The Meaning of Zechariah 13:1 Explained

Zechariah 13:1

KJV: In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

YLT: In that day there is a fountain opened To the house of David And to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, For sin and for impurity.

Darby: In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

ASV: In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In that day  there shall be a fountain  opened  to the house  of David  and to the inhabitants  of Jerusalem  for sin  and for uncleanness. 

What does Zechariah 13:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In that day God would open a fountain for the complete spiritual cleansing of the Israelites, both for their moral sins and for their ritual uncleanness (cf. Ezekiel 47). The figure of a fountain pictures abundant cleansing that would continue indefinitely. This will be the fulfillment of God"s promise to forgive the sins of His people Israel in the New Covenant ( Zechariah 3:4; Zechariah 3:9; Jeremiah 31:34; Ezekiel 36:25; cf. Romans 11:26-27). "The blood of Jesus ... cleanses us from all sin" ( 1 John 1:7). The cleansing is available now, but God will cleanse multitudes of Israelites in the future, after they turn to their Messiah in faith ( Zechariah 12:10-14).
"The problem of sin is the central problem in the OT. It began in the garden of Eden and will not be eradicated until the final day of Yahweh." [1]

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 13:1 mean?

In day that shall be a fountain opened for the house of David for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin for uncleanness
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ מָק֣וֹר נִפְתָּ֔ח לְבֵ֥ית דָּוִ֖יד וּלְיֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם לְחַטַּ֖את וּלְנִדָּֽה

בַּיּ֣וֹם  In  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֗וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִֽהְיֶה֙  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מָק֣וֹר  a  fountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹור  
Sense: spring, fountain.
נִפְתָּ֔ח  opened 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
לְבֵ֥ית  for  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
דָּוִ֖יד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וּלְיֹשְׁבֵ֣י  for  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לְחַטַּ֖את  for  sin 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
וּלְנִדָּֽה  for  uncleanness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נִדָּה  
Sense: impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart.