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Zechariah
Chapter Thirteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
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, Zechariah 13:1 the
utter abolition of idols, and false prophets, and unclean spirits, is affirmed,
Zechariah 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, Zechariah 13:3 and
whereas the Messiah, as pierced and crucified, is spoken of in the preceding
chapter Zechariah 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, Zechariah 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, Zechariah 13:8.
Zechariah 13:1 “In that day a
fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
YLT
1In that day there is a
fountain opened To the house of David And to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, For
sin and for impurity.
In that day there shall be a fountain opened,.... Which
Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand literally; but R. Moses the priest
figuratively; and so the Targum, which interprets it of the doctrine of the law
being open as a fountain of water; and so Abendana, who compares it with Isaiah 2:3 but
rather it should be understood of the preaching of the Gospel, and the
administration of Gospel ordinances; though better of Christ himself, the
fountain of gardens, and of living waters, from whose pierced side, of whom
mention is made as pierced in the preceding chapter Zechariah 12:10,
sprung blood and water; blood for justification, remission, and cleansing, and
water for sanctification: and best of all of his blood particularly, called a
"fountain", not so much for the quantity of blood shed, as for its
full virtue and efficacy to answer the purposes for which it was shed; it being
the blood not only of man, and of an innocent man, but of the Son of God; and
may be said to be "opened", because of its continued virtue to
cleanse from sin; it is not sealed, but opened, and always stands open; there
is no hinderance or obstruction in coming to it; not the meanness or poverty of
persons, they that have no money may come to these waters; nor their
sinfulness, even though they are the chief of sinners; nor their being of this
and the other nation, it is exposed to all; to all that the Father has given to
Christ; to all sensible sinners: though it follows,
to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; for this, as
it may be literally understood of the Jews in the latter day, including their
great men and common people, high and low, rich and poor; so mystically of all
the family of Christ the son of David, and of all that belong to the heavenly
Jerusalem, even the whole church of the firstborn, whose names are written in
heaven:
for sin, and for uncleanness; that is, for sin, which
is uncleanness; sin is an unclean thing, and has defiled all human nature, and
nothing can remove the pollution of it; but the blood of Christ can remove it,
and that being shed makes atonement for it, procures the pardon of it, and
justifies from it in the sight of God; and being sprinkled on the conscience,
removes it from that. The Targum interprets it mystically of the forgiveness of
sins, paraphrasing it thus,
"I
will forgive their iniquities, as they are cleansed with the water of
sprinkling, and the ashes of the heifer, which is for sin.'
Zechariah 13:2 2 “It
shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts,
“that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they
shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean
spirit to depart from the land.
YLT
2And it hath come to pass,
in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I cut off the names of the
idols from the land, And they are not remembered any more, And also the
prophets and the spirit of uncleanness I cause to pass away from the land.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts,.... In the
latter day, at the time of the conversion of the Jews, when they shall turn to
the Lord, and their sins shall be forgiven, and washed away in the fountain of
his blood; for this refers not to the times of the Babylonish captivity, and
their deliverance from that, which was now over, when idolatry ceased among
that people; nor to the times of Christ, when soon after the false prophets
among the Heathens, and their lying oracles, ceased, and Paganism in the Roman
empire was destroyed; but to the times before mentioned, of which it is
predicted by the Lord, saying,
that I will cut off
the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; meaning the
idols of gold, silver, brass, and wood; images of the Virgin Mary, and saints
departed, worshipped by the Papists, Revelation 9:20 for
at this time mystical Babylon will fall, the idolatry of the church of Rome
will be at an end, and will never be revived more:
and also I will cause the prophets, and the unclean spirit, to
pass out of the land; by "the prophets" are meant false prophets, as the Targum
explains it, even all the Popish hierarchy, pope, cardinals, archbishops,
bishops, priests, &c. all that wretched body, which goes by the name of the
false prophet, who at the battle of Armageddon will be taken, and with the
beast cast alive into the lake of fire, Revelation 19:20
and by "the unclean spirit", or "spirits", the singular for
the plural, are meant the three unclean spirits like frogs, and which are the
spirits of devils, that come out of the mouth of the dragon beast, and false
prophet, the Jesuits, monks, and friars; these shall be no more then on the
earth, after these times, Revelation 16:13.
Jarchi and Kimchi interpret "the unclean spirit" of the corruption of
nature; but that will not cease as long as men are in a mortal state. This
prophecy is, by the ancient Jews,F16Zohar in Gen, fol. 53. 4. &
73. 1. applied to the times of the Messiah.
Zechariah 13:3 3 It
shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and
mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have
spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his
father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
YLT
3And it hath been, when one
prophesieth again, That said unto him have his father and his mother, his
parents, `Thou dost not live, For falsehood thou hast spoken in the name of
Jehovah,' And pierced him through have his father and his mother, his parents,
in his prophesying.
