Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee a place of access among these that stand by.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and Beep my charge, thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt keep my courts, and I will give thee some of them that are now present here to walk with thee.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts; and I will give thee a place to walk among these that stand by.

'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: If in My ways thou dost walk, And if My charge thou dost keep, Then also thou dost judge My house, And also thou dost keep My courts, And I have given to thee conductors among these standing by.

These are the words of the Lord of armies: If you will go in my ways and keep what I have put in your care, then you will be judge over my Temple and have the care of my house, and I will give you the right to come in among those who are there.

'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, and wilt also judge My house, and wilt also keep My courts, then I will give thee free access among these that stand by.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, you likewise will judge my house and will keep my courts, and I will give you some of those who now attend here to walk with you.

Sic dicit Iehova exercituum, Si in viis meis ambulaveris, et custodiam meam custodieris, tu quoque judicabis domum meam (vel, gubernabis; [dvz] est judicare, sed verbum illud refertur ad quodlibet regimen, ut alibi visum; gubernabis ergo domum meam, hoc est, praeris Templo meo;) atque etiam custodies atria mea: et dabo tibi transitus inter istos qui adstant.

If thou wilt walk in My ways and if thou wilt keep My charge - Both of these are expressions, dating from the Pentateuch, for holding on in the way of life, well-pleasing to God and keeping the charge given by God. It was the injunction of the dying David to Solomon, "Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes" 1-Kings 2:3.
Then shalt thou also judge My house - Judgment, in the place of God, was part of the high priest's office Deuteronomy 17:9-13; Deuteronomy 19:17; Malachi 2:7. Yet these judgments also were given in the house of God. The cause was directed to be brought to God, and He through His priests judged it. Both then may be comprehended in the world, the oversight of the people itself and the judgment of all causes brought to it. Jonathan: "Thou shalt judge those who minister in the house of My sanctuary."
And I will give thee place to walk among those who stand by - that is, among the ministering spirits, who were "standing before the Angel of the Lord" Zac 3:4. This can be fully only after death, when the saints shall be received among the several choirs of angels. Jonathan: "In the resurrection of the dead I will revive thee and give thee feet walking among these Seraphim." Even in this this since "our conversation is in heaven" Philippians 3:20, and the life of priests should be an angel-life, it may mean, that he should have free access to God, his soul in heaven, while his body was on this earth.

If thou wilt walk in my ways - If ye, Israelites, priests and people, now restored to your own land, will walk in my ways, etc., ye shall be a part of my family; and have places - mansions - in eternal glory, with all them that are sanctified.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also (h) judge my house, and shalt also keep my (i) courts, and I will give thee places to walk among (k) these that stand by.
(h) That is, have rule and government in my Church, as your predecessors have had.
(i) By which he means to have the whole charge and ministry of the Church.
(k) That is, the angels, who represented the whole number of the faithful: signifying that all the godly would willingly receive him.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts,.... For this Angel was no other than the Lord of armies in heaven and in earth:
If thou wilt walk in my ways; prescribed in the word of God, moral, ceremonial, and evangelical; in Christ the grand way, and indeed the only way of salvation; and in the paths of faith, truth, righteousness, and holiness; in the ways of God's commandments, which are pleasant, and attended with peace; such a walk and conversation, and such obedience, the grace of God teaches, and obliges to:
and if thou wilt keep my charge; the things he gave in charge, all his commands and ordinances, particularly such as belonged to the priestly office and Levitical service; see Numbers 3:7 all which might be expected after so many favours granted:
then thou shall also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts: preside in the temple, be governor in it, and have the care of all the courts belonging to the people and the priests, and the advantages arising from thence. The meaning is, that whereas the office of the priesthood was in disuse through the captivity, and was become contemptible through the sins of the priests, it should now be restored to its former honour and glory: to have a place in the house of God, the church, is a great honour, and still more to be a governor and ruler in it:
and I will give thee places to walk among those that stand by; either among fellow priests, or fellow saints; or rather among the angels that stood before the Angel of the Lord, and ministered to him; signifying that he should enjoy their company, be like unto then, and join in service with them in heaven, in a future state: and "walking places" among them denote the pleasures of the heavenly state, as well, as the safety and glory of it; see Isaiah 57:2. The Targum very agreeably paraphrases the words thus,
"and in the resurrection or quickening of the dead, I will raise or quicken thee; and I will give thee feet walking among these seraphim.''
The allusion is to those walks that were in the temple, such as Christ walked in, John 10:23 and the pavement in Ezekiel's temple, Ezekiel 40:17.

God's choice of Jerusalem (Zac 3:2) was unto its sanctification (John 15:16; Romans 8:29); hence the charge here which connects the promised blessing with obedience.
my charge--the ordinances, ritual and moral (Numbers 3:28, Numbers 3:31-32, Numbers 3:38; Joshua 1:7-9; 1-Kings 2:3; Ezekiel 44:16).
judge my house--Thou shalt long preside over the temple ceremonial as high priest (Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 44:23; Malachi 2:7) [GROTIUS]. Or, rule over My house, that is, My people [MAURER] (Numbers 12:7; Hosea 8:1). We know from Deuteronomy 17:9 that the priest judged cases. He was not only to obey the Mosaic institute himself, but to see that it was obeyed by others. God's people are similarly to exercise judgment hereafter, as the reward of their present faithfulness (Daniel 7:18, Daniel 7:22; Luke 19:17; 1-Corinthians 6:2); by virtue of their royal priesthood (Revelation 1:6).
keep my courts--guard My house from profanation.
places to walk--free ingress and egress (1-Samuel 18:16; 1-Kings 3:7; 1-Kings 15:17), so that thou mayest go through these ministering angels who stand by Jehovah (Zac 4:14; Zac 6:5; 1-Kings 22:19) into His presence, discharging thy priestly function. In Ezekiel 42:4 the same Hebrew word is used of a walk before the priests' chambers in the future temple. Zechariah probably refers here to such a walk or way; Thou shalt not merely walk among priests like thyself, as in the old temple walks, but among the very angels as thine associates. HENGSTENBERG translates, "I will give thee guides (from) among these," &c. But there is no "from" in the Hebrew; English Version is therefore better. Priests are called angels or "messengers" (Malachi 2:7); they are therefore thought worthy to be associated with heavenly angels. So these latter are present at the assemblies of true Christian worshippers (1-Corinthians 11:10; compare Ecclesiastes 5:6; Ephesians 3:10; Revelation 22:9).

My charge - The special charge and office of the high - priest. Judge - Be ruler in the temple, and in the things that pertain to the worship of God there. Keep - Not as a servant, but as the chief, on whom others wait, and at last thou shalt have place among my angels.