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The Prophets · Old Testament

Zechariah 6

Zechariah 6: four chariots from between mountains of brass, and crowns for Joshua

General context

Zechariah turns and sees four chariots coming out from between two mountains of brass, drawn by red, black, white, and grisled and bay horses. He asks what they are and the angel answers, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses go into the north country and the white after them, the grisled go toward the south, and the bay seek to walk to and fro through the earth and are sent to do so. The angel then cries to Zechariah that those going toward the north have quieted the Lord's spirit in the north country. A word of the Lord follows with instructions. Zechariah is to take from the men of the captivity, Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon, and go the same day into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. He is to take silver and gold, make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and speak to him the words of the Lord of hosts: Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH, who will grow up out of his place and build the temple of the Lord. That man will bear the glory, sit and rule upon his throne, be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between them both. The crowns are to remain in the temple as a memorial for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. Those far off will come and build in the temple, and the hearers will know the Lord of hosts sent the speaker if they diligently obey the voice of the Lord their God.

Cited passages: Zechariah 6:1, Zechariah 6:2, Zechariah 6:3, Zechariah 6:4, Zechariah 6:5, Zechariah 6:6, Zechariah 6:7, Zechariah 6:8, Zechariah 6:9, Zechariah 6:10, Zechariah 6:11, Zechariah 6:12, Zechariah 6:13, Zechariah 6:14, Zechariah 6:15

Zechariah 6 (KJV)

1And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;

3And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

4Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

6The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.

7And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.

8Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.

9And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

10Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;

11Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;

12And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

13Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

15And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.

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Historical context

The angel's explanation of the chariots is the only one given: "These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." The mountains of brass are not explained. Verse 6 assigns the black, white and grisled horses to the north and south, and gives no direction for the red horses of the first chariot. Verse 10 names "of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon," with the house of "Josiah the son of Zephaniah" as the place. Verse 14 names the memorial for "Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah," so two of the four names differ between the two verses and the text does not explain the difference. Joshua is named with his father and office as in Haggai 1:1, "Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest." The crowns are plural in verses 11 and 14. The words about "the man whose name is The BRANCH" are spoken to Joshua, and the chapter does not say whether Joshua is that man or whether he is the servant called the BRANCH in 3:8. Who the two are in "the counsel of peace shall be between them both" is not stated. The final promise is conditional, "if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God." No date is given in the chapter.

Cited passages: Zechariah 6:5, Zechariah 6:6, Zechariah 6:10, Zechariah 6:11, Zechariah 6:12, Zechariah 6:13, Zechariah 6:14, Zechariah 6:15, Haggai 1:1, Zechariah 3:8, Zechariah 6:1

Literary context

The last of the night sights repeats the first. Horses went out to walk to and fro through the earth in 1:10 and reported the earth at rest; here chariots go out with the same phrase repeated three times in one verse, and the report is that the Lord's spirit has been quieted in the north country. After the angel answers the last question about the chariots, the chapter turns from seeing to doing: silver and gold, named men, a named house, a same-day errand. The crowning is the one action Zechariah is told to perform rather than watch. The speech over Joshua's head moves from a man present in the room to a man announced, whose name is The BRANCH, and stacks his offices in a line, build, bear the glory, sit and rule, be a priest upon his throne. The crowns are then left in the temple as an object that outlasts the scene, named for the men who brought the metal. The final verse widens to those far off and closes the whole vision cycle on a condition rather than a promise.

Cited passages: Zechariah 6:1, Zechariah 6:5, Zechariah 6:7, Zechariah 6:8, Zechariah 1:10, Zechariah 1:11, Zechariah 6:10, Zechariah 6:11, Zechariah 6:12, Zechariah 6:13, Zechariah 6:14, Zechariah 6:15

Key moments

  1. Four chariots of brass mountains (Zechariah 6:1). Zechariah sees four chariots come out from between two mountains of brass.
  2. The four spirits of the heavens (Zechariah 6:5). The angel explains the chariots as four spirits going out from before the Lord of all the earth.
  3. Quieted in the north (Zechariah 6:8). The angel cries that those going north have quieted the Lord’s spirit there.
  4. Silver and gold from the captivity (Zechariah 6:10). Zechariah is told to take from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, come from Babylon.
  5. Crowns on Joshua’s head (Zechariah 6:11). Crowns of silver and gold are set on the head of Joshua the high priest.
  6. The man named The BRANCH (Zechariah 6:12). Joshua is told of a man named The BRANCH who will build the temple of the Lord.
  7. A memorial in the temple (Zechariah 6:14). The crowns are to stay in the temple as a memorial for the named men.

For reflection

Crowns of silver and gold are set on the high priest’s head and then left in the temple as a memorial for the men who supplied them. What does it mean for a crown to end up as a keepsake rather than as something worn?

People in this chapter

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