Zechariah 6:11

Zec 6:11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set [them] upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;

Ver. 11. Make crowns] Two, saith Piscator; one of gold, for the kingly dignity, another of silver, for the priesthood. Three, saith a Lapide, who makes it a type, as of Christ’s threefold office, so of the Pope’s triple crown; which latter relates rather to Pride’s picture drawn by the old Romans, with three crowns on her head: on the first whereof was inscribed Transcendo; I pass on, on the second Non obedio; I disobey, the third Perturbo. I throw into confusion, Danaeus thinks it likely, by Zec 6:14, that here were four crowns made, according to the number of the four persons here mentioned, that brought in the gold and silver. Ribera will have it to be all but one crown made of both metals, and called crowns for the greatness of it; as wisdoms, for singular wisdom, Pro 1:20 marg; Behemoth, beasts, for a huge beast, Job 40:15. The verb singular, tihieh, Zec 6:14, seems most to favour this conceit of his. But in Hebrew the singular is often put for the plural (Chald. vertit Facies coronam magnam).

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.

6:11 This crown was probably made of two bands of metal, one gold and one silver. Each band represented one of the offices (king and priest) to which Jeshua was appointed.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Because this could not be attributed to anyone according to the Law, therefore it followeth that Joshua must represent the Messiah, who was both Priest and king.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

The high priest wore a crown above the miter (Zac 3:5; Lev 8:9). Messiah shall wear many crowns, one surmounting the other (Rev 19:12). It was a thing before unknown in the Levitical priesthood that the same person should wear at once the crown of a king and that of a high priest (Psa 110:4; Heb 5:10). Messiah shall be revealed fully in this twofold dignity when He shall "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Act 1:6).

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 11. Make crowns] עטרות ataroth; but seven MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, and one ancient of my own, with the Syriac and Chaldee, have עטרת atereth, a crown, or tiara. And as Joshua the high priest is alone concerned here, I think one crown only is intended.

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

The Prophet is bid to set the two crowns on the head of the high priest. This, as I have said, was intended as a symbol to denote the union of the two dignities in the person of Christ. It was necessary until the coming of Christ to select the high priest from the posterity of Aaron; and it was also required that the kings should be from the seed of David; so that we observe a distinction between the royal office and the priesthood, not only as to the persons, but also as to the families. It would have indeed been a strange thing to see a king from the tribe of Levi; and it would have been contrary to God’s appointed order to see a priest from the tribe of Judah and from the family of David. Since then the king was adorned with his own diadem, and since the high priest had his own proper mitre, what could this mean, but that the same man was to wear two crowns? Doubtless we observe that there is here some change in the past order of things, and that there is something unusual set forth. But there is nothing new in this, — that the Redeemer, who had been promised, should be eminent as a king and a priest; for this had been predicted in the hundred and tenth Psalm, “Jehovah said to my Lord, sit on my right hand,” — this is what belongs to the right of a king; it afterwards follows, “Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedec.” Though kings must then have been chosen from the family of David and the tribe of Judah, and though priests must have then been taken from the Levitical tribe, yet the Spirit foretold, that a king would come who was to be a priest, as had been the case with Melchisedec. This very thing is what the Prophet now confirms.

Zechariah being ordered to set the crowns on the head of Joshua, we are not so to regard this, as though Joshua had immediately undertaken the two offices of a king and a priest; for he was satisfied with his own: but the Prophet shows in the type what was to be looked for at the coming of the Messiah; for the time had not yet come, when Christ should receive the royal diadem, as it is said in Ezekiel, —

“Take away the diadem; set it aside, set it aside, set it aside, until he shall come, whose it is.” (Ezekiel 21:26,27.)

We here see that the Prophet points out a length of time, during which the royal diadem was to be trodden as it were under foot. Though the royal crown had not yet laid in the dust sufficiently long, yet the Prophet did nothing presumptuously; for the Jews could not have conceived in their mind what is here promised, had not the typical priest come forth, wearing the two crowns. Nor could this have been so suitable to the person of Zerubbabel; for though he was of the family of David, and was a type of Christ, he had not yet the name of a king, nor had he any regal power: he could not therefore have been so suitable a person. It is then no wonder that God brought forth the high priest Joshua, who was a type and representative of Christ; and he brought him forth with a double crown, because he who was to come would unite, according to what follows, the priesthood with the kingly office.

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.

(11) Then take.—Better, yea take: viz., from the three mentioned above.

