Zechariah 13 · Verse 3

Zechariah 13:3

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.
Zechariah 13:3, King James Version

Zechariah 13:3 in other translations

BSBAnd if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.
WEBIt 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 the LORD’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd it hath been, when one prophesieth again, That said unto him have his father and his mother, his parents, ‘Thou dost not live, For falsehood thou hast spoken in the name of Jehovah,' And pierced him through have his father and his mother, his parents, in his prophesying.
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass, if any shall yet prophesy, that 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.
BBEAnd if anyone goes on acting as a prophet, then his father and his mother who gave him life will say to him, You may not go on living, for you are saying what is false in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother will put a sword through him when he does so.
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say to 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.

What does Zechariah 13:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. The form of phraseology here is drawn from De 13:6-10; 18:20. The substantial truth expressed is that false prophecy shall be utterly abolished. If it were possible for it again to start up, the very parents of the false prophet would not let parental affection interfere, but would be the first to thrust him through. Love to Christ must be paramount to the tenderest of natural ties (Mt 10:37). Much as the godly love their children, they love God and His honor more.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 When any shall yet prophesy - Falsely; such shall be the horror of such an evil, that there shall be no toleration of it. Itself, and they who practice it, shall be everywhere destroyed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 13:1-6

In the time mentioned at the close of the foregoing chapter, a fountain would be opened to the rulers and people of the Jews, in which to wash away their sins. Even the atoning blood of Christ, united with his sanctifying grace. It has hitherto been closed to the unbelieving nation of Israel; but when the Spirit of grace shall humble and soften their hearts, he will open it to them also. This fountain opened is the…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 13:1-6 →

Zechariah 13:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיָ֗הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
יִנָּבֵ֣אyi.na.Ve'he will prophesyH5012
אִישׁ֮'ishanyoneH376
עוֹד֒'OdstillH5750
וְאָמְר֣וּve.'a.me.Ruand they will sayH559
אֵ֠לָיו'E.lavto himH413
אָבִ֨יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וְאִמּ֤וֹve.'i.Moand mother hisH517
יֹֽלְדָיו֙yo.le.Dav[who] begot himH3205
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תִֽחְיֶ֔הtich.Yehyou will liveH2421
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
שֶׁ֥קֶרShe.kerfalsehoodH8267
דִּבַּ֖רְתָּdi.Bar.tayou have spokenH1696
בְּשֵׁ֣םbe.Shemin [the] name ofH8034
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וּדְקָרֻ֜הוּu.de.ka.Ru.huand they will pierce through himH1856
אָבִ֧יהוּ'a.Vi.hufather hisH1
וְאִמּ֛וֹve.'i.Moand mother hisH517
יֹלְדָ֖יוyo.le.Dav[who] begot himH3205
בְּהִנָּבְאֽוֹ\׃be.hi.na.ve.'Owhen prophecies heH5012

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zechariah 13:3

  • Deuteronomy 13:6-11

    If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. …

  • Deuteronomy 18:20

    But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

  • Ezekiel 14:9

    And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

  • Jeremiah 23:34

    And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his house.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:16

    Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

  • Matthew 10:37

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

  • Exodus 32:27-28

    And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

  • Luke 14:26

    If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

  • Deuteronomy 33:9

    Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and his.
Ex 32:27,28; De 13:6-11; 18:20; 33:9; Mt 10:37; Lu 14:26; 2Co 5:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zechariah 13:2

    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.

  • Zechariah 13:3

    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.

  • Zechariah 13:4

    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:

Read all of Zechariah 13

Zechariah 13:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y será que cuando alguno más profetizare, diránle su padre y su madre que lo engendraron: No vivirás, porque has hablado mentira en el nombre de Jehová: y su padre y su madre que lo engendraron, le alancearán cuando profetizare.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arrivera que, si un homme prophétise encore, son père et sa mère qui l’ont engendré, lui diront: Tu ne vivras pas, car tu dis des mensonges au nom de l’ Éternel. Et son père et sa mère qui l’ont engendré, le transperceront quand il prophétisera.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es wird geschehen, wenn ein Mann ferner weissagt, so werden sein Vater und seine Mutter, seine Erzeuger, zu ihm sprechen: Du darfst nicht leben, denn du hast Lüge geredet im Namen Jehovas! und sein Vater und seine Mutter, seine Erzeuger, werden ihn durchbohren, wenn er weissagt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et erit: cum prophetaverit quispiam ultra, dicent ei pater ejus et mater ejus, qui genuerunt eum: Non vives, quia mendacium locutus es in nomine Domini: et configent eum pater ejus et mater ejus, genitores ejus, cum prophetaverit.