Zechariah 13:7

THE MESSAGE

"Sword, get moving against my shepherd, against my close associate!" Decree of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. "Kill the shepherd! Scatter the sheep! The back of my hand against even the lambs! All across the country"— God 's Decree— "two-thirds will be devastated and one-third survive. I'll deliver the surviving third to the refinery fires. I'll refine them as silver is refined, test them for purity as gold is tested. Then they'll pray to me by name and I'll answer them personally. I'll say, ‘That's my people.' They'll say, ‘ God —my God!'"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Sword, awake against my shepherd,against the man who is my associate—

Hebrew Names Version
"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, And against the man who is close to me," says the LORD of Hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn my hand against the little ones.

King James Version (1611)
Awake, O sword, against my shepheard, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hostes: smite the Shepheard, and the sheepe shalbe scattered: and I wil turne mine hand vpon the litle ones.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
"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 American Standard Bible
"Awake, sword, against My Shepherd, And against the Man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of armies. "Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

New Century Version
"Sword, hit the shepherd. Attack the man who is my friend," says the Lord All-Powerful. "Kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter, and I will punish the little ones."

Amplified Bible
"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the Man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd so that the sheep [of the flock] may be scattered; And I will turn My hand and stretch it out against the little ones [of the flock].

Geneva Bible (1587)
Arise, O sword, vpon my shepheard, and vpon the man, that is my fellow, sayth the Lord of hostes: smite the shepheard, and the sheepe shall be scattered: and I will turne mine hand vpon the litle ones.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Awake, O sword, against My ShepherdAnd against the man, My Associate,"Declares Yahweh of hosts."Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Berean Standard Bible
Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My Companion," declares the LORD of Hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord All-Powerful said: My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd and friend. Strike down the shepherd! Scatter the little sheep, and I will destroy them.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me," says Adonai -Tzva'ot. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the young ones.

Darby Translation
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, even against the man [that is] my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord All-Powerful says, "Sword, wake up and strike the shepherd, my friend! Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will run away. And I will punish those little ones.

George Lamsa Translation
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd and against the man who is my friend, says the LORD of hosts; smite the shepherd, and his sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand against the great ones.

Good News Translation
The Lord Almighty says, "Wake up, sword, and attack the shepherd who works for me! Kill him, and the sheep will be scattered. I will attack my people

Lexham English Bible
"O sword, awake against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate," declares Yahweh of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, so that the sheep may be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the small ones.

Literal Translation
O sword, awake against My Shepherd, and against the Man who is My Associate, says Jehovah of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. And I will turn My hand on the little ones.

American Standard Version
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.

Bible in Basic English
Awake! O sword, against the keeper of my flock, and against him who is with me, says the Lord of armies: put to death the keeper of the sheep, and the sheep will go in flight: and my hand will be turned against the little ones.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is near unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn My hand upon the little ones.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Aryse O thou sworde vpon my shephearde, and vpon the man that is my felow, saith the lord of hoastes: smite the shepheard, & the sheepe shalbe scattred abroade: and so wyll I turne my hande to the litle ones.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Awake, O sword, against my shepherds, and against the man who is my citizen, saith the Lord Almighty: smite the shepherds, and draw out the sheep: and I will bring mine hand upon the little ones.

English Revised Version
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.

World English Bible
"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, And against the man who is close to me," says Yahweh of Hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn my hand against the little ones.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Swerd, be thou reisid on my scheepherde, and on a man cleuynge to me, seith the Lord of oostis; smyte thou the scheepherde, and scheep of the floc schulen be scaterid. And Y schal turne myn hond to the litle.

Update Bible Version
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the [prominent] man that is my fellow, says Yahweh of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand on the little ones.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 my hand upon the little ones.

New English Translation
"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate," says the Lord who rules over all. Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.

New King James Version
"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.

New Living Translation
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.

New Life Bible
"Wake up, O sword, against My shepherd and against the man who is close to Me," says the Lord of All. "Kill the shepherd, and the sheep will go everywhere. And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

New Revised Standard
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate," says the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
O Sword! awake against my shepherd, even against the man that is my companion, urgeth Yahweh of hosts, - Smite the shepherd, and let the flock, be scattered, Howbeit I will turn back my hand over the little ones.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that cleaveth to me, saith the Lord of hosts: strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand to the little ones.

Revised Standard Version
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.

