And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

ZECHARIAH 13:2KJV
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Zechariah 13:2 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 13:2 mean?

Zechariah 13:2 says that God will remove all traces of idol worship and false prophecy from the land, so that idols and the people who promote them will be forgotten and gone. God promises to cleanse the land from both the names of idols and the influence of unclean spirits and false prophets.

In this verse, the prophet Zechariah is speaking God's message to the people of Israel. The situation is one of future hope, where God declares a time will come ("in that day") when He will purify the land from anything that leads people away from Him. The verse emphasizes a complete break from past idol worship and spiritual corruption, showing God's intention to restore true worship among His people.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 13:2

  • "idols" (עֲצַבִּים, 'atsabbim'): This word refers to physical objects of worship, often made by human hands, that the people wrongly honored as gods. The verse stresses that even the memory of these false gods will be erased.
  • "unclean" (טָמֵא, tame): This word describes something ritually or morally impure. Here, it refers to the "unclean spirit" (רוּחַ, ruach) that influences false prophets, highlighting that God will remove not just physical idols but also spiritual corruption.
  • "cut off" (כָּרַת, karath): This verb means to completely remove or destroy. God is not just hiding the idols but utterly eliminating their presence and influence.
  • "names" (שֵׁם, shem): In ancient times, a name carried the idea of reputation or memory. By saying the names of idols will be cut off, the verse means their influence and remembrance will be wiped out.

Why Zechariah 13:2 matters

  • Zechariah 13:2 clarifies that God’s promise is not just about stopping idol worship, but about erasing even the memory and influence of idols and false prophets from the community.
  • The verse highlights that God’s cleansing will be thorough, dealing with both outward practices (idols) and inward influences (unclean spirits and false prophecy).
  • This verse connects to the wider message of Zechariah about God’s future restoration and purification of His people, showing that true worship will be restored and protected.

Where else these words appear

“idols” Hebrew H6091 · used in 17 verses

  • 1 Samuel 31:9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
  • Psalms 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
  • Jeremiah 50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

“unclean” Hebrew H2932 · used in 31 verses

  • Leviticus 5:3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
  • Leviticus 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
  • Ezra 6:21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,