The big picture
Zechariah 13 opens in verse 1 with “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle…”, and closes in verse 9 with “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, land, begat, father, hosts. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Zechariah · King James Version · 9Zechariah 13:1-5
1–5: In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and…
Zechariah 13:1–5 opens with “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of…” and reaches “But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Zechariah 13 develops its own movement around LORD, land, begat, father, hosts, with particular weight carried by begat, father, land.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Zechariah 13:1-5
King James Version1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
2And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, 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.
3And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD : and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
4And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
5But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
Zechariah 13:6-9
6–9: One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he…
Zechariah 13:6–9 opens with “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those…” and reaches “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Zechariah 13 develops its own movement around LORD, land, begat, father, hosts, with particular weight carried by LORD, shepherd, third.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Zechariah 13:6-9
King James Version6And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
7Awake, 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: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD , two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9And 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 hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Zechariah 13:1 begins with “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”
Where the chapter turns
Zechariah 13:5 forms a natural hinge: “But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.”
The final note
Zechariah 13:9 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, land, begat, father, hosts, house help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does Abram pursue peace?
He names their kinship and offers a practical separation without insisting on first choice.
What can Lot see that Abram cannot yet possess?
Lot sees fertile land; Abram receives a promise of land and descendants still to come.
KJV words made clear
- begat
- became the father of
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.