Zechariah 13:7-9

After giving a stunning vision of God’s restoration of Israel in Zechariah 9-13, the prophet concludes with a poetic summary of that restoration at the end of chapter 13.

Why retell Israel’s redemption as a poem? Poetry helps the reader grasp basic truths emotionally, rather than through detailed analysis. In these three poignant verses, we see the pain Israel must endure before her redemption.

7 “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.
8 In 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.
9 I 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.’”
— Zechariah 13:7-9 (CSB)

The poem begins with a startling command from God: a “sword” must fall against God’s own shepherd in verse 7. This violent image is underscored by the repeated phrase “Strike the shepherd” later in the verse.

Though God doesn’t name the shepherd, He calls him “My associate,” indicating a close relationship. George Klein, in his commentary on Zechariah, notes the meaning of the phrase: “The expression stresses community or close association with someone… Several factors also indicate that the shepherd in v. 7 is none other than the pierced one in 12:10. One of the more important points is the uniquely close association between God and the shepherd. Further, both figures in 12:10 and 13:7 serve faithfully, and the death of both evokes mourning." The sheep scatter in response to their shepherd’s death; they are lost without him.

Who could this faithful shepherd be, intimate with God but struck down by His decree? Jesus applies this passage to Himself just prior to His crucifixion: “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered’” (Matthew 26:31). The disciples were Jesus’ sheep, scattered at His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, fearing that they too might suffer His destiny.

Zechariah describes God’s punishment of Israel in verses 8-9. “The whole land” will suffer. This is a direct punishment from God upon the nation of Israel for rejecting their shepherd. In total, “two-thirds” of Israel are “cut off and die,” leaving only a third of the previous population. Yet even the surviving third must be refined in “the fire,” leaving only a small remnant in the end.

Yet, this final remnant will be different. Unlike before, they won’t reject their shepherd; they will “call on My name.” Like penitent Israel in Zechariah 12:10, who grieve for the one they pierced, they acknowledge their need for Him.

In response to their call, God promises, “I will answer them.” He will return to be with them as shepherd once more. The final two lines echo a marriage vow, as God and Israel enter into a New Covenant.

The message of this passage is clear: Israel will be redeemed, but the path will be long and painful. From the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD, through centuries of European pogroms, the Holocaust, and attacks on the modern state of Israel, history affirms Zechariah’s prophecy: Israel suffers until it repents. Yet when they do, God will renew His covenant and fulfill His promises.

The Apostle Paul elaborates on this theme in Romans 11:25-29 (CSB):

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.

In the end, Israel reflects the redemption everyone needs: God taking away our sins. When we turn from Him, He lets us experience life apart from Him. But when we call on Him, He hears, responds, and invites us to a renewed relationship. He wipes away the record of our sin because He once sent the sword against His own Shepherd, on our behalf.

Pastor David