Albert Barnes Commentary Zechariah 13

In that day there shall be a fountain opened (Zechariah 13:1) – Zechariah often repeats “in that day” (Zechariah 12:3–4, Zechariah 12:6, Zechariah 12:8–9, Zechariah 12:11; Zechariah 13:1–2, Zechariah 13:4; Zechariah 14:6, Zechariah 14:8, Zechariah 14:13, Zechariah 14:20), resuming his subject again and again, as a time not near, but fixed and known by God, of which he declared something.

It is “that day” which Abraham desired to see, and saw it (John 8:56)—whether by direct revelation, or in the typical sacrifice of Isaac—and was glad; it was “that day” which many prophets and kings and righteous men desired to see (Matthew 13:17; Luke 10:24), and in patience waited for it: “the” one “day of salvation” of the Gospel.

He had spoken of repentance, in contemplation of Christ crucified; he now speaks of forgiveness and cleansing, of sanctification and consequent obedience.

The “fountain shall be” not simply “opened,” but shall remain open. Isaiah had already prophesied of the refreshment of the Gospel: When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I, the LORD, will hear them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys (Isaiah 41:17–18). Here it is added, for sin and for uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1).

There were divers washings (Hebrews 9:10) and symbolical “washings” under the Law. The Levites were sprinkled with the water of purifying (Numbers 8:7)—literally, “the water of taking away of sin.” Living waters (Numbers 19:17), put to the ashes of a heifer, were appointed as a “water for” (removing) “defilements” (Numbers 19:9, Numbers 19:13, Numbers 19:20–21, Numbers 31:23); “a cleansing of sin” (Numbers 19:9). Now, there should be one ever-open fountain for all “the house of David.”

Theodoret says: “Who that fountain is, the Lord Himself teaches through Jeremiah, they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters (Jeremiah 2:13); and in the Gospel He says, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink (John 7:37); and, The water which I shall give him, is a fountain of living water, gushing up to everlasting life (John 4:14). This was open to the house of David; for from that kindred He took human nature. It was opened also for the dwellers of Jerusalem, for the sprinkling of holy baptism, through which we have received remission of sins.”

Cyril states: “That, receiving divine and holy baptism, we are sprinkled with the Blood of Christ to the remission of sins, who can doubt?”

Dionysius writes: “Of this fountain much was foretold by Ezekiel, that a fountain should issue forth from the temple of the Lord, and go down into the desert (Ezekiel 47:1, Ezekiel 47:8), and every soul, to whom it shall come, shall live (Ezekiel 47:9); and by Joel, A fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and water the valley of Shittim (Joel 3:18). Of this fountain Peter said to the Jews, when pricked in the heart (Acts 2:37) and seeking forgiveness, Let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).”

I will cut off the names of the idols—This had been a defense against idolatry. To name evil is a temptation to evil. Wrong words are the parents of wrong acts. To speak of evil awakens curiosity or passion; curiosity is one of the strongest incentives to act.

All public mention of terrible crimes (it has been observed) produces imitation of the specific form of crime. Hence, it was commanded, make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth (Exodus 23:13). And Joshua names it in his dying charge to Israel: Be therefore very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses - either make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them (Joshua 23:6–7).

Hence, they changed the names of cities which bore idol names. David speaks of it as part of fealty to God: I will not take their names upon my lips (Psalms 16:4).

Hosea prophesies of the times of the new covenant: I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall be no more remembered by their name (Hosea 2:17). Isaiah says, The idols he shall utterly abolish (Isaiah 2:18).

Zechariah foretells their abolition with a turn of words, formed apparently on those of Hosea, but slightly varied, because the worship of Baal (such a plague-spot in the time of Hosea, one which continued until the year before the captivity) was gone. He implies nothing as to his own times, whether idolatry still existed. He predicts its entire abolition in the whole compass of the enlarged Judah, that is, of Christendom.

And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land—False prophecy sets itself to meet a craving of human nature to know something of its future. False prophets there were, even in the time of Nehemiah, and those in some number, hired to prophesy against the word of God.

Our Lord warns against them: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15). He also said, Many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many (Matthew 24:11). Many false prophets, John says, are gone out into the world (John 4:1).

False prophets attended the decline of Judaism. Such was the author of the Jewish Sibylline book, prophesying the destruction of the Romans, and fixing the mind of his people on temporal aggrandizement.

False prophets were suborned by the Jewish tyrants and encouraged the Jews in the resistance which ruined the devoted city.

False prophets have also arisen in Christianity; but, like the Phrygian women who led Tertullian astray, they went out, were cast out from it, as not being of it.

Cyril says: “After the Only-Begotten Word of God appeared to us, the dull and childish toys of idolatry perished and were utterly destroyed; and with it were taken away the strange and impious devices of the false prophets, who were full of the evil, unclean spirit, and could be readily detected as laboring under a kindred disease to the idolaters. For both had one president of impiety, Satan.”

Not fifty years after the Crucifixion, a pagan wrote his work “On the Failure of Oracles.”

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10) should sweep away the unclean spirit (Zechariah alone anticipates the language of the New Testament), which became a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets (1 Kings 22:21–23) sought to them.

His father and mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live — The prophet describes the zeal against false prophecy, with reference to the law against those who seduced others to apostasy from God (Deuteronomy 13:6–10): “the nearest relations were themselves to denounce anyone who had secretly tried to seduce them and, as the accusers, to cast the first stone at them.”

Cyril: “Such shall in those times be the reverence toward God, so careful shall they be of perfect integrity and praiseworthy life, that parents themselves shall be stirred up against their children, if they should speak anything falsely from their own heart, as though God spoke through them—how true that word is, and how confirmed the prophecy! This clearly indicates a great advance toward godliness, with God transforming things for the better. What previously was held in great esteem, is now hated, accursed, and held intolerable.”

The prophets shall be ashamed, every one of them - Those who, before their conversion, gave themselves to such deceits, shall be ashamed of their deeds; as, after the defeat of the seven sons of the chief priest Sceva, fear fall on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds: many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all, and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily, Luke adds, grew the word of God and prevailed (Acts 19:13–20).

Neither shall wear a rough garment to deceive, feigning themselves to be ascetics and mourners for their people, as the true prophets were in truth.

The sackcloth, which the true prophets wore (Isaiah 20:2), was a rough garment of hair (Isaiah 22:12; Jeremiah 4:8; Jeremiah 6:26), worn next to the skin (1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; Job 16:15). This is how Elijah was known to Ahaziah when described as a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

It was a wide garment, enveloping the whole frame, and so, caused suffering to the whole body. Jerome states: “This was the customary clothing of the prophets, that when they called the people to repentance, they were clothed with sackcloth.”

And he shall say - Repudiating his former claims, I am a husbandman: for a man has taught me from my youth. There was no room then for his having been a false prophet, since he had had from his youth one simple unlettered occupation, as Amos said truly of himself; I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son: but I was an herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14). The prophet does not approve the lie, any more than our Lord did the injustice of the unjust steward. Our Lord contrasted the wisdom in their generation of a bad man for his ends, with the unwisdom of the children of light, who made no effort to secure their God. Zechariah pictures vividly, how people would in any way rid themselves of all suspicion of false prophesying.