And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy,.... Or
attempt to prophesy, or propagate their idolatrous religion and principles
after this time, when they shall be abundantly detected and exposed:
then his father and his mother that begat him; of whom he is
born, and who, as his parents, must be supposed to have the most tender regard
unto him, even to these the imposture will be so flagrant, that they will not
encourage him, but, on the contrary,
shall say unto him, Thou shall not live; but die,
according to the law against the false prophet in Deuteronomy 18:20,
for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord; which is the
very character of the followers of the man of sin, who speak lies in hypocrisy,
pretending that they are of God, and carrying a show of truth; religion, and
holiness, 1 Timothy 4:1,
and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him
through when he prophesieth; so great will be their love to God, and to
his truth, that, notwithstanding the nearness of blood, their hands will be
upon him first, and either beat him, or put him to death; a son, according to
the law, not being to be spared in such a case, Deuteronomy 13:6.
Zechariah 13:4 4 “And
it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision
when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive.
YLT
4And it hath come to pass,
in that day, Ashamed are the prophets, each of his vision, in his prophesying,
And they put not on a hairy robe to deceive.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets
shall be ashamed, everyone of his vision, when he hath prophesied,.... He shall
be ashamed of the doctrines he has delivered, they will appear to all men so
ridiculous and absurd; as the doctrines of merit, and the works of
supererogation; of transubstantiation and purgatory; of pardons, penance,
&c:
neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive; or, "a
hairy garment"F17אדרת שער "pallio pili", Montanus; "piloso",
Pagninus; "chlamyde pilosa", Munster; "pallium ex pilis",
Cocceius; "pallium pili", Burkius. ; such as the first and ancient
inhabitants of the earth wore, who used the skins of beasts for covering, as
Diodorus SiculusF18Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 21. observes: and PausaniasF19Phocica,
sive. l. 10. p. 685. says of the first natives of Locris, not knowing how to
weave and make garments, used to cover their bodies, to preserve them from the
cold, with the undressed skins of beasts, turning the hair outward, as more
becoming: and such a hairy garment, or much like it, Elijah wore; hence he is
called a hairy man, 2 Kings 1:8 and John
the Baptist, who came in the power and spirit of that prophet, appeared in a
like habit, clothed with camel's hair, Matthew 3:4 and in
like manner good men, especially in times of distress and trouble, used to
wander about in sheepskins and goatskins, Hebrews 11:37 which
seem to be the same sort of raiment: and now, in imitation of such like good
men, and true prophets of the Lord, particularly Elijah, the false prophets, as
Jarchi and Kimchi observe, in order to deceive the people, and pass for true
prophets, put on such rough and hairy garments, as if they were very humble and
self denying men. BrauniusF20De Vestitu Sacerdot. Heb. l. 1. c. 4.
sect. 9. p. 97. thinks the prophet may have respect to a custom among the
idolatrous prophets, who used to clothe themselves with the skins of the
sacrifices, and lie on them in their temples, in order to obtain dreams, and be
able to foretell future things; of which See Gill on Amos 2:8 but it
seems to have respect to the habits of the monks and friars, and of the
different orders by which they are distinguished as religious persons, and gain
respect and veneration among men; and under the guise of sanctity and devotion,
and of an austere and mortified life, impose their lies and deceptions upon
them; but now will lay their habits aside, as being ashamed of their profession
and principles.
Zechariah 13:5 5 But
he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me
to keep cattle from my youth.’
YLT
5And [one] hath said, `I am
not a prophet, A man, a tiller of ground I am, For ground [is] my possession
from my youth.'
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"F21הקנני "fecerunt me operari", Noldius; "homo
operari fecit me", De Dieu, Burkius. ; and is not to be restrained to
keeping cattle, or any particular employment.
Zechariah 13:6 6 And one
will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’[a] Then he
will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my
friends.’
YLT
6And [one] hath said unto
him, `What [are] these wounds in thy hands?' And he hath said, `Because I was
smitten [at] home by my lovers.'
And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in
thine hands?.... 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, 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 13:7 7 “Awake,
O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then
I will turn My hand against the little ones.
YLT
7Sword, awake against My
shepherd, And against a hero -- My fellow, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
Smite the shepherd, and scattered is the flock, And I have put back My hand on
the little ones.
