Zacharias 3:8
Hear, O Jesus thou high priest, thou and thy friends that dwell before thee, for they are portending men: for behold I WILL BRING MY SERVANT THE ORIENT.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Audi, Jesu sacerdos magne, tu et amici tui, qui habitant coram te, quia viri portendentes sunt : ecce enim ego adducam servum meum Orientem.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἄκουε δή, Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, σὺ καὶ οἱ πλησίον σου οἱ καθήμενοι πρὸ προσώπου, διότι ἄνδρες τερατοσκόποι εἰσί· διότι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἄγω τὸν δοῦλόν μου Ἀνατολήν·
- Hebrew (WLC)
- שְֽׁמַֽע נָ֞א יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֗וֹל אַתָּה֙ וְרֵעֶ֨יךָ֙ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי אַנְשֵׁ֥י מוֹפֵ֖ת הֵ֑מָּה כִּֽי הִנְנִ֥י מֵבִ֛יא אֶת עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח
Haydock's commentary
Portending men. That is, men who by words and actions are to foreshew wonders that are to come; (Challoner) or rather they require prodigies before they will take courage to build the temple; or they understand how to explain such things. (Calmet)
Orient; Christ, who according to his humanity is the servant of God, is called the Orient, from his rising like the sun in the east to enlighten the world. (Challoner)
St. Luke explains this of Christ, (Worthington) recording the words of Zacharias. [Luke i. 78.] (Haydock)
Christ's birth was most pure. He gave light to the world. Some would explain this of Zorobabel; but as he was already present, it would seem more applicable to Nehemias. Yet both were only figures of Christ, and could not efface the iniquity of Juda, &c. The Messias is styled the Bud, chap. vi. 12., and Isaias iv. 2., &c. (Calmet)
Tsemach signifies either "the bud or the orient." (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Cyprian Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews, That Christ also is called a Stone
In Isaiah: “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I place on the foundations of Sion a precious stone, elect, chief, a corner stone, honourable; and he who trusteth in Him shall not be confounded.” Also in the cxviith Psalm: “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save therefore, O Lord, direct therefore. Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord.” Also in Zechariah: “Behold, I bring forth my servant. …
Lactantius The Divine Institutes, Chap. XIV. Of the priesthood of Jesus foretold by the prophets
From which things it is evident that all the prophets declared concerning Christ, that it should come to pass at some time, that being born with a body of the race of David , He should build an eternal temple in honour of God, which is called the Church, and assemble all nations to the true worship of God. This is the faithful house, this is the everlasting temple; and if any one hath not sacrificed in this, he will not have the reward of immortality. And since Christ was the builder of this great and eternal temple, He must also have an everlasting priesthood in it; and there can be no approach to the shrine of the temple, and to the sight of God, except through Him who built the temple. David in the cixth Psalm teaches the same, saying: “Before the morning-star I begat Thee. …
St Ambrose Exposition of the Christian Faith, Chapter VIII. Christ, so far as He is true Son of God, has no Lord, but only so far as He is Man; as is shown by His words in which He addressed at one time the Father, at another the Lord. How many heresies are silenced by one verse of Scripture! We must distinguish between the things that belong to Christ as Son of God or as Son of David. For under the latter title only must we ascribe it to Him that He was a servant. Lastly, he points out that many passages cannot be taken except as referring to the Incarnation
107. Not only does He undergo service in the character of man by reason of His descent from David, but also by reason of His name, as it is written: “I have found David My Servant;” and elsewhere: “Behold I will send unto you My Servant, the Orient is His name.” And the Son Himself says: “Thus saith the Lord, that formed Me from the womb to be His servant, and said unto Me: It is a great thing for Thee to be called My Servant. Behold I have set Thee up for a witness to My people, and a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” To whom is this said, if not to Christ? Who being in the form of God, emptied Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant. But what can be in the form of God, except that which exists in the fulness of the Godhead?