Zaccaria 11

1 APRI, o Libano, le tue porte, e il fuoco consumerà i tuoi cedri.

2 Urlate, abeti; perciocchè i cedri son caduti, e gli alberi nobili sono stati guasti; urlate, querce di Basan; perciocchè la selva chiusa è stata abbattuta.

3 Vi è un grido d’urlo de’ pastori, perciocchè la lor gloria è stata guasta; vi è un grido di ruggito de’ leoncelli, perciocchè l’altezza del Giordano è stata guasta.

4 Così ha detto il Signore Iddio mio: Pastura le pecore esposte ad uccisione;

5 i cui comperatori le uccidono, e non ne son tenuti colpevoli; ed i cui venditori dicono: Benedetto sia il Signore; io son pure arricchito; ed i cui pastori non le risparmiano punto.

6 Perciocchè io non risparmierò più gli abitanti del paese, dice il Signore; anzi ecco, io farò cader gli uomini nelle mani l’un dell’altro, e nelle mani del loro re; ed essi metteranno il paese in conquasso, ed io non li riscoterò dalle lor mani.

7 Io adunque pasturai le pecore esposte ad uccisione, che son veramente le più povere della greggia; e mi presi due verghe; all’una posi nome: Piacevolezza, e all’altra posi nome: Vincoli; e pasturai la greggia.

8 Ed io sterminai tre pastori in un mese; ma l’anima mia si accorò per essi, ed anche l’anima loro mi ebbe a sdegno.

9 Ed io dissi: Io non vi pasturerò più; quella che muore muoia, quella che perisce perisca, e quelle che rimangono mangino la carne l’una dell’altra.

10 Ed io presi la mia verga, detta Piacevolezza, e la spezzai; annullando il mio patto, che io avea fatto con tutti i popoli.

11 E quello fu annullato in quel giorno, e i poveri d’infra la greggia che mi osservavano conobbero che ciò era parola del Signore.

12 Ed io dissi loro: Se così vi piace, datemi il mio premio; se no, rimanetevene. Ed essi mi pesarono trenta sicli d’argento per lo mio premio.

13 E il Signore mi disse: Gettali via, perchè sien dati ad un vasellaio; quest’è il prezzo onorevole, nel quale io sono stato da loro apprezzato. Io presi adunque i trenta sicli d’argento, e li gettai nella Casa del Signore, per esser dati ad un vasellaio.

14 Poi ruppi la mia seconda verga, detta Vincoli, rompendo la fratellanza fra Giuda ed Israele.

15 E il Signore mi disse: Prenditi ancora gli arnesi d’un pazzo pastore.

16 Perciocchè, ecco, io farò sorgere nel paese un pastore, il qual non avrà cura delle pecore che periranno; egli non cercherà le disperse, e non risanerà le fiaccate, e non sostenterà quelle che stanno ancora in piè; anzi mangerà la carne delle grasse, e schianterà loro le unghie.

17 Guia al pastore da nulla, che abbandona la greggia; la spada soprasta al suo braccio, ed al suo occhio destro; il suo braccio si seccherà del tutto, ed il suo occhio destro sarà del tutto oscurato.

Zaccaria 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

Destruction to come upon the Jews. (1-3) The Lord's dealing with the Jews. (4-14) The emblem and curse of a foolish shepherd. (15-17)

Verses 1-3 In figurative expressions, that destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish church and nation, is foretold, which our Lord Jesus, when the time was at hand, prophesied plainly and expressly. How can the fir trees stand, if the cedars fall? The falls of the wise and good into sin, and the falls of the rich and great into trouble, are loud alarms to those every way their inferiors. It is sad with a people, when those who should be as shepherds to them, are as young lions. The pride of Jordan was the thickets on the banks; and when the river overflowed the banks, the lions came up from them roaring. Thus the doom of Jerusalem may alarm other churches.

Verses 4-14 Christ came into this world for judgment to the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those have their minds wofully blinded, who do ill, and justify themselves in it; but God will not hold those guiltless who hold themselves so. How can we go to God to beg a blessing on unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for success in them? There was a general decay of religion among them, and they regarded it not. The Good Shepherd would feed his flock, but his attention would chiefly be directed to the poor. As an emblem, the prophet seems to have taken two staves; Beauty, denoted the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their national covenant; the other he called Bands, denoting the harmony which hitherto united them as the flock of God. But they chose to cleave to false teachers. The carnal mind and the friendship of the world are enmity to God; and God hates all the workers of iniquity: it is easy to foresee what this will end in. The prophet demanded wages, or a reward, and received thirty pieces of silver. By Divine direction he cast it to the potter, as in disdain for the smallness of the sum. This shadowed forth the bargain of Judas to betray Christ, and the final method of applying it. Nothing ruins a people so certainly, as weakening the brotherhood among them. This follows the dissolving of the covenant between God and them: when sin abounds, love waxes cold, and civil contests follow. No wonder if those fall out among themselves, who have provoked God to fall out with them. Wilful contempt of Christ is the great cause of men's ruin. And if professors rightly valued Christ, they would not contend about little matters.

Verses 15-17 God, having showed the misery of this people in their being justly left by the Good Shepherd, shows their further misery in being abused by foolish shepherds. The description suits the character Christ gives of the scribes and Pharisees. They never do any thing to support the weak, or comfort the feeble-minded; but seek their own ease, while they are barbarous to the flock. The idol shepherd has the garb and appearance of a shepherd, receives submission, and is supported at much expense; but he leaves the flock to perish through neglect, or leads them to ruin by his example. This suits many in different churches and nations, but the warning had an awful fulfilment in the Jewish teachers. And while such deceive others to their ruin, they will themselves have the deepest condemnation.

Chapter Summary

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.