Crowns.—Better, a composite crown, since the word is construed with a singular verb in Zec_6:14, and though plural in form it seems to be used of a single crown or fillet in Job_31:36. Zechariah is commanded to go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, who was entertaining certain Jews, who seem to have come from Babylon with gifts and offerings for the House of the Lord. From these men he was to take gold and silver, and to cause to be made thereof a composite diadem, with which he was to crown Joshua the high-priest. We cannot, of course, venture with Ewald to insert the words “and upon the head of Zerubbabel” after the words “upon the head of Joshua”; and to insert the name “Joshua” in the clause “and will be a priest upon his throne.” Even if such an arbitrary alteration of the text were admissible, it would be most inappropriate. No crown was placed on Zerubbabel, for such an act would have been a seeming restoration of the kingdom, when it was not to be restored. God had foretold that none of the race of Jehoiakim should prosper, “sitting on the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah” (Jer_22:30). Moreover, the crown had been definitely taken away in the time of Zedekiah, “until he come whose right is” (Eze_21:27 [32]): viz., the “king who should reign in righteousness” (Is. xxxii, 1), “and prosper,” a Branch of righteousness (Jer_23:5).

But there was placed upon the head of Joshua, the high priest, this “royal” (2Sa_12:30) crown—for the high priest did not properly wear a crown, and this word is never used for “mitre “—that in his person might be symbolised the twofold office of the Messiah, who, like Melchizedek, was to be a priest and king (Psalms 110). That the high priests during a succeeding period were practically the rulers of the nation is not sufficient to account for the terms of this prophecy, especially for the emphatic personality of the royal priest mentioned in the next verses.

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

11. crowns] The plural may perhaps be used for one crown (a crown, R. V. margin), as it is apparently in Job_31:36. Or there may have been two wreaths or fillets, possibly one of each precious metal, woven into a crown. In Zec_6:14 where the word again occurs it is joined with a verb in the singular: lit. the crowns (it) shall be. In any case it refers exclusively to the royal crown or crowns (Rev_19:12). The High-priest’s mitre is never called a crown.

Josedech] Jehozadak. 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 speak unto him, saying,.... That is, to Joshua the high priest, having the crowns on his head:

thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; which is not to be understood of Zerubbabel, as some Jewish writers interpret it; for he was not "the Branch", by way of eminency, much less that righteous Branch of David, called the Lord our righteousness, Jer 23:5 the same that is here meant; besides, he was already grown up out of his place; nor did he build a temple, from which he had great glory; nor was he either king or priest, only governor of Judah; and, however, not both, as this person is represented to be; and who is no other than the Messiah; and so the Targum paraphrases the words,

"behold the man Messiah is his name;''

and Jarchi owns that some of their Rabbins interpret the words of the King Messiah. The "Branch" is a name by which the Messiah goes in the Talmud (k), and in other Jewish writings. It is asked (l), what is the name of the King Messiah? it is answered, among others, his name is the "Branch"; as it is said, "behold the man whose name is the Branch; he shall grow up out of his place": elsewhere (m) they speak of five letters doubled, which are the foundation of deliverance to certain persons, or point thereat. The first four, they observe, were accomplished in the deliverance of Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, of Isaac from the Philistines, of Jacob from Esau, and of the Israelites from Egypt; and the fifth, which is the letter the first letter of "Tzemach", the Branch, by it they say the holy blessed God will redeem Israel at the end of the four monarchies; as it is said, "behold the man whose name is the Branch", &c.; Philo the Jew (n) interprets this passage of a divine Person, the Son of God, by whom no other than the Messiah is meant,

"we have heard (says he) one of the friends of Moses, i. e. Zechariah, saying thus, behold the man "whose name is the east", or rising sun (so the Greek version renders the words); a new appellation, if you can think it said of one consisting of soul and body; but if of that incorporeal one, bearing the divine image, you will own that the name is fitly given him, the ancient Sun, the Father of beings will cause to arise; whom otherwise he names the first begotten, and who, being begotten, imitates the ways of his Father; and looking at his archetypal exemplars, forms the same.''

Abendana (o), a modern Jew, observes, that

"it is right that the Targum interprets it of the Messiah, for of him it is spoken; therefore it is written, "and he shall grow up out of his place"; for he shall go forth from him, and shall be of the seed of Zerubbabel,--and the King Messiah shall bear the glory of the kingdom, and he shall rule upon the throne of his kingdom;''

and when he is called a man, the meaning is not that he is a mere man, nor was he really man before his incarnation; but as he was to be man, and his incarnation was drawing near, he is so called: of his name the "Branch", see Isa 4:2, and Joshua, he is directed to look upon himself, with the crowns on his head, as a type of him; and so were the prophet, and those that were with him; and he is to be beheld, as before in type, so now in truth, by faith, with love and affection, with diligent attention, and great admiration:

