Zechariah 3 · Verse 2

Zechariah 3:2

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, King James Version

Zechariah 3:2 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
WEBThe LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Yes, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto the Adversary: ‘Jehovah doth push against thee, O Adversary, Yea, push against thee doth Jehovah, Who is fixing on Jerusalem, Is not this a brand delivered from fire?'
DARBYAnd Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan! Yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
BBEAnd the Lord said to the Satan, May the Lord's word be sharp against you, O Satan, the word of the Lord who has taken Jerusalem for himself: is this not a burning branch pulled out of the fire?
WebsterAnd the LORD said to 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?

What does Zechariah 3:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. the Lord--Jehovah, hereby identified with the "angel of the Lord (Jehovah)" (Zec 3:1). rebuke thee--twice repeated to express the certainty of Satan's accusations and machinations against Jerusalem being frustrated. Instead of lengthened argument, Jehovah silences Satan by the one plea, namely, God's choice. chosen Jerusalem--(Ro 9:16; 11:5). The conclusive answer. If the issue rested on Jerusalem's merit or demerit, condemnation must be the award; but Jehovah's "choice" (Joh 15:16) rebuts Satan's charge against Jerusalem (Zec 1:17; 2:12; Ro 8:33, 34, 37), represented by Joshua (compare in the great atonement, Le 16:6-20, &c.), not that she may continue in sin, but be freed from it (Zec 3:7). brand plucked out of ... fire--(Am 4:11; 1Pe 4:18; Jude 23). Herein God implies that His acquittal of Jerusalem is not that He does not recognize her sin (Zec 3:3, 4, 9), but that having punished her people for it with a seventy years' captivity, He on the ground of His electing love has delivered her from the fiery ordeal; and when once He has begun a deliverance, as in this case, He will perfect it (Psa 89:30-35; Php 1:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? - The Jews were nearly destroyed because of their sins; a remnant of them is yet left, and God is determined to preserve them. He has had mercy upon them, and forgiven them their sins. Wouldst thou have them destroyed? It is God that hath justified them; who art thou that condemnest them? The Lord rebuke thee! God confound thee for what thou hast done, and for what thou desirest farther to do! It is evident that Jde 1:9 relates to this circumstance - the very same phraseology which occurs here. See the notes on Jde 1:9, where the subject is largely considered. With difficulty has this remnant escaped, and God will not permit fresh evils to fall upon them, by which they might be totally consumed. This was Satan's design, who accuses the followers of God day and night. See Rev 12:10.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 3:1-5

The angel showed Joshua, the high priest, to Zechariah, in a vision. Guilt and corruption are great discouragements when we stand before God. By the guilt of the sins committed by us, we are liable to the justice of God; by the power of sin that dwells in us, we are hateful to the holiness of God. Even God's Israel are in danger on these accounts; but they have relief from Jesus Christ, who is made of God to us both…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 3:1-5 →

Zechariah 3:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַשָּׂטָ֗ןha.sa.Tanthe accuserH7854
יִגְעַ֨רyig.'Armay he rebukeH1605
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּךָ֙be.Kha<in> you
הַשָּׂטָ֔ןha.sa.TanO accuserH7854
וְיִגְעַ֤רve.yig.'Arand may he rebukeH1605
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּךָ֔be.Kha<in> you
הַבֹּחֵ֖רha.bo.Cherwho has chosenH977
בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi.ru.sha.Lim<in> JerusalemH3389
הֲל֧וֹאha.Lo'¿ notH3808
זֶ֦הzeh[is] thisH2088
א֖וּד'uda piece of firewoodH181
מֻצָּ֥לmu.Tzalplucked outH5337
מֵאֵֽשׁ\׃me.'Eshfrom a fireH784

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zechariah 3:2

  • Amos 4:11

    I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

  • Jude 1:23

    And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

  • Jude 1:9

    Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

  • Romans 8:33

    Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

  • 1 John 3:8

    He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

  • Zechariah 1:17

    Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

  • Romans 16:20

    And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

  • Zechariah 2:12

    And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

  • Revelation 12:9-10

    And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

  • Romans 11:4-5

    But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

  • John 13:18

    I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

  • Psalms 109:31

    For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Lord said.
Ps 109:31; Lu 22:32; Ro 16:20; 1Jo 3:8
The Lord rebuke.
Da 12:1; Mr 1:25; Lu 4:35; 9:42; Jude 1:9; Re 12:9,10
chosen.
1:17; 2:12; 2Ch 6:6; Joh 13:18; Ro 8:33; Re 17:14
a brand.
Am 4:11; Ro 11:4,5; Jude 1:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zechariah 3:1

    And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

  • Zechariah 3:2

    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 3:3

    Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

Read all of Zechariah 3

Zechariah 3:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijo Jehová á Satán: Jehová te reprenda, oh Satán; Jehová, que ha escogido á Jerusalem, te reprenda. ¿No es éste tizón arrebatado del incendio?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit à Satan: Que l’ Éternel te tance, Satan; que l’ Éternel, qui a choisi Jérusalem, te tance! Celui-ci n’est-il pas un tison sauvé du feu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zum Satan: Jehova schelte dich, Satan! ja, es schelte dich Jehova, der Jerusalem erwählt hat! Ist dieser nicht ein Brandscheit, das aus dem Feuer gerettet ist?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixit Dominus ad Satan: Increpet Dominus in te, Satan! et increpet Dominus in te, qui elegit Jerusalem! numquid non iste torris est erutus de igne?