Zechariah 13

General context

In that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. The Lord of hosts says he will cut off the names of the idols from the land so that they are remembered no more, and will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. If anyone still prophesies, his own father and mother who begat him will tell him he shall not live because he speaks lies in the name of the Lord, and they will thrust him through when he prophesies. In that day the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and will not wear a rough garment to deceive. Each will say instead, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman, and claim to have been taught to keep cattle from his youth. When one asks what the wounds in his hands are, he answers, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. The Lord of hosts then calls a sword to awake against his shepherd, against the man that is his fellow, saying that when the shepherd is smitten the sheep will be scattered, and that he will turn his hand upon the little ones. In all the land two parts will be cut off and die and the third will be left. He will bring that third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tried; they will call on his name and he will hear them, saying, It is my people, while they say, The Lord is my God.

Cited passages: Zechariah 13:1, Zechariah 13:2, Zechariah 13:3, Zechariah 13:4, Zechariah 13:5, Zechariah 13:6, Zechariah 13:7, Zechariah 13:8, Zechariah 13:9

Zechariah 13 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

No date, place or personal name appears in the chapter apart from the house of David. The prophets who are cut off are described only by what they do, prophesying lies in the name of the Lord, wearing a rough garment to deceive and being ashamed of their visions; none is named. The question in verse 6, "What are these wounds in thine hands?", is put to the man of verse 5 who has just denied being a prophet, and his answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends," is all the chapter says about them; no cause, occasion or person is given. The shepherd of verse 7 is called "my shepherd" and "the man that is my fellow" and is not named, and the sword is addressed rather than any human agent. Later books cite that line: Matthew 26:31 records, "for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad," and Mark 14:27 has the shorter form. Those are later citations; this chapter itself supplies no identification. The fractions in verse 8 are given without a total, and "all the land" is not bounded.

Cited passages: Zechariah 13:1, Zechariah 13:2, Zechariah 13:4, Zechariah 13:5, Zechariah 13:6, Zechariah 13:7, Zechariah 13:8, Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27, Zechariah 13:3

Literary context

The chapter opens with water and closes with fire, and both are for cleaning. The same phrase that carried chapter 12, in that day, recurs in verses 1, 2 and 4 and holds the sequence together. Prophecy is treated here as a thing to be removed alongside idols and the unclean spirit, and the removal is dramatised in a family scene where the parents who gave a man life are the ones who would take it. The denial in verse 5 is written as direct speech with a small proof attached, cattle kept from youth, and the wounds in verse 6 are raised as a question and answered without explanation, which leaves the reader holding an unexplained detail. Verse 7 changes register completely, addressing a sword in poetry and stating the consequence before it happens: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. The last two verses count what remains, two parts cut off, a third brought through fire, and end in an exchange of two short sentences, It is my people and The Lord is my God, which is the only dialogue in the chapter that is not a denial.

Cited passages: Zechariah 13:1, Zechariah 13:2, Zechariah 13:3, Zechariah 13:4, Zechariah 13:5, Zechariah 13:6, Zechariah 13:7, Zechariah 13:8, Zechariah 13:9

Key moments

1. A fountain opened (Zechariah 13:1). A fountain is opened for sin and uncleanness to David’s house and Jerusalem.
2. Idols and prophets removed (Zechariah 13:2). The Lord cuts off the names of idols and removes the prophets and unclean spirit.
3. Parents against a prophet (Zechariah 13:3). A father and mother threaten to thrust through a son who prophesies.
4. I am no prophet (Zechariah 13:5). A man denies the office and claims to have kept cattle from youth.
5. Wounds in thine hands (Zechariah 13:6). Asked about his wounds, he says they came in the house of his friends.
6. Smite the shepherd (Zechariah 13:7). A sword is called against the shepherd and the sheep are scattered.
7. A third part refined (Zechariah 13:9). The remaining third is refined as silver and answered when it calls.

For reflection

The man in verse 6 is asked about the wounds in his hands and answers that friends gave them, and the text moves on without explaining. What do you do with a detail the chapter refuses to unfold?

People in this chapter

• David