and he shall grow up out of his place: or, "from under him" (p); which may regard his natural descent as man, and the persons or person from whom he sprung; as from Abraham, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, and particularly from David, from the royal seed, as Jarchi interprets it: or else the place from whence this Branch arose, the land of Judea, the tribe of Judah, the city of Bethlehem, where he was born; or Galilee, and particularly Nazareth, where he was brought up, and grew, and increased in the stature of his body, and in the wisdom of his mind: or it may be rendered, "from his inferior place" (q); his superior, place, as the Son of God, is heaven; his inferior place, as the Son of man, is the earth; from whence he may be said to be, being born of a woman; and so this Branch is called "the fruit of the earth", and said to spring out of it, Isa 4:2 or it is same as from himself, as Aben Ezra observes; and so Calvin; for this Branch did not grow up through any sowing and planting of man, but without any hand or concern of his in it; Christ was born of a virgin, through the power of the Highest, and through his own power, as God:

and he shall build the temple of the Lord; not a material temple, but the spiritual temple, the Church; called so in allusion to the temple of Jerusalem, built by Solomon; which was typical of the church, in the builder of it, Solomon, the church being built by Christ the antitypical Solomon, the true Peace, and Peacemaker; in the situation of it on a mount, which denotes the safety, visibility, and exalted state of the church; in the matter of it, being made of choice stones, and excellent timber, to which believers in Christ, who as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, are fitly compared; in the magnificence and stateliness of it, especially as the church will be in the latter day, when the glorious things spoken of it will be fulfilled; and in its strength and firmness, as well as in its holiness: and it is called "the temple of the Lord", because it is of his building, where he dwells, and where he is worshipped; and in the building of it Christ has a great concern; he is not only the foundation and cornerstone of it, but he is the chief, the master builder of it; he builds it on himself, and builds it up by his Spirit, his ministers, his word and ordinances, making thereby continually an increase of it, and additions to it; see Mat 16:18.

(k) T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 5. 1. (l) Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1. (m) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. fol. 58. 1. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 18. fol. 223. 2. (n) De Confus. Ling. p. 329. (o) Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc. (p) "subter eum", V. L. Pagninus; "ad verbum, de sub se", Calvin, Drusius; "de subter se", Cocceius; "ex sub eo", Burkius. (q) "Ex inferiore loco", Vitringa in Jesaiam, c. iv. 2. "E leco suo humili", Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 47.

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

And make crowns - Or a “crown” , as in Job, “I would bind it as a crown unto me,” and our Lord is seen in the Revelation, “on His Head were many crowns” . The singular is used of “a royal crown” , apparently of a festive crown ; and figuratively; (Job 19:9, (plur. Job 31:36) Pro 4:9; Pro 12:4; Pro 14:24; Pro 16:31. Pro 17:6); even of Almighty God Himself as a crown ; but no where of the mitre of the high priest.

The characteristic of the act is, that “the crown” or crowns (it is not in the context said, which) were placed on the head of the one high priest, Joshua; “and thou shall place” (it or them, it is not said which) “upon the head of Joshua son of Josedech the high priest, and shalt say unto him.” If crowns were made of each material, there were two crowns. But this is not said, and the silver might have formed a circlet in the crown of gold, as, in modern times, the iron crown of Lombardy, was called iron, because it had “a plate of iron in its summit, being else of gold and most precious” . In any case the symbolical act was completed by the placing of a royal crown upon the head of the high priest. This, in itself, represented that He, whom he and all other priests represented, would be also our King. It is all one then, whether the word designate one single crown, so entitled for its greatness, or one united royal crown, that is, one crown uniting many crowns, symbolizing the many kingdoms of the earth, over which our High Priest and King should rule.

Either symbol, of separate crowns “the golden at Rome.” Du Cang. Otto of Frisingen said that Frederic received 5 crowns; the first at Aix for the kingdom of the Franks; a second at Ratisban for that of Germany; a third at Pavia for the kingdom of Lombardy; the fourth at Rome for the Roman empire from Adrian iv; the fifth of Monza for the kingdom of Italy.” In our own memory, Napoleon I. having been crowned in France, was crowned with the iron crown at Monza), or an united crown , has been used in the same meaning, to symbolize as many empires, as there were crowns.