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,.... Not Judas Maccabeus,
slain in battle by BacchisF23Vid. Joseph. Antiqu. l. 12. c. 11.
sect. 2. , as Grotius fancies; but Christ, Jehovah's Shepherd; for these are
the words of Jehovah the Father, concerning his Son, whom he calls "my
Shepherd"; because he has a property in him, as well as in the flock; and
he was chosen, called, set up, and sent as such by him; on whom he laid the
straying of all the sheep; and who as such died and rose again, and is
accountable to his divine Father for the flock committed to him: by "the
sword" awoke against him are meant either the sorrows and afflictions of
Christ, which, like a sword, pierced through his soul; or the violent death he
was put to, being stricken and cut off for the transgressions of his people; or
the Jews, who were the instruments of it; so wicked men are called, Psalm 17:13 or
rather the glittering sword of justice, which was drawn against him, and
sheathed in him; which is called upon to "awake", it seeming as
though it was asleep; it having been a long time since the first sin of Adam
was committed, in which all his posterity was concerned, and for which
satisfaction to divine justice must be made; and longer still since Christ
became a surety, and engaged to do it; moreover, it was a great while since it
was promised that he should come, and be smitten and wounded for sin; and,
after he was come into the world, it was some time before the orders were given
to this sword to awake against him:
even against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of
hosts; the human nature of Christ is signified by "the man";
not that he was really man before his incarnation, only in the purpose and
covenant of God; and he often appearing in a human form; and the Scripture
speaking of things future as present; though here it regards him in the days of
his flesh, and as suffering: his divine nature is expressed by being "the
fellow" of the Lord of hosts; not only being near to him in place and
affection, but his equal, being truly a divine Person; of the same nature,
glory, and majesty, with himF24עמית
"socius, proximus; speciatim tribuitur Messiae, qui patri caelesti est
conjunctissimus et intimus, cum sit ejusdem numero essentiae, gloriae, ac
majestatis cum eo". Stockius, p. 794. , though distinct from him; and so
fit to be the Shepherd of the flock:
smite the Shepherd; the order is given to the sword of justice,
by the Lord of hosts, to smite the Messiah, the Shepherd, even unto death: this
was according to his purpose; was his will of command; agreeable to his mind;
what he took a kind of pleasure in, and in which he had a hand himself; for it
is rendered "I will smite", Matthew 26:31,
and the sheep shall be scattered; particularly the
apostles, who, upon the seizure of Christ, were scattered from him, and one
another, whereby this prophecy was fulfilled, Matthew 26:31,
and I will turn my hand upon the little ones; the same with
the sheep, the disciples of ChristF25So Stockius, p. 912. ; yea, all
that Christ died for, and to whom God is gracious for his sake; even all the
little ones that believe in him; who are few in number, little in their own
sight, and contemptible in the eyes of the world; pusillanimous, fearful, and
of little faith, as the apostles of Christ were at the time he died: on these
the Lord turned his hand; not his chastising hand, though that is sometimes on
the saints; much less his hand of justice, which was laid on Christ, and it
would have been unjust to have laid it on sinner and surety both; but his hand
of grace and mercy, power and protection; which was upon the apostles in their
ministrations, succeeding them to the conversion of sinners, and preserving
them from their enemies; and all the elect are saved in consequence of the
death of Christ, and redemption by him. Aben Ezra says this prophecy refers to
the great wars which shall be in all the earth in the times of Messiah ben
Joseph; but they regard the times of Christ the son of David, who is already
come. The Targum is,
"be
revealed, O sword, against the king, and against the ruler his companion, who
is like unto him;'
and
Jarchi interprets it of the king of Moab; and Aben Ezra of every king of the
nations that shall in the above times reign over the earth, who thinks himself
to be as God; which sense Kimchi approves of, and observes, that the
"little ones" are governors and princes, who are less than kings: and
another Jewish writerF26R. Isaac Chizzuk Emunah, par. 1. c. 37. p.
310. 311. says the sense is, awake, O sword, against the king of Ishmael, who
is called the king of the Turks (the grand seignior), that rules over Asia and
Africa; which are more than three fourths of the world, and the greater part of
the Jewish nation are in captivity under his hand; him God calls his Shepherd,
because he hath given into his hand to feed his flock in their captivity, and
this flock is the nation of Israel; and he is called the man his fellow,
because he thinks himself, through the pride and haughtiness of his heart, to
be as God; and upon the ruin of this prince, he supposes, will be the
deliverance of the Jews, who, being scattered into several parts, will, in
separate bodies, return to their own land: and by the "little ones"
he thinks are meant the kings of the nations of Edom, or of the Roman nations,
which are the lesser pastors of the sheep. Manasseh ben IsraelF1De
Resurrect. Mort. l. 3. c. 5. sect. 5. p. 290. makes mention of the same
exposition of the passage, but is of opinion that the words are rather to be
understood of the pope of Rome, who calls himself a pastor, and next to God,
and his vicar on earth; and against him and those like to him, inferior in
power, God will make war. But much more agreeable, and very remarkable, are the
words of R. Samuel MarochianusF2Apud Burkium in loc. e Mullero. ,
who, writing of the coming of the Messiah, says,
"I
fear, O my Lord, that that which Zechariah the prophet said, "I will smite
the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered", was
fulfilled when we smote the Shepherd of those little ones and holy apostles.'
