Old Testament Commentary - Zechariah 13

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 13 The Jews shall gain forgiveness at the Second Coming—They shall ask Jesus: What are these wounds in thine hands?—The remnant, tried and refined, shall be his people.
1 IN that day^a there shall be a ^afountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem^b for sin and for uncleanness^c.	1^a In that day 1^b a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem While the fountain openned is that of the restored gospel, it is of some interest that from one perspective that only the house of David and those of Jerusalem are included as being to whom it was opened. What about the rest of the earth and the inhabitants thereof? And what about Ephraim and the house of Joseph? Are they forgotten? NOT! One must come to understand that the house of David is the house of Ephraim. That is David was the true, rightful and legal heir of the covenant which came down through Joseph and his son Ephraim. And that King David, the beloved of whose house we are is Christ. He is the head of Israel. He is the head of Joseph and Ephraim. And though he was of the blood of Judah, he is the one true Messiah of Ephraim, legally and rightfully the heir to the covenant which came down to him by his ancestry of the tribe of Ephraim (See: Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). 1^c for sin and for uncleanness Since in general the Jewish nation has not received Christ, neither have they received his ordiance of baptism. Therefore they, considered to be of the house of David as well as Jerusalem, shall in the 'latter days' receive of the ordiance of baptism. And that cleansing fountain shall remove their sins and their uncleanness before the Lord.	1^a TG Baptism House of David It is interesting that both the 'house of David' and 'the inhabitants of Jerusalem' are both named. Certainly one would think that the 'house of David' would be included and a part of they who would be inclued as 'the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Is it mere 'respect' unto royalty that both are so named and indicated? Or is there more to be considered. The 'house of David' would be those who shared a genealogy with Jesus while all those of 'Jerusalem' would not. It is further interesting that the 'house of David' is placed in the first and priority position. Again is this in respect to the 'royal line' over the common people? There is another explanation. The 'house of David' was of that family of Jesse the Ephrathite of Bethlehem. This distinction of being an Ephrathite goes back to the legal and rightful parentage of Jesse and his father Obed and does not reference their surrogate father, Boaz. Boaz married Ruth the wife of Mahlon and under the Law of God, he did raise up seed to the dead, meaning Mahlon and the house of Elimelech. Now it was Mahlon and Elimelech were Ephrathites and it is this legal and rightful genealogy of being of Ephraim that the house of David is placed first before the rest of 'Israel', be who they may of the distinction of being of Jerusalem.
2 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the ^aidols 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 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.		1^a TG Angels ^b HEB the Adversary or Accuser (also v. 2); Ps. 109:6 ^c HEB accuse 2^a Amos 4:11
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ^aashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a ^brough garment to deceive: 5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.		1^a TG Angels ^b HEB the Adversary or Accuser (also v. 2); Ps. 109:6 ^c HEB accuse 2^a Amos 4:11
6 And one shall say unto him, What are these ^awounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was ^bwounded in the house of my friends.		1^a TG Angels ^b HEB the Adversary or Accuser (also v. 2); Ps. 109:6 ^c HEB accuse 2^a Amos 4:11
7 ¶ Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man ^athat is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the ^bshepherd, and the sheep shall be ^cscattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And 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 ^aleft therein.		1^a TG Angels ^b HEB the Adversary or Accuser (also v. 2); Ps. 109:6 ^c HEB accuse 2^a Amos 4:11
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will ^arefine them as silver is refined, and will ^btry them as gold is ^ctried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my ^bpeople: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.		1^a TG Angels ^b HEB the Adversary or Accuser (also v. 2); Ps. 109:6 ^c HEB accuse 2^a Amos 4:11