Mark 14:27-28
“And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”
King James Version
A double prediction on the way to Gethsemane: all the disciples will scatter that night, fulfilling Zechariah 13:7 ('smite the shepherd'), and after rising He will meet them in Galilee. Both happened exactly (Mk. 14:50; 16:7; Mt. 28:16).
Fulfillment References
Zechariah 13:7 Mark 14:50 Mark 16:7 Matthew 28:16
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalJesus applies Zechariah's oracle — where YHWH calls the smitten shepherd 'my fellow' — to Himself: the shepherd is the LORD come in flesh, smitten for the flock.
JewishZechariah 13:7 concerns a judged shepherd-leader in Israel's purification; it is not read as a messianic death prophecy.
CatholicChrist foretells both the scandal of the disciples and the Resurrection appearance, showing His sovereign foreknowledge of the Passion.
ProtestantA prophecy within a prophecy: Jesus predicts His death via Zechariah and His resurrection rendezvous in the same breath.
DispensationalThe smiting of the shepherd and scattering of the sheep also foreshadows Israel's dispersion until national repentance (Zech. 12-14).
AcademicThe Galilee saying (14:28) is structurally significant in Mark, anticipated again at 16:7; the Zechariah citation follows the MT's shepherd-judgment oracle.
Scholarship & Sources
R. T. France (The Gospel of Mark, NIGTC) discusses the Zechariah 13:7 citation and the programmatic role of the Galilee promise; 4Q266 (Damascus Document tradition) also quotes the smitten-shepherd text, showing its currency at Qumran.
Open the full interactive entry →Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.