Young's Literal Translation
Sword, awake against My shepherd, And against a hero -- My fellow, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts. Smite the shepherd, and scattered is the flock, And I have put back My hand on the little ones.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Arise (o thou swearde) vpon my shepherde, and vpon the prynce of my people, sayeth the LORDE of hoostes: Smyte the shepherde and the shepe shalbe scatred abrode, and so will I turne myne honde to the litle ones.

Contextual Overview

⁷"Sword, get moving against my shepherd, against my close associate!" Decree of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. "Kill the shepherd! Scatter the sheep! The back of my hand against even the lambs! All across the country"— God 's Decree— "two-thirds will be devastated and one-third survive. I'll deliver the surviving third to the refinery fires. I'll refine them as silver is refined, test them for purity as gold is tested. Then they'll pray to me by name and I'll answer them personally. I'll say, ‘That's my people.' They'll say, ‘ God —my God!'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

O sword: Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 32:42, Isaiah 27:1, Jeremiah 47:6, Ezekiel 21:4, Ezekiel 21:5, Ezekiel 21:9, Ezekiel 21:10, Ezekiel 21:28

my shepherd: Zechariah 11:4, Zechariah 11:7, Isaiah 40:11, Ezekiel 34:23, Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 37:24, Micah 5:2, Micah 5:4, John 10:10-18, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:4

the man: Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Hosea 12:3-5, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 11:27, John 1:1, John 1:2, John 5:17, John 5:18, John 5:23, John 8:58, John 10:30, John 10:38, John 14:1, John 14:9-11, John 14:23, John 16:15, John 17:21-23, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15-19, Hebrews 1:6-12, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13-16

smite: Isaiah 53:4-10, Daniel 9:24-26, John 1:29, John 3:14-17, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:26-28, Romans 3:24-26, Romans 4:25, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 8:32, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:19, Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 10:5-10, 1 Peter 1:18-20, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 2:25, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:9, 1 John 4:10, Revelation 13:8

the sheep: Matthew 26:31, Matthew 26:56, Mark 14:27, Mark 14:50, John 16:32

I will turn: Zechariah 11:7, Zechariah 11:11, Matthew 10:42, Matthew 18:10, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 18:14, Luke 12:32, Luke 17:2, John 18:8, John 18:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:2 - bush burned Leviticus 1:3 - a male Leviticus 1:9 - burn all Leviticus 2:9 - an offering Leviticus 8:28 - Moses Numbers 27:17 - as sheep 2 Samuel 17:2 - I will smite 2 Samuel 18:3 - if we flee 2 Samuel 24:17 - these sheep 1 Kings 22:17 - as sheep 1 Chronicles 27:33 - companion 2 Chronicles 18:16 - as sheep Psalms 22:20 - soul Psalms 69:26 - whom Psalms 81:14 - turned Psalms 88:15 - while Psalms 89:38 - wroth Isaiah 1:25 - And I Isaiah 24:1 - scattereth Isaiah 32:2 - a man Isaiah 53:5 - But he was Isaiah 53:10 - he hath Jeremiah 3:14 - one of a city Jeremiah 10:21 - their Jeremiah 25:29 - I will Ezekiel 5:12 - third part of Ezekiel 7:6 - watcheth for thee Ezekiel 21:3 - will draw Ezekiel 33:2 - When I bring the sword upon a land Ezekiel 34:5 - they were Ezekiel 38:12 - turn Amos 1:8 - turn Zechariah 1:8 - behold Zechariah 1:10 - the man Zechariah 6:12 - behold Matthew 9:36 - as Matthew 17:23 - they shall Matthew 18:6 - little Matthew 26:24 - Son of man goeth Matthew 26:54 - General Mark 2:20 - be taken Mark 9:12 - he must Mark 12:9 - he will Mark 14:21 - goeth Luke 5:35 - when Luke 9:22 - General Luke 18:31 - and Luke 22:22 - truly Luke 24:26 - General Luke 24:27 - and all Luke 24:44 - in the prophets John 1:51 - the Son John 10:2 - the shepherd John 10:11 - the good John 10:15 - and I John 11:48 - and the John 19:30 - It is John 20:17 - your God John 21:16 - my sheep Acts 3:18 - all Acts 8:33 - for Acts 13:32 - how Acts 26:6 - the promise Acts 26:23 - Christ 1 Corinthians 15:3 - according Ephesians 1:6 - in Ephesians 1:7 - whom 1 Peter 1:11 - the sufferings 1 Peter 1:19 - with Revelation 5:12 - Worthy

Cross-References

Genesis 13:14
After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I'll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you."

Genesis 13:18
Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .

Genesis 21:25
At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken. Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it."

