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G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition

Zechariah 4:1-14

The vision of the candlestick immediately following sets forth Israel as fulfilling the divine intention. In the divinely appointed ritual of Israel's worship the candlestick stood in the holy place, creating the only symbol of Israel's true position as light-bearer amid the darkness.

The two olive trees, as Zechariah described them, referred immediately and locally to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the governor and the priest under whom the Temple had been rebuilt and its worship restored, but ultimately to the offices of king and priest as they would be realized and fulfilled in the person of the Messiah. Here, as always in Scripture, the golden oil symbolized the Spirit of God by whom anointing is possessed for co- operation with God in service, the teaching being that the Spirit would be communicated to Israel through the King and Priest, and thus her light would shine in the darkness.

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See also Zechariah 4:1-14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER IV _The prophet, overpowered by his last vision, is roused by the_ _angel to behold another_, 1; _intended also to assure the Jews of the success of Joshua and_ _Zerubbabel in building the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE ANGEL CAME AGAIN - The angel (as before Zechariah 2:3) had gone forth to receive some fresh instruction from a higher angel or from God. AND AWAKENED ME - As a man is awakened out of sleep. Zechar...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The fifth night vision (Zechariah 4:1) _ 2. The questions of the prophet answered (Zechariah 4:11) Zechariah 4:1. There was a rest for the prophet between the fourth and fifth nigh

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND. Zechariah dreams that he is aroused by the interpreting angel who shows him a golden lampstand. This section has suffered somewhat in transmission. In Zechariah 4:2 read with LXX...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ANGEL. See note on Zechariah 1:9. MAN. Heb, _'ish._ App-14....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Zechariah 4:1. _came again and waked me_ Or, _returned and waked_me, i.e. waked me again. Comp. Zechariah 5:1. "The prophet intimates that he lay as one weighed down with ecstatic sleep, through wonde...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Fifth Vision. _The Golden Candlestick_, Zechariah 4:1-14. Roused by the Interpreting Angel from a sleep or stupor, into which he appears to have fallen, Zechariah 3:1, the prophet sees a golden ca...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND WAKED ME— _And roused me._ It should seem as if the prophet was plunged into a deep reverie, musing on what he had already seen, when he was roused again by the angel to give his attention to what...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER XXXI A VISION OF A MENORAH AND OLIVE TREES ZECHARIAH, CHAPTER Zechariah 4:1-14 RX. And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    AND WAKED ME] The visions evidently occurred in the night, but so vivid were they that Zechariah seemed to awake....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIFTH VISION The prophet's thoughts now turn to the civil ruler Zerubbabel. The purpose of the fifth vision is to encourage him in the difficult task of rebuilding the Temple, 1-5, 11-14. The gol...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A SERIES OF SEVEN VISIONS. Zechariah 1:7 to Zechariah 6:15. Between the commencement of Zechariah’s prophetic labours and the incidents recorded in Zechariah 1:7 to...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IV. FOURTH VISION. — THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICK. (1) CAME AGAIN, AND WAKED. — Better, possibly, _again waked_ me, the construction being similar to that of Zechariah 5:1. But it is not impossible that the...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יָּ֕שָׁב הַ מַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַ דֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE VISIONS OF ZECHARIAH Zechariah 1:7; Zechariah 2:1; Zechariah 3:1; Zechariah 4:1;...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER” Zechariah 4:1-14 Zerubbabel had faltered in the great work of reconstruction and had practically lost heart. Here he is encouraged to renew his efforts and persevere to th...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Again. He had been with Jesus, chap. iii. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The Prophet is still in the relation of the visions of God. A golden candlestick, and two olive trees, are made emblems of the Church. Zerubbabel is introduced as a type of the Lord Jesus....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Lectures on the Minor Prophets. W. Kelly. Zechariah was plainly a contemporary of Haggai. Like him he dates his prophecies from the second imperial power of the Gentiles; but he goes a great deal far...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    Another vision is narrated here, — that a candlestick was shown to the Prophet, on which there were seven lights. He says that the candlestick was formed _all of gold_: and he says that to the seven l...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    After this Zechariah is, as it were, awakened by God to see all the perfect order of that which He was going to establish. Here also the present grace furnishes the occasion for the revelation of the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME,.... See Zechariah 1:9: CAME AGAIN, AND WAKED ME, AS A MAN THAT IS WAKENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP; into which he fell, after he had had the former vision; see Daniel 8:18....

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, Ver. 1. _And the angel that talked with me_] _See Trapp on "_ Zec 1:9 _"_ Came again] After som...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And the angel came again, and waked me_ This seems to indicate, that the prophet's attention was very deeply engaged by the foregoing vision; that all the powers of his mind were wholly engrossed by...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And the angel that talked with me, he who acted as the interpreter of the Lord in making known the message concerning the future, CAME AGAIN AND WAKED ME, AS A MAN THAT IS WAKENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP, ou...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE VISION OF THE CANDLESTICK AND OF THE TWO OLIVE-TREES. After the prophet had been a witness of the first four visions, he was so overwhelmed by the revelations vouchsafed him that he fell into a tr...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIFTH VISION - THE LAMPSTAND (vv. 1-14) The next vision requires Zechariah's being awakened by the angel who spoke with him. Our natural inclination would not discern the truth of a vision like...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 The prophet's spirit was willing to attend, but the flesh was weak. We should beg of God that, whenever he speaks to us, he would awaken us, and we should then stir up ourselves. The church is a...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 4 By the golden candlestick is foreshowed the good success of Zerubbabel's foundation, MALACHI 4:1; by the two olive trees the two anointed ones, MALACHI 4:11. THE ANGEL THAT TALKED...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Zechariah 4:1 angel H4397 talked H1696 (H8802) back H7725 (H8799) wakened H5782 (H8686) man H376 wakened...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIFTH VISION. THE LIVING GOD AMONG HIS PEOPLE - THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND AND THE TWO OLIVE TREES (ZECHARIAH 4:1). It will have been noted that the work of the Messiah has been connected with the High...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _ THAT TALKED (_ See Scofield) - (Zechariah 1:8). _...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Zechariah 4:1 The candelabrum and olive trees. I. By the candelabrum was symbolised the Israelitish community, the nation of the old covenant, the people of theocracy. But Israel was itself a symbol...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Vision of the golden candlestick and two olive trees. Zerubbabel designated to finish the temple. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Zechariah, Zerubbabel, Joshua, the angel. CONCLUSION: God wi...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Zechariah 4:1. _The angel that talked with me came again._ This was Michael the archangel, who had before appeared to the prophet, as mentioned in Zechariah 1:8. Zechariah 4:2. _A candlestick and seve...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Behold a candlestick all of gold _ THE CANDELABRUM AND OLIVE TREES That by the candelabrum was symbolised the Israelitish community, the people of the theocracy, may be regarded as generally conced...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON ZECHARIAH 4:1 The fifth vision consists of a solid gold LAMPSTAND flanked by TWO OLIVE TREES (v. Zechariah 4:3

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.] The golden candlestick a symbol of the pure and prosperous state of the Jewish Church. WAKED] Overpowered by what he had seen and heard, the prophet needed quickening into spiritual c...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ZECHARIAH 4:1 § 7. _The fifth vision: the golden candlestick._ ZECHARIAH 4:1 THE ANGEL THAT TALKED WITH ME. The interpreting angel is meant. CAME AGAIN, AND WAKED ME. It is thoug

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now the angel that talked with me came again, and he waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and he said unto me, What do you see? And I said, I have looked, and behold there's a candlest...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 19:5; Daniel 10:8; Daniel 8:18; Jeremiah 31:26; Luke 22:45;...

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