The Meaning of Zechariah 13:4 Explained

Zechariah 13:4

KJV: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

YLT: And it hath come to pass, in that day, Ashamed are the prophets, each of his vision, in his prophesying, And they put not on a hairy robe to deceive.

Darby: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive.

ASV: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall come to pass in that day,  [that] the prophets  shall be ashamed  every one  of his vision,  when he hath prophesied;  neither shall they wear  a rough  garment  to deceive: 

What does Zechariah 13:4 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 13:4 mean?

And it shall be in day that [that] will be ashamed prophet every of his vision when he prophesies and not they will wear a cloak of [coarse] hair to deceive
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יֵבֹ֧שׁוּ הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים אִ֥ישׁ מֵחֶזְיֹנ֖וֹ בְּהִנָּֽבְאֹת֑וֹ וְלֹ֧א יִלְבְּשׁ֛וּ אַדֶּ֥רֶת שֵׂעָ֖ר לְמַ֥עַן כַּחֵֽשׁ

וְהָיָ֣ה ׀  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
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.
יֵבֹ֧שׁוּ  [that]  will  be  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
אִ֥ישׁ  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מֵחֶזְיֹנ֖וֹ  of  his  vision 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חִזָּיׄון  
Sense: vision.
בְּהִנָּֽבְאֹת֑וֹ  when  he  prophesies 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
וְלֹ֧א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִלְבְּשׁ֛וּ  they  will  wear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
אַדֶּ֥רֶת  a  cloak 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַדֶּרֶת  
Sense: glory, cloak.
שֵׂעָ֖ר  of  [coarse]  hair 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׂעָר  
Sense: hair.
כַּחֵֽשׁ  deceive 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּחַשׁ  
Sense: to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely.