Christian Standard Bible
Zechariah 13:7
7Sword, awake against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
Zechariah 13:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the Lord of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
Context of Zechariah 13:7
5He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for a man purchased me as a servant since my youth.’ 6If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ — then he will answer, ‘I received the wounds in the house of my friends.’ Sword, awake against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8In the whole land — this is the Lord’s declaration — two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it. 9I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Read all of Zechariah 13Zechariah 13:7 word by word
חֶ֗רֶב עוּרִ֤י עַל־רֹעִי֙ וְעַל־גֶּ֣בֶר עֲמִיתִ֔י נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת הַ֤ךְ אֶת־הָֽרֹעֶה֙ וּתְפוּצֶ֣יןָ הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֥י יָדִ֖י עַל־הַצֹּעֲרִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Awakeעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- O swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- against my shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- and against the manגָּבֶרgeber · great manH1397
- my fellowעָמִית‛âmîyth · neighborH5997
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- and the sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- shall be scatteredפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
- and I will turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- mine handיָדyâd · handH3027
- upon the little onesצָעַרtsâ‛ar · be littleH6819
Cross-references for Zechariah 13:7
- Deuteronomy 32:41when I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.
- Isaiah 27:1On that day the Lord with his relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent — Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.
- Jeremiah 47:6Oh, sword of the Lord! How long will you be restless? Go back to your sheath; be still; be silent!
- Ezekiel 21:4Since I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will therefore come out of its sheath against all humanity from the south to the north.
- Zechariah 11:4The Lord my God says this: “Shepherd the flock intended for slaughter.
- Isaiah 40:11He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.
- Ezekiel 34:23I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd.
- Ezekiel 37:24My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my ordinances, and keep my statutes and obey them.
- Micah 5:2Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.
- John 10:10A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
- Hebrews 13:20Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus — the great Shepherd of the sheep — through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- 1 Peter 5:4And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
- Isaiah 9:6For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
- Jeremiah 23:5“Look, the days are coming” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Hosea 12:3In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God.
- Matthew 1:23See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
Commentaries on Zechariah 13:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd - This is generally understood of Jesus Christ. The sword is that of Divine justice which seemed to have been long asleep, and should long ago have struck either Man, or his Substitute, the Messiah. Jesus is here called God's Shepherd, because he had appointed him to feed and govern, as well as to save, the whole lost world. This is a prosopopoeia, and the address to the sword is very poetic. There is a fine passage in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Awake, O sword - So Jeremiah apostrophises the sword, “O thou sword of the Lord, when wilt thou be quiet?” Jeremiah 47:6. The prophets express what “will be,” by a command that it should be; “Make the heart of this people heavy” Isaiah 6:10. But by this command he signifies that human malice, acting freely, could do no more than His “Hand and” His “counsel determined before to be done” Acts 4:28. The envy and hatred of Satan, the blind fury of the chief…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-9Verses 7-9 Here is a prophecy of the sufferings of Christ. God the Father gave order to the sword of his justice to awake against his Son, when he freely made his soul an offering for sin. As God, he is called "my Fellow." Christ and the Father are one. He is the Shepherd who was to lay down his life for the sheep. If a Sacrifice, he must be slain, for without shedding of the life-blood there was no remission. This sword must awake against him, yet he had…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The sword is described as a warrior called to awaken for battle, emphasizing its role as God's servant and a tool of death (see Isaiah 31:8; 34:6; 66:16). My shepherd represents the Messiah, the future leader of Israel (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24). My partner shows the shepherd's equality with God (see Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Expounded by Christ as referring to Himself (Mt 26:31, 32). Thus it is a resumption of the prophecy of His betrayal (Zec 11:4, 10, 13, 14), and the subsequent punishment of the Jews. It explains the mystery why He, who came to be a blessing, was cut off while bestowing the blessing. God regards sin in such a fearful light that He spared not His own co-equal Son in the one Godhead, when that Son bore the sinner's guilt. Awake--Compare a similar address…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 13:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries