Zechariah 3:2 kjv
And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Zechariah 3:2 nkjv
And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
Zechariah 3:2 niv
The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
Zechariah 3:2 esv
And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"
Zechariah 3:2 nlt
And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire."
Zechariah 3 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jude 1:9 | But even Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil... did not pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" | Michael's authoritative rebuke of Satan. |
| Rev 12:10 | ...for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. | Satan as the "accuser of the brethren." |
| Job 1:9-11 | "Does Job fear God for no reason?... stretch out your hand and touch all that he has..." | Satan's role as accuser before God. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God... The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you... but because He loved you..." | God's election based on love, not merit. |
| Ps 132:13-14 | For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling... | God's specific choice and delight in Zion/Jerusalem. |
| Isa 41:8-9 | But you, Israel, My servant... whom I have chosen... | God's choice of Israel as His servant. |
| Isa 43:1 | Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are Mine. | God's personal redemption and ownership of His chosen. |
| Amos 4:11 | "I overthrew some of you as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were a brand plucked from the burning..." | Direct parallel to the "brand from the fire" metaphor for rescue. |
| Isa 4:2-3 | ...those in Jerusalem who remain will be called holy - all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. | The concept of a holy remnant preserved. |
| Rom 9:27 | ...Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved. | The biblical theme of a saved remnant. |
| Rom 11:5 | So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. | The remnant chosen by God's unmerited favor. |
| 1 Cor 3:15 | If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. | Salvation preserved through trial, "as through fire." |
| Rom 8:33-34 | Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies... Who is to condemn? | God's justification overcoming accusation. |
| Isa 6:7 | ...your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. | Cleansing and atonement, mirroring Joshua's purification. |
| Ps 51:7 | Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. | Prayer for divine cleansing from sin. |
| Eph 1:7 | In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses... | Forgiveness of sins through Christ's redemption. |
| Col 1:13-14 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | Deliverance and forgiveness through Christ. |
| Ps 34:19-20 | Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. | God's deliverance from adversity. |
| Isa 54:17 | No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. | God's defense of His people against accusation. |
| Rom 8:31 | What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | God's supreme protection and advocacy. |
| Heb 4:14-16 | ...we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God... that we may receive mercy... | Jesus as the perfect High Priest. |
| Heb 7:25 | Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him... | Jesus' eternal mediation. |
Zechariah 3 verses
Zechariah 3 2 Meaning
Zechariah 3:2 reveals a powerful confrontation in a divine court scene where the Lord God actively defends Joshua, the high priest, against the accusations of Satan. It establishes that Joshua's, and by extension Israel's, standing before God is not based on their merit but on God's sovereign choice and protective intervention. The verse further emphasizes God's redemptive work by depicting Joshua (representing the nation) as a "brand plucked from the fire," signifying rescue from destruction and judgment due to God's gracious will, despite their deserved punishment.
Zechariah 3 2 Context
Zechariah chapter 3 is part of a series of night visions granted to the prophet during the early post-exilic period (circa 520 BC). At this time, the Jewish remnant had returned from Babylonian captivity to Judah, facing immense challenges in rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. This particular vision centers on Joshua (Jeshua), the High Priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ), with Satan also present to accuse him. Joshua, defiled in filthy garments, represents the spiritual state of the returned community—unclean due to sin, rendering them unfit for sacred service and struggling with the task of national and spiritual restoration. Verse 2 marks God's definitive response to Satan's accusation, a crucial moment of divine vindication and purification.
Zechariah 3 2 Word analysis
- And the Lord (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - wayyōʾmer YHWH): "YHWH" signifies God's personal covenant name, emphasizing His immutable character and absolute authority as the sovereign Judge. His declaration here is an exercise of His divine will and power.
- said to Satan (אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן - ʾel-haśśāṭān): "Ha-satan" means "the accuser" or "the adversary." This is not a personal name but a title denoting his function. In this context, Satan acts as a prosecuting attorney in a divine court. God directly confronts and addresses the spiritual foe, establishing His ultimate sovereignty.
- 'The Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): Repetition of God's covenant name underscores the gravity and absolute authority of the pronouncement.
- rebuke you (יִגְעַר־בְּךָ - yiḡʿar-bĕkā): The Hebrew word gaʿar signifies a strong, authoritative, and silencing reprimand. It implies a victorious, powerful cessation of hostile activity. This is not merely an emotional outburst but a decisive divine judgment against Satan's accusations. It's a statement of authority that renders Satan's charges baseless and invalid.
