A Fountain for Cleansing Sin
Study note
Continuing from the mourning in chapter twelve, God promises to open a fountain that will wash away sin and make people clean. He will remove all idols and false prophets from the land. False prophets will be so ashamed that they will deny ever having been prophets. One will even claim to be a simple farmer. This passage contains the mysterious verse about wounds in the hands, which many see as pointing to the wounds of Christ.
1 "On that day, a fountain will spring open for David's family and the people of Jerusalem. It will wash away their sin and cleanse every impurity." 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 "On that day," declares the LORD of Armies, "I will erase the names of every idol from the land so they are never mentioned again. I will also get rid of the false prophets and the foul spirit of deception." 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 "If anyone keeps prophesying lies, their own mother and father will confront them: 'You deserve to die for speaking lies in the LORD's name.' Their own parents will put an end to their false prophecies." 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 "On that day, every false prophet will be embarrassed by the visions they claimed to have. They will stop wearing their prophet's hairy cloak — the costume they used to trick people." 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 "Instead they will say, 'I am not a prophet at all. I am just a farmer — I have been working the soil my whole life.'" But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6 "If someone asks, 'Then what are those scars on your body?' he will answer, 'I got these injuries at a friend's house.'" 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.
The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered
Study note
God commands a sword to strike His shepherd, the one who is close to Him. When the shepherd is struck, the sheep will scatter. Jesus quoted this exact verse to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, telling them they would all fall away. Through this terrible event, God refines His people like silver and gold tested in fire. In the end, the refined remnant will call on God's name, and He will answer, 'They are my people.'
7 "Wake up, sword! Strike my shepherd — strike the man who stands closest to me!" says the LORD of Armies. "Hit the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter. Then I will turn my attention to the little ones." 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 "Across the whole land," the LORD says, "two out of every three people will be struck down and die. But one-third will survive." 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 "I will put that surviving third through the fire. I will refine them like silver is refined and test them like gold is tested. They will cry out to me, and I will answer. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" 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.