Zacarías 11:9

9 Y dije: No os apacentaré más; la que muriere, muera; y la que se perdiere, se pierda; y las que quedaren, que cada una coma la carne de su compañera

Zacarías 11:9 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 11:9

Then said I, I will not feed you
That is, any longer; either personally, or by his apostles; he fed them himself, during his public ministry; and afterwards by his apostles, whom he ordered to preach the Gospel to the Jews first; but that being contradicted, blasphemed, and despised by them, they were ordered to turn away from them, and go to the Gentiles: this shows that not the shepherds only, but the body of the people, abhorred Christ and his Gospel: and therefore it was taken away from them: that that dieth, let it die;
literally, by the pestilence, that going by the name of death in Scripture; and spiritually, they that are dead in sin, let them continue so; let them die through famine of the word they have despised; let them die in their sins, and die the second death, they justly deserve: and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off;
literally, by the sword; spiritually, the meaning is, that whereas some were in righteous judgment appointed to ruin, vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; let them be left to themselves, to a judicial blindness, and hardness of heart, and be cut off as unfruitful branches, and be no more in a church state here, and hereafter cast into everlasting burnings: and let the rest eat everyone the flesh of another;
through famine; or destroy each other in their internal divisions, which was the case of the Jews, when Jerusalem was besieged; see ( Galatians 5:15 ) .

Zacarías 11:9 In-Context

7 Y apacentaré, pues, las ovejas de la matanza, es a saber, a los pobres del rebaño. Porque yo me tomé dos cayados; al uno puse por nombre Suavidad, y al otro Ligaduras; y apacenté las ovejas

8 E hice matar tres pastores en un mes, y mi alma se angustió por ellos, y también el alma de ellos me aborreció a mí

9 Y dije: No os apacentaré más; la que muriere, muera; y la que se perdiere, se pierda; y las que quedaren, que cada una coma la carne de su compañera

10 Y tomé mi cayado Suavidad, y lo quebré, para deshacer mi pacto que concerté con todos los pueblos

11 Y fue deshecho en ese día, y así conocieron los pobres del rebaño que miran a mí, que era palabra del SEÑOR