Genesis 34:30
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You've made my name stink to high heaven among the people here, these Canaanites and Perizzites. If they decided to gang up on us and attack, as few as we are we wouldn't stand a chance; they'd wipe me and my people right off the map."

Nehemiah 5:9
"What you're doing is wrong. Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you?

Colossians 4:5
Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

Titus 3:3
It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this. I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It's obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off. As soon as I send either Artemas or Tychicus to you, come immediately and meet me in Nicopolis. I've decided to spend the winter there. Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos a hearty send-off. Take good care of them. Our people have to learn to be diligent in their work so that all necessities are met (especially among the needy) and they don't end up with nothing to show for their lives. All here want to be remembered to you. Say hello to our friends in the faith. Grace to all of you.

James 4:1
Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble." So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet. Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,.... Not Judas Maccabeus, slain in battle by Bacchis w, as Grotius fancies; but Christ, Jehovah's Shepherd; for these are the words of Jehovah the Father, concerning his Son, whom he calls "my Shepherd"; because he has a property in him, as well as in the flock; and he was chosen, called, set up, and sent as such by him; on whom he laid the straying of all the sheep; and who as such died and rose again, and is accountable to his divine Father for the flock committed to him: by "the sword" awoke against him are meant either the sorrows and afflictions of Christ, which, like a sword, pierced through his soul; or the violent death he was put to, being stricken and cut off for the transgressions of his people; or the Jews, who were the instruments of it; so wicked men are called, Psalms 17:13 or rather the glittering sword of justice, which was drawn against him, and sheathed in him; which is called upon to "awake", it seeming as though it was asleep; it having been a long time since the first sin of Adam was committed, in which all his posterity was concerned, and for which satisfaction to divine justice must be made; and longer still since Christ became a surety, and engaged to do it; moreover, it was a great while since it was promised that he should come, and be smitten and wounded for sin; and, after he was come into the world, it was some time before the orders were given to this sword to awake against him:

even against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts; the human nature of Christ is signified by "the man"; not that he was really man before his incarnation, only in the purpose and covenant of God; and he often appearing in a human form; and the Scripture speaking of things future as present; though here it regards him in the days of his flesh, and as suffering: his divine nature is expressed by being "the fellow" of the Lord of hosts; not only being near to him in place and affection, but his equal, being truly a divine Person; of the same nature, glory, and majesty, with him x, though distinct from him; and so fit to be the Shepherd of the flock:

smite the Shepherd; the order is given to the sword of justice, by the Lord of hosts, to smite the Messiah, the Shepherd, even unto death: this was according to his purpose; was his will of command; agreeable to his mind; what he took a kind of pleasure in, and in which he had a hand himself; for it is rendered "I will smite", Matthew 26:31:

and the sheep shall be scattered; particularly the apostles, who, upon the seizure of Christ, were scattered from him, and one another, whereby this prophecy was fulfilled, Matthew 26:31:

and I will turn my hand upon the little ones; the same with the sheep, the disciples of Christ y; yea, all that Christ died for, and to whom God is gracious for his sake; even all the little ones that believe in him; who are few in number, little in their own sight, and contemptible in the eyes of the world; pusillanimous, fearful, and of little faith, as the apostles of Christ were at the time he died: on these the Lord turned his hand; not his chastising hand, though that is sometimes on the saints; much less his hand of justice, which was laid on Christ, and it would have been unjust to have laid it on sinner and surety both; but his hand of grace and mercy, power and protection; which was upon the apostles in their ministrations, succeeding them to the conversion of sinners, and preserving them from their enemies; and all the elect are saved in consequence of the death of Christ, and redemption by him. Aben Ezra says this prophecy refers to the great wars which shall be in all the earth in the times of Messiah ben Joseph; but they regard the times of Christ the son of David, who is already come. The Targum is,

"be revealed, O sword, against the king, and against the ruler his companion, who is like unto him;''