On Zerubbabel no crown was placed. It would have been confusing; a seeming restoration of the kingdom, when it was not to be restored; an encouragement of the temporal hopes, which were the bane of Israel. God had foretold, that none of the race of Jehoiakim should prosper, “sitting on the throne of David, or ruling any more in Israel.” Nehemiah rejects the imputation of Sanballat, “Thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem,” There is “a king in Judah.” He answers, “There are no such things done as thou sayest; and thou feignest them out of thine own heart” Neh 6:6-8. But Isaiah had foretold much of the king who should reign: Zechariah, by placing the royal crown on the head of Joshua, foreshowed that the kingdom was not to be of this world. The royal crown had been taken away in the time of Zedekiah, “Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem and take away the crown; this shall not be this; exalt the low and abase the high; an overthrow, overthrow, overthrow will I make it; this too is not; until he come whose the right is, and I will give it” (Eze 21:31-32 (Eze 21:26-27 in English)).

But the Messiah, it was foretold, was to be both priest and king; “a priest after the order of Melchizedec” Psa 110:4, and a king, set by the Lord “upon His holy hill of Zion” Psa 2:6. The act of placing the crown on the head of Joshua the high priest, pictured not only the union of the offices of priest and king in the person of Christ, but that He should be King, being first our High Priest. Joshua was already high priest; being such, the kingly crown was added to him. It says in act, what Paul says, that “Christ Jesus, being found in fashion as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him” Phi 2:8-9.

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

CHAPTER VI.

Crowns. Chaldean, "a great crown." Septuagint, ver. 14., "a crown;" perhaps like the pope’s (Menochius) --- Jesus. When the prophet set the crown on the high priest’s head, in order to shew that it did not belong to him, except as a figure of the Messias, he added, behold a man, who is also God, called Orient, or "raising up," and establishing the kingdom, which was promised to David. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)

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).

Then take silver and gold: this reiterating the command both confirms and explains the former command.

Make crowns; two, the one of silver, the other of gold.

Set them, put both of them, i.e. one after the other,

upon the head of Joshua, who now in this circumstance stands a type of Christ, King and Priest for ever for his people, and this extraordinary act was to represent something extraordinary in the Messiah.

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

Silver and gold. That which had been brought from Babylon. However unwilling the Jews were to let the Samaritans take part in the good work, they were quite ready to receive contributions from their brethren in the dispersion, and likewise from heathen kings and princes. (see Ezr_6:8, etc.; Ezr_7:15, etc.) Make crowns. The prophet was to get the crowns made. comp. Ex 25, passim) The plural may here be used intensively for "a noble crown," as in Job_31:36; or it may signify the two metals of which the crown was made, two or more wreaths being intertwined to form it. It is certain that only one crown was to be made, and that that was to be placed on Joshua"s head. There is no mention of Zerubbabel in the passage; so the plural cannot be taken to intimate that there was a crown for the high priest and a crown for the princely ruler, as Ewald and Bunsen assert. These critics, followed by Hitzig and Wellhausen, supply the passage thus: "on the head of Zerubbabel and on the head of Joshua." Zerubbabel had no kingly position. Rather, all mention of Zerubbabel is expressly excluded, in order to denote that in the Person of him whom Joshua symbolized, the offices of priest and king were united. (Ps 110) We may note that in Rev_19:12 Christ is said to have on his head many crowns, by which is meant a diadem composed of many circlets. The high priest"s mitre is never called a crown. That which was placed on Joshua"s head was a royal crown, a token of royal dignity, not his own, but his whom he represented Christ the eternal Priest, the universal King.

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

Make crowns - One of silver, the other of gold. Set them - Put both of them, one after another. Joshua - Who herein is now a type of Christ, king and priest forever for his people.

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

crowns

Following the earth-judgments symbolized in the horsed chariots (Zec 6:1-8) comes the manifestation of Christ in His kingdom glory (Zec 6:9-15). This is the invariable prophetic order: first the judgments of the day of the Lord; Isa 2:10-22; Rev 19:11-21 then the kingdom (cf); Psa 2:5; Psa 2:6; Isa 3:24-26; Isa 4:2-6; Isa 10:33; Isa 10:34; Isa 11:1-10; Rev 19:19-21; Rev 20:4-6. This is set forth symbolically by the crowning of Joshua, which was not a vision, but actually done (cf); Isa 8:3; Isa 8:4; Eze 37:16-22. The fulfilment in the BRANCH will infinitely transcend the symbol. He "shall bear the glory"; Zec 6:13; Mat 16:27; Mat 24:30; Mat 25:31 as the Priest-King on His own throne (Zec 6:12; Zec 6:13; Heb 7:1-3). Christ is now a Priest, but still in the holiest within the veil; Lev 16:15; Heb 9:11-14; Heb 9:24 and seated on the Father’s throne Rev 3:21. He has not yet come out to take His own throne Heb 9:28. The crowns made for the symbolical crowning of Joshua were to be laid up in the temple as a memorial to keep alive this larger hope of Israel.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.