And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.' When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through. And if anyone still prophesiesThis phrase indicates a future scenario where false prophecy persists despite divine warnings. The Hebrew root for "prophesies" is "נָבָא" (naba), which traditionally means to speak or sing by inspiration. In the context of Zechariah, it suggests a continuation of unauthorized or false declarations, which were prevalent in Israel's history. The persistence of false prophecy highlights the challenge of discerning true divine messages, a theme echoed throughout the Old Testament. his father and mother who bore him
The mention of "father and mother" underscores the gravity of the situation. In ancient Israel, family bonds were sacred, and parents were seen as protectors and nurturers. The Hebrew words "אָב" (av) for father and "אֵם" (em) for mother emphasize the natural familial duty to guide and protect their offspring. This phrase suggests a radical shift in priorities, where allegiance to God supersedes even the closest human relationships, reflecting the seriousness of maintaining spiritual purity. will say to him, ‘You must live, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’
This statement is a declaration of judgment. The phrase "spoken falsely" comes from the Hebrew "שֶׁקֶר" (sheker), meaning deceit or falsehood. Speaking falsely in God's name is a severe offense, as it misleads the community and dishonors God. The parents' pronouncement reflects a commitment to truth and righteousness, even at the cost of familial ties. It underscores the importance of upholding God's honor above all else, a principle deeply rooted in the Mosaic Law. When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him
The act of "stabbing" is a metaphor for the severe consequences of false prophecy. The Hebrew verb "דָּקַר" (dakar) means to pierce or thrust through, indicating a decisive and irreversible action. This imagery conveys the seriousness with which false prophecy is to be dealt with, reflecting the community's responsibility to eradicate falsehood to preserve the integrity of their faith. It serves as a sobering reminder of the cost of spiritual deception and the necessity of upholding divine truth. Persons / Places / Events 1. ZechariahA prophet in the post-exilic period who conveyed God's messages to the Israelites, encouraging them to return to God and rebuild the temple. 2. False ProphetsIndividuals who claim to speak on behalf of God but deliver messages that are not from Him, leading people astray. 3. ParentsThe father and mother mentioned in the verse represent the closest familial relationships, emphasizing the seriousness of false prophecy. 4. The LORDThe covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is the ultimate authority and truth. 5. Piercing ThroughA metaphorical expression indicating the severe consequences of false prophecy, even to the point of death. Teaching Points The Seriousness of False ProphecyFalse prophecy is not a trivial matter; it leads people away from the truth of God. Believers must be vigilant in discerning true messages from God. The Role of Family in Upholding TruthEven familial bonds should not prevent the upholding of God's truth. Loyalty to God must come before loyalty to family when it comes to matters of faith. The Importance of DiscernmentChristians are called to test and discern the spirits, ensuring that what they hear aligns with Scripture and the character of God. Consequences of SinSin, especially when it involves leading others astray, has serious consequences. This passage serves as a warning to remain faithful to God's word. Commitment to God's TruthBelievers must be committed to God's truth, even when it is difficult or causes division. Upholding truth is a central tenet of the Christian faith. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Zechariah 13:3 illustrate the seriousness of false prophecy, and what implications does this have for us today? 2. In what ways can we discern true prophecy from false prophecy in our current context? 3. How should Christians balance familial loyalty with their commitment to God's truth, as seen in this passage? 4. What are some modern examples of false prophecy, and how can we guard against them? 5. How does the concept of testing the spirits, as mentioned in 1 John 4:1, apply to our daily walk with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 13:6-11This passage discusses the punishment for enticing others to worship false gods, highlighting the seriousness of idolatry and false prophecy. Matthew 10:34-37Jesus speaks about the division that allegiance to Him can cause, even among family members, which parallels the division seen in Zechariah 13:3. 1 John 4:1Encourages believers to test the spirits to discern whether they are from God, underscoring the importance of truth in prophecy. Acts 5:1-11The account of Ananias and Sapphira shows the severe consequences of lying to the Holy Spirit, similar to the consequences of false prophecy. People David, ZechariahPlaces JerusalemTopics Acting, Anyone, Appears, Begat, Begot, Birth, Bore, Born, Die, Falsehood, Falsely, Goes, Hast, Lies, Lord's, Parents, Pass, Pierce, Pierced, Prophesies, Prophesieth, Prophesy, Prophesying, Prophet, Saying, Speak, Speakest, Spoken, Stab, Sword, Thrust, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Zechariah 13:3 7774 prophets, false Zechariah 13:2-3 5731 parents Library The Open Fountain
"Wake, harp of Zion, wake again, Upon thine ancient hill, On Jordan's long deserted plain, By Kedron's lowly rill. The hymn shall yet in Zion swell That sounds Messiah's praise, And thy loved name, Immanuel! As once in ancient days. For Israel yet shall own her King, For her salvation waits, And hill and dale shall sweetly sing With praise in all her gates." Having said thus much, however, we shall now take our text as belonging to ourselves in common with Israel, for in the gospel no promise is …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871The Twenty-Second Psalm.
