Zechariah 13:2–6

13:2 The repetition of the phrase “on that day” continues from chapter 12 (cf. Section Overview of 12:1–13:1). It is the day when God will establish his kingdom on earth in glory, and here God promises to remove things opposed to his reign.

Idolatry and false prophecy were often associated in preexilic times (e.g., 1 Kings 22; Jer. 6:13–14) and were the chief sins that led to exile (e.g., Ezek. 22:3–15; 24:13; 39:24). While idolatry is not condemned nearly as frequently in the postexilic prophets, there are indications of its presence in the community in Zechariah’s seventh night vision (5:5–11) and also in 10:2 (along with divination). God will “cut off the names of the idols from the land”—he will eliminate both the idols themselves and also the powers attributed to them and any means of relationship or worship (cf. Hos. 2:17). God’s people will have no enduring memory of the idols (“They shall be remembered no more”). Instead, they will call on the name of the Lord (cf. Zech. 13:9).

The “prophets” to be removed are to be understood as false prophets. The OT does not use the term “false prophet”; it must be determined from the context. While some argue Zechariah is speaking about the cessation of prophecy in the contemporary and future ages, this is very unlikely.¹ The removal of these prophets is elaborated upon in verses 3–6, where it is clear that they are false.

The phrase “spirit of uncleanness” is not found elsewhere in the OT. Here it is associated with false prophecy in contrast with God’s Spirit, who is associated with true prophecy in 7:12 (cf. also 4:6). The “spirit of uncleanness” also forms a contrast with the “spirit of grace” in 12:10.

13:3 The treachery of false prophecy for God’s people is underscored by the penalty that will come on those who practice it—even the parents of the false prophet, who presumably deeply love their child, will “pierce him through” when he prophesies (v. 3; cf. Deut. 13:6–11). The Hebrew for “pierce” (daqar) is the same verb as in Zechariah 12:10, perhaps to make a comparison between the sinful piercing of God and his king, resulting in cleansing, and the cleansing to come through the (sinful) prophet’s being pierced. There may also be an echo of the priest Phinehas’s bold action in Numbers 25:7–8, where he pierces (using the same verb) the Israelite and Midianite couple who blatantly sleep with each other in the Israelite camp, quickly bringing a stop to their sin. This verse claims that “on that day” God’s people will no longer tolerate sin and uncleanness in their community.

13:4–6 Every false prophet will be “ashamed of his vision” and will seek to cover up his past. He will no longer dress like a prophet with a “hairy cloak” (cf. the dress of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:13; 2 Kings 1:8). Instead he will pretend to have always been a “worker of the soil” (Zech. 13:5), or farmer, possibly as an indentured slave (“a man sold me in my youth”).

Furthermore, they will explain away the “wounds” they may have received from their false prophetic activity (v. 6; cf. Deut. 14:1; 1 Kings 18:28). They will claim to have received them “in the house of my friends.” It is difficult to know exactly who these “friends” are; the phrase can also be translated “the ones who love me.” Suggestions include parents, where the wounds are a result of discipline; or fellow idolaters, where the wounds result from worship together; or friends, where the wounds may result from a drunken brawl or simply an accident. In any case, the false prophet will be unmasked and removed from the land on that day.