John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 13:6

"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds between thine arms? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." — Zechariah 13:6 (ASV)

Here the Prophet, to finish what we explained yesterday, says that such would be the discipline among the new people after they have repented, that each in his own house would chastise his sons and relatives. And it is evidence of perfect zeal, when not only judges perform their office in correcting wickedness, but also when private individuals assist in preserving public order, each according to his power.

It is indeed true that the use of the sword is not allowed to us, so that an offender may be punished by his neighbor. But as it was always allowed by the law of God that when the matter did not come before a public tribunal, friends might inflict punishment, Zechariah, alluding to this custom, says that even if those who unjustly claimed the prophetic office and spread false and impious errors should not be punished with death, yet their zeal for true religion would be such that friends would privately chastise those whom they found to be of this character.

If anyone objects and says that these two things are inconsistent—that false prophets were punished with death, and that here they were only chastised with stripes or scourges—to this I answer that Zechariah does not speak precisely of the type and method of punishment. He says generally that false teachers, even in their parents' estimation, were worthy of death; and that if they were treated more gently, they should still suffer such a punishment that they would be mutilated for life and forever bear scars as proofs of their shame.

We may at the same time gather from the answer what demonstrates true repentance: One will say (it is put indefinitely), or it will be said, What do these wounds in your hands mean? Then he will say, I have been stricken by my friends.

The Prophet shows that those who had previously deceived the people would become new men, so as to bear correction patiently. Though it might seem hard when the hands are wounded and pierced, yet he says that the punishment, which was in itself severe, would be counted mild, for they would be endowed with such meekness as to bear correction willingly.

Some apply this to Christ because Zechariah has mentioned wounds on the hands, but this is very childish. For it is quite evident that he speaks here of false teachers who had for a time falsely used God’s name.

Since, then, they say that they were smitten by friends, they acknowledge themselves worthy of such punishment; they do not murmur, nor do they make any complaint.