Zechariah Chapter 13

James Trimm’s Nazarene Commentary to Zechariah 13

The Purification and Refinement of Israel and the Nations

13:1

1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened, to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, for purification and for sprinkling.
(Zech 13:1 HRV)

This is the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley. Enoch was also show this steam or fountain:

And I saw a set-aprt mountain, and coming out from underneath the mountain to the east there was a stream and it flowed toward the south.
(1Enoch 26:2)

The Mishna says of this stream:

“through it [the water gate] the waters trickled forth and in the future will issue out from under the threshold of the house.”
(m.Middot 2:6)

And the Talmud says of this spring:

R. Phinehas in the name of R. Huna of Sepphoris said: The spring that issues from the Holy of Holies in its beginning resembles the antennae of locusts; as it reaches the entrance to the Sanctuary it becomes as the thread of the warp; as it reaches the Ulam [the main hall leading to the sanctuary], it becomes as the thread of the woof; as it reaches the entrance to the [Temple] court, it becomes as large as the mouth of a small flask, that is meant by what we learned: R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: [Hence] go forth the waters which will bubble forth from under the threshold of the Sanctuary. From there onwards it becomes bigger, rising higher and higher, until it reaches the entrance to the House of David. As soon as it reaches the entrance to the house of David, it becomes even as a swiftly running brook, in which men and women afflicted with gonorrhoea, menstruating women, and women after childbirth bathe, as it is said: In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for purification and for sprinkling. (Zech. 13:1) Said R. Joseph: Hence there is an intimation that a menstruating woman [at her purification] must sit in water [that reaches in height] up to the neck. But the law is not in accord with him.
(b.Yoma 77b-77a)

This spring was the main source for the pool of Siloam (Shiloach), and thus this prophecy was fulfilled by Yeshua, when he sent a blind man to complete his healing by being immersed in this pool:

1 And as He passed by, He saw a blind man, who was [blind] from the womb of his mother.
2 And His talmidim asked Him and said, Rabbi, who sinned: this [blind man] or his parents, so that he was born blind?
3 Yeshua said to them: Neither did he sin, nor his parents. But that the works of Eloah might be seen in him,
4 It is necessary for Me to do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day: the night will come, when man will not be able to labor.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 And after He had said these things, He spat on the ground, and formed clay from His spittle, and anointed the eyes of that blind man.
7 And He said to him: Go wash your face with an immersion of Shiloach: and he went [and] washed, and came seeing.
(Yochanan 9:1-7 HRV)

The pool of Siloam was also the source of water for the Temple libation ceremony at Sukkot:

How was the water libation [performed]? A golden flagon holding three logs was filled from the Siloam. When they arrived at the water gate, they sounded a tekiah [long blast], a teru’ah [tremulous note] and again a tekiah [logn blast] [the priest then] went up the ascent [of the altar] and turned to his left where there were two silver bowls. Rabbi Judah said, They were of plaster [but they looked silver] because their surfaces were darkened from the wine. They had each a hole like a slender snout, one [hole] being wide and the other narrow so that both emptied themselves together. The one on the west was for water and the one on the east was for wine. If one poured the flagon of water into the bowl for wine, or that of wine into that for water, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbi Judah states, With one log he performed the ceremony of the water libation all eight days. To [the Priest] who performed the libation they used to say, ‘Raise thy hand’; for on a certain occasion, a certain man poured out the water over his feet, and all the people pelted him with their etrogs.

As was its performance on weekdays, so was its performance on the Sabbath, save that on the eve of the Sabbath an unhallowed golden barrel was filled from the Siloam, and placed in a chamber. If it was poured away or uncovred, it was refilled from the laver, for wine or water which has become uncovered is invalid for the altar.
(m.Sukkah 4:9 (b.Sukkah 48a-b))

It was this ceremony that was taking place when Yeshua stood up and spoke at the Feast of Sukkot:

And on the great day, which is the last of the feast,
Yeshua stood and cried out and said,
If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures have said,
rivers of water of life will flow from his belly.
(Yochanan 7:37-38)

This same spring was also likely the source for the pool of Bethesda (Beit Chesed), where Yeshua healed the man who had been sick for thirty years:

2 And there was there in Yerushalayim, one place for immersions, which is called in Hebrew, Beit Chesed: and it had in it five porches.
3 And many people were lying at these: who were sick, and blind, and lame, and withered,
5 And there was there one man, who was in sickness thirty eight years.
6 Yeshua saw this man who was lying, and knew that he had had this sickness a long time. And He said to him: Do you want to be healed?
7 That sick man answered and said, Yes my Adon, but I have no one to place me in the immersion when the water is moved. But before I can come, another descends before me.
8 Yeshua said to him: Arise; take up your pallet and walk.
9 And immediately that man was healed: and he arose, took his pallet, and walked. And that day, was the Sabbath.
(Yochanan 5:2-9 HRV)

Thus the Spring of Gihon is symbolic of Messiah and the opening of this fountain for purification, symbolizes the coming of the Messiah to purify Israel and the nations.

13:2-3

2 And it shall come to pass in that day, says YHWH Tzva’ot, 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.
3 And it shall come to pass that, when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begot him, shall say unto him, You shall not live, for you speak lies in the Name of YHWH: and his father and his mother that begot him, shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
(Zech 13:2-3 HRV)

These verses clearly parallel Micah 5:8-14:

Both passages clearly speak of the coming of Messiah ben David to judge the earth and establish his Messianic Kingdom. Zechariah then goes on (as just shown) to identify this Messiah as having been wounded in the midst of his hands in the house of his friends (among his own people) followed by:

But you, Beit-Lechem Ephrathah,
which are little to be among the thousands of Y’hudah:
out of you, shall one come forth unto Me
that is to be ruler in Yisra’el; whose goings forth
are from of old–from ancient days.
(Micah 5:1 (5:2) HRV)

(see Comments to Micah 5:1(2) where this is shown to refer to the birth of Messiah at Beit-Lechem.)

13:4-6

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be brought to shame, every one through his vision, when he prophesies: neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive.
5 And he shall say, I am no prophet. I am a tiller of the ground, for a man purchased me from my youth.
6 And he shall say to him, What are these wounds in the midst of your hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
(Zech. 13:4-6 HRV)

In his lets Get Biblical tape set Anti-missionary Tovia Singer admits that this must be speaking of Yeshua of Nazareth. He says that Yeshua was the only figure in history that would fit this description.

Why would Singer make this admission? Because he bases his interpretation upon a misleading English translation.

In the King James Version this passage reads:

5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman;
for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds
in your hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which
I was wounded in the house of my friends.
(Zech. 13:5-6 KJV)

In the Hebrew both verse 5 and verse 6 open with exactly the same word/phrase “V’AMAR” meaning “And [he] shall say…”. In verse 5 the KJV has “but he shall say” and in verse 6 the same phrase is translated “and one shall say”. The result is to WRONGLY imply that the speaker has shifted at the beginning of verse 6. Thus if we were to use the format of a script we would read:

False Prophet: I am no prophet, I am an husbandman;
for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

Messianic Judge: What are these wounds in your hands?

False Prophet: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

However the HRV correctly translates both phrases the same as follows:

5 And he shall say:
“I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground;
for a man purchased me from my youth.”
6 And he shall say to him: “What are these wounds
in the midst of your hands? Then he shall answer:
“Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
(Zech. 13:5-6 HRV)

Thus in the HRV the shift in speaker does not occur until verse 6b as follows:

False Prophet: I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground;
for a man purchased me from my youth.”
What are these wounds in the midst of your hands?

Messianic Judge: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

In the KJV the figure with the wounds in the midst of his hands is the false prophet while in the Hebrew it is the Messianic Judge. Thus in the HRV version the passage points back to Zech. 12:10 and the one who is “pierced” and forward to Zech 13:7 where a “shepherd” is smitten and his sheep scatter.

Singer’s interpretation is based on a transition in speaker which only occurs in the English and is not even present in the Hebrew. Once again Singer does not use equal weights and measures. He bases his interpretations on the Hebrew against the English (which he should) when it benefits him, and then he bases them on the English against the Hebrew when THAT benefits him.

Now one may ask, how was this Messianic figure wounded in the midst of his hands in the house of his friends? See Comments to Zech 12:10 and Ps. 22:17(16)

13:7

Awake O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is near unto Me, says YHWH Tzva’ot. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn My hand upon the little ones.
(Zech 13:7 HRV)

The “shepherd” is the Messiah. “Smite the shepherd” refers to Messiah being “wounded in the midst of [his] hands” (Zech. 13:6) when they “pierced” him (Zech. 12:10). This was fulfilled when Yeshua was crucified (see Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27).

13:8-9

8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, says YHWH, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein.
9 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 answer them. I will say: It is My people, and they shall say, YHWH is my Elohim.
(Zech. 13:8-9 HRV)

The Zohar interprets these words as referring to a refinement or purification of Israel that occurs at the coming of Messiah:

R. Simeon lifted up his hands and wept. ‘Alas,’ he said, ‘for him who will live at that time! Yet happy he who will live at that time! When the Holy One comes to visit the “Hind” (Israel), he will examine who it is that remains loyal to her at that time, and then woe to him who shall not be found worthy, and of whom it shall be said, “I looked and there was none to help” (Isa. LXII, 23). Many sufferings shall then befall Israel. But happy he who will be found faithful at that time! For he shall see the joy-giving light of the King. Concerning that time it is proclaimed: “I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried” (Zech. XIII, 9). Then shall pangs and travail overtake Israel, and all nations and their kings shall furiously rage together and take counsel against her. Thereupon a pillar of fire will be suspended from heaven to earth for forty days, visible to all nations. Then the Messiah will arise from the Garden of Eden, from that place which is called “The Bird’s Nest”. He will arise in the land of Galilee, and on that day the whole world shall be shaken and all the children of men shall seek refuge in caves and rocky places. Concerning that time it is written: “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth” (Isa. II, 19). “The glory of his majesty” refers to the Messiah when he shall reveal himself in the land of Galilee; for in this part of the Holy Land the desolation first began, and therefore he will manifest himself there first, and from there begin to war against the world.
(Zohar 2:7b)