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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zechariah 13:2 | "And it shall come to pass in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will | Explains the preceding context |
| cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall be remembered no | ||
| more. Also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the | ||
| land." | ||
| Jeremiah 23:25 | "I have heard what the prophets have prophesied who prophesy lies in my name..." | Rebuke of false prophets |
| Jeremiah 23:26 | "...saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'" | Describes their false claims |
| Jeremiah 23:30 | "Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets who steal My words from one | God's opposition to falsehood |
| another." | ||
| Jeremiah 23:32 | "Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams, says the LORD, and..." | Against false prophets |
| "...tell them and cause my people to err by their lies and by their recklessness..." | Consequence of deception | |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I have not | God's pronouncement against lies |
| sent them, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a | ||
| false vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own heart.'" | ||
| Ezekiel 13:3 | "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own | Denunciation of false prophecy |
| spirit and have seen nothing!'" | ||
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "'They see falsehood and lying divination. They say, ‘The LORD says,’ when the | The false claims of prophets |
| LORD has not sent them; and they wait for a word to be fulfilled.'" | ||
| Ezekiel 13:22 | "Because you have discouraged the heart of the righteous with falsehoods, when | Negative impact of falsehood |
| I have not grieved him, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he | ||
| cannot turn from his evil way by promising him life," | ||
| Hosea 9:7 | "'The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel | Judgment on deception |
| shall know it! The prophet is a fool; the spirit is enraged; he is greatly | ||
| vexed because of your iniquity.'" | ||
| Acts 16:16 | "Now it happened as we went to prayer that a certain slave girl met us, who had a | Example of spirit possession |
| spirit of divination, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling." | ||
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of | Discernment of spirits |
| God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." | ||
| Revelation 18:23 | "...for your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery | Babylon's sorcery and trade |
| all the nations were deceived." | ||
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly | Warning against false prophets |
| they are ravenous wolves." | ||
| Galatians 5:20 | "...idolatry, sorcery, hatred, quarrels, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish | Works of the flesh |
| ambition, dissension, factions," | ||
| Revelation 21:8 | "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the | Those excluded from the New City |
| sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part | ||
| in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." | ||
| John 8:44 | "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. | Satan as the father of lies |
| He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because | ||
| there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own | ||
| resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." | ||
| Romans 8:15 | "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received | The Spirit of adoption |
| the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”" | ||
| Revelation 22:15 | "But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and | Those outside the holy city |
| idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices a lie." | ||
| Acts 20:30 | "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking twisted things, to draw | Rise of false teachers |
| away the disciples after themselves." |
Zechariah 13 verses
Zechariah 13 3 Meaning
This verse speaks of the cessation of false prophecy and divination in the land. It declares that a spirit of impurity will be removed from those who practice these arts. The ultimate outcome is the purification of God's people, preventing them from continuing in deception and falsehood.
Zechariah 13 3 Context
Zechariah chapter 13 provides a prophecy of cleansing and purification for Israel, focusing on the removal of sin, idolatry, and false religious practices. The verses leading up to this speak of the eradication of idols and unclean spirits. The broader context of Zechariah’s prophecy is the encouragement of the returned Jewish exiles to rebuild the Temple and re-establish covenant faithfulness. This particular prophecy anticipates a future time of radical spiritual cleansing that will result in a purified remnant devoted to the LORD. It directly addresses the problem of false prophets who led the people astray, a recurring theme in the Old Testament.
Zechariah 13 3 Word Analysis
וְהָיָה (v'hāyāh) - "And it shall come to pass" or "And it will be". This is a common introductory phrase in biblical prophecy, signaling a future event.
בַּיּוֹם (bāyōm) - "in that day". This refers to a specific, future time of divine intervention and judgment or salvation, as established in preceding prophecies.
הַהוּא (hahu) - "that" or "this". Emphasizes the specific day being spoken of.
וְהִתְקַדְּשָׁה (v'hitqadd'shah) - "and it will be purified" or "and she shall be consecrated/made holy". The verb qadash signifies separation, consecration, and holiness, pointing to a spiritual cleansing.
הַנְּבִיאָה (hannahvî'âh) - "the prophecy" or "the prophetess". Here, it likely refers to the act or message of prophecy, or perhaps to a system of prophecy. In context, it aligns with the "spirit of impurity."
וְהִגְלֵיתִי (v'hagl'tî) - "and I will cause to pass over" or "and I will banish/drive out". This is a transitive verb implying God's active removal.
אֶת (et) - a direct object marker.
רוּחַ (rûakh) - "spirit". This is the same word used for the Holy Spirit but here refers to a deceptive or impurity-causing spirit.
הַטֻּמְאָה (hahtum'âh) - "the impurity" or "the uncleanness". This signifies spiritual contamination, unholiness, and anything that separates from God.
וּפִנִּיתִי (ūphinnîtî) - "and I will cause to pass" or "and I will purge/cleanse away". Similar to hagl'tî, it denotes removal.
אוֹתָם (otām) - "them". Refers to the individuals who practiced prophecy and divination.
Roots: The concepts of qadash (holiness), rûakh (spirit), and tum'ah (impurity) are central to understanding the verse's theological import. The act of divine purging (hagl'tî and pinnîtî) highlights God's sovereignty in this cleansing.
Parallelism: The verse establishes a cause-and-effect relationship. God's action to "cut off the names of the idols" and "cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" leads to the purification and removal of impure spirits from individuals.
Divine Action: The verbs are consistently in the first-person singular perfect form (e.g., "I will cut off," "I will cause to pass"), emphasizing God as the active agent of this profound change.
Zechariah 13 3 Bonus Section
This prophecy points to a future Messianic age where the deceptive influences that once misled God's people will be permanently removed. The "spirit of impurity" can be understood not just as a metaphor for lying but as referring to the actual influence of demonic forces that promote falsehood and hinder true spiritual connection. The New Testament echoes this theme, particularly in warnings against false prophets and the discernment of spirits (1 John 4:1). The complete removal of "uncleanness" is a hallmark of the New Covenant, where believers are cleansed by the blood of Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, empowered to distinguish truth from error.
Zechariah 13 3 Commentary
Zechariah 13:3 describes a radical, divinely orchestrated purification of God's people from the polluting influences of false prophecy and deceptive spiritualism. This isn't a subtle shift but an outright expulsion of deceptive spiritual forces that had ensnared Israel. God Himself will be the agent of this purging, ensuring that His people are freed from those who claimed to speak for Him but instead uttered lies, fueled by an "unclean spirit." This verse foreshadows a time when genuine prophecy, originating from the Holy Spirit, will flourish, and deceptive practices will be utterly abolished, leading to a land and a people consecrated to the LORD. It underscores God's commitment to truth and the vital importance of discerning His voice from counterfeit ones.