In those days shall Juda be saved, and Israel shall dwell confidently: and this is the name that they shall call him: The Lord our just one.
בְּיָמָיו֙ תִּוָּשַׁ֣ע יְהוּדָ֔ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִשְׁכֹּ֣ן לָבֶ֑טַח וְזֶה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ אֲֽשֶׁר־יִקְרְא֖וֹ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ צִדְקֵֽנוּ׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
This is the name by which the Lord will designate him as righteous. In the prophets, Josedech is defined as the chief of our righteousness; indicating that just as the prophets proclaim according to God’s will, he, being just, will guide the people in the path of righteousness.
The prophet <...> expresses the following concerning Christ: "Behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will raise up for David a Righteous Branch, a King who will reign and act wisely, executing judgment and righteousness in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is the name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our Righteousness!’" (Jer. 23:5-6).
Lo, the days are approaching when I will raise up for David a Branch of righteousness... this name shall be referred to as Our Lord is righteous. This mystery was established in Zerubbabel but was ultimately realized in our Lord; Zerubbabel was not able to be called 'The Lord our righteousness,' whereas Christ our Lord is rightfully associated with that title. The prophets, the apostles, the Archangel Gabriel—who announced His conception—and the angels who served alongside Gabriel, proclaiming His birth to the shepherds, all bore witness to Him. Additionally, neither Zerubbabel nor any figure like him conferred upon the Lord's people the immense gifts spoken of by Jeremiah, who noted that these blessings would come with the arrival of the great King that would arise from among them.
The first of these gifts, which Isaiah foretold well in advance, is the liberation and transformation of all nations, uniting them as one people. The second gift encompasses the everlasting reign of the lineage of David, along with an abundance of every good thing, rendering the blessings that the Lord graciously bestowed upon previous generations as mere memories. Isaiah prophesied about the advent and kingdom of our Lord, saying in anticipation: "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:18-19). Such a declaration certainly cannot be attributed to Zerubbabel or any other leaders of Judah.
The unwarranted addition from the Seventy regarding the prophets should be completely removed. Following this, there exists another segment that they neglected, which concludes with the title concerning the prophets, whether in favor or against them, to which we will return later. Thus, after the dismissal of the Synagogue leaders, namely, the Scribes and Pharisees, and following the salvation of the remnant of Israel, the apostles of the Gospel take the place of the previous authorities. This ushers in the Shepherd of Shepherds, the Supreme Ruler, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords—Christ our Savior. He is the true Branch of righteousness or the Rising One of righteousness, referred to in Scripture: "righteousness shall shine forth in His days" (Ps.
71:7), and in another passage, "Behold a man, the East shall be his name, and under him shall shine forth, and build the temple of the Lord" (Zech. 6:12). As He is called Emmanuel in Isaiah, meaning "God with us" (Isa. 7:14), Jeremiah names Him our righteousness. The apostle further states, "He that is wisdom from God is from God, truth, and sanctification, and deliverance" (1 Cor. 1:30). His opponent, the Antichrist, as well as the evil one, is identified as the foolish shepherd by Zechariah (Zech. 1:1). He is said to establish justice and righteousness on the earth, for the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). During those days, both the two and ten tribes—Judah and Israel—will be saved together, and according to Ezekiel, one rod will be formed from the two (Ezekiel 37). His name shall be called, according to the Seventy: "the Lord shall call Him," or in Hebrew, "The Lord is our righteousness," which translates Adonai Tzidkenu. Simmachus rendered this as “Lord, justify us.”
The days are approaching, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and a just King will rule. He will possess wisdom and administer justice and righteousness throughout the earth. (Jer. 23:6). During His reign, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell in hope, and the Lord shall call Him by the name Josedech, as mentioned in the Prophets. Those who lack insight among the Jews often attribute this to Zerubbabel. However, it should be understood that Zerubbabel was not a king but rather a leader of the people, and he was not referred to as Josedech, nor does this name's significance pertain to him.
Josedech signifies The Lord our righteousness, or according to the Syriac version, The Lord, justify us; interpretations that do not specifically apply to Zerubbabel. Yet, since he served as a type of Christ, bringing the captives back to Judah from Babylon, much like the Lord brings those bound by sin to the truth, it is not inappropriate for anyone to draw parallels with Zerubbabel. Additionally, it is important to recognize that the prophets foretold the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who is, in the flesh, a descendant of David, the righteous Branch, the King of righteousness, and the Lord of righteousness. Following this, the Prophet addresses those who propagate falsehood, labeling them as adulterers, akin to those who betray and misrepresent the divine message. He further condemns them as deceivers among the people and points out that even the priests have become complicit in their malice. He forewarns the disasters that will befall them and likens them to the prophets of Samaria, known as the prophets of Baal. These, according to the Prophet, falsely assured the people of peace, leading them to remain entrenched in their sins, as highlighted in Jeremiah 23:14, where it states that 'every one turneth not away from his wicked way,' resulting in widespread imitation of the iniquities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus it is affirmed:
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS