There is a paronomasia here:- Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.] fŤ Satan signifies an adversary. wnfŤl lesiteno, to be his adversary, or accuser.
, ( Ezra 10:18), which he might connive at, Satan was ready to catch it up, and accuse him before God; though rather Joshua is to be considered, not personally, but typically, representing the state and condition of the priesthood, in which office he was; and which was very low, mean, and abject, under the second temple; or the church of God, which the priests, especially the high priest, were representatives of: and indeed this vision may be accommodated to the case of any single believer, fallen into sin, and accused by Satan, and whose advocate Christ is: standing before the Angel of the Lord ; not any createdangel, but Christ the Angel of God’s presence, who is called Jehovah, ( Zechariah 3:2) is the rebuker of Satan, and the advocate of his people; and who takes away their sins, and clothes them with his righteousness: and “standing before” him does not mean barely being in his sight and presence, but as ministering to him; this being the posture both of angels and men, the servants of the Lord, ( Daniel 7:10<19D401>Psalm 134:1 135:1,2), either he was offering sacrifice for the people, or asking counsel of God for them; or rather giving thanks for his and their deliverance from captivity, being as brands taken out of the fire; and praying to be stripped of his filthygarments, and to be clothed with others more decent, and becoming his office; and for help and assistance in the building of the temple, and against those that obstructed him: also he was brought and placed here as a guilty person, charged with sin, and to be tried before him, Satan standing at his right hand to resist him ; either to hinder him in his work of building the temple, by stirring up Sanballat, and other enemies; or rather to accuse him of sin, and bring a charge against him, and get sentence passed upon him; so the accuser used to stand at the right hand of the accused. The Targum paraphrases it, “and sin standing at his right hand to resist him:” when the people of God fall into sin, Satan the accuser of the brethren, their avowed enemy, observes it, and accuses them before the Lord, and seeks their condemnation. Maimonides understands this of his standing at the right hand of the angel; but it was not usual for the prosecutor, accuser, or pleader, whether for or against a person arraigned, to stand the right hand of the judge: indeed, in the Jewish sanhedrim, or grand court of judicature, there were two scribes stood before the judges; the one on the right hand, the other on the left; who took down in writing the pleadings in court, and the sentences of those that were acquitted, and of those that were condemned; he on the right hand the former, and the other on the left hand the latter f40 . The prince or chiefjudge of the court sat in the middle; and his deputy, called “Ab Beth Din”, or father of the court, sat at his right hand; and a wise man, a principal one, at his left f41 ; but it was usual for the pleader, who was called byr l[b , “Baal Rib”, to stand on the right hand of the party cited into the court, whether he pleaded for or against him f42 : and to this custom is the allusion here, and in ( <19A606> Psalm 106:6,31) where Satan, who is the accuser of men, and pleads against them, is placed at the right hand, as here; and God, who pleads the cause of his poor people, is also represented as standing on their right hand. The business of Satan here was to accuse, to bring charges, to plead for condemnation, and endeavour to get the sentence of it passed against Joshua; for he was at his right hand, to be an “adversary” to him, as his name (Satan) signifies, which he has from the word here used; being an enemy to mankind in general, and especially to the people of God, and more especially to persons in sacredpublic offices; to whom he is antidikov , “a court adversary”, as the Apostle Peter calls him, ( 1 Peter 5:8) who appears in open court against them, and charges them in a most spiteful and malicious manner; and is a most, implacable, obstinate, and impudent one, as his name signifies, and the word from whence it is derived f43 ; though Maimonides thinks the name is derived from hjç , which signifies to decline, or go back from anything; since he, without doubt, makes men to decline from the way of truth to the way of falsehood and error.
Verses 1-5 - The angel showed Joshua, the high priest, to Zechariah, in a vision Guilt and corruption are great discouragements when we stand befor God. By the guilt of the sinscommitted by us, we are liable to the justice of God; by the power of sin that dwells in us, we are hatefu to the holiness of God. Even God's Israel are in danger on thes accounts; but they have relief from JesusChrist, who is made of God to us both righteousness and sanctification. Joshua, the high priest, is accused as a criminal, but is justified. When we stand before God, to minister to him, or stand up for God, we must expect to meet all the resistance Satan's subtlety and malice can give. Satan is checked by one that has conquered him, and many times silenced him. Those wh belong to Christ, will find him ready to appear for them, when Sata appears most strongly against them. A convertedsoul is a brand plucke out of the fire by a miracle of free grace, therefore shall not be lef a prey to Satan. Joshua appears as one polluted, but is purified; he represents the Israel of God, who are all as an unclean thing, til they are washed and sanctified in the name of the LordJesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Israel now were free from idolatry, but ther were many things amiss in them. There were spiritualenemies warrin against them, more dangerous than any neighbouring nations. Chris loathed the filthiness of Joshua's garments, yet did not put him away Thus God by his grace does with those whom he chooses to be priests to himself. The guilt of sin is taken away by pardoning mercy, and the power of it is broken by renewing grace. Thus Christwashes those from their sins in his own blood, whom he makes kings and priests to ou God. Those whom Christ makes spiritualpriests, are clothed with the spotless robe of his righteousness, and appear before God in that; an with the graces of his Spirit, which are ornaments to them. The righteousness of saints, both imputed and implanted, is the fine linen clean and white, with which the bride, the Lamb's wife, is arrayed, R 19:8. Joshua is restored to former honours and trusts. The crown of the priesthood is put on him. When the Lord designs to restore and reviv religion, he stirs up prophets and people to pray for it.
