Zechariah 4 · ESV Study Bible

A Vision of a Golden Lampstand

ZECHARIAH 4 [†]And f the angel who talked with me came again g and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2[†]And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, h a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and i seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3And there are j two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4[†]And I said to f the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, k “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6[^][†]Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to l Zerubbabel: m Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7[†]Who are you, n O great mountain? Before l Zerubbabel o you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward p the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

8Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9[†] q “The hands of l Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also r complete it. s Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 10 t For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see u the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

v “These seven v are the eyes of the LORD, w which range through the whole earth.” 11[†]Then I said to him, “What are these j two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these j two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil [1] is poured out?” 13He said to me, x “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14[†]Then he said, y “These are the two anointed ones [2] who stand by z the Lord of the whole earth.”

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:2 The fifth vision consisted of a solid gold lampstand flanked by “two olive trees” (v. 3). A “lampstand” (menorah) is almost always a ritual object, especially one made of gold: there was a single golden lampstand in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:31–40) and 10 in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 4:7, 20). The lampstand supported a bowl, which served as a reservoir for the oil. Arranged around the bowl were seven lamps, each of which had seven lips (i.e., “spouts”). Individual seven-spouted lamps have been uncovered by archaeologists, but the combination of seven around a single bowl is unmatched. The result would be 49 wicks to give light, a kind of “super-menorah.”

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:4 Zechariah asked the angel, “What are these, my lord?” and he responded with an oracle explaining the message of the vision.

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:6 The oracle is addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor, who along with Joshua the high priest had been charged by the prophet Haggai with the task of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:1). God’s word to him is a reminder that the obstacles that face him in the rebuilding task will not be overcome by conventional resources of might or power. Instead, the resources will come from an outpouring of God’s Spirit (see Hag. 2:5).

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:9 As Zerubbabel began the work when he laid the foundation, so he would bring it to completion when he brought out the “top stone” (v. 7), or capstone, of the building. The people would respond to Zerubbabel’s action by invoking God’s blessing upon the building, with shouts of “Grace, grace” (v. 7); its completion would vindicate the prophet’s authenticity.

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:11–12 Some of the details of how the two olive trees (v. 11) on either side of the lampstand are connected to it are obscure. Whatever the precise nature of the branches and the golden pipes, their function is to transmit olive oil from the inexhaustible source of the two olive trees to the bowl of the lampstand, ensuring that the lamps will never go out.

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:14 The two olive trees are the two anointed ones (Hb. bene hayyitshar; “sons of new oil,” esv footnote). Yitshar indicates “new oil,” one of the marks of the fertility that flows from God’s blessing (Hag. 1:11). These trees are thus characterized by endless fertility, which means unlimited amounts of oil for the lampstand, and they stand by the Lord of the whole earth as members of his heavenly court. Most interpreters think these two represent Zerubbabel (the governor, who was descended from David) and Joshua (the high priest). They stand in the Lord’s presence and receive his favor and protection. Other possibilities are that they represent Haggai and Zechariah, who as prophets had entrance into the heavenly deliberations; or the angels, who act as God’s agents in supplying unlimited divine assistance to the restored temple.

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:1–14 Vision Five: The Olive Trees and the Lampstand. Zechariah sees lamps on a golden lampstand, a symbol of God’s watchfulness and power to fulfill his promises to David’s house (represented by Zerubbabel).

ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:7 With that assurance of divine aid, the great mountain of difficulties that stands in the way of rebuilding, whether practical, political, or spiritual, is cut down to size. All these obstacles will become a plain in front of Zerubbabel (cf. Isa. 40:4).