Zechariah Chapter 11

From The Open Bible Project

11:1 Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars.

• (a) Because the Jews thought themselves so strong by reason of this mountain, that no enemy could come to hurt them, the Prophet shows that when God sends the enemies, it will show itself ready to receive them.

11:2 Wail, fir tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down.

• (b) Showing that if the strong men were destroyed, the weaker were not able to resist.
• (c) Seeing that Lebanon was destroyed, which was the strongest fortress, the weaker places could not hope to hold out.

11:3 A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.

• (d) That is, the fame of Judah and Israel would perish.

11:4 Thus says Yahweh my God: "Feed the flock of slaughter.

• (e) Which being now destined to be slain, were delivered as out of the lion’s mouth.

11:5 Their buyers slaughter them, and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;' and their own shepherds don't pity them.

• (f) Their governors destroy them without any remorse of conscience, or yet thinking that they do evil.

(* g) He notes the hypocrites, who always have the name of God in their mouths, though in their life and doings they deny God, attributing their gain to God’s blessings, which comes from the wealth of their brethren.

11:6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land," says Yahweh; "but, behold, I will deliver the men everyone into his neighbor's hand, and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them."

• (h) I will cause one to destroy another.
• (i) Their governors will execute cruelty over them.

11:7 So I fed the flock of slaughter, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called "Favor," and the other I called "Union," and I fed the flock.

• (k) That is, the small remnant, whom he though worthy to show mercy to.
• (l) God shows his great benefits toward his people to convince them of greater ingratitude, who would neither be ruled by his most beautiful order of government, neither continue in the bands of brotherly unity, and therefore he breaks both the one and the other. Some read "Destroyers" instead of "Bands", but in (Zechariah 11:14) the second reading is confirmed.

11:8 I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.

• (m) By which he shows his care and diligence that he would not allow them to have evil rulers, so that they would consider his great love.
• (n) Meaning, the people, because they would not acknowledge these great benefits of God.

11:9 Then I said, "I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other's flesh."

11:10 I took my staff Favor, and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.

11:11 It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was the word of Yahweh.

• (o) He shows that the least always profit by God’s judgments.

11:12 I said to them, "If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them." So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

• (p) Besides their ingratitude, God accuses them of malice and wickedness, who did not only forget his benefits, but esteemed them as nothing.

11:13 Yahweh said to me, "Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I was valued at by them!" I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in the house of Yahweh.

• (q) Showing that it was too little to pay his wages with, which could hardly suffice to make a few tiles to cover the temple.

11:14 Then I cut apart my other staff, even Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

11:15 Yahweh said to me, "Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.

• (r) Signifying that they should have a certain type of regiment and outward show of government: but in effect it would be nothing, for they would be wolves, and devouring beasts instead of shepherds.

11:16 For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.

• (s) And is in health and sound.

11:17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!"

• (t) By the arm he signifies strength, as he does wisdom and judgments by the eye: that is, the plague of God will take away both your strength and judgment.