Reading for March 13th

 Read Zechariah 6.9-15. In 6.9-15: A charge to the high priest Joshua. This speech, placed between Zechariah's last vision and his concluding speech (Chs. 7-8) may be an editorial addition. In verse 10b: Josiah is a priestly figure, whose father Zephaniah was killed alongside Joshua's grandfather Seriah when Jerusalem was conquered (2 Kings 25.18-21). In verses 11-13: While this speech is directed to Joshua, its content seems more suitable for Zerubbabel. In 3.8 the Branch is not Joshua but an individual presented to him. In 4.6-10 Zerubbabel, not Joshua, is commissioned as the temple builder. Moreover, the Hebrew text does not say that a crown but that (two?) crowns were made, perhaps for both the royal figure and the priest mentioned in v. 13. It appears almost as if a speech once directed  to Judah's political leader has been redirected to its religious leader. In any case, the concept of a leadership shared between religious and political figures found elsewhere in Zechariah (4.14) is present here too. Comments or Questions..