The Church Fathers on this verse

Zechariah 3:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my charge, thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt keep my courts, and I will give thee some of them that are now present here to walk with thee.

Douay-Rheims

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַ֤י תֵּלֵךְ֙ וְאִ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגַם־אַתָּה֙ תָּדִ֣ין אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י וְגַ֖ם תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר אֶת־חֲצֵרָ֑י וְנָתַתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מַהְלְכִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָעֹמְדִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

3 Church Fathers comment on this verse

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

While we recognize that Jesus, the supreme High Priest, serves as a model for the Savior of all, Christ, Aaron was initially presented as such. In the elaborations directed at the son of Josedec, Scripture states: “This saith the Lord Almighty, If thou wilt go in my ways, and keep my commands, thou shalt judge my house.” However, this cannot be attributed to Christ, who embodies the pathway, embodies God's justification, and in His capacity as the Son, presided over His own house. As the faithful servant, Moses operated within the entirety of God's household, whereas Christ reigns as the Son within this house (Hebrews 3:5-6), which consists of us. Therefore, this may apply to the son of Josedec, but not to Christ.

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God had proclaimed that the priesthood would endure beyond the time of captivity, ensuring that it would govern Israel and preside over the sacred city. Despite the era of captivity, during which the temple faced destruction and sacrifices ceased, there were those who believed that Moses' institutions would be completely eradicated and that the law would lose its significance, even though the appointed time for the manifestation of the Only Begotten had yet to arrive. Consequently, God encouraged Israel to revert to the ancient traditions and to follow the guidance of the priests, emphasizing that should Jesus genuinely uphold the law, He would once again preside over His house and restore its former glory, with the aid of the holy angels. It is essential to assert that the ancient law was not void of divine intention. Though the law was manifested in types and shadows, its purpose was for God's glory, as referenced in the words: “I will give unto thee them that are in the midst of these that stand,” meaning angels who provide sacrifices and serve. Notice how Holy Scripture consistently notes that the holy angels "stand," a term suggesting that they remain vigilant, maintaining a posture of readiness rather than slothfulness, steadfastly present with God. As described in Ezekiel, the Cherubim are noted for their straight limbs (Ezekiel 1:7). In contrast, human minds are prone to weakening and easily succumbing to spiritual negligence. Yet, the blessed assembly of higher spirits stands firm. Thus, God instructed Zion: “Set yourself up, O Zion” (Jeremiah 31:21). And the beloved David expressed gratitude to God, proclaiming, “Set my feet upon the rock” (Psalms 39:3); here, the divinely inspired Psalmist invokes the concept of standing to denote steadfastness and mental strength.

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

If you walk in my ways and adhere to my commandments, you will oversee my temple; if you maintain my court, you will reign in my house, and I will grant you sons to serve before me in succession.

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

And the angel of the Lord stood by and testified to Jesus, declaring that the Lord of Hosts has spoken: “If you follow My ways and uphold My commands, you will judge My house and keep My courts, and I will grant you those who are among those now present.” The Jewish interpretation, consistent with earlier understandings, sees these words, delivered by the angel of the Lord, as referring to Jesus, the son of Josedec. This is understood to signify that after his unclean garments were taken away and he was restored to the honor of the pure priesthood, a directive was issued to him—similar to the words recorded in the Gospel: “Behold, you are made well; sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14)—along with assurance that he would not be condemned.

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A reward was promised: if he follows the paths of the Lord and keeps His commandments, he would serve as the judge of His house, functioning continually as the high priest and safeguarding the courts and the holy places of the Lord. Moreover, the Lord would provide him with angels who would stand by him at that time, aiding him and shielding him from the schemes of his adversaries. However, our interpretation, which applies all of this to the Lord Savior, finds the angel’s message to Jesus challenging to interpret. If He walks in the paths of the Lord and adheres to His commandments, He will act as the judge of His house and the protector of His courts, and the Lord will grant Him companions among those who stand in His presence.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.