation
Zechariah 3:1
1Next I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right hand 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
Next I saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2The Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn’t this man like a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood there before the angel.
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 asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.”
- Zechariah 2:3At this point the angelic messenger who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him
- Zechariah 2:8For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
- Zechariah 6:11Then take some silver and gold to make a crown and set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
- Ezra 5:2Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
- Haggai 1:1On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the Lord spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak:
- Haggai 2:4Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you citizens of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and begin to work. For I am with you,’ says the Lord who rules over all.
- Deuteronomy 10:8At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings in his name, as they do to this very day.
- Deuteronomy 18:15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him.
- 1 Samuel 6:20The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”
- 2 Chronicles 29:11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.”
- Psalms 106:23He threatened to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him and turned back his destructive anger.
- Jeremiah 15:19Because of this, the Lord said, “You must repent of such words and thoughts! If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me. If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless, I will again allow you to be my spokesman. They must become as you have been. You must not become like them.
- Ezekiel 44:11Yet they will be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple, and serving the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them.
- Luke 21:36But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
- Genesis 48:16the Angel who has protected me from all harm – bless these boys. May my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on 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
Topics related to Zechariah 3:1
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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