What is the meaning of Zechariah 13:5? He will say • The coming day of cleansing will be so decisive that former pretenders feel compelled to speak up (Zechariah 13:3–4). • God’s word pierces self-deception; it draws a verbal response just as it drew Adam from hiding (Genesis 3:9–10; Hebrews 4:12). • Here the speaker is a one-time false prophet who now faces the new, holy atmosphere promised for Israel (Jeremiah 23:29; Revelation 21:27). ‘I am not a prophet; • Under conviction, he disowns the role he once claimed, echoing the Lord’s earlier warning that “the prophet who speaks a lie shall die” (Deuteronomy 18:20; Zechariah 13:3). • In contrast to Amos—who humbly denied being a professional prophet yet truly spoke for God (Amos 7:14-15)—this man’s denial springs from shame, not authenticity. • Jesus foretold a similar unveiling of false ministries: “Beware of false prophets” and “by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15-23). I work the land, • With prophetic masks stripped away, he claims the ordinary vocation of farmer—honest labor that honors God’s original design: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread” (Genesis 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). • The contrast highlights how the lure of acclaim once pulled him from humble work into deceit; now genuine humility values faithful, grounded service over spiritual showmanship (Proverbs 12:11; Colossians 3:23). for I was purchased as a servant in my youth.’ • He appeals to early servitude—perhaps literal indenture under Mosaic provisions (Exodus 21:2-6; Leviticus 25:39) or figurative bondage to circumstances—to justify why he should be viewed as a simple laborer, not a religious authority. • The statement underscores God’s sweeping purge: even those with excuses or past hardships will not be allowed to hide behind religious titles (Ezekiel 13:1-9). • Spiritually, every believer can echo a truer purchase: “You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20; Romans 6:22). God redeems us from slavery to sin so we may walk in truth, not pretense. summary Zechariah 13:5 pictures the day when false prophets, exposed by God’s purifying work, will renounce their claims and retreat to ordinary labor, confessing prior servitude to explain their new low profile. The verse illustrates the thoroughness of divine cleansing: deceitful ministries will be stripped away, humble truth will be honored, and every tongue will acknowledge reality under the searching gaze of the Lord. |
    |