The Meaning of Zechariah 6:12 Explained

Zechariah 6:12

KJV: And 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:

YLT: and hast spoken unto him, saying: Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, saying: Lo, a man! A Shoot -- is his name, And from his place he doth shoot up, And he hath built the temple of Jehovah.

Darby: and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold a man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up from his own place, and he shall build the temple of Jehovah:

ASV: and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah 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 Jehovah;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And 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: 

What does Zechariah 6:12 Mean?

Study Notes

BRANCH
branch
A name of Christ, used in fourfold way:
(1) "The Branch of Jehovah" ( Isaiah 4:2 ), that is, the "Immanuel" character of Christ Isaiah 7:14 to be fully manifested to restored and converted Israel after His return in divine glory Matthew 25:31 .
(2) the "Branch of David" Isaiah 11:1 ; Jeremiah 23:5 ; Jeremiah 33:15 that is, the Messiah, "of the seed of David according to the flesh" Romans 1:3 revealed in His earthly glory as King of kings, and Lord of lords;
(3) Jehovah's "Servant, the Branch" Zechariah 3:8 Messiah's humiliation and obedience unto death according to; Isaiah 52:13-15 ; Isaiah 53:1-12 ; Philippians 2:5-8 .
(4) the "man whose name is the Branch" Zechariah 6:12 ; Zechariah 6:13 that is His character as Son of man, the "last Adam," the "second Man" 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 reigning, as Priest-King, over the earth in the dominion given to and lost by the first Adam. Matthew is the Gospel of the "Branch of David"; Mark of "Jehovah's Servant, the Branch"; Luke of "the man whose name is the Branch"; John of "the Branch of Jehovah."

Verse Meaning

Zechariah was then to announce in the name of sovereign Yahweh that those present should behold Joshua , whom Zechariah would designate as Branch (lit. Sprout, Heb. semah, cf. Zechariah 3:8; Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 53:2; Jeremiah 33:15; Haggai 2:23). Joshua represented (was a type of) the coming messianic Branch. This name signified that the coming Shoot would shoot up from His humble place of origin (cf. Isaiah 53:2; Micah 5:2). "He will branch out from where He is" is a pun on the word "branch." It means, "The shoot will shoot up from beneath (where there is little promise of life)." His kingdom would be widespread. Furthermore, He would build the temple of Yahweh. Zerubbabel, not Joshua , was God"s choice to build the restoration temple ( Zechariah 4:9-10), but Messiah, whom Joshua prefigured, would build the future temple for Yahweh (cf. Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 56:6-7; Ezekiel 40-43; Micah 4:1-7; Haggai 2:6-9). For amillennialists, the temple equals the church. [1]
"How appropriate therefore that both the type (Joshua) and the antitype (Jesus) have a name meaning "the Lord saves" (cf. NIV mg. at Matthew 1:21)!" [2]
The Aramaic Targum, the Jerusalem Talmud, and a Midrash all regarded Zechariah 6:12 as messianic. When Pilate said, "Behold, the man" ( John 19:5), he was announcing to the Jews unwittingly that Jesus was the Branch promised in this verse.

Context Summary

Zechariah 6:1-15 - The Vision Of The Chariots
This is a vision of protection and deliverance. Four chariots issue from the mountains around Jerusalem. The colors of the horses represent the commission that the drivers were to execute against the nations. Black denoted defeat and despair; the bay acted as a patrol of defence. Note the closing incident, which foreshadowed the union of the offices of priesthood and kingship in the person of our Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 6

1  The vision of the four chariots
9  By the crowns of Joshua are shown the temple and kingdom of Christ the Branch

What do the individual words in Zechariah 6:12 mean?

And speak to him saying thus says Yahweh of hosts saying behold the Man the BRANCH whose name [is] and from His place He shall branch out and He shall build - the temple of Yahweh
וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּה־ אִ֞ישׁ צֶ֤מַח שְׁמוֹ֙ וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו יִצְמָ֔ח וּבָנָ֖ה אֶת־ הֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָֽהּ‪‬‪‬

וְאָמַרְתָּ֤  And  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּ֥ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֛ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אִ֞ישׁ  the  Man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
צֶ֤מַח  the  BRANCH 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶמַח  
Sense: sprout, growth, branch.
שְׁמוֹ֙  whose  name  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו  and  from  His  place 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, third person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יִצְמָ֔ח  He  shall  branch  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָמַח  
Sense: to sprout, spring up, grow up.
וּבָנָ֖ה  and  He  shall  build 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הֵיכַ֥ל  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הֵיכָל  
Sense: palace, temple, nave, sanctuary.
יְהוָֽהּ‪‬‪‬  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.