Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

ZECHARIAH 6:13KJV
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Zechariah 6:13 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 6:13 mean?

Zechariah 6:13 presents the figure called “the Branch” as a temple builder who will have royal honor and exercise rule. The KJV also says he will be a priest on his throne and speaks of peaceful counsel “between them both.”

The temple is the LORD’s, so the building work serves the worship of Israel’s God. The reference to a throne gives the figure a place of authority, while “the counsel of peace” pictures harmony in deliberation. The words “them both” have been understood to refer either to two people or to the royal and priestly roles.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 6:13

  • “glory” — הוֹד (hod): This word can mean splendor or majesty. Here it suggests the honor associated with royal rule.
  • “counsel” — עֵצָה (ʿetsah): This word can mean advice, deliberation, or a plan. The phrase “counsel of peace” therefore pictures peaceful agreement in decision-making.

Why Zechariah 6:13 matters

  • The building is tied to a named figure rather than described only as a community project. Verse 12 identifies him as “the Branch,” and verse 13 places the temple work under his name.
  • The verse brings priestly and royal language together. “A priest upon his throne” connects the priest’s role with the seat of a ruler.
  • The mention of peace points to harmony rather than rivalry. That detail is striking because the passage places priestly and royal responsibilities close together.

Where else these words appear

“glory” Hebrew H1935 · used in 24 verses

  • Numbers 27:20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
  • Psalms 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
  • Proverbs 5:9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

“rule” Hebrew H4910 · used in 74 verses

  • Genesis 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
  • Job 25:2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.
  • Isaiah 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

“counsel” Hebrew H6098 · used in 85 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
  • Job 21:16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
  • Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;