Zechariah 3:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Rather, he observes these events prior to their occurrence, striving to enlighten and fortify Israel, so they may avoid repeating the sins that led them into captivity, being aware that their previous deliverance was hard-won and that its significance was shared even among the heavenly hosts.

Thus, he mentions seeing an angel present, and before the angel, he sees Jesus, the son of Josedech, designated as “the great Jireah.” The angel symbolizes and foreshadows Christ, while the high priest represents the entire nation, as understood in the holy Scriptures. Hence, God never stated to Moses, "I have taken the Levites instead of all the children of Israel; these have been presented to me as a gift." Therefore, it is reasonable to interpret the high priest as embodying the whole people. After Israel had turned away from God, worshiping idols and disregarding the law of Moses, and after God’s righteous anger had been enacted upon them, He showed them mercy and summoned them again into His presence. The priest's standing before the Angel of the Lord signifies this restoration, for in His wrath, He averts His gaze from those who forsake Him; yet in His mercy, He turns to them and regards them. Thus, the psalmist expresses in prayer, "Do not hide Your face from me, nor turn away in anger from Your servant," and again, "Look upon me, and have mercy upon me."

In His inherent goodness and mercy, God forgave Israel's transgressions. Nevertheless, Satan, who led Israel into sin, continued to oppose and challenge Him, accusing God and attempting to prevent mercy from being extended to Israel, arguing that they remained in sinfulness and lacking any merit: "Standing at His right hand," attempting to undermine the righteousness of their case. He does not oppose our foolish actions, but rather contends against what is just and commendable. In a similar vein, the blessed David depicts a figure among the wicked as standing against Christ, stating, "the devil shall stand at his right hand." Thus, the adversary confronted Him but was silenced by the words of the angel: "The Lord rebuke you, O accuser, and the Lord rebuke you, O elect of Jerusalem." Observe how he immediately reveals himself as an adversary to God, wickedly contesting divine decrees. While God extends grace to Israel, forgiving their wrongs and choosing Jerusalem, the accuser does not cease his accusations, daring to condemn those who have received pardon. Therefore, he is reproached for the insatiability of his wrath: "Is this not a brand snatched from the fire?" As if to say, "Indeed, Israel has sinned and is subject to your reproach; yet she has suffered greatly and was scarcely rescued like a half-burnt brand; only now, with great difficulty, has she escaped the fierce flames of despair. Therefore, cease your accusations against those who have been granted forgiveness; for who is to condemn when God justifies?"

Before delving into a spiritual interpretation of this passage, it is essential to briefly explicate how the Jews understood it. The term "great priest," referred to by the Greeks as ἀρχιερεύς and by the Latins as pontifex, signifies Jesus, the son of Josedech, who governed with Zerubbabel. At his right hand was the adversary—this is the meaning of the term Satan—standing ready to challenge him. His placement on the right was appropriate, for the accusations against Jesus were not unfounded; he had, along with others, taken foreign wives, a matter extensively detailed in the book of Ezra and the prophet Malachi, who follows Zechariah (1 Ezra 10:18; Malachi 2:11). The Lord, addressing Satan, both his accuser and adversary, proclaimed, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan; may the Lord, who chose Jerusalem, also rebuke you." Given that Jerusalem has been selected from all cities of Judah, and the Lord does not hold against it its past transgressions, why would you seek to cast away Jesus—who returned from Babylonian captivity—as if he were merely a burning brand?

The phrase "Jesus was clothed in filthy garments" is understood in three distinct ways: it could refer to an illicit marriage, the sins of the people, or the defilement resulting from captivity. The angel before whom Jesus stood directed the other angels, under the Lord’s authority, to remove those filthy garments, which we previously mentioned. Upon fulfilling this command, the same angel again spoke to Jesus, proclaiming, "Behold, I have removed your unrighteousness—these filthy garments—and I have dressed you in changeable garments," implying the granting of a lawful Israelite wife. The Seventy translated it as ποδήρη, which signifies a garment trailing down to the ankles and feet. In the subsequent instruction to "Put upon his head a clean turban," the Hebrew uses saniph (צניף), which some interpret as mitra, symbolizing the priestly dignity, as the removal of filthy garments prepares the way for a pure priesthood.

