Zechariah 3:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, Christ did not inform His holy disciples of His impending suffering on the cross. Noticing their discouragement, He consoled them, saying, “A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she has given birth, she rejoices with joy because a man is born into the world. And you also have sorrow now, but afterwards you will see me, and your heart will rejoice” (John 16:21-22). Likewise, upon His resurrection, as the women wept in the garden, He told them, “Rejoice,” and similarly, to all who love Him, we should express after His crucifixion and resurrection, “You have turned my weeping into joy, you have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Psalm 29:12). For once Christ has triumphed over death, does not sorrow vanish instantly, and is every tear not wiped away from the face, in line with the prophet’s declaration? (Isaiah 25:8) As God, He embodies life by nature, even though He took on flesh. Thus, He states, “on this day,” referring to the time of His resurrection when His executioners were brought low, “call each one of you who is genuine to the vine and the fig tree.” Should one attempt to interpret these words literally, they would need to contend that they point to spiritual delights. Furthermore, it is reasonable to suggest that the fig tree and the vine symbolize the Church, as the divine Psalmist indicates, speaking to the supreme and heavenly Bridegroom, which is Christ, “Thy wife is as a fruitful vine in the heart of thy house” (Psalm 127:3). The Almighty Himself did not claim, “the ripening grapes produce an unpleasant odor, the figs lose their blossoms” (Song 2:13); instead, He declared that the vineyards are fragrant, blossom, and bear fruit, likely referencing the time when the churches were established through faith in Him. These vineyards may represent the multitude of those who have recently come to believe, not yet matured but soon to ripen and become sweet by striving for perfection; for once they have matured and grown “into perfect men of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), we become analogous to the perfect fruits pleasing to God, akin to the Church in essence. Therefore, if the fig tree and the vine signify the churches, we will be under their guidance, finding comfort among them, with one another proclaiming the prophetic invitation: “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3). If we reach this destination, He will bestow gratitude upon those who invited us there, saying, “I will rejoice in those who said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalms 121:1); for by fruit, we rightly signify our greatest joy. Thus, we shall proclaim with the Psalmist, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, this will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His holy temple” (Psalms 26:4).

"I will open the door," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will rend it open; I will remove the unrighteousness from this land, and on that day, I will summon all true-hearted men of yours under the vine and under the fig tree." This message indicates that I will transform the desolate land, restoring it to a state of abundance and habitation for My purpose and worship. Another translation emphasizes, "Behold, I will dig a ditch," declares the Lord Almighty, "and all the injuries of this land will be buried in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall invite every sincere person under the vine and under the fig tree."

In a profound interpretation concerning the digging of the ditch, the Prophet alludes to the holy ribs that the Lord touched and unveiled—the malice and wickedness aimed at Christ that lurked in the cursed and violent nation of the Jews (Ps. 21:17). Thus, the digging of the ditch alludes to the piercing of Christ's ribs, as the Psalmist writes, "My hands and my feet have been pierced" (Ps. 21:17). Through this piercing of the sacred ribs, the sins of humanity were erased; this act revealed the wickedness of Israel on that fateful day when Christ was raised upon the cross. On that day, the initial laborers in the vineyard were cast out, and new workers arrived. The Prophet, in highlighting this vineyard work, refers to it alongside the fig tree, stating, "Call every sincere person under the vine and under the fig tree." This signifies that everyone will contribute generously towards the well-being of the sincere, and the virtues they cultivate will serve to benefit their neighbor.

He reiterates this comparison, indicating the stone, and states, I will remove the images from it, or I will inscribe upon it; because the Hebrew text, maphate phethee (מפתח פתחה), was translated by Akilah with the phrase διαγλύψω ἄνοιγμα αὐτῆς, meaning I will carve out its cover; while Simmachus and Theodotion state: I will draw its images. This signifies that I will allow this Stone to bear wounds from the nails of the cross and the spear of the soldier, and through His suffering, I will eradicate the wickedness of the earth in a single day, as it is written: This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 117:24).

On Christ's day of suffering, the one who is perfected in Christ and, along with the Apostles, has received the highest grace of the Lord, will call upon his neighbor, referring to either the Jewish believers or the Gentiles, to gather under the shade of the vineyard known as Sorek, of which the Gospel states: I am the vine (John 15:1), producing fruit that delights the heart of man. Additionally, under the fig tree, representing the sweetest fruits of the Holy Spirit, those who are summoned will find peace, having triumphed over worldly temptations and laid down weapons of strife, thereby knowing they are sheltered under the reign of the King, whose name is Peace, a mystery embodied in Solomon.

The prophet Micah similarly speaks of this tranquility under the vine and fig tree, declaring: In that day, every man shall invite his neighbor and his brother to sit beneath the vine and the fig tree, and there will be no fear (Micah 4:4). In the prophet’s words, as interpreted by the Seventy, we see: Behold, I will dig a ditch, which can signify the artist’s chisel deepening its work; anything that is removed is also drawn out. However, if anyone seeks to derive a different meaning from this than what pertains to the stone, we can assert that God Almighty, on the day of His Son’s suffering or, as the Jews perceive, on the final day of the world, will reveal the deeds of every individual and will touch the entire earth on the day of judgment. For this is that one day when all the saints will summon their friends and companions—who are also saints—to enjoy peace and celebrate their virtues.

The mention of seven signifies its abundance and brilliance. This aligns with Anna's declaration: "The barren shall bear seven children" (1 Sam. 2:5), which illustrates a large number rather than a precise count. Likewise, David states: “Repay our neighbors with a sevenfold reward in their bosom” (Psalm 78:12), indicating that they be punished many times over for the wrongs they inflicted upon us. The prophet designates Zerubbabel as a stone due to his steadfastness and resilience. Furthermore, Zerubbabel serves as a foreshadowing of the Lord Christ, Who is referred to as a stone in many parts of Scripture. As the blessed David proclaims: “This stone, which the builders rejected, is the chief cornerstone” (Psalm 117:22). Through the wise mouth of Isaiah, the Almighty declares: “I lay in Zion a precious stone, a chosen cornerstone, a foundation that is honorable; whoever believes in it will not be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16; cf. 1 Pet. 2:7). Additionally, the blessed Daniel witnessed a stone cut from the mountain without hands; it struck the statue, obliterated its substance, and grew into a great mountain filling the earth (Dan. 2:34, 45). Enlightened by these revelations, Paul exclaims: “I drink from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4); and “No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). Zerubbabel embodies this stone—since from him the Savior of the world took on flesh—and is rightly viewed as a stone himself, radiant with various blessings. Thus, the Prophet, having revealed the divine grace bestowed upon Zerubbabel, also foretells the triumphs achieved under his glorious leadership. “Behold, I will dig a trench,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will bury all the offense of this land in one day.” God foretold these words concerning Gog and Magog, whom He brought to total destruction in a single day, collectively annihilated, metaphorically referred to as “the moat.” Following this, the Prophet states that all the warriors led by Zerubbabel, as victors, will no longer fearfully summon one another to a feast “under the vine and fig tree,” instead sharing in the banquet without concern for enemy incursions. Upon hearing these profound revelations, the prophet became detached from all earthly matters, his thoughts deeply immersed in the visions, resembling a man exceedingly wearied and overtaken by slumber. Thus, the holy angel, who safeguards the people and directs me through my visions, speaks of himself, the Prophet.