Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Ver. 5. Knowest thou not what these be?] Thus preparation is made to the ensuing interpretation of the vision by this dialogue; that we might give better heed to that manifold wisdom of God made known to and by the Church; wherein the very angels themselves are great students and daily proficients, Ephesians 3:10. Docent proficiendo, et docendo proficiunt. The best of men know not so much as they might have known. "Are ye also ignorant of these things" (saith our Saviour to the twelve)? "are ye also without understanding?" Matthew 15:16 : what? know you not, six different times in one chapter, 1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 6:15,16; 1Co 6:19 And how doth the apostle disgrace and shame his Hebrews for their dulness and doltishness, Hebrews 5:12. It was expected, it seems, by the angel here, that Zechariah, a master in Israel, should have known more than he did of the meaning of this candlestick, by Moses's ancient candlestick. For the godly of those times did not believe those rites and ceremonies of the law did of themselves please God, or that they were dumb shows and insignificant, Hebrews 9:1,13, but they acknowledged them to be figures; the truth and signification whereof was to be sought in Christ. The ceremonial law was indeed their gospel.
And I said, No, my lord] An ingenuous confession of his ignorance; and this was far better than to plead for it (as many today), or to pretend more skill than he had; that he at least might seem to be somebody. Ignorantiam meam non ignoro, saith Origen. Though I know little else, yet this I know, that it is but little that I know. And not only in innumerable other things am I ignorant, saith Austin; but even in the very Scriptures also, my chief study, multo plura nescio quam scio, I am to seek many more things than I understand. Surely, saith Agur, I am more brutish than any man, and yet he had commerce with Ithiel and Ucal; Proverbs 30:1, and have not the understanding of a man, sc. of a man in Christ. I neither learned wisdom (though taught it) nor have the knowledge of the holy, that is, of the angels, as Daniel 4:13; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 8:13. Zechariah here saw himself far short of the holy angel that talked with him; and therefore desireth to be taught by him.