Zechariah 13

Zechariah · Chapter 13

Zechariah 13:1

1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.2And 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.3And 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.4And 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:5But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.6And 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.7Awake, 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.8And 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.9And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and 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.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This verse follows the promise that they shall look upon him whom they have pierced (12:10), and says that in that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. The next verses say what the cleansing removes: the names of the idols, the false prophets and the unclean spirit (13:2-6). The chapter then describes the struck shepherd and a refined remnant who call on the LORD (13:7-9). Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Zechariah 13:7Zechariah 13:9Zechariah overview

SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, bringing the word of the LORD of hosts. Zechariah overviewZechariah 13:2

ToThe Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon to Judah and Jerusalem. Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe house of David, meaning David's royal family line, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The fountain is opened for them. Zechariah 13:1Strong's H1732Strong's H3427

A source of cleansing will be opened for the people's sin and impurity. In the same passage the LORD says he will cut off the idols and remove the false prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. He also says he will refine a remnant who will call on his name. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Zechariah 13:9Strong's H4726Strong's H5079

The promise is for Jerusalem and Judah. The book was written from Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Chapter 13 itself carries no date or setting. Zechariah 13:1JerusalemZechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The events"In that day" points to the future time described in chapters 12-14. That section covers Jerusalem's cleansing and the day of the LORD, when he will be king over all the earth. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book. Its dated messages run from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah then, but chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many scholars assign them to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote it all. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse shows God meeting the people's need for cleansing from sin and uncleanness. The passage promises that cleansing, along with the removal of idolatry from the land. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureOther Scripture speaks the same way of God washing his people. Ezekiel 36:25 says "from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." David prays "cleanse me from my sin" (Psalms 51:2), and 1 John 1:7 says "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Ezekiel 36:25Psalms 51:21 John 1:7

For readersScripture presents cleansing from sin as God's work. John calls Jesus "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Paul tells believers "ye are washed... in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Ezekiel 36:25John 1:291 Corinthians 6:11

Christians read this differently

The cited Scriptures do not say exactly when this fountain is opened. Many read it as fulfilled when Jesus, the pierced one, died and his blood cleansed from sin, noting that John 19:37 quotes 12:10 and Matthew 26:31 quotes 13:7. Others read it as a still-future cleansing of Jerusalem and the house of David at the day of the LORD described in chapters 12-14. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah overviewJohn 1:291 John 1:7

  • fountainמָקוֹר
    Hebrew · ma.qor · H4726

    The word means a spring or fountain. It is used figuratively of a source of life, joy and purification. Strong's H4726

  • sinחַטָּאת
    Hebrew · chat.tat · H2403B

    The word can mean sin, guilt of sin, a sin offering, or purification from ceremonial uncleanness. So it covers both guilt and the need for purification. Strong's H2403B

  • uncleannessנִדָּה
    Hebrew · nid.dah · H5079

    The word means impurity, including ceremonial impurity. It is also used figuratively of idolatry and immorality. This fits the next verse, where the LORD cuts off the idols from the land. Strong's H5079Zechariah 13:2

  • openedפָּתַח
    Hebrew · pa.tach · H6605A

    The form here is passive: "to be opened" or "thrown open." The fountain is opened for the people, not dug by them. Strong's H6605AZechariah 13:1

Takeaway

The LORD promises a fountain opened to wash his people clean from sin and from the defilement of idolatry. Other Scripture confirms that God is the one who cleanses, and the New Testament says it comes through Jesus' blood. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Ezekiel 36:251 John 1:7

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.

Who ruled
  • King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC

    Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription

  • Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC

    A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8

  • High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC

    Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2

  • Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC

    The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13

What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder

  2. 538 BC
    God's peopleThe first return

    Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65

  3. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops

    The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia conquers Egypt

    Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius crushes the revolts

    When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11

  6. 520 BC
    God's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build

    In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree

    Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe second temple is finished

    The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia's wars with Greece

    Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls

    Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza

    Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
on the dayבַּיּ֣וֹםbai-YOMH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

the thatהַה֗וּאha-HU'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

it will beיִֽהְיֶה֙yih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

a fountainמָק֣וֹרma-KORH4726
fountain

מָקוֹר (ma.qor) 1) spring, fountain 1a) spring 1a1) of source of life, joy, purification (fig.) 1b) of the eye (fig.) 1c) source (of menstruous blood) 1d) flow (of blood after child birth)

openedנִפְתָּ֔חnif-TACHH6605A
to open

פָּתַח (pa.tach) 1) to open 1a) (Qal) to open 1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to free 1c2) to loosen 1c3) to open, open oneself 1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)

for [the] house ofלְבֵ֥יתle-VEITH1004MNo entry
Davidדָּוִ֖ידda-VIDH1732
David

דָּוִד (da.vid) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); …

and for [the] inhabitants ofוּלְיֹשְׁבֵ֣יu-le-yo-she-VEIH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Jerusalemיְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םye-ru-sha-LIMH3389
Ariel

אֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

for sinלְחַטַּ֖אתle-cha-TATH2403B
sin

חַטָּאת (chat.tat) : sin 1) sin, sin offering 1a) sin 1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin 1c) punishment for sin 1d) sin-offering 1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness

and for impurityוּלְנִדָּֽה׃u-le-ni-DAHH5079
impurity

נִדָּה (nid.dah) 1) impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart 1a) impurity 1a1) of ceremonial impurity 1a2) of menstruation 1b) impure thing (fig.) 1b1) of idolatry, immorality

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.