Zechariah 11:12

12 Then I said, "If you want to pay me, pay me. If not, then don't." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

Zechariah 11:12 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 11:12

And I said unto them, If ye think good
Not to the poor of the flock that waited on him, and knew the word of the Lord, and valued it; but to the other Jews that despised Christ and his Gospel:

give me my price;
or, "give my price" ^F9; what I am valued at by you, to Judas the betrayer: or the price due unto him for feeding the flock, such as faith in him, love to him, reverence and worship of him. So the Targum paraphrases it, "do my will". Kimchi says the price is repentance, and good works:

and if not, forbear;
unless all is done freely, willingly, and cheerfully; see ( Ezekiel 2:5 Ezekiel 2:7 ) or, if worth nothing, give nothing:

So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver;
the price a servant was valued at, ( Exodus 21:32 ) see the fulfilment of this prophecy in ( Matthew 26:15 ) . The Jews own ^F11 that this prophecy belongs to the Messiah; but wrongly interpret it of thirty precepts given by him: in just retaliation and righteous judgment, thirty Jews were sold by the Romans for a penny, by way of contempt of them ^F12.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (yrbv wbh) "date mercedem meam", Vatablus, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.
F11 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 98. fol. 85. 3.
F12 Egesippus de Urb. excidio Anacep. p. 680.

Zechariah 11:12 In-Context

10 Then I broke the stick named Pleasant to break the agreement God made with all the nations.

11 That day it was broken. The weak ones in the flock who were watching me knew this message was from the Lord.

12 Then I said, "If you want to pay me, pay me. If not, then don't." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

13 The Lord said to me, "Throw the money to the potter." That is how little they thought I was worth. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the Lord.

14 Then I broke the second stick, named Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.