The Cross of Christ. THE Twenty-second Psalm contains a most remarkable prophecy. The human instrument through whom this prophecy was given is King David. The Psalm does not contain the experience of the King, though he passed through great sufferings, yet the sufferings he speaks of in this Psalm are not his own. They are the sufferings of Christ. It is written in the New Testament that the prophets searched and enquired diligently about the coming salvation. The Spirit of Christ, which was in …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory Messiah Unpitied, and Without a Comforter
Reproach [Rebuke] hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. T he greatness of suffering cannot be certainly estimated by the single consideration of the immediate, apparent cause; the impression it actually makes upon the mind of the sufferer, must likewise be taken into the account. That which is a heavy trial to one person, may be much lighter to another, and, perhaps, no trial at all. And a state …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament
THE Parables of the Ten Virgins' and of the Unfaithful Servant' close with a Discourse on the Last Things,' the final Judgment, and the fate of those Christ's Righ Hand and at His Left (St. Matt. xxv. 31-46). This final Judgment by our Lord forms a fundamental article in the Creed of the Church. It is the Christ Who comes, accompanied by the Angelic Host, and sits down on the throne of His Glory, when all nations are gathered before Him. Then the final separation is made, and joy or sorrow awarded …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Warning
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou today, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting "Seek First the Kingdom of God," &C.
Matt. vi. 33.--"Seek first the kingdom of God," &c. It may seem strange, that when so great things are allowed, and so small things are denied, that we do not seek them. The kingdom of God and his righteousness are great things indeed, great not only in themselves, but greater in comparison of us. The things of this world, even great events, are but poor, petty, and inconsiderable matters, when compared with these. Yet he graciously allows a larger measure of these great things relating to his kingdom …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ Judas' Betrayal and Peter's Denial Foretold.
(Jerusalem. Evening Before the Crucifixion.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 21-25, 31-35; ^B Mark XIV. 18-21, 27-31; ^C Luke XXII. 21-23, 31-38; ^D John XIII. 21-38. ^b 18 And ^d 21 When Jesus had thus said, ^b as they sat and were eating, ^d he was troubled in the spirit, and ^b Jesus ^d testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ^b even he that eateth with me. ^c 21 But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. [The foreknowledge of Judas' crime …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Christian's Peace and the Christian's Consistency
PHILIPPIANS i. 21-30 He will be spared to them--Spiritual wealth of the paragraph--Adolphe Monod's exposition--Charles Simeon's testimony--The equilibrium and its secret--The intermediate bliss--He longs for their full consistency--The "gift" of suffering Ver. 21. +For to me, to live is Christ+; the consciousness and experiences of living, in the body, are so full of Christ, my supreme Interest, that CHRIST sums them all up; +and to die+, the act of dying,[1] +is gain+, for it will usher me in …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Zechariah 13:3 NIVZechariah 13:3 NLTZechariah 13:3 ESVZechariah 13:3 NASBZechariah 13:3 KJV
Zechariah 13:3 Commentaries
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