Zechariah 13:3 kjv
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.
Zechariah 13:3 nkjv
It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, 'You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
Zechariah 13:3 niv
And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, 'You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.' Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.
Zechariah 13:3 esv
And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.
Zechariah 13:3 nlt
If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, 'You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the LORD.' And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.
Zechariah 13 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:5 | That prophet... must be put to death, for he has preached rebellion... | Penalty for false prophecy. |
| Deut 18:20 | Any prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak... must be put to death. | God's command against presumptuous prophecy. |
| Deut 13:6-9 | If your brother... entices you in secret, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods"... your hand shall be first against him to put him to death. | Familial duty to enforce God's law against apostasy. |
| Zec 13:2 | And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land... I will also remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. | Context of purification from idols and false prophets. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... they are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. | Warning against false prophecy. |
| Jer 29:8-9 | Do not let the prophets and diviners among you who are in your midst deceive you... for they are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them... | Condemnation of prophets speaking lies. |
| Ezek 13:2-3 | Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying... Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! | Rebuke against false prophets in Ezekiel's time. |
| Matt 7:15 | Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Jesus' warning about false prophets. |
| Matt 24:11 | Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. | Prediction of increasing false prophets in last days. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. | Warning about false teachers in the church. |
| 1 John 4:1 | Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Exhortation to discern spirits due to false prophets. |
| Rev 19:20 | But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs... The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. | Eschatological judgment of the False Prophet. |
| Exod 32:27-28 | And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword on his side... and slay his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’" | Levi's zealous act for God's holiness. |
| Lev 24:16 | Anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. | Punishment for blasphemy, speaking against God's name. |
| Heb 12:5-7 | And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord... For the Lord disciplines the one he loves..." | Divine discipline and purging for purification. |
| 1 Cor 5:13 | Expel the wicked person from among you. | Removing wickedness from the community. |
| Titus 3:10 | Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. | Dealing with divisive teachers in the church. |
| Deut 21:18-21 | If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son... then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. | Parental responsibility to deal with severe disobedience. |
| 1 Kings 18:40 | Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered. | Zealous action against false prophets. |
| John 8:44 | You belong to your father, the devil... He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth... When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. | The origin of speaking lies, linked to the adversary. |
| Isa 66:24 | ...for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched; and they will be loathsome to all mankind. | Eternal consequence for persistent rebellion (symbolic). |
| Amos 8:11 | "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food... but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord." | Lack of true prophecy in response to false. |
Zechariah 13 verses
Zechariah 13 3 Meaning
Zechariah 13:3 describes a profound future cleansing of false prophecy from Israel, where even the closest family members—the prophet's own parents—will prioritize divine truth and justice over familial ties. They will confront their child for speaking lies in the name of the Lord, condemning him to death according to Mosaic Law, and actively participate in his execution by piercing him through. This depicts a time of absolute loyalty to God's holiness and an intolerance for spiritual deception within the purified community.
Zechariah 13 3 Context
Zechariah 13 is part of an eschatological prophecy focused on the ultimate restoration and purification of Israel. Verses 1-2 announce a "fountain opened... for sin and uncleanness" and God's promise to utterly remove idols and false prophets from the land. Verse 3 expands on how false prophecy will be purged. This intense cleansing immediately precedes the prophecy of the striking of the Shepherd and the sifting of two-thirds of the people (Zec 13:7-9), leading to a purified remnant. Historically, Israel often struggled with false prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micaiah in 1 Kings 22), who led the people astray and faced stern penalties under Mosaic Law (Deut 13, 18). Zechariah envisions a future where the people, including the most intimate family units, will be so wholly committed to God's truth that they will actively enforce these laws with unwavering resolve, symbolizing an unprecedented level of spiritual fidelity.
Zechariah 13 3 Word analysis
- And if anyone still prophesies (וְהָיָה כִּי יִנָּבֵא – v'haya ki yinnavé):
- And if: Signals a continuation of the previous thought (purging of idols/prophets).
- anyone still prophesies: The term yinnavé (prophesies) here carries the negative connotation established by the context. The "still" (implied, or in English translation for nuance) suggests that despite God's previous declarations of removing prophets (Zec 13:2), the temptation or act of false prophecy persists. It emphasizes a determined cleansing rather than a complete absence immediately. The focus is on acting as a prophet, but falsely.
- his father and mother who bore him will say to him (אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ יֹלְדָיו וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ – 'aviv v'immo yol'dav v'am'ru lo):
- his father and mother who bore him: This emphasizes the most intimate human relationship, designed by God. "Who bore him" heightens the biological and emotional connection, making their actions even more shocking and indicative of divine conviction overriding natural affection. This highlights an ultimate loyalty to God's law.
- will say to him: A direct, verbal condemnation, leaving no room for misunderstanding the charges.
- ‘You must die, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord!’ (לֹא תִחְיֶה כִּי בְשֵׁם יְהוָה דִּבַּרְתָּ שָׁקֶר – lo' tichye ki v'shem Adonai dibbartah shéqer):
- You must die: Hebrew lit. "You shall not live." This is not a prediction but a direct command and legal judgment, echoing the capital punishment prescribed in Deut 18:20 for false prophecy. It signifies the absolute zero tolerance for this sin.
- for you speak lies (shéqer – falsehood, deceit): This identifies the specific offense. It's not just error, but intentional deceit.
- in the name of the Lord!: The gravest part of the charge. Using God's holy name to propagate falsehood is a direct attack on His character, truth, and authority, a form of blasphemy. It exploits the trust people place in divine pronouncements.
- Then his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through when he prophesies. (וְדִקְרֻהוּ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ יֹלְדָיו בְּהִנָּבְאֹתוֹ – v'daq'ruhu 'aviv v'immo yol'dav b'hinnab'oto):
- will pierce him through (daqar – דקר): This strong verb means to thrust through, stab, or transfix. It implies active, lethal physical execution, not merely symbolic judgment or verbal disownment. The same root is used in Zec 12:10 for piercing the Messiah, emphasizing a deep, profound wound. This indicates their personal and active enforcement of divine justice.
- when he prophesies: This suggests that the parents act while the son is engaged in his deceitful prophetic act, underscoring the immediate and uncompromising response to blasphemy against God. The sin and its punishment are directly linked in time.
Word-Group Analysis
- "his father and mother who bore him...will say...Then his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through": The repetition of "his father and mother who bore him" stresses the astonishing and radical nature of this parental judgment. It underscores that loyalty to God and His truth will supersede the most fundamental human and natural affections. This is a dramatic reversal of natural protectiveness and points to an ultimate purification of heart where God's honor is paramount. The phrase highlights that this will be a community deeply committed to righteousness, enforcing divine standards from within its most intimate circles.
- "You must die, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord!": This declarative statement encapsulates the severity of the offense. It is a death sentence, explicitly justified by the profound violation of abusing God's holy name for deception. This isn't mere misinterpretation, but a deliberate fabrication intended to mislead others, thereby perverting divine communication. The phrase demonstrates that in the coming age, the true God will not tolerate rivals, spiritual or otherwise.
Zechariah 13 3 Bonus section
This verse stands as a powerful testament to the value God places on truth and the seriousness of misrepresenting Him. The future context of this judgment (post-exile, possibly Messianic era) suggests an age when spiritual discernment will be heightened, and the commitment to God's pure word will be absolute. It is a polemic against the pervasive false prophecy that plagued ancient Israel, declaring that in God's ideal kingdom, such corruption will be utterly annihilated from within. While the New Testament emphasizes grace and discernment in dealing with false teachers (e.g., Matt 7:15; 1 John 4:1), Zechariah’s vision speaks to a unique, purified eschatological setting where the consequences of such deceit are final and enforced with severe communal zeal. The parents' act here symbolizes a complete transformation of communal priorities, where God's glory and truth are upheld at any cost.
Zechariah 13 3 Commentary
Zechariah 13:3 describes a future, radical purification within Israel concerning false prophecy. In a deeply transformed society, loyalty to God's absolute truth will eclipse all natural human bonds. Parents, the most unlikely executioners, will not only condemn but actively enforce the Mosaic death penalty upon their own child who dares to speak falsehoods in the name of the Lord. The imagery of "piercing through" emphasizes a decisive, irreversible end to this deceit, showing an absolute intolerance for anything that would corrupt God's word or lead His people astray. This verse illustrates the ultimate seriousness with which God regards the abuse of His name and the profound integrity of His future covenant community, a society utterly dedicated to truth and divine holiness.