Zechariah13
New American Standard
1“On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for defilement.
2“And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “that I will eliminate the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
3And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord’; and his father and mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.
4Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive;
5but he will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, because a man sold me as a slave in my youth.’
6And someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded at the house of my friends.’
7“Awake, sword, against My Shepherd, And against the Man, My Associate,” Declares the Lord of armies. “Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.
8And it will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it.
9And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Zechariah 13.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Fountain for the remission of sins, The conviction of the false prophets. (1–6). The death of Christ, and the saving of a remnant of the people. (7–9).
vv1-6
In the time mentioned at the close of the foregoing chapter, a fountain would be opened to the rulers and people of the Jews, in which to wash away their sins. Even the atoning blood of Christ, united with his sanctifying grace. It has hitherto been closed to the unbelieving nation of Israel; but when the Spirit of grace shall humble and soften their hearts, he will open it to them also. This fountain opened is the pierced side of Christ. We are all as an unclean thing. Behold a fountain opened for us to wash in, and streams flowing to us from that fountain. The blood of Christ, and God's pardoning mercy in that blood, made known in the new covenant, are a fountain always flowing, that never can be emptied. It is opened for all believers, who as the spiritual seed of Christ, are of the house of David, and, as living members of the church, are inhabitants of Jerusalem. Christ, by the power of his grace, takes away the dominion of sin, even of beloved sins. Those who are washed in the fountain opened, as they are justified, so they are sanctified. Souls are brought off from the world and the flesh, those two great idols, that they may cleave to God only. The thorough reformation which will take place on the conversion of Israel to Christ, is here foretold. False prophets shall be convinced of their sin and folly, and return to their proper employments. When convinced that we are gone out of the way of duty, we must show the truth of our repentance by returning to it again. It is well to acknowledge those to be friends, who by severe discipline are instrumental in bringing us to a sight of error; for faithful are the wounds of a friend, Pr 27:6. And it is always well for us to recollect the wounds of our Saviour. Often has he been wounded by professed friends, nay, even by his real disciples, when they act contrary to his word.
vv7-9
Here is a prophecy of the sufferings of Christ. God the Father gave order to the sword of his justice to awake against his Son, when he freely made his soul an offering for sin. As God, he is called “my Fellow.” Christ and the Father are one. He is the Shepherd who was to lay down his life for the sheep. If a Sacrifice, he must be slain, for without shedding of the life-blood there was no remission. This sword must awake against him, yet he had no sin of his own to answer for. It may refer to the whole of Christ's sufferings, especially his agonies in the garden and on the cross, when he endured unspeakable anguish till Divine justice was fully satisfied. Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. This passage our Lord Jesus declares was fulfilled, when all his disciples, in the night wherein he was betrayed, forsook him and fled. It has, and shall have its accomplishment, in the destruction of the corrupt and hypocritical part of the professed church. Because of the sin of the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ, and in opposing his gospel, the Romans would destroy the greater part. But a remnant would be saved. And if we are his people, we shall be refined as gold; he will be God, and the end of all our trials and sufferings will be praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Key Words
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
מָקוֹר: properly, something dug, i.e. a (general) source (of water, even when naturally flowing; also of tears, blood (by euphemism, of the female pudenda); figuratively, of happiness, wisdom, progeny)
פָּתַח: to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
חַטָּאָה: an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender
נִדָּה: properly, rejection; by implication, impurity, especially personal (menstruation) or moral (idolatry, incest)
הוּא: he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
Cross References
Zechariah 13Explicitly cited by Christ as fulfilled when His disciples were scattered after His arrest.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The Mosaic law prescribing death for false prophets, even if initiated by parents.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus quotes the smiting of the shepherd and scattering of the sheep.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prophetic parallel of clean water sprinkled to cleanse from all filthiness and idols.
Supported by JFB
Parallel denial of being a prophet, claiming instead to be a simple herdsman.
Supported by JFB
Verbal echo regarding the 'wounds of a friend' received in discipline or correction.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The removal of the names of idols so they are no longer remembered.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Loving Christ above family ties, paralleling the parents' execution of the false prophet.
Supported by JFB
Elijah's hairy/rough garment, which false prophets wore to deceitfully mimic true prophets.
Supported by JFB
Christ declaring He and the Father are one, supporting 'my fellow'.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The refining and purifying of the sons of Levi like gold and silver.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Covenant formula: 'they shall say, Thou art my God; and I will say... My people'.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The temporary tabernacle laver contrasted with the perpetual, open fountain for sin.
Supported by JFB
Command not to mention the name of other gods, matching the cutting off of idol names.
Supported by JFB