Zechariah 3:9

For behold the {n} stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I {o} will engrave the engraving of it, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will {p} remove the iniquity of that land in one day. (n) He shows that the ministers cannot build before God lay the first stone, which is Christ, who is full of eyes, both because he gives light to all others, and that all ought to seek light from him; Zec 4:10. (o) That is, I will make perfect in all points, as a thing done by the hand of God. (p) Though I have punished this land for a time, yet I will even now be pacified, and punish their sins no more.

Zechariah 3:9 . For behold the stone, &c. — Or, as some render the former part of the verse, For this is the stone which I lay before Joshua; there are in the same stone seven eyes: I will engrave it with its engravings, saith the Lord — There seems to be an allusion in these words to the foundation, or chief corner stone of the temple, which probably was laid with great solemnity in the presence of Joshua. Christ is not only the rod out of the stem of Jesse, and the branch that should grow out of his roots, the fruit of which is excellent and comely for the remnant of Israel that escape the corruption which is in the world, but the foundation of the spiritual temple laid in Zion. And it is here foretold, that when he should be brought forth, seven, that is, many, eyes should be upon him. “The eye of the Father was upon him, to take care of him and protect him, especially in his sufferings. The eyes of all the prophets and Old Testament saints were upon this one stone: Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day, and he saw it and was glad. The eyes of all believers are upon him, as the eyes of the stung Israelites were upon the brazen serpent. They look unto him and are saved.” — Henry.

Or, the seven eyes upon this stone may be explained, as the eyes upon the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision: they may signify the perfection and plenitude of knowledge and wisdom which were in Jesus Christ for the good of his church, and his ever watchful care of his people: or the various gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, with which he was endued: for he hath the seven spirits of God, as well as the seven stars, Revelation 3:1 ; and his eyes are as a flame of fire, piercing through all disguises, and searching the reins and the heart of every human creature, and especially of every one that professes to be his disciple. “The Branch and the Stone,” says Dr. Dodd, “are the same; which stone hath seven eyes, because the Messiah is the searcher of hearts, whom God engraved with his engraving; as in John the evangelist, him the Father sealed, endowed him with those gifts, virtues, and powers of the Spirit, which the prophets had foretold should be in the Messiah, by whom, dying on the cross, God removed the iniquity of that land in one day.

Here is an ellipsis, and to make it up we must repeat that of the 8th verse, Hear now, & c. For behold, (pointing to a particular stone,) that stone which I have laid, saith God, in the sight of Joshua, or which he saw laid in the building of the temple; on that one stone are seven eyes; and Joshua and his fellows are commanded to observe it, the meaning of which the angel will suggest to them presently. It is not improbable this one stone might be a corner-stone, and a principal corner-stone, and the eyes engraven on it so placed that they might look many ways; so it will be a more exact emblem of Christ the chief Cornerstone, and of his perfect knowledge and wisdom, fitting him to govern his church and provide for it. I will engrave the graving; the engraving engraved, i.e. most artificially, lively, and with excellent contrivance. And I will remove; or, and I have removed, I have pardoned the iniquity of this land at once. Thus the emblem or type, which I shall once more set before you in plainer words than those of our version. Hear now, O Joshua, thou and thy fellows, for behold there is one stone, and on that stone seven eyes, most curiously engraved, and this laid in thy sight, and in the sight of thy fellows: this learn by it, that the temple, founded on such a corner-stone, built by the wisdom of the chief Builder, guarded and watched over by all-seeing Providence, is the blessing and honour of that people, whose sins are all forgiven.

The further spiritual meaning discovers the Messiah the chief Corner-stone, the gospel church founded thereon, guided by perfect wisdom, and preserved by never-erring Providence, and blest with the pardon of all her sins, taken away in one day, by the meritorious death of her Redeemer.

9 . the stone that I have laid ] set , R. V. The primary and immediate reference is to the Temple, in re-building which Joshua was then engaged. The “stone,” which was perhaps seen lying before him in the vision, is most probably not the foundation-stone, which had been laid years before, but the head-stone ( Zechariah 4:7 ; Zechariah 4:9 ), which would complete the building, and which He, with whom to purpose is to accomplish, here announces that He has already laid; so certainly shall it be set in its place in due time. The ultimate reference is to Him, who as “the Branch” should hereafter “build the temple of the Lord” ( Zechariah 6:12 ), of which He is not only the Foundation-stone ( Isaiah 28:16 ; 1 Peter 2:4-5 ), but also the chief corner-stone ( Psalm 118:22 ; Matthew 21:42 ; Ephesians 2:20 ). The two fulfilments of the prophecy are intimately connected. The first is, in the purpose of God, the necessary preparation for the second. upon one stone shall be seven eyes ] are, R. V. This may mean that seven eyes shall be, or are, sculptured upon the stone; though in that case it is difficult to understand the force of the word “ one ,” or the significance of the prediction as regards the Temple then in progress. Typically, the seven eyes sculptured on the stone might be held to represent Him whom the stone symbolises, as “ having the seven spirits of God” ( Revelation 5:6 ).

