The Meaning of Zechariah 13:9 Explained

Zechariah 13:9

KJV: And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

YLT: And I have brought the third into fire, And refined them like a refining of silver, And have tried them like a trying of gold, It doth call in My name, and I answer it, I have said, 'My people it is,' And it saith, 'Jehovah is my God!'

Darby: And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will answer them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

ASV: And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will bring  the third part  through the fire,  and will refine  them as silver  is refined,  and will try  them as gold  is tried:  they shall call  on my name,  and I will hear  them: I will say,  It [is] my people:  and they shall say,  The LORD  [is] my God. 

What does Zechariah 13:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 13:1-9 - A Day Of Testing
This Fountain was opened, when the soldier pierced the Savior's side. But it is not enough for God to forgive; He must deal drastically with the waywardness of his people. And so thorough would be the work, that parents would rather their son should die than assume for filthy lucre and without the divine call, the lucrative profession of a prophet. A township would arise against a man suspected of being a prophet, who, in his terror, would pretend that he was a tiller of the ground. And if they discovered marks in his body which indicated that he had been previously branded as a false prophet, he would rather assert that his friends had been the cause of his affliction, than that he had any sympathy with the prophetic office.
Note that remarkable anticipation, Zechariah 13:7-9. See Matthew 26:31. Jesus knew that He was the Father's fellow. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. "We will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him." But He is also the Man. By the grace of the One Man, we may reign in life, Romans 5:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 13

1  The fountain of purgation for Jerusalem,
2  from idolatry, and false prophecy
7  The death of Christ, and the trial of a third part

What do the individual words in Zechariah 13:9 mean?

And I will bring - the a third through the fire and will refine them as is refined silver and test them as is tested Gold He will call on my name and I will answer him I will say My people that [is] and he will say Yahweh [is] My God -
וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶת־ הַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים֙ כִּצְרֹ֣ף הַכֶּ֔סֶף וּבְחַנְתִּ֖ים כִּבְחֹ֣ן הַזָּהָ֑ב ה֣וּא ׀ יִקְרָ֣א בִשְׁמִ֗י וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶעֱנֶ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ עַמִּ֣י ה֔וּא וְה֥וּא יֹאמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי ס

וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י  And  I  will  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙  the  a  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
בָּאֵ֔שׁ  through  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וּצְרַפְתִּים֙  and  will  refine  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: צָרַף  
Sense: to smelt, refine, test.
כִּצְרֹ֣ף  as  is  refined 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: צָרַף  
Sense: to smelt, refine, test.
הַכֶּ֔סֶף  silver 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וּבְחַנְתִּ֖ים  and  test  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּחַן  
Sense: to examine, try, prove.
כִּבְחֹ֣ן  as  is  tested 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּחַן  
Sense: to examine, try, prove.
הַזָּהָ֑ב  Gold 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
יִקְרָ֣א  will  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בִשְׁמִ֗י  on  my  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
וַֽאֲנִי֙  and  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אֶעֱנֶ֣ה  will  answer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙  I  will  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַמִּ֣י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
ה֔וּא  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְה֥וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יֹאמַ֖ר  will  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהָֽי  My  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation