בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה מָקוֹר נִפְתָּח לְבֵית דָּוִיד וּלְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם לְחַטַּאת וּלְנִדָּה׃   13:1

Zech. 13:1   In that day there shall be a purifying fountain

                              opened to the house of David

                      and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

                              for sin and for impurity.

For some background on the water fountain, see Ezek. 47:1 and five verses following it.

                                                                                                                   [Return to Zech, 14:8]

וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אַכְרִית אֶת־שְׁמוֹת הָעֲצַבִּים מִן־הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יִזָּכְרוּ עוֹד וְגַם   13:2     אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִים וְאֶת־רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה אַעֲבִיר מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃

Zech. 13:2   “And it shall be in that day,”

                               declares the Lord of hosts,

                       “I shall cut off the names of the idols from the land,

                                that they will not be remembered any more.

                       And I shall also cause the prophets

                                and the unclean spirit to pass from the land.”

The prophets mentioned in the next to last line of this verse must be false prophets prophesying in the name of the idols.

וְהָיָה כִּי־יִנָּבֵא אִישׁ עוֹד וְאָמְרוּ אֵלָיו אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ יֹלְדָיו לֹא תִחְיֶה כִּי שֶׁקֶר דִּבַּרְתָּ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה   13:3        וּדְקָרֻהוּ אָבִיהוּ וְאִמּוֹ יֹלְדָיו בְּהִנָּבְאוֹ׃

Zech. 13:3   “And it shall be, if anyone should yet prophesy, then his father and his mother of his birth shall say to him, ‘You may not live if you speak deception in the name of the Lord.’  And his father and his mother of his birth shall thrust him through upon his prophesying.”

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יֵבֹשׁוּ הַנְּבִיאִים אִישׁ מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹ בְּהִנָּבְאֹתוֹ וְלֹא יִלְבְּשׁוּ אַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר לְמַעַן כַּחֵשׁ׃   13:4

Zech. 13:4   “So it shall be in that time, the prophets shall be ashamed, each because of his vision, on his prophesying, and they shall not wear a prophet’s garment of hair intended to deceive.”

וְאָמַר לֹא נָבִיא אָנֹכִי אִישׁ־עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה אָנֹכִי כִּי אָדָם הִקְנַנִי מִנְּעוּרָי׃   13:5

Zech. 13:5   “But he shall say, ‘I am not a prophet; I am a worker of the ground, for a man has possessed me since my youth.’”

וְאָמַר אֵלָיו מָה הַמַּכּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בֵּין יָדֶיךָ וְאָמַר אֲשֶׁר הֻכֵּיתִי בֵּית מְאַהֲבָי׃   13:6

Zech. 13:6   “And it might be said to him, ‘What of these wounds between your hands?’ And he could say, “That of my being a wounded one of the house of my loved ones!’”

חֶרֶב עוּרִי עַל־רֹעִי וְעַל־גֶּבֶר עֲמִיתִי נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת הַךְ אֶת־הָרֹעֶה וּתְפוּצֶיןָ הַצֹּאן וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי יָדִי   13:7 עַל־הַצֹּעֲרִים׃

Zech. 13:7   “Sword!  Rouse yourself against My shepherd,

                               and against any strong man close to Me,”

                      declares the Lord of hosts.

                               “Smite the shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;

                       then I will turn My hand against the lesser ones.”

וְהָיָה בְכָל־הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָה פִּי־שְׁנַיִם בָּהּ יִכָּרְתוּ יִגְוָעוּ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית יִוָּתֶר בָּהּ׃   13:8

Zech. 13:8   “And it shall be throughout all the land,”

                               declares the Lord,

                      “two portions in it shall be cut down -- they shall die

                                -- and the third portion shall be left over in it.”

וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁית בָּאֵשׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים כִּצְרֹף אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחֹן אֶת־הַזָּהָב הוּא יִקְרָא   13:9     בִשְׁמִי וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה אֹתוֹ אָמַרְתִּי עַמִּי הוּא וְהוּא יֹאמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי׃

Zech. 13:9   “And I shall bring the third portion through a fire

                               and will refine them as if refining silver,

                       and test them as if testing gold.

                                It shall call on My name and I shall answer it.

                        I shall say, ‘This is My people.’

                               And it shall say, ‘The Lord is My God.’”

I believe the pronouns in this verse should be examined to more clearly define the action described here.  The third portion in the first line is singular, but the pronouns in the second and third lines, referring to the third portion, are plural.  I imagine this means that the individual members of the remnant (the third portion) will each be refined and tested, thereby removing those that don’t get purified.  Then in the last three lines the remnant is referred to in the singular again.  I imagine this means that the ones who survive the refining and testing will speak as one person united in the service of the Lord.

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