Zechariah 4:12

Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What [be these] two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?

Ver. 12. What be these two olive branches, &c.] {See Trapp on "Zec 4:3"} {See Trapp on "Zec 4:7"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

through--literally, "by the hand of," that is, by the agency of.

branches--literally, "ears"; so the olive branches are called, because as ears are full of grain, so the olive branches are full of olives.

golden oil--literally, "gold," that is, gold-like liquor.

out of themselves--Ordinances and ministers are channels of grace, not the grace itself. The supply comes not from a dead reservoir of oil, but through living olive trees (Psa 52:8; Rom 12:1) fed by God.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. What be these two olive branches] That is, two boughs laden with branches of olive berries.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

I have said that there is some difference in the visions though the angel relates hardly anything new, except respecting the flowing and the tubes; but as a new explanation is given, Zechariah no doubt more fully considered what he had slightly looked on before. The more attentive then to the vision the Prophet became, the more confirmed he was; for God showed to him now what he had not sufficiently observed before, namely, that there were pipes or tubes through which the oil flowed into each of the pourers, and further, that these flowing or a continual running of the oil, was like that of a river, which runs through its own channel. But God intended to instruct his Prophet by degrees, that we may learn at this day to apply our thoughts to the understanding of his doctrine; for the instruction to be derived from it is not of an ordinary kind, as I have already reminded you. Indeed the state of things in our time is nearly the same with that of his time: for Christ now renews by the power of his Spirit that spiritual temple which had been pulled down and wholly demolished; for what has been the dignity of the Church for many ages? Doubtless, it has been for a long time in a dilapidated state; and now when God begins to give some hope of a new building, Satan collects together many forces from all parts to prevent the progress of the work. We are also tender and soft, and even faint-hearted, so that hardly one in a hundred labors so courageously as he ought.

We hence then learn how necessary for us is this doctrine: it was not, therefore, to no purpose that the Prophet did not apprehend at once and in an instant what was presented to him in the vision, but made progress by degrees.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12) Olive branches.—Better, bunches of olives. Two important points in the vision are here incidentally introduced for the first time: viz., the bunch of fruits on each olive-tree, and the “two golden pipes,” or rather, spouts.

Which through . . . themselves.—Better, Which are resting in the two golden spouts, which pour out from themselves the gold [en oil]. The meaning appears to be that on each side of the golden bowl at the top of the candlestick was a golden spout turned upwards, into which the two clusters of olives poured their oil spontaneously, and from which the oil flowed into the bowl, and thence through the forty-nine pipes to the seven lamps. “The gold” stands for pure bright oil. Though the word which we render “resting in” (LXX., ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ, “in the hands “) might mean “through”—i.e., “by means of”—the rendering of the English version is inadmissible, because the definite article (equivalent here to the relative) is prefixed to the participle, “empty,” or “pour out.” LXX., τῶν ἐπιχεόντων καὶ ὰπαναγόντων τας ἐπαρυστρίδας τὰς χρυσᾶς, “which pour into, and lead up into the golden funnels,” taking the words “from themselves as” an active participle, and understanding “the gold” as “golden funnels,” and not “golden oil,” as we do.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. olive branches] Having seen the vision (1–3), and received a general explanation of it (4–10), Zechariah now desires a further explanation of one particular feature (11–14). What, he asks, are the two olive trees (11)? and then, immediately recasting his question in more exact terms, the two olive branches? The word is allied to, if not identical with, that used for “ears of corn.” It may refer to the pointed shape of the twigs of the olive tree, or to the fact that these branches were studded thick with berries, like the grains in an ear of corn. (Kimchi.)

pipes] Rather tubes, or spouts; the word being different from that translated “pipes,” Zec_4:2. Which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty, &c. R. V.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he answered me, and said,.... That is, the angel answered to the prophet's questions:

Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord; See Gill on Zac 4:5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

What are the two spikes of the olive? - Comparing the extreme branches of the olive-tree, laden with their fruit, to the ears of corn, which “were by or in the hand of the golden pipes, which empty forth the golden oil from themselves.” Zechariah’s expression, in the hand of or, if so be, by the hand of the two pipes, shows that these two were symbols of living agents, for it is nowhere, used except of a living agent, or of that which it personified as such.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Branches: the divine and human nature in Christ. (Worthington) --- They are the same with the two trees, ver. 11. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I answered; I went on to discourse, which is the signification of the Hebrew phrase here used.

Again, Heb. a second time. Said unto him, the angel that talked with the prophet.

What be these two olive branches? two principal branches, one in each tree, fuller of berries, higher than the rest, and hanging over the golden pipes.

Which through the two golden pipes: these were fastened to the golden bowl, on each side one, with a hole through the sides of the bowl, to let the oil that distilled into them from those olive branches run into the bowl, and out of that bowl it was, through so many golden pipes, conveyed into the seven lamps.

Empty; freely, without any violence offered, drop the oil out of themselves, yet so that still they are full of oil for perpetual supply to the lamps.

Golden oil, because of its preciousness, or from its colour.

Out of themselves: a supernatural work, and, emblem of supernatural grace: these branches, filled from the true olive tree, ever empty themselves, and are ever full; so are the gospel ordinances, filled by Christ, always filling his members, true Christians, and ever full for all believers.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The prophet perceives the chief point in the mystic olive trees, so he alters his question the second time, asking, What be these two olive branches? (shibbolim); Vulgate, spicae, "ears," as of corn, so called, as Kimchi supposes, because they were full of berries, as the ears are full of grains of corn. Which through the two golden pipes, etc.; rather, which by means of two golden tubes are emptying the golden oil out of themselves. The oil dropped of itself from the fruit-bearing branches into two tubes, spouts, or channels, which conveyed it to the central reservoir. The Revised Version renders, "which are beside the two golden spouts;" like the Vulgate, quae sunt juxta duo rostra aurea. The LXX has, oi kladoi oi en taiv ceroi twn duo muxwthrwn ("beaks," "noses") twn cruswn where "in the hands" or "by the hands" may be a Hebraism for "by means of." The golden oil; Hebrew, the gold. The oil is so called from its colour. The Greek and Latin versions lose this idea altogether, In quibus sunt suffusoria ex auro (Vulgate); "leading to the golden vessels" (Septuagint).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I answered - l went on to discourse. Unto him - The angel. What be these - Two principal branches, one in each tree, fuller of berries, and hanging over the golden pipes. Through the pipes - These were fastened to the bowl, on each side one, with a hole through the sides of the bowl, to let the oil that distilled from those olive-branches run into the bowl. Out of themselves - An emblem of supernatural grace; these branches filled from the true olive-tree, ever empty themselves, and are ever full; so are the gospel-ordinances.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

What are these two olive branches

Here Zechariah changes his question and asks about branches that are connected to the two olive trees.

the two gold pipes

These pipes were not mentioned in the previous description of Zechariah's vision. It is possible that they are connected to the bowl on top of the lampstand and provide the oil with which the lampstand burns.

golden oil

Here "golden" refers to the color of the oil and does not mean that the oil was made of gold.

Do you not know what these are?

The angel asks this rhetorical question to emphasize that Zechariah should have known what these things mean. This question can be translated as a statement. AT: "Surely you know what these are." (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

olive

oil

lord

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

beside the two golden vats i.e., beside the two golden vats, as in (II Sam. 14:30): “See, Joab’s field is near mine.”

that empty out the gold[en oil] from themselves This oil that is clear and good to illuminate like gold, as in (Job 37:22): “From the north comes gold.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.