Zechariah 13:6

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.)

Zechariah 13:6 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 13:6

And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in
thine hands?
&c.] That is, if thou art not a prophet, what is the meaning of these wounds in thine hands? which design either those his father and mother had given him, when they thrust him through for being a false prophet, ( Zechariah 13:3 ) or the mark of the beast he received in his right hand, which he was obliged to take when he entered into holy orders, ( Revelation 13:9 Revelation 13:16 Revelation 13:17 ) , or the wounds and stripes he gave himself, in the exercise of his superstition and will worship: then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the
house of my friends;
he will pretend that these were wounds he had privately in his father's family, by way of correction, for not doing his civil and secular business as he ought to have done; or he shall be obliged to confess the mark of the beast on him; or that these were wounds he had given himself in the temples and churches, dedicated to angels and saints, his patrons, friends, and lovers; with whom he committed spiritual adultery or idolatry, and before whose images and shrines he had cut and given himself these wounds and gashes, to the great dishonour of Christ, as if his crucifixion and wounds were of no avail; wherefore his sufferings and death are next spoken of: and some understand these words of Christ, introduced after this manner; the prophet having spoken of the false prophet, thrust through by his parents, because that Christ would be reckoned a false prophet and impostor by his countrymen the Jews, and be crucified by them as such, represents the Jews as upbraiding him with his crucifixion, which they suggest he righteously suffered, for seducing their nation: to which he replies, that indeed he was crucified, and thereby wounded with the nails drove into his hands and feet; and this usage he met with from those of his own nation, and who pretended to be the friends of the Messiah, and to expect his coming, and this at or near Jerusalem, where was the temple or house of God; but all this he endured, not for any crime he had been guilty of, but according to the counsel and will, purpose and decree, of God; whereby he was appointed the Shepherd of the flock; the Mediator between God and man; the Saviour of his people; and to die such a death, in order to obtain salvation for them; which counsel and will of God are clearly and strongly expressed in the following verse ( Zechariah 13:7 ) : and to this sense Capellus interprets the words.

Zechariah 13:6 In-Context

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.)
8 And two parts (of the people) shall be in each land, saith the Lord, and they shall be scattered, and shall fail, and the third part shall be left in it.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.