“Now Joshua was dressed
With filthy clothes,
As he stood
Before the angel.
The angel said
To those who were standing
Before him.
‘Take off his filthy clothes!’
He said to him.
‘See!
I have taken your guilt away
From you.
I will clothe you
With festive apparel.’
I said.
‘Let them put a clean turban
On his head.’
Thus,
They put a clean turban
On his head.
They clothed him
With the apparel.
The angel of Yahweh
Was standing by.”
Joshua the high priest was wearing filthy clothes before the angel of Yahweh. The dirty clothes represented the sins of the people and the high priest, as a form of mourning. Then the angel told him that he should remove his dirty clothing, because the angel had removed the guilt of his sins. Now he was to put on festive clothing. Then Zechariah chimed in with the comment that the high priest should have a clean turban for his head. Of course, they then got a clean turban hat for Joshua.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 