Zacharias 11:8-17

8 And I will cut off three shepherds in one month; and my soul shall grieve over them, for their souls cried out against me.
9 And I said, I will not tend you: that which dies, let it die; and that which falls off, let it fall off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of his neighbour.
10 And I will take my beautiful staff, and cast it away, that I may break my covenant which I made with all the people.
11 And it shall be broken in that day; and the Chananites, the sheep that are kept for me, shall know that it is the word of the Lord.
12 And I will say to them, If it be good in your eyes, give my price, or refuse it. And they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, Drop them into the furnace, and I will see if it is good , as I was proved for their sakes. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the furnace in the house of the Lord.
14 And I cast away second rod, Line, that I might break the possession between Juda and Israel.
15 And the Lord said to me, Take yet to thee shepherd's implements belonging to an unskillful shepherd.
16 For, behold, I raise up a shepherd against the land: he shall not visit that which is perishing, and he shall not seek that which is scattered, and he shall not heal that which is bruised, nor guide that which is whole: but he shall devour the flesh of the choice , and shall dislocate the joints .
17 Alas for the vain shepherds that have forsaken the sheep! the sword upon the arms of such a one, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be completely withered, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Zacharias 11:8-17 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes 5

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.