Thus saith the Lord my God
The Syriac version adds, "to me"; not the Prophet Zechariah, but
the Messiah, who calls the Lord his God, as he was man and
Mediator, ( John 20:17 ) for what
follow are the words of God the Father to him, calling upon him,
and giving him a commission to Feed the flock of the
slaughter;
meaning the people of the Jews in general, to whom Christ was
sent as a prophet, to teach and instruct them by the ministry of
the word; so "feeding" is interpreted of prophesying, by the
Targum and Jarchi: and these are called "the flock of slaughter",
because of the cruel usage they met with from their shepherds and
owners, mentioned in the next verse ( Zechariah
11:5 ) ; and because they were appointed and given up to ruin
and destruction of God, on account of their sins and
transgressions; though there was a remnant among them, a little
flock, afterwards in this chapter called the poor of the flock (
Zechariah 11:7 ) , who
were the special care of Christ, and were fed by him in a
spiritual manner; and may go by this name, because exposed to the
cruelties of men, and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, (
Romans 8:36 )
these Christ was called upon by his Father in the council of
peace to take care of, which he did; and in the everlasting
covenant of grace he agreed to feed them; and in the fulness of
time he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who
were as sheep without a shepherd; and he fed them with knowledge
and with understanding.