Zechariah 13

Zechariah · Chapter 13

Zechariah 13:8

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
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.And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it.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.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

After the LORD calls the sword to strike his shepherd and the sheep scatter (13:7), this verse says two thirds in the land will be cut off and die, but a third will be left. The next verse says God will bring that third through the fire, refine them like silver and gold, and they will call on his name as his people. Zechariah 13:7Zechariah 13:8Zechariah 13:9

SpeakingThe LORD himself speaks, as the verse says ("saith the LORD"), through the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 13:8Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had returned from exile in Babylon, in Jerusalem and Judah. Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe people "in all the land", the scattered sheep of 13:7. Two parts perish, and one part is left to be refined as God's people. Zechariah 13:7Zechariah 13:8Zechariah 13:9

A prophecy of severe judgment that leaves a surviving remnant. The point is not the death toll alone. God keeps a third part, purifies them through trial, and renews the bond: "It is my people" and "The LORD is my God." Zechariah 13:8Zechariah 13:9

"All the land" is the land where the idols and false prophets are cut off in 13:2, the land of Jerusalem's inhabitants (13:1). The prophet wrote from Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe events belong to "that day" spoken of through chapters 12-14, a time still future to the prophet. It follows the striking of the shepherd in 13:7, which Matthew 26:31 quotes of Jesus. The verse itself gives no date for the cutting off. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:7Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote it, with his dated messages running from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Many assign the undated chapters 9-14, including this verse, to a later writer or writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse shows that God's cleansing of his people (13:1-2) includes a hard sifting. Only a refined remnant comes through to call on his name. Zechariah 13:1Zechariah 13:2Zechariah 13:9

In the whole of ScriptureEzekiel also pictures judgment in thirds: in Ezekiel 5:2 and 5:12, Jerusalem's people are split into thirds by fire, sword and scattering. In Zechariah, judgment does not have the last word: a third is kept and made God's people again, and the book points to the day when "the LORD shall be king over all the earth." Ezekiel 5:2Ezekiel 5:12Zechariah 13:9Zechariah overview

For readersGod's judgment is real and serious, yet he preserves a people for himself. He uses fire to refine, not only to destroy, so that his people end by saying, "The LORD is my God." Zechariah 13:8Zechariah 13:9

Christians read this differently

The verse does not say when the two thirds are cut off, and no cited Scripture settles it. Some link it closely to 13:7, which Matthew 26:31 applies to Jesus, and see it fulfilled in judgments that followed his rejection. Others read it with chapters 12-14 as a future time of trouble in the land before the LORD reigns, while still others take it as a recurring pattern of judgment and remnant, like Ezekiel 5. Zechariah 13:7Zechariah overviewEzekiel 5:12

  • cut offכָּרַת
    Hebrew · ka.rat · H3772I

    The word means to cut off or cut down, and also to eliminate or kill. Here it is paired with "die", so it means death, not merely exclusion. Strong's H3772IZechariah 13:8

  • thirdשְׁלִישִׁי
    Hebrew · she.li.shi · H7992

    It means a third or third part. The same fraction runs through Ezekiel 5:2 and 5:12, where Jerusalem's people are divided into thirds under judgment. This ties Zechariah's picture to that earlier warning. Strong's H7992Ezekiel 5:2Ezekiel 5:12

  • leftיָתַר
    Hebrew · ya.tar · H3498

    It means to be left over or remain, and in one form to preserve alive. The surviving third is a remnant that God keeps, and 13:9 shows it is kept on purpose for refining. Strong's H3498Zechariah 13:9

  • landאֶ֫רֶץ
    Hebrew · e.rets · H0776G

    The word can mean the whole earth or a particular land or country, including the land of Israel. In this chapter it is the land cleansed of idols in 13:2, so the verse speaks of God's people in their land. Strong's H0776GZechariah 13:2

Takeaway

Zechariah 13:8 speaks of a terrible sifting in which most perish, but God leaves a third. He then refines them like silver and gold until they call on him and he names them "my people" (13:9). Zechariah 13:8Zechariah 13:9

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.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it will beוְהָיָ֤הve-ha-YAHH1961
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) …

in allבְכָל־ve-khol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the landהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ha-'A-retzH0776G
land: country/planet

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth …

[the] utterance ofנְאֻם־ne-'um-H5002
utterance

נְאֻם (ne.um) 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)

Yahwehיְהוָ֔הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

a mouth ofפִּֽי־pi-H6310L
lip

פֶּה (peh) : lip/mouth peh 1) mouth 1a) mouth (of man) 1b) mouth (as organ of speech) 1c) mouth (of animals) 1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc) 1e) extremity, end pim 2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21

twoשְׁנַ֣יִםshe-NA-yimH8147
two

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) 1) two 1a) two (the cardinal number) 1a1) two, both, double, twice 1b) second (the ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers 1d) both (a dual number)

they will be cut offיִכָּרְת֖וּyi-ka-re-TUH3772I
to cut: cut

כָּרַת (ka.rat) : cut/fell 1) to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut off 1a1a) to cut off a body part, behead 1a2) to cut down 1a3) to hew 1a4) to cut or make a covenant 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be cut off 1b2) to be cut down 1b3) to be chewed 1b4) to be cut off, fail 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be cut off 1c2) to be cut down 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cut off 1d2) to cut off, destroy 1d3) to cut down, destroy 1d4) to take away 1d5) to permit to perish 1e) (Hophal) cut off

they will perishיִגְוָ֑עוּyig-VA-'uH1478
to die

גָּוַע (ga.va) 1) to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die 1a) (Qal) to expire, die, be about to die

and the third [part]וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁ֖יתve-ha-she-li-SHITH7992
third

שְׁלִישִׁי (she.li.shi) 1) third, one third, third part, third time 1a) ordinal number

it will be leftיִוָּ֥תֶרyi-VA-terH3498
to remain

יָתַר (ya.tar) 1) to be left over, remain, remain over, leave 1a) (Qal) remainder (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be left over, remain over, be left behind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to leave over, leave 1c2) to save over, preserve alive 1c3) to excel, show pre-eminence 1c4) to show excess, have more than enough, have an excess

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