Zechariah 13

The chapter moves from the declaration of a cleansing 'fountain' to the practical eradication of false religious influence, ending with the divine enactment of judgment on the Shepherd and the subsequent refining of the remnant.

• A fountain shall be opened for sin and uncleanness (v. 1).
• The Lord will hear His people when they call (v. 9).
• The Lord will claim the remnant as His people (v. 9).

• Awake, O sword, against my shepherd (v. 7).

• False prophets will be cut off and their claims rejected even by their own families (vv. 2-3).
• Two-thirds of the land will be cut off and die (v. 8).

• The book of Zechariah is written during the return from Babylonian exile, a time of reconstruction for the temple and the spiritual state of the people.
• The reference to 'prophets' suggests that even in the post-exilic period, the threat of syncretistic religious influence remained a significant issue for the community.

• The 'rough garment' (v. 4) was the traditional attire of the prophets (like Elijah), and the false prophets sought to mimic this appearance to gain authority.
• The 'wounds in thine hands' (v. 6) alludes to the custom of self-mutilation performed by pagan prophets/priests in their ecstatic rituals, which is being exposed here as false and shameful.

• This chapter concludes the second major burden (or 'oracle') of Zechariah, which began in chapter 12.
• Matthew Henry observes: 'This fountain opened is the pierced side of Christ,' connecting the fountain of v. 1 with the wounds of the Shepherd in v. 7.

• Jesus explicitly quotes verse 7 in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27, applying the smiting of the Shepherd directly to the night of His betrayal and the scattering of His disciples.
• The imagery of the 'fountain' reflects the broader biblical theme of a cleansing agent for the covenant people, ultimately fulfilled in the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7).

• The 'sword' (חֶרֶב) against the Shepherd parallels Isaiah 53, where the Servant of the Lord is smitten for the transgressions of others.
• The 'refined as gold' language echoes Malachi 3:3 regarding the refining work of the Messenger of the Covenant.

• Fountain (מָקוֹר, H4726): A source, often a spring; the term implies a continuous, flowing resource rather than a stagnant pool.
• Uncleanness (נִדָּה, H5079): Often refers to ritual impurity; here it connotes the moral impurity that separates the people from the holy presence of God.
• Fellow (עָמִית, H5997): A rare word denoting one who is an associate or neighbor in a close, existential way; identifying the Shepherd as the Lord’s 'fellow' suggests equality of nature.

• The extreme measures taken against false prophecy in verses 3-5: not only is the practice stopped, but the deceivers themselves are shamed into renouncing their own false vocations.
• The shift from the 'house of David' and Jerusalem (v. 1) to the 'land' (v. 2) suggests the scope of this cleansing is national and comprehensive.

• Interpreters debate whether the 'wounds in thine hands' in v. 6 refers to the Shepherd (Messiah) or the false prophet. In the context of verses 4-5, it appears to be the false prophet trying to hide his identity; however, many commentators link it typologically to the future piercing of Christ mentioned in Zech 12:10.