1An jenem Tage wird ein Quell geöffnet sein dem Hause Davids und den Bewohnern von Jerusalem für Sünde und für Unreinigkeit. 2Und es wird geschehen an jenem Tage, spricht Jehova der Heerscharen, da werde ich die Namen der Götzen ausrotten aus dem Lande, und ihrer wird nicht mehr gedacht werden; und auch die Propheten und den Geist der Unreinheit werde ich aus dem Lande wegschaffen. 3Und es wird geschehen, wenn ein Mann ferner weissagt, so werden sein Vater und seine Mutter, seine Erzeuger, zu ihm sprechen: Du darfst nicht leben, denn du hast Lüge geredet im Namen Jehovas! und sein Vater und seine Mutter, seine Erzeuger, werden ihn durchbohren, wenn er weissagt. 4Und es wird geschehen an jenem Tage, da werden die Propheten sich schämen, ein jeder über sein Gesicht, wenn er weissagt; und sie werden nicht mehr einen härenen Mantel anlegen, um zu lügen. 5Und er wird sprechen: Ich bin kein Prophet, ich bin ein Mann, der das Land bebaut; denn man hat mich gekauft von meiner Jugend an. 6Und wenn jemand zu ihm spricht: Was sind das für Wunden in deinen Händen? so wird er sagen: Es sind die Wunden, womit ich geschlagen worden bin im Hause derer, die mich lieben. 7Schwert, erwache wider meinen Hirten und wider den Mann, der mein Genosse ist! spricht Jehova der Heerscharen; schlage den Hirten, und die Herde wird sich zerstreuen. Und ich werde meine Hand den Kleinen zuwenden. 8Und es wird geschehen im ganzen Lande, spricht Jehova: zwei Teile davon werden ausgerottet werden und verscheiden, aber der dritte Teil davon wird übrigbleiben. 9Und ich werde den dritten Teil ins Feuer bringen, und ich werde sie läutern, wie man das Silber läutert, und sie prüfen, wie man das Gold prüft. Es wird meinen Namen anrufen, und ich werde ihm antworten; ich werde sagen : Es ist mein Volk; und es wird sagen: Jehova ist mein Gott.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CLEANSING OF THE JEWS FROM SIN; ABOLITION OF IDOLATRY; THE SHEPHERD SMITTEN; THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND CUT OFF, EXCEPT A THIRD PART REFINED BY TRIALS. (
Ζαχ. 13:1-
Ζαχ. 13:9)
Connected with the close of the twelfth chapter. The mourning penitents are here comforted.
fountain opened--It has been long opened, but then first it shall be so "to the house of David," &c. (representing all Israel) after their long and weary wanderings. Like Hagar in the wilderness they remain ignorant of the refreshment near them, until God "opens their eyes" (
Γέν. 21:19) [MOORE]. It is not the fountain, but their eyes that need to be opened. It shall be a "fountain" ever flowing; not a laver needing constantly to be replenished with water, such as stood between the tabernacle and altar (
Έξ. 30:18).
for sin . . . uncleanness--that is, judicial guilt and moral impurity. Thus justification and sanctification are implied in this verse as both flowing from the blood of Christ, not from ceremonial sacrifices (
1Κορ. 1:30;
Εβρ. 9:13-
Εβρ. 9:14;
1Ιωάν. 1:7; compare
Ιεζ. 36:25). Sin in Hebrew is literally a missing the mark or way.
