The Crowning of Joshua (6:9-15). 

        There is an inner contradiction in this incident, for to crown the high priest as Messianic king (ver. 12f) would be to run counter to all prophecy. In addition the promise that he should build the Temple had been earlier given to Zerubbabel (4:9). As a result most moderns assume that it was Zerub-babel that was crowned, but when the Persians heard of it he lost his position and perhaps his life. To hide the disappoint­ment the prophecy was distorted by substituting Joshua’s name. The plausibility of this view is increased by the mis­taken English translation in ver. 12, “Behold the man…” it should be “Behold a man…” not necessarily identifying the person crowned with the prophecy.

        Note that we are not dealing with a crowning or anoint­ing ceremony. The crown (the singular is correct, see mg. to vers. 11, 14) is a sign of honour rather than royalty — the Hebrew does not use the usual word for the royal crown. At the same time it was an honour which might indeed have been fatal for Zerubbabel, but not for Joshua. Zechariah gives honour to Joshua, but indicates that Zerubbabel ranks higher for he is the ancestor of the Messiah. In so doing, however, he foreshadows him who was to be priest-king for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4; Heb. 6:20).

        While like Haggai, Zechariah saw in Zerubbabel the fore­shadowing of the Messiah (see note on Hag. 2:23), he did not think hirn the Messiah. The language always falls short of complete identification. In addition there is always an eschatological element present which reminds us that Zech­ariah is looking to the future, however near he may hope it to be. It may be for this reason that he prefers to use the title Shoot, which although it has Messianic connotations cannot be said to be purely Messianic.

        We do not doubt that the R.V. mg. is correct in ver. 13 and that it is a promise that Joshua shall share in Zerubbabel’s rule; at the same time the Hebrew is ambiguous, and in its deeper fulfilment it points to Jesus Christ the priest-king as expressed by the R.V. text.