Zacarías 11

1 Líbano, abre tus puertas,
para que el fuego pueda devorar tus bosques de cedro.

2 Lloren, ustedes cipreses, por todos los cedros arruinados;
han caído los más majestuosos.
Lloren, ustedes robles de Basán,
porque los tupidos bosques han sido talados.

3 Escuchen el gemido de los pastores
porque se destruyeron sus abundantes pastizales.
Oigan rugir a los leones jóvenes
porque se arruinaron sus matorrales en el valle del Jordán.

4 Buenos y malos pastores
El Señor
mi Dios dice: «Ve y cuida del rebaño que está destinado para el matadero.

5 Los compradores matan a las ovejas sin remordimiento. Los vendedores dicen: “¡Gloria al Señor
! ¡Ahora soy rico!”. Ni siquiera los pastores tienen compasión de las ovejas.

6 De la misma manera, ya no tendré compasión de la gente de la tierra —dice el Señor
—. Permitiré que uno caiga en manos del otro y en manos de su rey. Convertirán la tierra en un desierto y yo no los rescataré».

7 Así que cuidé el rebaño destinado al matadero, el rebaño que fue oprimido. Entonces tomé dos varas de pastor y a una nombré Favor y a la otra Unión.

8 En un solo mes me deshice de los tres pastores malvados.
Sin embargo, perdí la paciencia con estas ovejas y ellas también me odiaron.

9 Así que les dije: «Ya no seré su pastor. Si se mueren, que se mueran. Si las matan, que las maten. ¡Y que las sobrevivientes se devoren unas a otras!».

10 Entonces tomé mi vara llamada Favor y la partí en dos para mostrar que había revocado el pacto que había hecho con todas las naciones.

11 Así terminó mi pacto con ellas. El sufrido rebaño me miraba y sabían que el Señor
hablaba por medio de mis acciones.

12 Así que les dije: «Si les parece bien, páguenme lo que consideren que merezco; pero solo si quieren». Entonces ellos valuaron mi pago en treinta piezas de plata.

13 Luego el Señor
me dijo: «Arrójalas al alfarero
», ¡esta magnífica cantidad con que me valuaron! Así que tomé las treinta monedas y las lancé al alfarero en el templo del Señor
.

14 Después tomé mi otra vara, Unión, y la partí en dos para mostrar que el lazo de unidad entre Judá e Israel estaba roto.

15 Entonces el Señor
me dijo: «Ve nuevamente e interpreta el papel de pastor irresponsable.

16 Así ilustrarás que le daré a esta nación un pastor que no cuidará de las que están muriendo, ni protegerá a las pequeñas,
ni sanará a las heridas, ni alimentará a las sanas. Al contrario, este pastor se comerá la carne de las ovejas más gordas y les arrancará las pezuñas.

17 »¡Qué aflicción le espera a este pastor despreciable
que abandona el rebaño!
La espada cortará su brazo
y perforará su ojo derecho.
Su brazo quedará inútil
y su ojo derecho completamente ciego».

Zacarías 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.