Zechariah 11

Part of the good shepherd’s job was to rid the land of bad shepherds; this is one reason the Jews detested the good shepherd: they preferred the bad shepherds, who let them do as they wished (verse 8). Therefore, the good shepherd grew weary of the unbelieving Jews, and left them to the judgment of God (verse 9). This judgment came in 70 A.D., when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem; the siege was so terrible that the people even ate one another’s flesh in order to survive (see Leviticus 26:29; Lamentations 4:10).

10–11 Then Zechariah, still acting, broke the staff called “Favor,” thereby revoking the covenant (agreement) he had made with other nations that they should not attack Israel (verse 10). Now the Romans would be permitted to overcome the Jews. The afflicted (the faithful) among the Jews would know that the breaking of the staff was a sign from God that judgment was near (verse 11).

12–13 In these verses, Zechariah “resigns” as the good shepherd and asks for his pay. So they (the Jews) give him thirty pieces of silver (verse 12). This was the price of a slave in ancient Israel (Exodus 21:32); it was also the price Judas received for handing Jesus over to the Jewish authorities (Matthew 26:14–16).

The Lord told Zechariah to throw the silver to the potter; that is, he was to throw the silver into the temple, where the priests would use it to buy the field of a potter²⁹ (see Matthew 27:3–10). Zechariah notes that thirty pieces of silver was a very small price to pay for a free man—and a prophet at that! (He sarcastically calls it a handsome price.) And yet in the eyes of the world that was all Jesus was worth: the price of a slave! (Philippians 2:6–8). What is Jesus worth to us? (see Matthew 13:44–46; Mark 14:3–9).

14 Zechariah then broke the staff called “Union”; this signified the breaking apart of the northern and southern kingdoms and the scattering of the Jews. This took place in New Testament times, especially after the Roman invasion of Israel.

15–17 Then, surprisingly, God asked Zechariah to act out the role of a foolish shepherd (verse 15)–that is, one who was ungodly and morally deficient (see Proverbs 1:2–7 and comment). Since the Jews had rejected the good shepherd, God determined that they should get a really bad one, and Zechariah was to be a “sign” that such an evil shepherd would one day arise.³⁰ That shepherd would try to harm the flock, and then he would desert it; in turn, he himself would be harmed and rendered powerless (verse 17).