Bible Strands
Zechariah 3:2
And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Satan during a heavenly courtroom scene where Joshua the high priest stands before the angel of the LORD, actively accused.
The words — The imperative יִגְעַר (yig‘ar) literally means “may he rebuke,” and הַשָּׂטָן (haśśāṭān) translates to “the accuser.”
The thread — The “firebrand snatched from the fire” image recurs in Amos 4:11 and Jude 1:23 to denote rescue from destruction, while the celestial dispute pattern parallels Jude 1:9.
Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh alone rebukes the accuser and claims Joshua as a chosen survivor, requiring the reader to accept that rescue originates from divine election rather than human merit or defense.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Cross-references
- Amos 4:11 “Some of you I overthrew as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.
- Jude 1:23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
- Jude 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
- Romans 8:33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
- 1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
- Zechariah 1:17 Proclaim further that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”
- Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Zechariah 2:12 And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem.
- Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- 2 Chronicles 6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’