It is better, however, to understand the words to be a promise that the seven eyes (i.e. the perfect watchfulness and care—seven being the number of perfection) of God shall be fixed upon this stone; that He will never, so to speak, take His eyes off either type or anti-type, till His purpose respecting them is accomplished. So Solomon prays, at the dedication of the first Temple, that God’s “eyes may be open upon it night and day,” to hear the prayers that are offered there. 1 Kings 8:29 . This view is confirmed by Zechariah 4:10 , where the eyes of Jehovah are said to rejoice when (fixed as we are here told in unwearying solicitude on the Temple) they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, as he busies himself in its restoration. I will engrave the graving thereof ] Supposing the eyes to have been marked out for cutting upon the stone, some have thought that God in these words engages that He Himself will cut them there. This clause, however, is rather to be regarded as an additional promise. My eyes, I have said, are fixed upon the stone. My hand shall engrave upon it whatever is needed to beautify and fit it for the place of honour it is to hold. The word here used for “engrave” occurs three times in Exodus 28, in the expression “engravings of a signet;” twice of the jewels in the High Priest’s dress (11, 21), once of the golden plate on his mitre (36).

9. For—expressing the ground for encouragement to the Jews in building the temple: I (Jehovah) have laid the (foundation) stone as the chief architect, before (in the presence of) Joshua, by "the hand of Zerubbabel" (Zec 4:10; Ezr 3:8-13), so that your labor in building shall not be vain. Antitypically, the (foundation) stone alluded to is Christ, before called "the Branch." Lest any should think from that term that His kingdom is weak, He now calls it "the stone," because of its solidity and strength whereby it is to be the foundation of the Church, and shall crush all the world kingdoms (Ps 118:22; compare Isa 28:16; Da 2:45; Mt 21:42; 1Co 3:11; 1Pe 2:6, 7). The angel pointing to the chief stone lying before Him, intimates that a deeper mystery than the material temple is symbolized. Moore thinks the "stone" is the Jewish Church, which Jehovah engages watchfully to guard. The temple, rather, is that symbolically. But the antitype of the foundation-stone is Messiah. upon one stone shall be seven eyes—namely, the watchful "eyes" of Jehovah's care ever fixed "upon" it (Zec 4:10) [Maurer]. The eye is the symbol of Providence: "seven," of perfection (Re 5:6; compare 2Ch 16:9; Ps 32:8). Antitypically, "the seven eyes upon the stone" are the eyes of all angels (1Ti 3:16), and of all saints (Joh 3:14, 15; 12:32), and of the patriarchs and prophets (Joh 8:56; 1Pe 1:10, 11), fixed on Christ; above all, the eyes of the Father ever rest with delight on Him.

Calvin (perhaps better) considers the seven eyes to be carved on the stone, that is, not the eyes of the Father and of angels and saints ever fixed on Him, but His own sevenfold (perfect) fullness of grace, and of gifts of the Spirit (Isa 11:2, 3; Joh 1:16; 3:34; Col 1:19; 2:9), and His watchful providence now for the Jews in building the temple, and always for His Church, His spiritual temple. Thus the "stone" is not as other stones senseless, but living and full of eyes of perfect intelligence (1Pe 2:4, "a living stone"), who not only attracts the eyes (Joh 12:32) of His people, but emits illumination so as to direct them to Him. engrave … graving—implying Messiah's exceeding beauty and preciousness; alluding to the polished stones of the temple: Christ excelled them, as much as God who "prepared His body" (Heb 10:5; compare Joh 2:21) is superior to all human builders. remove … iniquity of that land in one day—that is, the iniquity and its consequences, namely the punishment to which the Jews heretofore had been subjected (Hag 1:6, 9-11). The remission of sin is the fountain of every other blessing. The "one day" of its removal is primarily the day of national atonement celebrated after the completion of the temple (Le 23:27) on the tenth day of the seventh month. Antitypically, the atonement by Messiah for all men, once for all ("one day") offered, needing no repetition like the Mosaic sacrifices (Heb 10:10, 12, 14).