Zechariah 13:6 Meaning and Explanation
“And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Questioned about the wounds on his hands, the man explains they were given in the house of those close to him.
What Does Zechariah 13:6 Mean?
Someone notices marks on the man's hands and asks where they came from. In the immediate scene, the former pretender accounts for the scars left by his own past. The brief exchange closes the portrait of the false prophet stripped of his disguise, now bearing the visible cost of the life he led.
Yet the words have echoed across the centuries, for they speak of one wounded in the house of His friends. The true Shepherd, named in the very next verse, would bear wounds in His hands given not by enemies abroad but among His own people. The phrase lingers because it points beyond this exposed deceiver to the One whose pierced hands became the marks of love, suffered for the very ones He came to save.
Zechariah 13:6 in the Original Language
makkah (מַכָּה), 'wounds' -- blows or strokes that leave a lasting mark, the same kind of word used for suffering inflicted by others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zechariah 13:6
What does Zechariah 13:6 mean?
Questioned about the wounds on his hands, the man explains they were given in the house of those close to him.