Moreover,
it may be observed, that the word for "little ones" sometimes
signifies great ones, as Mr. PocockF3Not. Miscell. in Port. Mosis,
c. 2. p. 18. has observed, and particularly in this text; which, according to
the sense some give of it, mentioned by R. Tanchum, is, "I will turn mine
hand upon the illustrious and the princes", and not "upon the little
ones", as commonly understood; and which he takes to be the best of the
expositions adduced: and with this agree the several oriental versions; some
copies of the Septuagint read, "upon the shepherds"; and so the
Arabic version; and the Syriac version renders it, "the superiors";
and so may very well be applied to the apostles of Christ, who were in the
highest office in the church, and shepherds of the flock; on whom, after the
death of Christ, God turned his hand of power, which was upon them, and was
with them in their ministrations, making them successful wherever they went;
and also his hand of providence was upon them, protecting and preserving them,
until they had done the work they were sent about. After this prophecy
concerning the Messiah, occasionally inserted here, the prophet returns to his
prediction of the state of the church, and what shall befall it in the latter
day.
Zechariah 13:8 8 And
it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That
two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one–third shall be
left in it:
YLT
8And it hath come to pass,
In all the land, an affirmation of Jehovah, Two parts in it are cut off -- they
expire, And the third is left in it.
And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the
Lord,.... Either in all the land of Israel, as Kimchi interprets it;
or rather in all the world, as Aben Ezra and others; for this prophecy seems to
have respect, not to the calamities of the Jews at the destruction of
Jerusalem, after the death of Christ, when a few were saved, a remnant
according to the election of grace, yet so as by fire, for whose sake the days
of tribulation were shortened; but to the external state of the church, and the
trouble of it throughout Christendom, about the time of the destruction of
antichrist:
two parts therein shall be cut off and die; all
hypocrites, formalists, and outward court worshippers; who seem as if they
would be at this time two thirds of the professors of true religion; who will
not be able to stand the hour of temptation that will come upon all the earth,
to try the inhabitants of it; which will be the last struggle of the beast of
Rome, Revelation 3:10 but
will be twice dead, plucked up by the roots; will die to the profession of
religion, and be cut off from the people of God, and have no more a name with
them:
but the third shall be left therein; the few names in Sardis,
which have not defiled their garments; the hundred forty and four thousand that
will stand with Christ, and by him, on Mount Zion, being redeemed from among
men, Revelation 3:4
compare with this Revelation 16:19.
Zechariah 13:9 9 I
will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is
refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will
answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say,
‘The Lord is my God.’”
YLT
9And I have brought the
third into fire, And refined them like a refining of silver, And have tried
them like a trying of gold, It doth call in My name, and I answer it, I have
said, `My people it [is],' And it saith, `Jehovah [is] my God!'
And I will bring the third part through the fire,.... Into
tribulation, as the Targum explains it; or into great distresses, comparable to
fire, as Kimchi observes; this is the hour of temptation that will be in the
Philadelphian church state, Revelation 3:10.
Daniel's time of trouble, such as there never was since there was a nation, Daniel 12:1 and the
time of the slaying of the witnesses, Revelation 11:7,
and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as
gold is tried; their graces, principles, and profession, will be tried; their
dross and tin will be removed, and they will be purged and purified; a more
pure and glorious state of the church will take place, in which there will be
great purity of Gospel worship, discipline, and conversation; when the word
will be more purely preached, the ordinances more purely administered, and the
saints will live more holy lives and conversations, signified by the witnesses
ascending up into heaven, Revelation 11:12,
they shall call on my name; which includes the whole
of divine worship, and particularly designs prayer, that pure offering and
incense, which shall now be offered to the name of the Lord in every place, Malachi 1:11 hence
it follows,
and I will hear them; accept their prayers,
and give an answer to them: so the Targum paraphrases the words,
"he
shall pray in my name, and I will receive his prayer:'
I will say, It is my people; the Lord will make it
appear to themselves and others that they are his special, peculiar, and
covenant people, by calling them out of Babylon; by bestowing his favours upon
them; and by granting his presence with them, as well as by the witnessing of
his Spirit to them; see Revelation 18:4,
and they shall say, The Lord is my God: they shall
know him to be their covenant God and Father, and claim their interest in him,
and acknowledge him as such; which is the greatest happiness that can be
enjoyed, Psalm 144:15.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)