Zechariah 13: A Fountain for Sin
God opens a cleansing fountain, removes idols and false prophets, and foretells the shepherd struck and a refined remnant who call him God.
Zechariah 13 (WEB)
1 “In that day there will be a spring opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
2 It will come to pass in that day, says Yahweh of Armies, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they will be remembered no more. I will also cause the prophets and the spirit of impurity to pass out of the land.
3 It will happen that, when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, ‘You must die, because you speak lies in Yahweh’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.
4 It will happen in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
5 but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondservant from my youth.’
6 One will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’
7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 It shall happen that in all the land,” says Yahweh, “two parts in it will be cut off and die; but the third will be left in it.
9 I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is my people;’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’”
Zechariah 13 (KJV)
1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
3 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.
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Zechariah 13 (ASV)
1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
3 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 Jehovah; and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
4 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:
5 but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondman from my youth.
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.
7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.
Summary
In that day, God promises, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. He will cut off the names of the idols so they are remembered no more and remove the false prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land, so thoroughly that anyone who still tries to prophesy lies will be rebuked even by his own parents, and false prophets will hide their identity and deny their calling rather than be exposed. Then comes a striking word from the Lord of Armies: “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me… Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” God's own hand turns against the little ones in judgment, yet his purpose is purifying. Two-thirds of the land will be cut off, but the remaining third will be brought through the fire and refined like silver and tested like gold. This refined remnant will call on God's name, and he will answer; he will say, “It is my people,” and they will say, “Yahweh is my God.” The chapter draws together the cleansing fountain and the struck shepherd—the cross of Christ, where the shepherd was struck and a fountain was opened to wash away the sin of his people.
Main Characters
- Yahweh of Armies (the LORD) — The God who opens a fountain for sin, purges idols and false prophets, strikes the shepherd, and refines a remnant to be his people.
- The struck shepherd — God's shepherd, the man close to him, struck by the sword so the sheep are scattered—pointing to Christ, smitten for his people.
- The refined remnant — The third part brought through the fire and refined like silver, who call on God's name and confess that the Lord is their God.
- The false prophets — The deceivers whose lies God removes from the land, so ashamed they deny their calling and hide their identity.
Key Verse
Zechariah 13:1 (WEB)
“In that day there will be a spring opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
Lessons Learned
- God himself provides the cleansing his people cannot supply for their sin.
- Restoration includes the removal of idols and deceiving voices from among God's people.
- The shepherd is struck so that, through his suffering, a people may be saved.
- God refines a remnant through trial, that they may truly be his people and he their God.
- God opens a fountain for sin. “There will be a spring opened… for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1, WEB). Cleansing is provided by God, not produced by us—fulfilled at the cross.
- God purges idols and lies. “I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land” and remove the false prophets (Zechariah 13:2, WEB). Holiness means clearing out every rival to God.
- The shepherd is struck for the flock. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7, WEB). Jesus applied this to himself on the night he was betrayed (Matthew 26:31).
- God refines a remnant for himself. “I will refine them as silver is refined… and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God’” (Zechariah 13:9, WEB). God brings his people through fire into deeper belonging.
- What does the “fountain opened… for sin and for uncleanness” (13:1) tell us about how cleansing comes?
- Why does God's restoration include removing idols and false prophets (13:2-6)?
- How did Jesus apply the words “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (13:7) to himself?
- What is the purpose of God refining the remnant “as silver is refined” (13:9)?
- How does the open fountain shape the way you bring your sin and guilt to God?
- The fountain is opened by God, not dug by human effort, and it flows freely for sin and uncleanness (13:1). It teaches that the cleansing we need is a gift we receive, not a purity we achieve. The image finds its fullness at the cross, where Christ's blood becomes the fountain washing away the sin of all who come.
- Idols and false prophets are rivals that draw God's people away from him, so genuine restoration must remove them (13:2-6). A cleansed people cannot live among the very things that defiled them. God's holiness is not content to forgive sin while leaving its sources untouched; he clears the land of every deceiving voice.
- On the night of his betrayal Jesus quoted this verse, telling his disciples they would all fall away because it was written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31). He identified himself as the struck shepherd, smitten by God's own hand at the cross so that, through his suffering, his scattered sheep would be gathered and saved.
- Refining removes impurities so the precious metal emerges pure; God brings the remnant through fire not to destroy but to purify them (13:9). The trial deepens their reliance on him until they call on his name and confess him as their God. Suffering, in God's hands, becomes the means of a closer, truer belonging to him.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to come freely to the fountain Christ opened, bringing sin and guilt rather than hiding them. As leader, assure them that the cleansing does not depend on their worthiness but on God's provision, and encourage them to rest in the washing the cross secured.