Zechariah 3:9
New English Translation
9 As for the stone[a] I have set before Joshua—on the one stone there are seven eyes.[b] I am about to engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘to the effect that I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.[c]
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- Zechariah 3:9 sn The stone is also a metaphor for the Messiah, a foundation stone that, at first rejected (Ps 118:22-23; Isa 8:13-15), will become the chief cornerstone of the church (Eph 2:19-22).
- Zechariah 3:9 tn Some understand the Hebrew term עַיִן (ʿayin) here to refer to facets (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “faces” (NCV, CEV “seven sides”) of the stone rather than some representation of organs of sight.sn The seven eyes are symbolic of divine omniscience and universal dominion (cf. Zech 1:10; 4:10; 2 Chr 16:9).
- Zechariah 3:9 sn Inscriptions were common on ancient Near Eastern cornerstones. This inscription speaks of the redemption achieved by the divine resident of the temple, the Messiah, who will in the day of the Lord bring salvation to all Israel (cf. Isa 66:7-9).
Zechariah 3:9
New International Version
9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!(A) There are seven eyes[a](B) on that one stone,(C) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin(D) of this land in a single day.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 3:9 Or facets
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