- Satan! (הַשָּׂטָן - haśśāṭān): The direct address again asserts divine dominion over the accuser.
- Indeed, the Lord (וִיהוָה - wîhwh): Another forceful iteration of the Divine Name, adding emphatic weight to the declaration. This structure "YHWH... YHWH" creates a profound, unchallengeable emphasis.
- who has chosen Jerusalem (הַבֹּחֵר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם - habbōḥēr bîrûšālayim): This phrase highlights God's election as the basis for His defense of Joshua/Israel. It's a reminder that their status before God is rooted not in their perfect obedience (which they lacked, evidenced by the "filthy garments") but in God's prior, sovereign, and unconditional choice. Their standing is secured by God's divine purpose and love, not their flawed performance.
- rebuke you! (יִגְעַר־בְּךָ - yiḡʿar-bĕkā): Repetition of the rebuke emphasizes its finality and divine certainty. The basis for the second rebuke (God's choice of Jerusalem) reinforces the justice of the first.
- Is this not a brand (הֲלוֹא זֶה אָד - hălôʾ zeh ʾūd): "Brand" refers to a burnt stick or a glowing ember—a small, charred piece of wood, something barely salvaged from destruction. It vividly illustrates utter ruin narrowly escaped. The rhetorical question demands an affirmative answer, highlighting the obvious.
- plucked from the fire (מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ - muṣṣāl mēʾēš): "Plucked" denotes a deliberate act of rescue, a forceful snatching away. "Fire" symbolizes judgment, destruction, and refining. This powerful metaphor describes Israel (represented by Joshua) as having just barely escaped total annihilation in the Babylonian exile, salvaged by God's extraordinary grace. Their survival is proof of God's redemptive intervention, making them fit objects for His ongoing saving work, not subjects of Satan's accusation.
Zechariah 3 2 Bonus section
The vision of Joshua in Zechariah 3 is a powerful prophetic "object lesson" that functions both typologically and as a spiritual reality.
- Typological Significance: Joshua the High Priest serves as a type (foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ. While Joshua needs to be cleansed and justified by God, Jesus, the ultimate High Priest, is Himself without sin and performs the cleansing for others. The "filthy garments" symbolize human sin and unworthiness, which are removed by God's grace and replaced with garments of righteousness (Zec 3:4-5), foreshadowing the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers.
- Legal Setting: The vision presents a divine courtroom scene where Satan acts as the accuser (prosecutor) and the Angel of the Lord acts as both judge and advocate for Joshua. God's rebuke of Satan is therefore a legal verdict, silencing the prosecution and demonstrating divine justice and mercy.
- Refining Fire: The "fire" in "brand plucked from the fire" carries a dual meaning in biblical theology. While it signifies destructive judgment (like the Babylonian exile), it also implies a purifying or refining process (Mal 3:2-3, 1 Pet 1:7). God's saving of the remnant through judgment allowed for purification and the opportunity for renewed covenant fidelity.
- Assurance for Believers: This verse speaks to every believer's spiritual battle against accusation. Just as God defended Joshua, He defends those who are "in Christ" (Rom 8:33-34), through His ultimate High Priest who lives to intercede for them (Heb 7:25). Our justification is a work of God, silencing the accusations of the adversary.
Zechariah 3 2 Commentary
Zechariah 3:2 provides profound comfort and theological insight. It is a divine legal ruling that definitively dismisses Satan's accusation against the High Priest Joshua, representing all Israel. God's response, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan!" is an authoritative declaration of victory over the adversary's attempts to condemn His chosen people. The repetition underscores the certainty of this divine decree. The phrase "the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem" serves as the foundational argument for Joshua's vindication; Israel's election is not revoked by their sin or the exile, but remains steadfast due to God's unchanging nature and purpose. Furthermore, the powerful metaphor "Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" beautifully captures the nation's recent experience of Babylonian captivity and their survival, emphasizing that their very existence is a testament to God's active, sovereign rescue. It reveals that Israel is preserved not by its own merit or righteousness, but purely by God's gracious intervention. This verse ultimately declares God's commitment to justify and restore His elect, asserting His ultimate control over the forces of darkness and His unfailing faithfulness to His covenant promises. For believers, this affirms that their justification against spiritual accusations is secured by God's will and power.