Commentary - Zechariah 13:7

Bird's-eye view

Zechariah 13:7 is one of the most starkly focused and Christologically significant prophecies in the Old Testament. It is a divine oracle, spoken by Yahweh of hosts, that pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the Godhead in the plan of salvation. Here, the Father commands the sword of divine justice to awaken and strike His own Shepherd, a man identified as His own Associate or equal. This violent act against the Shepherd is the direct cause of the scattering of the sheep. The Lord Jesus Himself quotes this very verse on the night of His betrayal (Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27), applying it to His impending crucifixion and the subsequent desertion of His disciples. This verse, therefore, is not simply predictive; it is explanatory. It reveals that the cross was not a tragic accident or a merely human conspiracy, but a deliberate, intra-Trinitarian act, a sacrifice planned in eternity to accomplish our redemption. The verse concludes with a cryptic but crucial promise concerning the "little ones," indicating that the scattering is not the final word; a work of refinement and preservation will follow.

In its immediate context within Zechariah, this verse follows prophecies of a fountain opened for sin (Zech. 13:1) and the purging of idolatry. It stands as the hinge upon which the final redemption of God's people turns. The striking of the Shepherd is the necessary precursor to the refining of the remnant (Zech. 13:8-9). Thus, this single verse encapsulates the central logic of the gospel: the substitute is struck that the sinners might be spared, the Shepherd is smitten that the sheep might ultimately be saved, albeit through a period of scattering and trial.

Outline

Context In Zechariah

This oracle is situated in the final major section of Zechariah's prophecies (chapters 9-14), which deal extensively with the coming of the Messiah, His rejection, and the ultimate salvation and restoration of His people. Chapter 11 detailed the tragic parable of the Good Shepherd who is rejected by His flock and valued at a paltry thirty pieces of silver. Chapter 12 prophesied a future day when Jerusalem would look upon the one they had "pierced" and mourn for Him as for an only son. Now, chapter 13 reveals the divine agency behind this piercing. It is Yahweh Himself who commands the strike. This verse provides the theological bedrock for the events previously described. The rejection of the Shepherd by men is here shown to be subsumed within the sovereign plan of God the Father. The verse serves as a bridge, explaining how the tragic death of the Shepherd leads to the cleansing fountain of 13:1 and the refined remnant of 13:8-9.

Key Issues

The Appalling Initiative of the Father

We often, and rightly, focus on the horizontal aspects of the crucifixion. We see the betrayal of Judas, the cowardice of Pilate, the malice of the Sanhedrin, and the brutality of the Roman soldiers. But this verse forces us to look up, to see the vertical dimension. The ultimate initiative in the death of Christ was not human, but divine. It was Yahweh of hosts who declared, "Awake, O sword... Strike the Shepherd." This is the same truth Isaiah reveals when he says, "Yet it pleased Yahweh to crush Him" (Isa. 53:10). The sword of divine justice, which should have fallen on us, was instead awakened by the Father and commanded to strike His own Son.

This is a staggering thought. The cross was not a plan B. It was not God reacting to human sinfulness in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation. From before the foundation of the world, the Father, Son, and Spirit had covenanted together to accomplish salvation in precisely this way. The Father, in His infinite love and justice, ordained the means. The Son, in His infinite love and obedience, agreed to be the sacrifice. The Spirit, in His infinite love and power, would apply the benefits of that sacrifice to His people. Zechariah 13:7 is a window into the heart of that eternal plan, revealing that the ultimate responsibility for the atoning death of Jesus rests with God the Father. This does not excuse the guilt of the human actors, but it places their wicked actions within the sovereign, redemptive purpose of God. This is the appalling, glorious, and central mystery of our faith.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd And against the man, My Associate,” Declares Yahweh of hosts.

The verse opens with a terrifying personification. A sword, representing the full and final wrath of God against sin, is commanded to awaken. It is not a human sword, but the sword of divine justice itself. And who is this sword to strike? Yahweh identifies the target with two remarkable titles. First, He is "My Shepherd." This is a term of endearment and relationship. This is not just any shepherd; this is the Lord's chosen Shepherd, the one appointed to care for His flock. Second, and even more stunningly, He is "the man, My Associate." The Hebrew word for associate (amith) means a fellow, a neighbor, one who is on equal footing. This is a clear and potent declaration of the deity of the Messiah. This Shepherd is a man, yes, but He is also the equal of Yahweh of hosts. He is God's peer. This is Trinitarian language, centuries before the incarnation. The one to be struck is the God-man, the only one who could possibly stand as a mediator between God and men.

“Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;

Here is the command, issued by Yahweh Himself. The imperative is sharp and absolute: "Strike." The purpose of the striking is given immediately: "that the sheep may be scattered." This is precisely what the Lord Jesus quoted to His disciples in the upper room, just before they went out to Gethsemane (Matt. 26:31). He knew that His arrest and crucifixion would be the catalyst for their fear, confusion, and desertion. They would all fall away, just as the prophet had said. The central, load-bearing pillar of their little community was about to be knocked out, and the whole structure would temporarily collapse. It is a profound principle of spiritual warfare and covenantal reality: the head is struck, and the body is thrown into disarray. This scattering was a real and shameful failure on the part of the disciples, yet even their failure was prophesied and contained within God's sovereign plan.

And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

This final clause is easily misunderstood. At first glance, it sounds like a promise of punitive judgment, as though God would strike the Shepherd and then turn to destroy the disciples. But the phrase "turn My hand against" can also carry the sense of turning one's attention toward for another purpose. Given the context of the whole Bible, and what follows in Zechariah about a refined remnant, this should be understood as a promise of refining, sifting, and disciplinary trial. The "little ones" are the scattered sheep, the disciples. God's hand would indeed be "against" them in the sense that they would endure trial, persecution, and hardship. Peter would be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31). They would be scattered and afraid. But this turning of God's hand was not for their destruction, but for their purification. It was a severe mercy. Through the trials that followed the crucifixion, their faith would be tested, their dross burned away, and they would be forged into the apostolic foundation of the church. The scattering was the prelude to their gathering in power on the day of Pentecost.

Application

This verse forces us to confront the cost of our salvation. It was not cheap. It required the Father to issue a death warrant for His own Son. It required the Son, the Father's equal, to stand in our place and absorb the full, unmitigated fury of the sword of justice. Every sin we have ever committed was a reason for that sword to fall, and it fell on Him. This should produce in us a profound sense of gratitude and a holy hatred for the sin that made such a sacrifice necessary.

Furthermore, this verse teaches us how to interpret the trials and scatterings in our own lives. When the Shepherd was struck, the sheep were scattered. When we face hardship, confusion, or feel that our faith is failing, we should not despair as though God's plan has gone awry. The disciples' darkest hour, their scattering in fear, was immediately followed by the resurrection and the dawn of a new creation. God's hand was turned against the "little ones" not to destroy them, but to refine them. In the same way, God uses our trials to purify us. He is a father who disciplines those He loves. Our scatterings are often His way of gathering us more closely to Himself, stripping away our self-reliance so that we might rely on the risen Shepherd alone. The central lesson of Zechariah 13:7 is that God's greatest work of salvation came through the darkest moment in history. Therefore, we can trust that He is working all things, even our painful scatterings, for our ultimate good and for His eternal glory.