and Jarchi interprets it of the king of Moab; and Aben Ezra of every king of the nations that shall in the above times reign over the earth, who thinks himself to be as God; which sense Kimchi approves of, and observes, that the "little ones" are governors and princes, who are less than kings: and another Jewish writer z says the sense is, awake, O sword, against the king of Ishmael, who is called the king of the Turks (the grand seignior), that rules over Asia and Africa; which are more than three fourths of the world, and the greater part of the Jewish nation are in captivity under his hand; him God calls his Shepherd, because he hath given into his hand to feed his flock in their captivity, and this flock is the nation of Israel; and he is called the man his fellow, because he thinks himself, through the pride and haughtiness of his heart, to be as God; and upon the ruin of this prince, he supposes, will be the deliverance of the Jews, who, being scattered into several parts, will, in separate bodies, return to their own land: and by the "little ones" he thinks are meant the kings of the nations of Edom, or of the Roman nations, which are the lesser pastors of the sheep. Manasseh ben Israel a makes mention of the same exposition of the passage, but is of opinion that the words are rather to be understood of the pope of Rome, who calls himself a pastor, and next to God, and his vicar on earth; and against him and those like to him, inferior in power, God will make war. But much more agreeable, and very remarkable, are the words of R. Samuel Marochianus b, who, writing of the coming of the Messiah, says,

"I fear, O my Lord, that that which Zechariah the prophet said, "I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered", was fulfilled when we smote the Shepherd of those little ones and holy apostles.''

Moreover, it may be observed, that the word for "little ones" sometimes signifies great ones, as Mr. Pocock c has observed, and particularly in this text; which, according to the sense some give of it, mentioned by R. Tanchum, is, "I will turn mine hand upon the illustrious and the princes", and not "upon the little ones", as commonly understood; and which he takes to be the best of the expositions adduced: and with this agree the several oriental versions; some copies of the Septuagint read, "upon the shepherds"; and so the Arabic version; and the Syriac version renders it, "the superiors"; and so may very well be applied to the apostles of Christ, who were in the highest office in the church, and shepherds of the flock; on whom, after the death of Christ, God turned his hand of power, which was upon them, and was with them in their ministrations, making them successful wherever they went; and also his hand of providence was upon them, protecting and preserving them, until they had done the work they were sent about. After this prophecy concerning the Messiah, occasionally inserted here, the prophet returns to his prediction of the state of the church, and what shall befall it in the latter day.

w Vid. Joseph. Antiqu. l. 12. c. 11. sect. 2. x עמית "socius, proximus; speciatim tribuitur Messiae, qui patri caelesti est conjunctissimus et intimus, cum sit ejusdem numero essentiae, gloriae, ac majestatis cum eo". Stockius, p. 794. y So Stockius, p. 912. z R. Isaac Chizzuk Emunah, par. 1. c. 37. p. 310. 311. a De Resurrect. Mort. l. 3. c. 5. sect. 5. p. 290. b Apud Burkium in loc. e Mullero. c Not. Miscell. in Port. Mosis, c. 2. p. 18.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Awake, 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 priests, the contempt of Herod, the guilty cowardice of Pilate, freely accomplished that Death, which God had before decreed for the salvation of the world. The meaning then is, (Ribera), “the sword shall be aroused against My Shepherd, that is, I will allow Him to be smitten by the Jews. But by ‘the sword’ he designates death, persecution, wounding etc. as above, the ‘sword upon his right arm’ Zechariah 11:17, and, where the passion of Christ is spoken of, ‘Deliver my soul from the sword’ Psalms 22:20. So also, ‘All the sinners of the people shall die by the sword’ Amos 9:10,” (Jerome), “which cannot be taken literally; for many sinners perish by shipwreck, poison, drowning, fire.” Amos then “so spake, because many died by war, yet not all by the sword, but others by pestilence and famine, all which he includes under ‘the sword’ Amos 9:10. This smiting began, when the Lord was taken, and His sheep began to be scattered; but the prophecy which, before, was being gradually fulfilled, was fully fulfilled in His death, and the apostles were dispersed till the day of the Resurrection at eventide.”

Against the Man, My Fellow - that is, One united by community of nature. A little before, God had spoken of Himself as priced at “the thirty pieces of silver,” yet as breaking the covenant which He had made with all nations for His people; as “pierced through, yet as pouring the spirit of grace and supplication” on those who pierced Him, that they should mourn their deed, and as, thereon, ever cleansing them from sin. As Man, God was sold, was pierced. : “God, in flesh, not working with aught intervening as in the prophets, but having taken to Him a Manhood connatural with Himself and made one, and through His flesh akin to us, drawing up to Him all humanity. What was the manner of the Godhead in flesh? As fire in iron, not transitively but by communication. For the fire does not dart into the iron, but remains there and communicates to it of its own virtue, not impaired by the communication, yet filling wholly its recipient.”

