Zechariah 6:14

Old Testament Minor Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Zechariah 6:14 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.
Zechariah 6:14 — American Standard Version

Context — Zechariah 6

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the crowns shall be to Helem, etc.] The same with Heldai, (<380610>Zechariah 6:10): and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah; the same with Josiah, (<380610>Zechariah 6:10): for a memorial in the temple of the Lord; the crowns, after they had been put upon the head of Joshua, were taken off, and laid up in some part of the temple, of which the Jews make mention in their Misnaf138; and say there were golden chains fixed to the beams of the porch (of the temple), by which the young priests went up, and saw the crowns; as it is said, (<380614>Zechariah 6:14) “and the crowns shall be to Helem”, etc.; these were laid up for a memorial of the liberality and generosity of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“the crowns shall be to Helem . . . a memorial--deposited in the temple, to the honor of the donors; a memorial, too, of the coronation of Joshua, to remind all of Messiah, the promised antitypical king-priest, soon to come. Helem, the same as Heldai above. So Hen (that is, "favor") is another name for Josiah (that is, "God founds") above. The same person often had two names.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And the crowns shall be to Helem - There is no ground apparent to us, why the name “Helem” appears instead of “Holdai” , or “Hen” for “Josiah:” yet the same person must have been called both Hen and Josiah, since the father’s name is the same in both places. They cannot both be intended as explanations of the former names, since Helem stands insulated in Hebrew, its meaning conjectural. Perhaps then they were the own names of the individuals, and the names compounded with the name of God, honorable names which they had taken. For a memorial in the temple of the Lord - They brought a passing gift, but it should be for a lasting memorial in their behalf. It is a renewal of the well-known term…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The crowns - The two crowns before mentioned. Helem - These persons we know no more of than their names. A memorial - Of the Messiah's certain and speedy coming. Zechariah 6:15”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“6:14 The symbolic crown that united kingship and priesthood was placed in the Temple as a memorial to the donors of gold and silver. It was also a permanent reminder of Jeshua’s coronation as priest-king and a visual aid for priests in teaching this new development. • Josiah was honored for his role as broker for the meeting between Zechariah and the three former exiles.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Helem: Zac 6:10 a memorial: Exo 12:14, Exo 28:12, Exo 28:29; Num 16:40, Num 31:54; Jos 4:7; Sa1 2:30; Mat 26:13; Mar 14:9; Act 10:4; Co1 11:23-26 Zechariah 6:15”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification