About Zechariah

Zechariah encouraged the temple rebuilders with apocalyptic visions and messianic prophecies of the coming King.

Author: ZechariahWritten: c. 520-518 BCReading time: ~1 minVerses: 9
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King James Version

Zechariah 13

9 verses with commentary

Cleansing from Sin

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. uncleanness: Heb. separation for uncleanness

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.</strong> Following chapter 12's prophecy of looking on the pierced one, chapter 13 describes cleansing provision. "In that day" links to Messiah's coming. "A fountain opened" (maqor niphthach) describes flowing spring—not a closed cistern but perpetually flowi...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. broken in judgment--**namely, the "judgment" of God on him (Ho 5:1). **walked after the commandment--**Jeroboam's, to worship the calves (2Ki 10:28-33). Compare Mi 6:16, "the statutes of Omri," namely, idolatrous statutes. We ought to obey God rather than men (Ac 5:29). Jerome reads "filthiness." The Septuagint gives the sense, not the literal translation: "after vanities."

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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.</strong> Following the promise of cleansing through the fountain (13:1), God now describes comprehensive spiritual purification. The phrase <strong...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. as a moth--**consuming a garment (Job 13:28; Psa 39:11; Is 50:9). **Judah ... rottenness--**Ephraim, or the ten tribes, are as a garment eaten by the moth; Judah as the body itself consumed by rottenness (Pr 12:4). Perhaps alluding to the superiority of the latter in having the house of David, and the temple, the religious center of the nation [Grotius]. As in Ho 5:13, 14, the violence of ...
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And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat 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 that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat 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 that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.</strong> This shocking verse describes the severity with which false prophecy will be treated in the puri...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**13. wound--**literally, "bandage"; hence a bandaged wound (Is 1:6; Jr 30:12). "Saw," that is, felt its weakened state politically, and the dangers that threatened it. It aggravates their perversity, that, though aware of their unsound and calamitous state, they did not inquire into the cause or seek a right remedy. **went ... to the Assyrian--**First, Menahem (2Ki 15:19) applied to Pul; again,...
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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 rough garment to deceive: a rough: Heb. a garment of hair deceive: Heb. lie

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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 rough garment to deceive.</strong> This verse describes the exposure and shame awaiting false prophets. <strong>"The prophets shall be ashamed"</strong> (<em>yevoshu ha-nevi'im</em>, יֵבֹשׁוּ הַנְּבִיאִים) indicates they will be humiliated wh...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14. lion--**The black lion and the young lion are emblems of strength and ferocity (Psa 91:13). **I, even I--**emphatic; when I, even I, the irresistible God, tear in pieces (Psa 50:22), no Assyrian power can rescue. **go away--**as a lion stalks leisurely back with his prey to his lair.

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.</strong> Continuing from verse 4, this verse describes the false prophet's desperate denial when exposed. <strong>"I am no prophet"</strong> (<em>lo navi anoki</em>, לֹא נָבִיא אָנֹכִי) is emphatic denial—"I am definitely not a prophet!" The fraudulent teacher, faced with shame and judgme...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**15. return to my place--**that is, withdraw My favor. **till they acknowledge their offence--**The Hebrew is, "till they suffer the penalty of their guilt." Probably "accepting the punishment of their guilt" (compare Zec 11:5) is included in the idea, as English Version translates. Compare Le 26:40, 41; Jr 29:12, 13; Eze 6:9; 20:43; 36:31. **seek my face--**that is, seek My favor (Pr 29:26, ...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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.</strong> This enigmatic verse has generated much interpretive discussion. Someone questions the false prophet about <strong>"wounds in thine hands"</strong> (<em>hammakot ha-eleh bein yadekha</em>, הַמַּכּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בֵּין יָדֶיךָ), literally "...
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The Shepherd Struck

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

Prophecy of shepherd struck, sheep scattered: '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.' Jesus quotes this predicting His crucifixion and disciples' desertion (Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27): 'I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 6 Ho 6:1-11. The Israelites' Exhortation to One Another to Seek the Lord. At Ho 6:4 a new discourse, complaining of them, begins; for Ho 6:1-3 evidently belong to Ho 5:15, and form the happy termination of Israel's punishment: primarily, the return from Babylon; ultimately, the return from their present long dispersion. Ho 6:8 perhaps refers to the murder of Pekahiah; the discourse canno...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die</strong> (וְהָיָה בְכָל־הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָה פִּי־שְׁנַיִם בָּהּ יִכָּרְתוּ יִגְוָעוּ)—sobering prophecy: two-thirds of the population will <em>karat</em> (be cut off) and <em>gava</em> (die/perish). This describes apocalyptic tribulation, likely the 'time of Jacob's trouble' (Jeremi...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. Primarily, in type, Israel's national revival, in a short period ("two or three" being used to denote a few days, Is 17:6; Lu 13:32, 33); antitypically the language is so framed as to refer in its full accuracy only to Messiah, the ideal Israel (Is 49:3; compare Mt 2:15, with Ho 11:1), raised on the third day (Joh 2:19; 1Co 15:4; compare Is 53:10). "He shall prolong His days." Compare the simil...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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</strong> (וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁית בָּאֵשׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים כִּצְרֹף אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחֹן אֶת־הַזָּהָב)—the surviving third experiences <em>tzaraph</em> (refining) and <em>bachan</em> (testing/trying). Fire removes impurities from precious metals; ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. know, if we follow on to know the Lord--**The result of His recovered favor (Ho 6:2) will be onward growth in saving knowledge of God, as the result of perseverance in following after Him (Psa 63:8; Is 54:13). "Then" implies the consequence of the revival in Ho 6:2. The "if" is not so much conditional, as expressive of the means which God's grace will sanctify to the full enlightenment of Isr...
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