Old Testament Commentary - Zechariah 11

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 11 Zechariah speaks Messianically: Messiah shall be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver—It shall be cast to the potter in the house of the Lord.
1 OPEN thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 2 Howl, ^afir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye ^boaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.		8^a TG High Priest, Melchizedek 8^a TG Jesus Christ, David Descent TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies abt 10^a Micah 4:3-4
3 ¶ There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled^a: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. 4 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not ^aguilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am ^brich: and their own shepherds pity them not.	3^a a voice of the howling of the shepherds: for the pride of Jordan is spoiled The 'shepherds' of the people were their leaders. In the days of Jesus it was the high priests and the Pharisees and those of the Sanhedrin. And that which they sought after was power and a position of pride over the people. And for to retain this they had murdered the Messiah, the true heir. But theirs would be hollow and short lived, for their destruction was at hand. And then they would howl and their contrived positions and power over the people would be spoiled.	8^a TG High Priest, Melchizedek 8^a TG Jesus Christ, David Descent TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies abt 10^a Micah 4:3-4
6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. 7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called ^aBands; and I fed the flock.		8^a TG High Priest, Melchizedek 8^a TG Jesus Christ, David Descent TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies abt 10^a Micah 4:3-4
8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
10 ¶ And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock ^athat waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price ^athirty pieces of ^bsilver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the ^apotter: a goodly price that I was ^bprised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even ^aBands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 ¶ And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol ^ashepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.