Zechariah 3:1

Vision Four: The Priest

3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest 1  standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan 2  standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Zechariah 4:12

4:12 Before he could reply I asked again, “What are these two extensions 3  of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?”

Zechariah 6:5

6:5 The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits 4  of heaven that have been presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.

Zechariah 10:8

10:8 I will signal for them and gather them, for I have already redeemed them; then they will become as numerous as they were before.

1 sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445 b.c. (Neh 12:10).

2 tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is otherwise thus described in Job 1 and 2 and 1 Chr 21:1. In this last passage the article is dropped and “the satan” becomes “Satan,” a personal name.

3 tn The usual meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁבֹּלֶת (shÿbolet) is “ears” (as in ears of grain). Here it probably refers to the produce of the olive trees, i.e., olives. Many English versions render the term as “branches,” but cf. NAB “tufts.”

4 tn The Hebrew term translated “spirit” here may also be translated “wind” or “breath” depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV “the four winds of heaven”; NAB similar).