Zechariah 12:13

Zechariah 12:13

The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart.

a. NLT: The clan of Levi, and the clan of Shimei.

b. NIV: The clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives,

c. YLT: The family of the house of Levi apart, And their women apart; The family of Shimei apart, And their women apart,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: The [priestly] family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart; the family of Shimei [grandson of Levi] apart and their wives apart;

e. Septuagint: the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Symeon by itself, and their wives by themselves;

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself and their wives by themselves.

1. “The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart…”

a. The family [Strong: 4940 mishpachah mish-paw-khaw' from 8192 (Compare 8198); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extens. a tribe or people:--family, kind(-red).]

b. of the house [Strong: 1004 bayith bah'-yith probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

c. of Levi [Strong: 3878 Leviy lay-vee' from 3867; attached; Levi, a son of Jacob:--Levi.]

d. apart  [Strong: 905 bad bad from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.]

e. and their wives [Strong: 802 'ishshah ish-shaw' feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

f. apart  [Strong: 905 bad bad from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.]

2. “…the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart.”

a. the family [Strong: 4940 mishpachah mish-paw-khaw' from 8192 (Compare 8198); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extens. a tribe or people:--family, kind(-red).]

b. of Shimei [Strong: 8097 Shim`iy shim-ee' patronymically from 8096; a Shimite (collectively) or descendants of Shimi:--of Shimi, Shimites.]

c. apart  [Strong: 905 bad bad from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.]

d. and their wives [Strong: 802 'ishshah ish-shaw' feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

e. apart  [Strong: 905 bad bad from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.]

1). There are two passages in Scripture that give some light on the fact of the husbands and wives being apart during this mourning period.

a). Exodus 19:10-15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them them today and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

b). 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto her husband.

7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

c).  From these two witnesses it is shown that there are times when spiritual growth requires being sexually abstinent. This explains the phrase, “and their wives apart.”