Zec 12:12-14 | KingComments | STEP | It is clear that these are not hired complainants (cf. ). Collective confession of guilt must be made if something has been done wrong collectively. But national mourning only has value if everyone has his or her personal share in it. There is a collective guilt, but everyone personally must suffer for it. In this way, every family in Israel will share in this grief. There is also another division. There is talk of “the family of the house of David” ( ), which means the royal family, and of “the family of the house of Levi” ( ), which means the priestly family. Within these families another refinement is made. “The family of the house of Nathan,” the son of David ( ; ; ), is within the house of David, again separately involved as a family in that mourning. The same goes for “the family of the house of the Shimeites” within the house of Levi. Thus, the mourning will continue in “all the families that remain”. The fact that with “each family by itself” always is talk of “their wives by themselves”, indicates that repentance exceeds the unity that exists in the innermost bond on earth. Each stands personally before God (cf. ). Husband and wife form a unity, but a husband cannot take the place of his wife in mourning over a sin. The wife has her own responsibility. No one comes to repentance for what someone else does, not even in the most intimate bond. Everyone must humble himself over his own sins and see that the Lord Jesus had to be pierced for that. Then a fountain of cleansing opens, as we see in the next chapter ( ).

‏ Zechariah 12:12-14

Collective and Personal Mourning

It is clear that these are not hired complainants (cf. Mk 5:38-40). Collective confession of guilt must be made if something has been done wrong collectively. But national mourning only has value if everyone has his or her personal share in it. There is a collective guilt, but everyone personally must suffer for it. In this way, every family in Israel will share in this grief.

There is also another division. There is talk of “the family of the house of David” (Zec 12:12), which means the royal family, and of “the family of the house of Levi” (Zec 12:13), which means the priestly family. Within these families another refinement is made. “The family of the house of Nathan,” the son of David (2Sam 5:14; 1Chr 3:5; Lk 3:31), is within the house of David, again separately involved as a family in that mourning. The same goes for “the family of the house of the Shimeites” within the house of Levi. Thus, the mourning will continue in “all the families that remain”.

The fact that with “each family by itself” always is talk of “their wives by themselves”, indicates that repentance exceeds the unity that exists in the innermost bond on earth. Each stands personally before God (cf. Joel 2:16). Husband and wife form a unity, but a husband cannot take the place of his wife in mourning over a sin. The wife has her own responsibility.

No one comes to repentance for what someone else does, not even in the most intimate bond. Everyone must humble himself over his own sins and see that the Lord Jesus had to be pierced for that. Then a fountain of cleansing opens, as we see in the next chapter (Zec 13:1).