Read Zechariah Chapter 12 Read Zechariah Chapter 14
Zechariah chapter
13:
A simple exegesis
based on grammatical observations of the Hebrew text. Some references to Bible
Commentaries and Hebrew Lexicons are made to enhance my understanding of the
text
By Stephen Ng
Zech. 13:1 בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ מָק֣וֹר נִפְתָּ֔ח
לְבֵ֥ית דָּוִ֖יד וּלְיֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
לְחַטַּ֖את וּלְנִדָּֽה׃
Zech. 13:2 וְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻ֣ם ׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת
אַכְרִ֞ית אֶת־שְׁמ֤וֹת הָֽעֲצַבִּים֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יִזָּכְר֖וּ ע֑וֹד
וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים וְאֶת־ר֥וּחַ הַטֻּמְאָ֖ה אַעֲבִ֥יר מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Zech. 13:3 וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יִנָּבֵ֣א אִישׁ֮ עוֹד֒
וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵ֠לָיו אָבִ֨יו וְאִמּ֤וֹ יֹֽלְדָיו֙ לֹ֣א תִֽחְיֶ֔ה כִּ֛י
שֶׁ֥קֶר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה
וּדְקָרֻ֜הוּ אָבִ֧יהוּ וְאִמּ֛וֹ יֹלְדָ֖יו בְּהִנָּבְאֽוֹ׃
Zech. 13:4 וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא
יֵבֹ֧שׁוּ הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים אִ֥ישׁ מֵחֶזְיֹנ֖וֹ בְּהִנָּֽבְאֹת֑וֹ וְלֹ֧א
יִלְבְּשׁ֛וּ אַדֶּ֥רֶת שֵׂעָ֖ר לְמַ֥עַן כַּחֵֽשׁ׃
Zech. 13:5 וְאָמַ֕ר לֹ֥א נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי
אִישׁ־עֹבֵ֤ד אֲדָמָה֙ אָנֹ֔כִי
כִּ֥י אָדָ֖ם הִקְנַ֥נִי מִנְּעוּרָֽי׃
Zech. 13:6 וְאָמַ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו
מָ֧ה הַמַּכּ֛וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה בֵּ֣ין יָדֶ֑יךָ
וְאָמַ֕ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֻכֵּ֖יתִי בֵּ֥ית מְאַהֲבָֽי׃ ס
Zech. 13:7 חֶ֗רֶב עוּרִ֤י עַל־רֹעִי֙ וְעַל־גֶּ֣בֶר עֲמִיתִ֔י
נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת
הַ֤ךְ אֶת־הָֽרֹעֶה֙ וּתְפוּצֶ֣יןָ הַצֹּ֔אן
וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֥י יָדִ֖י עַל־הַצֹּעֲרִֽים׃
Zech. 13:8 וְהָיָ֤ה בְכָל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה
פִּֽי־שְׁנַ֣יִם בָּ֔הּ יִכָּרְת֖וּ יִגְוָ֑עוּ
וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁ֖ית יִוָּ֥תֶר בָּֽהּ׃
Zech. 13:9 וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים֙
כִּצְרֹ֣ף אֶת־הַכֶּ֔סֶף
וּבְחַנְתִּ֖ים כִּבְחֹ֣ן אֶת־הַזָּהָ֑ב
ה֣וּא ׀ יִקְרָ֣א בִשְׁמִ֗י
וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶעֱנֶ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ עַמִּ֣י ה֔וּא
וְה֥וּא יֹאמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃ ס
Chapter 13 is a continuation of the
poetic writing from the previous chapter. This chapter can be divided into two sections:
· Verses 1-6: God’s
future dealings with the house of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem where
there will be a fountain that heals; both the idols and false prophets will be
cut off from the land.
· Verses 7-9: The LORD
in that day will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be dispersed. This
reference is used later by the Lord Jesus Himself when speaking to the
disciples about His crucifixion.
Verses 1-6
Chapter
13 opens with the phrase, בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא in verses 1, 2 and 4, which is translated as ‘In
that day.’ In fact, in the entire Tanakh, this phrase appears 208 times, and 22
in the book of Zechariah. The phrase is used either to speak of a day in the
past, or into the future.
Notice
that the yiqtol (qal imperfect, יִהְיֶה) in this passage appears first,
followed by the weqatal (or past perfect consecutive וְהָיָה).
The Hebrew word יִהְיֶה can be translated as ‘it will
be’; this is therefore a narrative about the future.
While
in other passages, it could refer to a specific day in the past, for example,
in Genesis 15:18 where God made a covenant with Abram, in Zechariah, the phrase
when accompanied by a yiqtol (qal imperfect) יִהְיֶה and a
weqatal (qal perfect consecutive) וְהָיָה, refers
to a day in the distant future when this entire narrative refers to.
In “that
day”, Zechariah tells us in chapter 13, that:
(a)
Verse 1 starts with the yiqtol (qal imperfect): A
fountain (מָק֣וֹר) will be opened. This is not an ordinary fountain, but it is
referred to elsewhere in Jeremiah 2:13 ַand 17:13 as מְקוֹר ׀ מַיִם חַיִּים (literally,
‘a fountain of water of life’ or the ‘fountain of living water’). In John 4:10[1] and 7:38[2], Jesus later hinted to
Himself as the source of this living water.
