Messianic Texts in the Prophets: Zech. 3:8-10 (Postexilic) My Servant the Branch עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח The Stone הָאֶ֗בֶן

Prayer and Bible Expo

Messianic Texts in the Prophets: 

Zechariah 3:8-10 (Postexilic)

My Servant the Branch 

עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח (⁽avdīy tzemach)

The Stone הָאֶ֗בֶן (hā⁾even)

“‘Now listen, 

Joshua the high priest, 

you and your friends 

who are sitting in front of you — 

indeed they are men who are a symbol, 

for behold, I am going to bring in 

My servant the Branch. 

For behold, 

the stone 

that I have set before Joshua; 

on one stone are seven eyes. 

Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ 

declares the LORD of hosts, 

‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land 

in one day. 

In that day,’ 

declares the LORD of hosts, 

‘every one of you will invite his neighbor 

to sit under his vine and under his fig tree’”

(Zech. 3:8-10).

‏שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֞א יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ ׀ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֗וֹל אַתָּה֙ וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מוֹפֵ֖ת הֵ֑מָּה כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י מֵבִ֛יא אֶת־עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח׃ ‎‏ כִּ֣י ׀ הִנֵּ֣ה הָאֶ֗בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אַחַ֖ת שִׁבְעָ֣ה עֵינָ֑יִם הִנְנִ֧י מְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲוֹ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ ‏ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תִּקְרְא֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ אֶל־תַּ֥חַת גֶּ֖פֶן וְאֶל־תַּ֥חַת תְּאֵנָֽה׃

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1).

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed’” (Isa. 28:16).

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isa. 42:1).

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land’” (Jer. 23:5).

“Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD”’” (Zech. 6:12).

“Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Heb. 7:27).

“And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12).

“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10).

“For this is contained in Scripture: ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED’” (1 Pet. 2:6).

(Isa. 11:1 (BHS וְיָצָ֥א חֹ֖טֶר מִגֵּ֣זַע יִשָׁ֑י וְנֵ֖צֶר מִשָּׁרָשָׁ֥יו יִפְרֶֽה׃

Isa. 42:1 הֵ֤ן עַבְדִּי֙ אֶתְמָךְ־בּ֔וֹ בְּחִירִ֖י רָצְתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י נָתַ֤תִּי רוּחִי֙ עָלָ֔יו מִשְׁפָּ֖ט לַגּוֹיִ֥ם יוֹצִֽיא׃

Isa. 28:16 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנְנִ֛י יִסַּ֥ד בְּצִיּ֖וֹן אָ֑בֶן אֶ֣בֶן בֹּ֜חַן פִּנַּ֤ת יִקְרַת֙ מוּסָ֣ד מוּסָּ֔ד הַֽמַּאֲמִ֖ין לֹ֥א יָחִֽישׁ׃

Jer. 23:5 הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י לְדָוִ֖ד צֶ֣מַח צַדִּ֑יק וּמָ֤לַךְ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהִשְׂכִּ֔יל וְעָשָׂ֛ה מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

Zech. 6:12 וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּה־אִ֞ישׁ צֶ֤מַח שְׁמוֹ֙ וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו יִצְמָ֔ח וּבָנָ֖ה אֶת־הֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃

(Heb. 7:27 (MHNT‏ אֲשֶׁר אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ יוֹם יוֹם, כַּכֹּהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, תְּחִלָּה לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹת עַל חֲטָאָיו וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן עַל חֲטָאֵי הָעָם; כִּי זֹאת עָשָׂה אַחַת וּלְתָמִיד בְּהַקְרִיבוֹ אֶת עַצְמוֹ. 

‎Heb. 9:12‏ וּבְדָמוֹ הוּא, וְלֹא בְּדַם שְׂעִירִים וַעֲגָלִים, נִכְנַס אַחַת וּלְתָמִיד אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְהִשִׂיג פְּדוּת עוֹלָמִים; 

‎Heb. 10:10‏ וּבְאוֹתוֹ הָרָצוֹן מְקֻדָּשִׁים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הַקְרָבַת גּוּפוֹ שֶׁל יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ פַּעַם אַחַת וּלְתָמִיד.