The Meaning of the Act of Changing Joshua’s Garments
In Zech. 3:1-5, the act of Joshua’s reclothing is connected to the
removal of his guilt ( ,(עון and this removal of guilt is the precondition for
the duties and privileges (vv. 7-10) that the angel of Yahweh commissions
Joshua to fulfill ( עוד Hiphil, v. 6). One should keep in mind that
Joshua is not only mentioned by name but also by his office as high priest ( יהושׁע
הכהן הגדול , v. 1).
While the act of reclothing symbolizes the removal of guilt, it is a
matter of debate whether the change of clothing refers to the investiture of
the high priest or only to his restitution. The question whether Joshua’s guilt
( עון ) only pertains to him or to the entire postexilic community is also
debated.
Obviously, Zech. 3 does not use technical terms specifying the high
priest’s garments in Exod. 28; 39 and does not show reflexes of the rites
reported in Exod. 28–29; 39; Lev. 8. For example, anointment (Exod. 29:7; Lev.
8:12) or offerings (Exod. 29:10-37; Lev. 8:14-30) are not mentioned. It should
also be taken into account that Joshua is already designated as high priest ( הכהן
הגדול , Zech. 3:1) before his clothes are changed. It is therefore
likely that Zech. 3 does not refer to Joshua’s investiture but rather to his
restitution after the exile. With regard to the destroyed temple, Joshua’s
cleansing and restitution was necessary in order to secure the regular cult.
As to the question of whose guilt ( עון ) in Zech. 3:4 stands for
(Joshua’s individual guilt59 or the guilt of the people who were in or survived
exile), in light of the context it likely comprises aspects of both individual
and collective guilt. On the one hand, it is obvious that Joshua as an
individual is connected to the עון mentioned in v. 4. It is he who wears filthy
garments (v. 3), and the three 2ms suffixes in v. 4b explicitly point at
Joshua: ראה העברתי מעליך עונך והלבשׁ אתך מחלצות . Furthermore, the
commissioning in vv. 6-10 pertains to Joshua’s duties and privileges in his
function as high priest.
Nevertheless, a collective dimension is also in view. In v. 2, Yahweh
rebukes the heavenly accuser ( השׂטן ), and this verse relates to Yahweh’s
choice of Jerusalem, thus widening the perspective to include the community.
This is bolstered by v. 2b, which cites Amos 4:11. Hence, the notion of the man
who is a burning stick snatched from fire recounts the motif of being saved
from exile. In light of this interpretation, Joshua’s עון is related to
defilement caused by the exile: “Here is an individual born in an unclean land,
who has lived in an unclean land, has become priest in an unclean land.”
Thus, Joshua’s restitution becomes a paradigm for the community saved
from exile. Judgment has come to an end, and the changing of Joshua’s garments
signifies the transition to the time of salvation. In this respect, Joshua is a
symbol of his people.
At the same time, the removal of Joshua’s guilt and his restitution,
which are symbolized by the changing of Joshua’s garments, are the precondition
to fulfill his tasks and gain privileges as high priest. Furthermore, Zech. 3
answers the question of how the high priest can adequately carry out his duties
after the catastrophe of the exile if he, as part of the exiled generation, has
become impure himself. Hence, the customary cleansing rites cannot fulfill the
task of cleansing and restoring the high priest, but only atonement in the
divine sphere. The earthly mediator needs the mediation of the angel of the
Lord. The position of the high priest is strengthened, as restitution is not
performed by human beings. (Martin Hallaschka, “Clean Garments for Joshua: The
Purification of the High Priest in Zech. 3,” in Clothing and Nudity in the
Hebrew Bible, ed. Christoph Berner, Manuel Schäfer, Martin Schott, Sarah
Schulz, and Martina Weingärtner [London: T&T Clark, 2019], 533-35)
