Zechariah 13:2-9

2 And it shall come to pass in that day," saith the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

3 And it shall come to pass that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother who begot him shall say unto him, `Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD'; and his father and his mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a garment of hair to deceive.

5 But he shall say, `I am no prophet; I am a husbandman, for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.'

6 And one shall say unto him, `What are these wounds in thine hands?' Then he shall answer, `Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'

7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My fellow," saith the LORD of hosts. "Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

8 And it shall come to pass that in all the land," saith the LORD, "two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein.

9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will hear them. I will say, `It is My people'; and they shall say, `The LORD is my God.'"

Zechariah 13:2-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 13

In this chapter are prophecies concerning the purification of the penitent Jews before spoken of; the removal of idols, and false prophets, out of the earth; the death of Christ; the destruction of the greater part of men, and the salvation of a few of them. The cleansing of such that mourn for sin, in a fountain opened for that purpose, is spoken of, Zec 13:1 the utter abolition of idols, and false prophets, and unclean spirits, is affirmed, Zec 13:2 the parents of false prophets will forbid them to prophesy; they themselves will be ashamed of their visions; they will throw off the rough garment, which was a token of their being prophets, and by which they deceived: they will confess they are no prophets, and what they are, and own the wounds they have received from their friends on that account, Zec 13:3-6 and whereas the Messiah, as pierced and crucified, is spoken of in the preceding chapter Zec 12:10, whose blood is the cleansing fountain mentioned in this, an account is given of his death; who is described by his office, the Shepherd of the Lord; and by his natures, human and divine, the Man his fellow; his death is signified by smiting with the sword, which was done by the order of the Lord; the consequences of which were the scattering of the sheep, and the turning of the hand of the Lord upon them in a way of mercy, Zec 13:7 and then it is declared that two parts in three of the land should be cut off, and a third part saved, but yet so as by fire, whom the Lord would own as his people, and they should acknowledge him to be their God, Zec 13:8,9.