However, our understanding posits that the great priest is He to whom it is proclaimed, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek" (Psalms 109:4). It is impossible for the prophet to see Him alone, thus the Lord manifests Him as standing before the angel of the Lord, perceived as the angel of the Great Council—not because there exists two distinct entities within the Son, but because He embodies both aspects; on one hand appearing as unclean, and on the other as the heavenly Intercessor appearing before God. The absence of the designation "son of Josedech" in this context emphasizes that it is not Jesus the son of Josedech, for elsewhere his name is always accompanied by that of his father.

Thus, the prophet envisions Jesus, standing steadfast in an unchanging position, with Satan poised at his right side to thwart him. He was tempted in all things yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), as the tempter in the Gospel sought to lead him astray from the righteous path. Regarding the phrase “The Lord rebuke you, Satan; may the Lord, who chose Jerusalem, rebuke you,” it can be understood that since both the Father and the Son are Lord—as articulated in Psalm 109:1, in which one Lord addresses another—this discourse reflects the unity of their divine nature, wherein both participate in enacting prohibition, encapsulating the truth that seeing the Son is equivalent to seeing the Father (John 14:9). He is the one who selected Jerusalem, representative of the Church, which experiences the Lord's peace.

The "head thrown out of the fire" signifies one who, despite being situated in Babylon, remains unscathed by its flames or the trials of this age. Moses similarly encountered a profound vision in the wilderness, witnessing a bush burning yet not consumed (Ex. 3:2). Jesus, clothed in stained garments, although sinless, bore the sins of many; He took upon Himself our illnesses and suffrages, as we assumed He was stricken, afflicted for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:4-5). The Apostle affirms that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse on our behalf (Galatians 3:13). This sentiment is mirrored in the words of the psalmist: "Far from my salvation are the words of my sins" (Ps. 21:2), and "O God, You know my folly; my transgressions are not hidden from You" (Psalms 68:6). These soiled garments represent the accumulation of sin, which will be removed once our sins are atoned for. Because He bore these stained garments, when we are raised through Him post-baptism, we will hear the declaration, "My garments shall always be clean" (Ecclesiastes 9:8), while the entire congregation of the faithful hears Isaiah’s exhortation to "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean" (Isaiah 1:16). This theme is also echoed in the Song of Songs: "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, like a column of smoke?" (Song of Songs 3:6). Furthermore, the term "podir" (ποδήρην) signifies His incarnation, which, being earthly, is denoted by the word for foot (πούς). The clean turban upon His head symbolizes the brilliance of Divine Majesty. Thus, He is seen as both a man adorned in a garment that reaches His feet (ποδήρη) and as God clad in a turban.

Thus, having rescued Jesus, the son of Josedech, from the clutches of the devil, the Master, in His divinity, remarked: ‘Is not this as the brand plucked from the fire?’ This remark was particularly fitting because the Jews, having recently returned from exile, still carried the remnants of captivity, poverty, and want; hence, they are rightly referred to as ‘the brand,’ a half-charred tree rescued from the flames. Subsequently, the Prophet continues to depict the Hierarch adorned in filthy and disgraceful attire. Yet, the angel, appointed to guard the people, instructed the other angels standing by to remove these garments from him, clarifying that the attire symbolizes something more profound, and added:

It cannot be claimed that this refers to Jesus the son of Jodaeus, for he never wore unclean garments, continuously donning the appropriate high-priestly attire, and was never stripped of his honor. No! It is Jesus Christ, the supreme Priest of God the Father, who, having offered Himself for us through every humiliation, and subsequently dressed in a glorious robe following His resurrection, earned the title of the great Priest of God.