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Zechariah 11:4-17

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The Two Shepherds

4 Thus says Yahweh my God: "Shepherd the flock [doomed] to slaughter.
5 The ones buying them kill them and go unpunished, and the ones selling them say, 'Blessed [be] Yahweh, for I have become rich.' Their own shepherds have no compassion for them.
6 For I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land," {declares} Yahweh. "Look, I [am] going to cause humankind to fall, each into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king; and they will devastate the land, and I will not deliver [anyone] from their hand."
7 And I shepherded the flock [doomed] to slaughter, even the afflicted of the flock. I took two staffs, one I called Kindness, and the other I called Unity, and I shepherded the flock.
8 And I got rid of three shepherds in one month, for {I grew impatient} with them, and {they also became tired of me}.
9 So I said, "I will not shepherd you! The [one] dying will die, and the [one] to be destroyed will be destroyed. And the [ones] remaining, let them devour {the flesh of each other}."
10 And I took my staff Kindness and broke it, to break my covenant that I {had made} with all the peoples.
11 And it was broken on that day. Then the afflicted of the flock, the [ones who were] watching me, knew that it [was] the word of Yahweh.
12 And I said to them, "If {it seems right to you}, give [me] my wages, but if not, {keep them}." And they weighed out my wages, thirty silver [shekels].
13 And Yahweh said to me, "Throw it to the potter," {this noble price} [at] which I was valued by them!" So I took the thirty silver [shekels] and I threw them to the potter [in] the house of Yahweh.
14 Then I broke my second staff Unity to break the family ties between Judah and Israel.
15 And Yahweh said to me, "Take again the implements of a foolish shepherd.
16 For look, I [am] raising up a shepherd in the land who will not attend to the [ones that are] perishing; he will not seek the young man, he will not heal the [ones that are] crushed and he will not sustain the healthy [ones]; he will devour the flesh of the {fattened ones} and tear apart [even] their hoofs.
17 "Woe, my worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! [May] a sword [fall] on his arm and on {his right eye}! May his arm wither completely and {his right eye} be utterly blinded!"
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Zechariah 11:4-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 11

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of the Jews, and shows the causes and reasons of it; and is concluded with a prediction concerning antichrist. The destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of it, is signified by figurative expressions, Zec 11:1,2 which occasions an howling among the shepherds or rulers of Israel, on account of whose cruelty and covetousness the wrath of God came upon them without mercy, Zec 11:3,5,6 but inasmuch as there were a remnant according to the election of grace among them, named the flock of the slaughter, Christ is called upon to feed them; who undertakes it, and prepares for it, Zec 11:4,7 but being abhorred by the shepherds, whom he therefore loathed and cut off, he determines to leave the people to utter ruin and destruction, Zec 11:8,9 and, as a token of it, breaks the two staves asunder he had took to feed them with, Zec 11:10,11,14 and, as an instance of their ingratitude to him, and which is a justification of his conduct towards them, notice is taken of his being valued at and sold for thirty pieces of silver, Zec 11:12,13 but, in the place of these shepherds cut off, it is suggested that another should arise, who is described by his folly, negligence, and cruelty, Zec 11:15,16 to whom a woe is denounced, Zec 11:17.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 24

  • [a]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [b]. Literally "declaration of"
  • [c]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [d]. Hebrew "therefore"
  • [e]. LXX reads "merchants [of the flock]" which is reflected in some English translations
  • [f]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [g]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [h]. Literally "my soul became short"
  • [i]. Literally "also their soul detested me"
  • [j]. Literally "each the flesh of her neighbor"
  • [k]. Literally "had cut"
  • [l]. LXX reads "merchants (of the flock)" which is reflected in some English translations
  • [m]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [n]. Literally "[it is] good in your eyes"
  • [o]. Literally "refrain"
  • [p]. Syriac reads "treasury," followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV
  • [q]. Literally "the price of honor"
  • [r]. Syriac reads "treasury," followed by NAB, NRSV, TEV
  • [s]. Hebrew "implement"
  • [t]. Syriac and other ancient versions read "the wandering" or "the scattered," as do several English translations
  • [u]. Literally "the stall-fed"
  • [v]. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)
  • [w]. Literally "the eye of his right"
  • [x]. Literally "the eye of his right"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.