(b)
Following the yiqtol verb in verse 1, verses 2-6 then
begin with the weqatal (qal perfect consecutive) which describes things that
will happen.
· Verse 2: The LORD of Hosts will cut off the sin
of idolatry from the land (of Israel) and cause people to remember no more the
names of these gods that they had worshipped. A warning is issued out to the
false prophets that like the idols, they, too, will be removed if they do not
turn from their ways.
· Verse 3: the prophets who speaks falsely in the
name of the LORD will see their own death. This is how serious is the sin of
the false prophets who speak in God’s Name. This is a serious warning to those
who love to say, “God spoke to me” or “The Lord gave me a new revelation.”
· Verse 4: the false prophets will be confounded
as their prophecies will be found to be nothing, but some lies. This is a nuance
derived from the phrase,
“וְלֹ֧א יִלְבְּשׁ֛וּ
אַדֶּ֥רֶת שֵׂעָ֖ר לְמַ֥עַן כַּחֵֽשׁ׃”
(Zechariah 13:4 HMT-W4)
This is translated
by the NASB as: “and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to
deceive;” (Zechariah 13:4 NAS95)
This recalls the competition
between Esau and Jacob. Esau, being the forefather of the Edomites, moved to the land of Seir (Genesis
36:8-9) which was popular for red sandstone on the southeast of the Dead Sea.
The Hebrew word for Seir (שֵׂעִיר) is like the word for “hairy” (שֵׂעָר). “Seir” and “Mount Seir”, therefore, became synonyms for Edom (2 Chron.
20:10; 25:11; Ezek. 35:15).[3] At the same
time, the hairy cloak could also be an allusion to Elijah’s clothes (2 Kings
1:8), as Elijah was considered one of the greatest prophets in the Old
Testament.[4]
·
Verse 5: It will come a time when the false prophets will
know that the title that they have been carrying is worth less than the lowest
of the professions – a tiller of the ground (like Cain) and a slave sold in his
youth (like Joseph into Egypt where the free Hebrews were already despised, what
is worse, a slave!). For fear of their own lives, these false prophets will deny
emphatically that they are prophets. The word וְאָמַ֕ר is a weqatal (or qal perfect
consecutive)
וְאָמַ֕ר לֹ֥א
נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי
(Zechariah 13:5 HMT-W4)
·
Verse 6: Instead of acknowledging that the wounds they
received were from the sword (חֶרֶב)
of the LORD (refer verse 7), for speaking false prophecies using the LORD’s
name, they will try to hide their identities. Just as they were prepared to
lie, they will continue lying about the wound they received as just ordinary
wounds.
Verses 7-9
Verses
7-8 is a prophetic vision about the one Shepherd whom the LORD of Hosts
consider as his Associate or Friend (עֲמִיתִ). Isaiah later
spoke about the bruised Messiah (Isaiah 53:4-7). The Victor riding on the
donkey entering Jerusalem will first be smitten, and His own disciples will
abandon him like scattered sheep (Matthew 26:31, 56).[5]
Zechariah goes on to speak about the remnant of Israel who will be refined
as silver (כֶּסֶף) or gold (זָּהָב) tested by
fire (אֵשׁ). It is only after they are refined and
tested by fire that they will call on the name of the LORD
וְה֥וּא יֹאמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי
(Zechariah 13:9 HMT-W4)
Lindsey explains the purpose of God’s judgement on the people of Israel:
The
surviving remnant will have been purged and purified by the persecutions in the
Tribulation, as well as by God’s judgment on living Israel at the Second Advent
(cf. Ezek. 20:33-38; Matt. 25:1-30). They will call on the name of the Lord in
faith (Zech. 12:10-13:1) and become a restored nation (Rom. 11:26-27). Their
renewed covenant relationship with the Lord (Hosea 1-2; Jer. 32:38-41; Ezek.
37:23-28) will be reflected in God’s words, They are My people (cf. Zech. 8:8),
and the people’s response, The LORD is our (lit., “my”) God (cf. Hosea
2:21-23).[6]
Chapter
13 is not the end. It is what Chapter 14 unfolds that raises hope for the
people of God.
[1] “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is
who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have
given you living water.”” (John 4:10 NAS95)
[2] ““He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being
will flow rivers of living water.’””
(John 7:38 NAS95)
[3]Walter L. Baker, Obadiah (The Bible
Knowledge Commentary; ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck; Accordance
electronic ed. 2 vols.; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 1:1454.
[4]Edwin A. Blum and Jeremy Royal Howard, eds. HCSB Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: Holman
Bible Publishers, 2010), paragraph 17264.
[5]F. Duane Lindsey, Zechariah (The Bible Knowledge Commentary; ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck; Accordance
electronic ed. 2 vols.; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), paragraph 19826.
[6]F. Duane Lindsey, Zechariah (The Bible Knowledge Commentary; ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck; Accordance
electronic ed. 2 vols.; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), paragraph 19827.
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