Zechariah 13:5

5 but he shall say, I am not a prophet; I am a man an earth-tiller, for Adam is mine ensample from my youth. (but he shall say, I am not a prophet; I am a farmer, and mankind is my example from my youth.)

Zechariah 13:5 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 13:5

But he shall say, I [am] no prophet
That he is not of the Romish clergy, or of any of their religious orders, having laid aside his habit: I [am] an husbandman;
he shall put on the habit of a husbandman, and work for his bread; for he will not be able to support himself, as before, with the sale of pardons and indulgences, and by praying souls out of purgatory; for no man hereafter will buy of his merchandise, ( Revelation 18:11 ) and he will be ashamed of his former calling and traffic, and will not own that he was ever concerned therein; but will affirm that he was never of the Romish clergy, but always a layman, and employed in husbandry: for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth;
he will say he was brought up to husbandry, or in some mechanic business, from his youth, and never was in any convent or monastery, or of any religious order: it may be rendered, "for man made me to work from my youth" ^F21; and is not to be restrained to keeping cattle, or any particular employment.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (ynnqh) "fecerunt me operari", Noldius; "homo operari fecit me", De Dieu, Burkius.

Zechariah 13:5 In-Context

3 And it shall be, when any man shall prophesy any more, his father and mother that engendered him, shall say to him, Thou shalt not live, for thou hast spoken leasing in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother, the engenderers of him, shall prick him, when he hath prophesied. (And it shall be, when any man shall prophesy any more, his father and his mother who begat him, shall say to him, Thou shalt not live, for thou hast spoken lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother, who begat him, shall pierce, or shall stab, him, when he hath prophesied.)

4 And it shall be, in that day, prophets shall be ashamed, each of his vision, when he shall prophesy; neither they shall be covered with a mantle of sackcloth, that they lie; (And it shall be, on that day, every prophet shall be ashamed of his vision, when he shall prophesy; nor shall any of them be covered with a mantle of sackcloth, because they lie;)

5 but he shall say, I am not a prophet; I am a man an earth-tiller, for Adam is mine ensample from my youth. (but he shall say, I am not a prophet; I am a farmer, and mankind is my example from my youth.)

6 And it shall be said to him, What be these wounds in the middle of thine hands? And he shall say, With these I was wounded in the house of them that loved me. (And it shall be said to him, What be these wounds in the midst of thy hands? And he shall say, I was wounded with these in the house of those who loved me.)

7 Sword, be thou raised on my shepherd, and on a man cleaving to me, saith the Lord of hosts; smite thou the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. And I shall turn mine hand to the little (ones). (Sword, be thou raised against my shepherd, and against a man cleaving to me, saith the Lord of hosts; strike thou down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. And then I shall turn my hand against the young ones.)