Zechariah 4:11-12

4:11 Next I asked the messenger, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?” 4:12 Before he could reply I asked again, “What are these two extensions ¹  of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?”

Zechariah 4:14

4:14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones ²  who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Jude 1:9

1:9 But even ³  when Michael the archangel ⁴  was arguing with the devil and debating with him ⁵  concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

Romans 11:17

11:17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in ⁶  the richness of the olive root,

Romans 11:24

11:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

Revelation 11:4

11:4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) ⁷ 

¹ tn The usual meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁבֹּלֶת (shÿbolet) is “ears” (as in ears of grain). Here it probably refers to the produce of the olive trees, i.e., olives. Many English versions render the term as “branches,” but cf. NAB “tufts.”

² tn The usual word for “anointed (one),” מָשִׁיַח (mashiakh), is not used here but rather בְנֵי־הַיִּצְהָר (vÿne-hayyitshar), literally, “sons of fresh oil.” This is to maintain consistency with the imagery of olive trees. In the immediate context these two olive trees should be identified with Joshua and Zerubbabel, the priest and the governor. Only the high priest and king were anointed for office in the OT and these two were respectively the descendants of Aaron and David.

³ tn The word “even” is not in Greek; it is implied by the height of the contrast.

⁴ sn According to Jewish intertestamental literature (such as 1 En. 20), Michael was one of seven archangels.

⁵ tn The sentence structure is a bit different in Greek. Literally it reads: “But Michael the archangel, when arguing with the devil and disputing.”

⁶ tn Grk “became a participant of.”

⁷ sn This description is parenthetical in nature.