2 Consequences of pardon; not indolence, but the extirpation of sin.
names of . . . idols--Their very names were not to be mentioned; thus the Jews, instead of Mephibaal, said Mephibosheth (Bosheth meaning a contemptible thing) (
Έξ. 23:13;
Δευτ. 12:3;
Ψαλ. 16:4).
out of the land--Judea's two great sins, idolatry and false prophecy, have long since ceased. But these are types of all sin (for example, covetousness,
Εφεσ. 5:5, a besetting sin of the Jews now). Idolatry, combined with the "spirit" of "Satan," is again to be incarnated in "the man of sin," who is to arise in Judea (
2Θεσ. 2:3-12), and is to be "consumed with the Spirit of the Lord's mouth." Compare as to Antichrist's papal precursor, "seducing spirits . . . doctrines of devils," &c.,
1Τιμ. 4:1-3;
2Πέτ. 2:1.
the unclean spirit--Hebrew, spirit of uncleanness (compare
Αποκ. 16:13); opposed to "the Spirit of holiness" (
Ρωμ. 1:4), "spirit of error" (
1Ιωάν. 4:6). One assuming to be divinely inspired, but in league with Satan.
3 The form of phraseology here is drawn from
Δευτ. 13:6-
Δευτ. 13:10;
Δευτ. 18:20. The substantial truth expressed is that false prophecy shall be utterly abolished. If it were possible for it again to start up, the very parents of the false prophet would not let parental affection interfere, but would be the first to thrust him through. Love to Christ must be paramount to the tenderest of natural ties (
Ματθ. 10:37). Much as the godly love their children, they love God and His honor more.
4 prophets . . . ashamed--of the false prophecies which they have uttered in times past, and which the event has confuted.
rough garment--sackcloth. The badge of a prophet (
2Βασ. 1:8;
Ησ. 20:2), to mark their frugality alike in food and attire (
Ματθ. 3:4); also, to be consonant to the mournful warnings which they delivered. It is not the dress that is here condemned, but the purpose for which it was worn, namely, to conceal wolves under sheep's clothing [CALVIN]. The monkish hair-shirt of Popery, worn to inspire the multitude with the impression of superior sanctity, shall be then cast aside.
5 The detection of one of the false prophets dramatically represented. He is seized by some zealous vindicator of the law, and in fear cries out, "I am no prophet."
man--that is, one.
taught me to keep cattle--As "keeping cattle" is not the same as to be "an husbandman," translate rather, "Has used (or 'appropriated') me as a servant," namely, in husbandry [MAURER]. However, husbandry and keeping cattle might be regarded as jointly the occupation of the person questioned: then
Άμ. 7:14, "herdman," will accord with English Version. A Hebrew kindred word means "cattle." Both occupations, the respondent replies, are inconsistent with my being a "prophet."
6 wounds in thine hand--The interrogator still suspects him: "If so, if you have never pretended to be a prophet, whence come those wounds?" The Hebrew is literally, "between thine hands." The hands were naturally held up to ward off the blows, and so were "thrust through" (
Ζαχ. 13:3) "between" the bones of the hand. Stoning was the usual punishment; "thrusting through" was also a fit retribution on one who tried to "thrust Israel away" from the Lord (
Δευτ. 13:10); and perfects the type of Messiah, condemned as a false prophet, and pierced with "wounds between His hands." Thus the transition to the direct prophecy of Him (
Ζαχ. 13:7) is natural, which it would not be if He were not indirectly and in type alluded to.
wounded in . . . house of my friends--an implied admission that he had pretended to prophecy, and that his friends had wounded him for it in zeal for God (
Ζαχ. 13:3). The Holy Spirit in Zechariah alludes indirectly to Messiah, the Antitype, wounded by those whom He came to befriend, who ought to have been His "friends," who were His kinsmen (compare
Ζαχ. 13:3, as to the false prophet's friends, with
Μάρκ. 3:21, "His friends," Margin, "kinsmen";
Ιωάν. 7:5; "His own,"
Ιωάν. 1:11; the Jews, "of whom as concerning the flesh He came,"
Ρωμ. 9:5), but who wounded Him by the agency of the Romans (
Ζαχ. 12:10).
7 Expounded by Christ as referring to Himself (
Ματθ. 26:31-
Ματθ. 26:32). Thus it is a resumption of the prophecy of His betrayal (
Ζαχ. 11:4,
Ζαχ. 11:10,
Ζαχ. 11:13-
Ζαχ. 11:14), and the subsequent punishment of the Jews. It explains the mystery why He, who came to be a blessing, was cut off while bestowing the blessing. God regards sin in such a fearful light that He spared not His own co-equal Son in the one Godhead, when that Son bore the sinner's guilt.
