Zechariah 11
11
The Cry of Trees, Shepherds, and Lions
1Open your doors, Lebanon,
that fire may devour your cedars!
2Wail, cypress trees,
for the cedars are fallen,
the mighty are destroyed!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the dense forest is cut down!
3Listen! the wailing of shepherds,
their glory has been destroyed.
Listen! the roaring of young lions,
the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed.
The Shepherd Narrative.#This narrative has features of an allegory, a parable, and a commissioning narrative. The use of a symbolic action (vv. 7, 10, 14), however, places this text squarely in the tradition of classical prophecy. For example, the staff “Delight” signifies the Mosaic covenant, and the staff “Union” signifies the union of Israel and Judah. Breaking the staffs signifies the breaking of the Mosaic covenant (resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile) and the historical schism between north and south. In this narrative the prophet is the “shepherd” of God’s flock, which is to be slaughtered. The “three shepherds” of v. 8 represent either leaders responsible for the decay in Israelite society or false prophets (cf. vv. 15, 17 and 13:2–6). The service of the good shepherd is contemptuously valued at thirty pieces of silver, the legal indemnity for a gored slave (Ex 21:32). The prophet throws the money into the Temple treasury, showing how poorly God’s love is requited (cf. Mt 26:14–16; 27:5). With great rhetorical irony, payment is rejected. The entire wage-payment scenario may be regarded as another symbolic action, embedded within the primary action. #Ez 34:1. 4Thus says the Lord, my God: Shepherd the flock to be slaughtered.#Jer 12:3. 5For they who buy them slay them and are not held accountable; while those who sell them say, “Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich!” Even their own shepherds will not pity them. 6For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the earth—oracle of the Lord.—Yes, I will deliver them into each other’s power, or into the power of their kings; they will crush the earth, and I will not deliver it out of their power.
7So I shepherded the flock to be slaughtered for the merchants of the flock. I took two staffs: one I called Delight, and the other Union. Thus I shepherded the flock. 8In a single month, I did away with the three shepherds, for I wearied of them, and they disdained me. 9“I will not shepherd you,” I said. “Whoever is to die shall die; whoever is to be done away with shall be done away with; and those who are left shall devour one another’s flesh.”
10Then I took my staff Delight and snapped it in two, breaking my covenant which I had made with all peoples. 11So it was broken on that day. The merchants of the flock, who were watching me, understood that this was the word of the Lord. 12Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.”#Mt 27:3–10. And they counted out my wages,#2 Kgs 12:11; 22:4. thirty pieces of silver. 13Then the Lord said to me, Throw it in the treasury—the handsome price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the Lord. 14Then I snapped in two my second staff, Union, breaking the kinship between Judah and Israel.
15The Lord said to me: This time take the gear of a foolish shepherd.#Ez 34:1–10. 16For I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will take no note of those that disappear, nor seek the strays, nor heal the injured,#Is 42:3; Mt 12:20. nor feed the exhausted; but he will eat the flesh of the fat ones and tear off their hoofs!
Oracle to the Worthless Shepherd
17Ah! my worthless shepherd
who forsakes the flock!#Jer 23:1; Jn 10:12–13.
May the sword fall upon his arm
and upon his right eye;
His arm will surely wither,
and his right eye surely go blind!
Currently Selected:
Zechariah 11: NABRE
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Zecharyah 11
11
1Open thy delatot (gates), O Levanon, that the eish (fire) may devour thy cedars.
2Wail, O cypress, for the cedar is fallen; the mighty is despoiled; wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the dense forest is toppled.
3Hear the sound of the wailing of the ro'im (shepherds); for their glory is destroyed; the sound of the roaring of young lions; for the ga'on of the Yarden (Jordan) is laid waste.
4Thus Hashem Elohai said: Shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter);
5Whose buyers slaughter them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Baruch Hashem, I have become rich! And their own ro'im (shepherds) spare them not.
6Nor will I any more pity the yoshvei ha'aretz (the inhabitants of the land), saith Hashem; and hinei, I will deliver the men every one into his neighborʼs hand, and into the power of his melech; and they shall strike ha'aretz, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
7So I did shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter), even aniyei hatzon (the poor of the flock). And I took unto me two maklot (staffs); the one I called No'am (gracious care), and the other I called Chovelim (bindings);#11:7 of union, cf.11:14 and I did shepherd the tzon (flock).
8Shloshet haro'im (three of the shepherds) also I disposed of in one month; and my nefesh wearied of them, and their nefesh also abhorred me.
9Then said I, I will not shepherd you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those that are left eat every one the basar of another.
10And I took my staff, even No'am, and I broke it asunder, breaking off my Brit (covenant) which I had made with kol ha'amim (all the peoples).
11And it was broken on that day; and so the aniyei hatzon (poor of the flock), who were the shomrim giving heed to me, perceived that this was the Devar Hashem.
12And I said unto them, If ye think tov, give me my sachar (price); and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my sachar (price) shloshim kesef (thirty pieces of silver).
13And Hashem said unto me, Throw it unto the yotzer (potter); the magnificent price that I was priced of them. So I took the shloshim hakesef, and threw them to the yotzer (potter) in the Beis Hashem.#11:13 Ex 21:32; Mt 26:14-15; 27:3-10; Ac 1:18-19
14Then I broke my second staff, called Chovelim, breaking off the achavah (brotherhood) between Yehudah and Yisroel.
15And Hashem said unto me, Take unto thee yet the keli (implements) of a foolish ro'eh (shepherd).
16For, hinei, I will raise up a ro'eh in ha'aretz, which shall not care for the dying, nor look for the na'ar (young one), nor heal that which is injured, nor feed the healthy; but he shall eat the basar of the choice, and tear off their hooves.
17Hoy (woe) to the worthless ro'eh (shepherd) that deserteth the tzon! May the cherev (sword) be upon his zero'a (arm), and upon his right eye; let his zero'a wither away, and his right eye be utterly extinguished.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.