Zechariah 11:12-17

12 And I said to them, If it is good in your eyes, bring ye my meed (bring ye my reward, or my wages); and if nay, rest ye. And they weighed my meed, thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, Cast away it to the maker of images, the fair price, by which I am appraised of them. And I took [the] thirty pieces of silver, and casted forth them in the house of the Lord, to the maker of images. (And the Lord said to me, Throw it forth to the maker of figures, the fair price, by which I was appraised by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the House of the Lord, to the maker of figures./And the Lord said to me, Throw it forth into the Temple treasury, the fair price, by which I was appraised by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the House of the Lord, into the Temple treasury.)

14 And I cutted down my second staff, that was called Little Cord, that I should part, or unbind, the brotherhood betwixt Judah and Israel. (And I broke in half my second staff, that was called Little Cord, or Union, so that I would part, or unbind, the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.)

15 And the Lord said to me, Yet take to thee the vessels of a fond shepherd; (And the Lord said to me, Now get thee for thyself the instruments of a foolish shepherd;)

16 for lo! I shall raise a shepherd in earth, which shall not visit forsaken things, and shall not seek scattered things, and he shall not heal a thing all-broken, and shall not nourish forth that that standeth. And he shall eat fleshes of the fat, and shall unbind the claws of them. (for lo! I shall raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit the forsaken, or seek out the scattered, and he shall not heal anyone who is broken, or who is ill, and shall not feed anyone who standeth up straight, or who is healthy. But he shall eat the flesh of the fat beasts, and he shall cut off their hoofs.)

17 A! the shepherd, and idol, forsaking the flock; sword on his arm, and on his right eye; the arm of him shall be dried with dryness, and his right eye waxing dark shall be made dark. (O! the idle shepherd, deserting his flock; the sword shall fall upon his arm, and upon his right eye; and his arm shall be dried up with dryness, and his right eye growing dark shall be made dark, or shall go blind.)

Zechariah 11:12-17 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.