Zacarías 11

1 OH Líbano, abre tus puertas, y queme fuego tus cedros.

2 Aulla, oh haya, porque el cedro cayó, porque los magníficos son talados. Aullad, alcornoques de Basán, porque el fuerte monte es derribado.

3 Voz de aullido de pastores, porque su magnificencia es asolada; estruendo de bramidos de cachorros de leones, porque la soberbia del Jordán es destruída.

4 Así ha dicho Jehová mi Dios: Apacienta las ovejas de la matanza;

5 A las cuales mataban sus compradores, y no se tenían por culpables; y el que las vendía, decía: Bendito sea Jehová, que he enriquecido; ni sus pastores tenían piedad de ellas.

6 Por tanto, no más tendré piedad de los moradores de la tierra, dice Jehová: porque he aquí, yo entregaré los hombres, cada cual en mano de su compañero, y en mano de su rey; y quebrantarán la tierra, y yo no libraré de sus manos.

7 Apacenté pues las ovejas de la matanza, es á saber, los pobres del rebaño. Y me tomé dos cayados; al uno puse por nombre Suavidad, y al otro Ataduras; 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 á mí.

9 Y dije: No os apacentaré; 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 Tomé luego mi cayado Suavidad, y quebrélo, para deshacer mi pacto que concerté con todos los pueblos.

11 Y fué deshecho en ese día, y así conocieron los pobres del rebaño que miran á mí, que era palabra de Jehová.

12 Y díjeles: Si os parece bien, dadme mi salario; y si no, dejadlo. Y pesaron para mi salario treinta piezas de plata.

13 Y díjome Jehová: Echalo al tesorero, hermoso precio con que me han apreciado. Y tomé las treinta piezas de plata, y echélas en la casa de Jehová al tesorero.

14 Quebré luego el otro mi cayado Ataduras, para romper la hermandad entre Judá é Israel.

15 Y díjome Jehová: Toma aún el hato de un pastor insensato;

16 (11-15) porque he aquí, yo levanto pastor en la tierra, que no visitará las perdidas, no buscará la pequeña, no curará la perniquebrada, ni llevará la cansada á cuestas; sino que se comerá la carne de la gruesa, y romperá sus uñas.

17 (11-16) Mal haya el pastor de nada, que deja el ganado. Espada sobre su brazo, y sobre su ojo derecho: del todo se secará su brazo, y enteramente será su ojo derecho oscurecido.

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.