The Prophets · Old Testament
Zechariah 11
Zechariah 11: the flock of slaughter, two broken staves and thirty pieces of silver
General context
Lebanon is told to open its doors for fire to devour its cedars, the fir tree and the oaks of Bashan are told to howl, and shepherds howl because their glory is spoiled. The Lord tells the speaker to feed the flock of the slaughter, whose owners slay them and hold themselves guiltless, whose sellers bless the Lord for their own riches, and whose shepherds do not pity them. The Lord says he will no more pity the inhabitants of the land but will deliver every man into his neighbour's hand and into his king's hand. The speaker feeds the flock, taking two staves, one called Beauty and the other Bands. He cuts off three shepherds in one month, and says his soul loathed them and their soul abhorred him. He then refuses to feed them, letting what dies die and what is cut off be cut off, and the rest eat one another's flesh. He takes the staff called Beauty and cuts it asunder to break the covenant made with all the people, and it is broken that day, so the poor of the flock who waited on him know it was the word of the Lord. He asks for his price and thirty pieces of silver are weighed out. The Lord tells him to cast it to the potter, calling it a goodly price to be valued at, and he casts the thirty pieces to the potter in the house of the Lord. He cuts the second staff, Bands, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. He is then told to take the instruments of a foolish shepherd, since a shepherd will be raised up who does not seek or heal the flock but eats their flesh, and the chapter ends with a woe on the idol shepherd whose arm and right eye are struck.
Cited passages: Zechariah 11:1, Zechariah 11:2, Zechariah 11:3, Zechariah 11:4, Zechariah 11:5, Zechariah 11:6, Zechariah 11:7, Zechariah 11:8, Zechariah 11:9, Zechariah 11:10, Zechariah 11:11, Zechariah 11:12, Zechariah 11:13, Zechariah 11:14, Zechariah 11:15, Zechariah 11:16, Zechariah 11:17
Zechariah 11 (KJV)
1Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
2Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
3There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
4Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
5Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
6For 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.
7And 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 Bands; and I fed the flock.
8Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9Then 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.
10And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.
12And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
14Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16For, 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.
17Woe to the idol shepherd 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.
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Historical context
The chapter names no prophet; Zechariah is not mentioned by name anywhere in chapters 9 to 14. The speaker is a first person who receives commands from "the Lord my God" and carries them out, and the text does not say who he is beyond what he does. The three shepherds cut off in one month are not named or described, and the text does not say how they were cut off. The possessors, sellers and shepherds of verse 5 are named only by those roles. The thirty pieces of silver are weighed as the speaker's own price by those he addresses, and the Lord's instruction is, "Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them." The potter is not identified, and the silver is cast "to the potter in the house of the Lord." A later book cites a similar passage: Matthew 27:9 says, "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value," with Matthew 27:10 adding the potter's field. The wording there differs from this chapter and names a different prophet, and the text does not settle the relation. The covenant broken in verse 10 is described only as one "made with all the people."
Cited passages: Zechariah 11:4, Zechariah 11:5, Zechariah 11:8, Zechariah 11:10, Zechariah 11:12, Zechariah 11:13, Matthew 27:9, Matthew 27:10, Zechariah 11:7, Zechariah 11:14
Literary context
The chapter opens in trees and ends in a body. Fire moves from Lebanon's cedars to Bashan's oaks to the howling of shepherds, and only then does a flock appear. The sign-act that follows is told as plain narrative inside a book of oracles: a man takes two staves, names them, feeds, cuts, is paid and throws the money away. Naming the staves Beauty and Bands makes the later cutting readable as two separate breakings, a covenant and a brotherhood, and the text says so as each staff is broken. Verse 11 records the only witnesses who understand, the poor of the flock that waited, which puts the meaning of the act in their hands rather than the buyers'. The price scene is quiet and brutal: he offers them the choice to pay or forbear, they weigh thirty pieces, and the money is called a goodly price in a tone the chapter does not soften. The last image inverts the shepherd's care item by item, not visiting, not seeking, not healing, not feeding, and the closing woe takes the arm that should carry and the eye that should watch.
Cited passages: Zechariah 11:1, Zechariah 11:2, Zechariah 11:3, Zechariah 11:7, Zechariah 11:9, Zechariah 11:10, Zechariah 11:11, Zechariah 11:12, Zechariah 11:13, Zechariah 11:14, Zechariah 11:16, Zechariah 11:17
Key moments
- Fire in Lebanon (Zechariah 11:1). Lebanon is told to open its doors for fire to devour its cedars.
- Feed the flock of slaughter (Zechariah 11:4). The Lord commands the speaker to shepherd a flock kept for killing.
- Two staves named (Zechariah 11:7). The speaker takes staves called Beauty and Bands and feeds the flock.
- Beauty cut asunder (Zechariah 11:10). The first staff is broken to break the covenant made with all the people.
- Thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). The people weigh out thirty pieces as the speaker’s price.
- Cast to the potter (Zechariah 11:13). The silver is thrown to the potter in the house of the Lord.
- Woe to the idol shepherd (Zechariah 11:17). A shepherd who abandons the flock is struck in arm and right eye.
For reflection
The flock is bought, sold and pitied by no one, and the only ones who recognise the broken staff are the poor of the flock who waited. Why might the text give understanding to them and not to the owners?