The bold language of the Fathers only expressed the actuality of the Incarnation. Since the Manhood was taken into God, and in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and God and Man were one Christ. then was it all true language. His Body was “the Body of God” ; His flesh “the flesh of the Word” ; and it was lawful to speak of “the flesh of the Deity” , of “the Passion of the Word” , “the Passion of Christ, my God” , “the Passion of God” , “God dead and buried” , “God suffered” , “murderers of God” , “the Godhead dwelt in the flesh bodily, which is all one with saying that, being God, He had a proper body, and using this as an instrument, He became Man for our sakes, and, because of this, things proper to the flesh are said to be His, since He was in it, as hunger, thirst, suffering, fatigue and the like, of which the flesh is capable, while the works proper to the Word Himself as raising the dead and restoring the blind, He did through His own Body,” is but a continuance of the language of Zechariah, since He who was sold, was priced, was Almighty God. Jesus being God and Man, the sufferings of His Humanity were the sufferings of God, although, as God, He could not suffer.

Now, conversely, God speaks of the Shepherd who was slain, as “My Fellow,” united in Nature with Himself, although not the Manhood of Jesus which suffered, but the Godhead, united with It in one Person, was Consubstantial with Himself. The name might perhaps be most nearly represented by “connatural.” : “When then the title is employed of the relation of an individual to God, it is clear that that individual can be no mere man, Jut must be one, united with God by unity of Being. The Akin of the Lord is no, other than He who said in the Gospel “I and My Father are One” John 10:30, and who is designated as “the Only-Begotten Son, who is in the Bosom of the Father” John 1:18. The word, it seems, was especially chosen, as being used in the Pentateuch, only in the laws against injuring a fellow-man. The prophet thereby gives prominence to the seeming contradiction between the command of the Lord, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,” and those Of His own law, whereby no one is to injure his fellow.

He thus points out the greatness of that end, for the sake of which the Lord regards not that relation, whose image among men He commanded to be kept holy. He speaks after the manner of people. He calls attention to the greatness of that sacrifice, whereby He “spared not His own Son, but freely gave Him up for us all” Romans 8:32. The word ‘Man’ forms a sort of contrast with “My Fellow.” He whom the sword is to reach must unite the Human Nature with the divine.” Jews too have seen that the words, “My Fellow,” imply an equality with God; only since they own not Him, who was God and Man, they must interpret it of a false claim on the part of man , overlooking that it is given Him by God.

And I will turn My hand ^o upon the little ones - Doing to them as He had done to the Shepherd. So our Lord forewarned them: “If they have persecuted Me they will also persecute you” John 15:20 : “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me, before it hated you” John 15:18 : “Ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake” Matthew 10:22; Luke 21:17 : “they will deliver you up to the councils and scourge you in the synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My name’s sake” (Matthew 10:17-18; add Luke 21:12): “they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake” Matthew 24:9; and to the Scribes and Pharisees, “I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth” Matthew 23:34-35.

The little ones - As Jeremiah speaks of “the least of the flock” Jeremiah 49:20, and the Lord said, “fear not, little flock” Luke 12:32, little and weak in itself but mighty in Him and in His grace. Three centuries of persecution, alike in the Roman empire and beyond it in Persia, fulfilled the prophet’s words and deepened the foundation of the Church and cemented its fabric.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 13:7. Awake, 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 AEschylus to the same effect: -

Ξενος δε κληροις επινωμᾳ,

Χαλυβος Σκυθων αποικας,

Κτεανων χρηματοδαιτας

Πικρος, ωμοφρων σιδαρος,

Χθονα ναιειν διαπηλας

Ὁποσαν αν και φθιμενοισι κατεχειν,

Των μεγαλων πεδιων αμοιροις,

AESCHYL. Sept. cont. Theb. 733.

"The rude barbarian, from the mines

Of Scythia, o'er the lots presides;

Ruthless to each his share assigns,

And the contested realm divides:

To each allots no wider a domain

Than, on the cold earth as they lie,

Their breathless bodies occupy,

Regardless of an ampler reign:

Such narrow compass does the sword--

A cruel umpire-their high claims afford."

POTTER.

The man that is my Fellow] ועל גבר עמיתי veal geber amithi, "upon the strong man," or "the hero that is with ME;" my neighbour. "The WORD was God, and the WORD was WITH God;" John 1:1. "I and my Father are ONE;" John 10:30.

Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered — This is quoted by our Lord, Matthew 26:31, in relation to his disciples, who should be scattered on his crucifixion: and they were so; for every one, giving up all for lost, went to his own house.

And I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. — I will take care of the little flock, and preserve them from Jewish malice and Gentile persecution. And so this little flock was most wondrously preserved, and has been increasing from year to year from that time to the present day.