Albert Barnes Commentary


Albert Barnes Commentary
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:" — Zechariah 13:4 (ASV)
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.”