Sunday 5 June 2016

Zechariah 3, the incendiary and the sprout

Every verse memorized in ignorance is reframed, reinterpreted, rethought, and reworked when you read it in Hebrew. If YHWH is against the accuser then the same is against Jerusalem. You cannot have it both ways. The preposition is the same ב. So the preposition in English must also be the same even if prepositions are notorious for failing concordance. (And they must fail - such is, it seems, the nature of language in translation.)

Chapter 3 of Zechariah thus causes changes to chapters 1 and 2. (Beware the translator who posts a chapter at a time.) And try to figure out here also who is speaking to whom about what or whom.

How are you, Bob? I am heavy. Lourd. כבד. Depressed מה־תּשׁתּוחחי נפשׁי?
It is not my exile, but the exile of that other who is also me. כי אך אנחנו שׁנים אהד.
If you know me, you will know my circumstance.

Zechariah 3 is a short chapter. And the incendiary is again to be delivered from fire. But what will I do about the servant Sprout?  Really the capitalized BRANCH of KJV is a bit much. Perhaps I will discover this Messianic title later and have to revise this section. But the name won't be 'branch'. 'I think I will name him Growth' (A. A. Milne). Don't worry, if this is real, it will turn up again, for the one that is in me, though troubled and troubling, will point it out to me again.

But don't think for a minute that you have the answer already. We have scarcely begun even after three score and ten years.

Zechariah 3 Fn Min Max Syll
וַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה
וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־יְמִינ֖וֹ לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ
1 And he showed me Joshua the great priest standing in the presence of the angel of Yahweh,
and the accuser standing at his right hand to accuse him.
3d 4B 23
13
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־הַשָּׂטָ֗ן יִגְעַ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה בְּךָ֙ הַשָּׂטָ֔ן וְיִגְעַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ בְּךָ֔ הַבֹּחֵ֖ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
הֲל֧וֹא זֶ֦ה א֖וּד מֻצָּ֥ל מֵאֵֽשׁ
2 And Yahweh said to the accuser, may Yahweh give rebuke against you who accuse, and may Yahweh give rebuke against you, the one who chose against Jerusalem.
Is not this incendiary delivered from fire?
3c 4C 32
8
וִיהוֹשֻׁ֕עַ הָיָ֥ה לָבֻ֖שׁ בְּגָדִ֣ים צוֹאִ֑ים
וְעֹמֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י הַמַּלְאָֽךְ
3 And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments,
and he stood in the presence of the angel.
3e 4B 13
8
וַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶל־הָעֹמְדִ֤ים לְפָנָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָסִ֛ירוּ הַבְּגָדִ֥ים הַצֹּאִ֖ים מֵעָלָ֑יו
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו רְאֵ֨ה הֶעֱבַ֤רְתִּי מֵעָלֶ֙יךָ֙ עֲוֺנֶ֔ךָ וְהַלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֹתְךָ֖ מַחֲלָצֽוֹת
4 And he answered and said to those standing in his presence, saying, Put aside the filthy garments from him.
And he said to him, See, I have made to pass from over you, your iniquity, and I will clothe you with rescue.
3d 4C 26
28
וָאֹמַ֕ר יָשִׂ֛ימוּ צָנִ֥יף טָה֖וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ
וַיָּשִׂימוּ֩ הַצָּנִ֨יף הַטָּה֜וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וַיַּלְבִּשֻׁ֙הוּ֙ בְּגָדִ֔ים וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה עֹמֵֽד
5 And I said, Let them set a clean turban on his head,
and they set the clean turban on his head and they clothed him with garments and the angel of Yahweh was standing.
3d 4A 13
28
וַיָּ֙עַד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה בִּיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לֵאמֹֽר 6 And the angel of Yahweh testified against Joshua, saying, 3e 4B 13
כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַ֤י תֵּלֵךְ֙ וְאִ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגַם־אַתָּה֙ תָּדִ֣ין אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י וְגַ֖ם תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר אֶת־חֲצֵרָ֑י
וְנָתַתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מַהְלְכִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָעֹמְדִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה
7 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, If in my ways you will walk and if my watch you will keep, and also you will advocate for my house, and also you will keep my courts,
then I will give to you promenades between these who are standing.
3e 4C 39
16
שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֞א יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ ׀ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֗וֹל אַתָּה֙ וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ הַיֹּשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מוֹפֵ֖ת הֵ֑מָּה
כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י מֵבִ֛יא אֶת־עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח
8 Hear if you will, Joshua the great priest, you and your associates sitting here in your presence, for persons of portent they are,
for note me well, I will bring my servant, Growth.
3d 4B 33
10
כִּ֣י ׀ הִנֵּ֣ה הָאֶ֗בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אַחַ֖ת שִׁבְעָ֣ה עֵינָ֑יִם
הִנְנִ֧י מְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד
9 B For behold the stone that I gave in the presence of Joshua. On one stone are seven eyes.
Note me well carving what is carved, an oracle of Yahweh of hosts, and I will extricate the iniquity of the land that in one day.
3c 4C 27
31
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תִּקְרְא֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ
אֶל־תַּ֥חַת גֶּ֖פֶן וְאֶל־תַּ֥חַת תְּאֵנָֽה
10 B On that day, an oracle of Yahweh of hosts, you will call each to his associate,
to be under vine and to be under fig tree.
3e 4B 19
12


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