Zechariah 4:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, the blessed angel adeptly addresses the seeker, referring to them as the two sons of oil, as they joyously partake of the anointing of Christ and abundantly receive the grace of the Spirit. We are justified by faith, experiencing forgiveness, and have become sharers in His divine essence through communion with the Holy Spirit. The presence of oil and lamps signifies the foundation and essence of the two peoples; our calling is found in the light, akin to the divine oil, affirming that we are forgiven and liberated from death and sin, having broken free from ancient chains. We are illuminated, coming to know the one true God by nature, having escaped the shadows of polytheistic fallacy. Special attention, however, should be paid to the olives and the reason why the blessed prophet chose to refer not merely to the olives, but to their branches. The Jewish synagogue is likened to the good olive tree, while the multitude of Gentiles represents the wild olive tree. The Apostle Paul touches on this, addressing the Gentile believers: “But if thou art cut off from the natural olive tree, and through nature thou art clung to the good olive tree, how much more shall these, who are by nature, be grafted into their own olive tree” (Romans 11:24). Thus, as I mentioned earlier, the synagogue is depicted as the good olive tree, while the Gentiles stand as the wild olive tree; some, having been educated through the law, lived fruitful lives, but others became like a den of wasps, filled with demonic influence and barren souls. Not all of the Jewish synagogue embraced faith in the Son, nor did all Gentiles, only many who were called out from both, granted forgiveness and invited to the light through faith in the Spirit. By the branches of the olive tree, we may reasonably denote those who have been redeemed, experiencing grace, and who have found themselves in the illuminating presence of Christ, surrounded by the radiant lamps, which are the multitude of saints. Observe how the divine angel perceives the lampstand as a symbol and representation of Immanuel. The branches positioned on either side, referred to as the two sons of oil, stand before the Lord of all the earth, symbolizing the spiritual proximity and readiness of the soul to submit to Him in service. This imagery can also be seen in Christ, who presented to Himself a church (Eph. 5:27) drawn from both peoples. Likewise, the divine Moses was graced with the title of standing when God instructed him, “But thou shalt stand here with me” (Deut. 5:31), for God, who knows all, does not dismiss the guidance offered through the law. Why? Because it serves as a mentoring pathway to Christ, portraying profound truths through images and shadows. Christ Himself confirmed this, stating to the disbelieving Jews, “If ye would believe Moses, believe ye also me: for he wrote of me” (John 5:46).

When the prophet inquired about the two olives, one on the right and the other on the left of the lampstand, the Lord or His messenger was hesitant to provide an answer. Realizing this, the prophet asked for clarification again, wanting to know the meaning of the two olive shoots or the base of the olive branches. He posed this secondary question, feeling unworthy to receive the initial answer. The two branches are located at the tips of two spouts, resembling beaks, which are referred to in Hebrew as sinthoroth (צנתרות) and in Greek as μυξωτῆρες. These two μυξωτῆρες, supporting two spouts or oil-branches, were made from the purest gold.

Upon questioning the angel about the two branches and receiving the angel’s inquiry in return about whether he understood their meaning, the prophet confirmed, ‘No, my lord.’ The angel then explained, ‘These are the two sons of the anointing,’ reflecting the interpretations of various translators regarding their significance. Some of our interpreters suggest that these two olives symbolize the Son and the Holy Spirit, while the lampstand in the center represents God the Father. However, it seems blasphemous to interpret one as the right and the other as the left in this way.

Others see the branches representing the incarnation of the Savior and the likeness of the Holy Spirit as a dove, signifying that we can only view certain aspects of the olive trees, rather than their entirety. This implies a limited understanding of the incarnation of the Son and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some interpretations suggest that the two olives represent the two Testaments, one embodying a spiritual essence and the other a corporeal one. The entirety of the Gospel or the Law cannot fully be expressed, as we only know in part and prophesy in part (1 Cor. 13:9), yet we have yet to grasp the complete truth.

Others interpret the branches of olives as symbolizing the priesthood and the Law, bringing joy to all the earth. There are those who see Enoch and Elijah in this context; one representing faithfulness outside of circumcision and the other within it, both taken alive to heaven (Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11-12). Instead of terms like brightness or fatness, the Hebrew uses the word isaar (היצהר), akin to what we read in Psalms about the joy and abundance experienced by the saints: ‘They delighted in the richness of Your house’ (Psalms 36:8).

We have explored these interpretations to the extent of our understanding and the insights of others, summarizing the diverse views from both Jewish sources and our own. Should anyone propose a more enlightening interpretation, we would gladly accept it as superior.