Ezra 3:8-9

3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, ¹  in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, ²  along with the rest of their associates, ³  the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed ⁴  the Levites who were at least twenty years old ⁵  to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple. 3:9 So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, ⁶  Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah ⁷ ), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives ⁸  the Levites.

Ezra 5:2

5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began ⁹  to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Zechariah 3:1-3

Vision Four: The Priest

3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest ¹⁰  standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan ¹¹  standing at his right hand to accuse him. 3:2 The Lord ¹²  said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, ¹³  rebuke you! Isn’t this man like a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes ¹⁴  as he stood there before the angel.

¹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

² tn Heb “began”; the phrase “the work” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

³ tn Heb “their brothers.”

⁴ tn Heb “stood.”

⁵ tn Heb “from twenty years and upward.”

⁶ tn Heb “brothers.”

⁷ sn The name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB “Judah”) is probably a variant of Hodaviah (see Ezra 2:40; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

⁸ tn Heb “brothers.”

⁹ tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

¹⁰ sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445 b.c. (Neh 12:10).

¹¹ tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is otherwise thus described in Job 1 and 2 and 1 Chr 21:1. In this last passage the article is dropped and “the satan” becomes “Satan,” a personal name.

¹² sn The juxtaposition of the messenger of the Lord in v. 1 and the Lord in v. 2 shows that here, at least, they are one and the same. See Zech 1:11, 12 where they are distinguished from each other.

¹³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁴ sn The Hebrew word צוֹאִים (tso’im) means “excrement.” This disgusting figure of speech suggests Joshua’s absolute disqualification for priestly service in the flesh, but v. 2 speaks of his having been rescued from that deplorable state by God’s grace. He is like a burning stick pulled out of the fire before it is consumed. This is a picture of cleansing, saving grace.