Zechariah 13:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As for this remnant or the faithful within Israel, it is stated that they shall be refined through trials, akin to silver and gold; for the lives of the saints often entail affliction, as it is indeed true that ‘they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’ (2 Tim. 3:12). They are summoned to endure numerous tribulations and sufferings, being metaphorically tested by fire, allowing them to assert with confidence, ‘As Thou hast tried us, O God, Thou hast refined us, as silver is refined’ (Psalm 66:10). What then is the benefit of this? What reward is there for those who have persevered and been tested in such a manner? They are embraced by God, recognized and cherished, for they are regarded as ‘a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but now are the people of God’ (1 Pet. 2:9-10; cf. Hos. 2:23). In the past it was declared: ‘When you stretch out your hands to Me, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen’ (Isaiah 1:15). Now, however, it is affirmed, ‘Whoever calls upon My name, I will say, These are My people.’ Thus, they have come to be God’s inheritance and that of the Father, and they are also entrusted to the Son, for He, along with the Father who begot Him, holds sovereignty over all creation, being a gracious and merciful Creator and Lord of all.

In the Septuagint, it is written: O spear, rise up against my shepherd, and against the husbandman, my brother, says the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will direct my hand against the shepherds. It shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord, that two parts shall perish while a third part remains: and I will walk this third through the fire, refining them as one refines silver, and testing them like gold. He will call upon My name, and I will hear him, saying, These are My people; and he will respond, The Lord my God are You.

The term "spear" corresponds to the word translated as "ῥομφαία" in the LXX and "areb" (חרב) in Hebrew, while Aquila and Symmachus use the term for a short sword or dagger. The phrase referring to a husband united with Me (προςκεκολημμένονμοι) has Aquila translating it as the husband of My tribesman (σύμφυλόνμου) and Symmachus as the husband of My people, indicated by the Hebrew term amithi (עמיתי). The LXX reflects this as the husband of a fellow citizen, while Theodotion renders it as the husband of his neighbor, with a minor difference in textual symbols.

I am amazed that some attempt to undermine this prophecy through allegorical interpretations, which Matthew, the Evangelist, attributed to our Lord, noting its fulfillment when His disciples scattered during His sufferings. He states: Then Jesus said to them, This very night you will all fall away on account of me. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered (Matt. 26:31). Again, he affirms: All this has taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled (Matt. 26:56). It cannot be presumed that this testimony is drawn from an outside source; the Gospel reveals that God strikes the shepherd, and in our context reads the call to the spear: Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter. This is that sword of which the Lord speaks in Psalm 21:21, saying to the Father, You will deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. Similarly, the prophet Amos declares regarding the spear, All sinners on the earth shall perish by the sword (Am. 9:10). This does not imply that all sinners die solely by this means, as many meet their end through shipwreck, poison, drowning, or fire. Instead, this sword and spear signify the destruction or chastisement of all sinners globally, paralleling the testimony of the prophet Zephaniah, who states, And you Ethiopians shall perish by my sword (Soph. 2:12).

After the Good Shepherd, who sacrificed Himself for His flock (Jn. 10:11) and said to the Father, The One whom You struck was persecuted, and affliction fell upon Him (Ps. 68:27). He declared, I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me (John 14:11) — was crucified, repeating, Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit (Luke 23:46). Immediately, the flock departed, meaning the entire assembly of Christ’s believers. The Lord turned His hand, as noted in the LXX, against the shepherds, whom many wrongly interpret as the leaders of the Jewish people. However, it is preferable to understand it as referring to the little ones, for whom the Lord said in the Gospel, Do not be afraid, little flock (Luke 12:32), and as seen in Isaiah: Behold, I am the children God has given me (Isaiah 8:18).

Two-thirds of the land, both Jew and Gentile, faced destruction, fulfilling the Psalmist's word: Save me, O Lord, for the faithful have vanished (Ps. 11:2) and: Everyone has turned away; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Ps. 13:3). Amid this devastation, a third part, that is, a nation of Christians, emerged. The declaration that the third part shall remain on it signifies that only those who confessed the Lord were preserved on the earth. To ensure this third part remains steadfast in their confession, they are led and tested, as silver and gold undergo refining through the flames that the Lord intends to kindle in His believers (Luke 12:49) and the trials expressed by the Apostle (Romans 8:35).

Therefore, the Apostles, filled with the Spirit and fire (Acts 2:3-4), proclaim in the Psalms: You have tested us, O God; You have refined us like silver (Psalm 65:10-11). Shortly thereafter, it states: We passed through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance (Psalm 65:12). Elsewhere, it is promised to believers: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flames shall not consume you (Isaiah 43:2). The fire will not destroy, nor the flame devour, for it is the word of the Lord that quenches the fire (Ps. 28:7). As the little ones endure testing, leading multitudes from all nations to belief, they will collectively address Christ as their Savior; responding to His assertion, You are My people, they will proclaim, The Lord my God are You. The Jews attribute this to Christ and anticipate its fulfillment in the last days. However, the difference lies in our belief that this has already occurred, while they hold that it is still to come.

The devout Paul spoke of the Lord’s manifestation to the five hundred who gathered together (1 Cor. 15:6), while the apostle Peter, addressing the crowds, saw "three thousand" come to life (Acts 2:41) and later "five thousand" (Acts 4:4). The esteemed James remarked to the blessed Paul, "Do you see, brother, how many Jews there are who believe?" (Acts 21:20). These events were foretold by the wise Zechariah, who prophesied that two-thirds would perish due to unbelief, but the surviving third, having endured trials and proven worthy, would be designated as His people, acknowledging Him as Lord and God. Another prophet emphasizes this by stating, "And if the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, they shall be saved" (Isaiah 10:22). The blessed Zechariah reiterates this truth in his further declarations.