Awake--Compare a similar address to the sword of justice personified (
Ιερ. 46:6-
Ιερ. 46:7). For "smite" (imperative),
Ματθ. 26:31 has "I will smite." The act of the sword, it is thus implied, is GOD'S act. So the prophecy in
Ησ. 6:9, "Hear ye," is imperative; the fulfilment as declared by Jesus is future (
Ματθ. 13:14), "ye shall hear."
sword--the symbol of judicial power, the highest exercise of which is to take away the life of the condemned (
Ψαλ. 17:13;
Ρωμ. 13:4). Not merely a show, or expression, of justice (as Socinians think) is distinctly implied here, but an actual execution of it on Messiah the shepherd, the substitute for the sheep, by God as judge. Yet God in this shows His love as gloriously as His justice. For God calls Messiah "My shepherd," that is, provided (
Αποκ. 13:8) for sinners by My love to them, and ever the object of My love, though judicially smitten (
Ησ. 53:4) for their sins (
Ησ. 42:1;
Ησ. 59:16).
man that is my fellow--literally, "the man of my union." The Hebrew for "man" is "a mighty man," one peculiarly man in his noblest ideal. "My fellow," that is, "my associate." "My equal" ([DE WETTE]; a remarkable admission from a Rationalist). "My nearest kinsman" [HENGSTENBERG], (
Ιωάν. 10:30;
Ιωάν. 14:10-
Ιωάν. 14:11;
Φιλ. 2:6).
sheep shall be scattered--The scattering of Christ's disciples on His apprehension was the partial fulfilment (
Ματθ. 26:31), a pledge of the dispersion of the Jewish nation (once the Lord's sheep,
Ψαλ. 100:3) consequent on their crucifixion of Him. The Jews, though "scattered," are still the Lord's "sheep," awaiting their being "gathered" by Him (
Ησ. 40:9,
Ησ. 40:11).
I will turn . . . hand upon . . . little ones--that is, I will interpose in favor of (compare the phrase in a good sense,
Ησ. 1:25) "the little ones," namely, the humble followers of Christ from the Jewish Church, despised by the world: "the poor of the flock" (
Ζαχ. 11:7,
Ζαχ. 11:11); comforted after His crucifixion at the resurrection (
Ιωάν. 20:17-
Ιωάν. 20:20); saved again by a special interposition from the destruction of Jerusalem, having retired to Pella when Cestius Gallus so unaccountably withdrew from Jerusalem. Ever since there has been a Jewish "remnant" of "the little ones . . . according to the election of grace." The hand of Jehovah was laid in wrath on the Shepherd that His hand might be turned in grace upon the little ones.
8 Two-thirds of the Jewish nation were to perish in the Roman wars, and a third to survive. Probably from the context (
Ζαχ. 14:2-
Ζαχ. 14:9), which has never yet been fulfilled, the destruction of the two-thirds (literally, "the proportion of two," or "portion of two") and the saving of the remnant, the one-third, are still future, and to be fulfilled under Antichrist.
9 through . . . fire--of trial (
Ψαλ. 66:10;
Άμ. 4:11;
1Κορ. 3:15;
1Πέτ. 1:6-7). It hence appears that the Jews' conversion is not to precede, but to follow, their external deliverance by the special interposition of Jehovah; which latter shall be the main cause of their conversion, combined with a preparatory inward shedding abroad in their hearts of the Holy Spirit (
Ζαχ. 12:10-
Ζαχ. 12:14); and here, "they shall call on My name," in their trouble, which brings Jehovah to their help (
Ψαλ. 50:15).
my people-- (
Ιερ. 30:18-
Ιερ. 30:22;
Ιεζ. 11:19-
Ιεζ. 11:20;
Ωσ. 2:23).