Zechariah 13:4
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:
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Throughout Israel's history, false prophets mimicked true prophets' appearance and speech patterns to gain credibility. Jeremiah confronted false prophets who stole God's words from one another and claimed divine dreams (Jeremiah 23:30-32). Ezekiel condemned those who prophesied from their own imagination (Ezekiel 13:2-3). The 'rough garment' or hair cloak became so associated with prophets that wearing it signified prophetic office—making it a tool for deception when worn by frauds.
By Zechariah's time, Israel had experienced the consequences of heeding false prophets—exile and destruction came because they believed lies rather than truth (Jeremiah 27:9-10, 29:8-9). This prophecy envisions a future when such deception will be impossible—truth will be so clearly revealed that false prophets will voluntarily discard their deceptive garb rather than face exposure. Jesus warned that false prophets would come in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15), and Paul described those who masquerade as apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). The principle remains: external religious appearance cannot substitute for genuine calling and truthful message.
Questions for Reflection
- How can you discern between genuine spiritual leaders and those who merely adopt external markers of authority?
- What does this passage teach about the danger of judging spiritual authenticity by appearances (clothing, titles, credentials) rather than message and fruit?
- In what ways might modern Christian leaders be tempted to use 'rough garments' (external symbols of piety or authority) to lend credibility to self-generated rather than God-given messages?
Analysis & Commentary
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. This verse describes the exposure and shame awaiting false prophets. "The prophets shall be ashamed" (yevoshu ha-nevi'im, יֵבֹשׁוּ הַנְּבִיאִים) indicates they will be humiliated when their deceptions are revealed. The phrase "every one of his vision" (ish me-chezono, אִישׁ מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹ) refers to the false visions they claimed were from God—they will be ashamed of these lies.
"Neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive" (velo yilbeshu aderet se'ar lema'an kachez, וְלֹא־יִלְבְּשׁוּ אַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר לְמַעַן כַּחֵשׁ). The "rough garment" or "hairy mantle" (aderet se'ar, אַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר) was characteristic prophetic attire worn by Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4). False prophets adopted this distinctive clothing "to deceive" (lema'an kachez, לְמַעַן כַּחֵשׁ)—using external symbols of prophetic office to lend credibility to their lies. Like modern frauds wearing clerical collars or religious garb to appear authoritative, they manipulated appearance to gain trust.
In the coming day of purification, false prophets will abandon even the pretense of prophetic calling. They'll be so thoroughly exposed and ashamed that they'll deny ever claiming prophetic office. This demonstrates that God's truth will ultimately triumph over all deception—lies cannot withstand the light of divine revelation.