Zechariah 11

This chapter belongs to the second part of Zechariah (chapters 9–14). Zechariah 10 ends with the promise that the scattered house of Judah and house of Joseph will be gathered and restored. Chapter 11, by contrast, contains laments of judgment and the symbolic actions of a rejected shepherd.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The cedars of Lebanon burn, and the oaks of Bashan fall. The shepherds howl and the young lions roar, "for the pride of Jordan is spoiled."
• Verses 4–6 The LORD commands the prophet, "Feed the flock of the slaughter." Those who buy the sheep slay them without guilt, and those who sell them praise the LORD that they have become rich. The LORD declares that He will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land.
• Verses 7–11 The prophet takes two staffs, calling one "Beauty" and the other "Bands" (that is, a binding together into one), and feeds the flock. In one month he cuts off three shepherds and declares that he will no longer feed the flock. He then breaks the staff Beauty, annulling the covenant made with all the people, and the poor of the flock know that this is the word of the LORD.
• Verses 12–14 When the prophet asks for his wages ("my price"), they weigh out thirty pieces of silver. At the LORD's command, the prophet casts the silver to the potter in the house of the LORD. He then breaks the staff Bands, severing the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
• Verses 15–17 The prophet is commanded to take the instruments of a foolish shepherd. The LORD declares that He will raise up a shepherd who will not care for the sheep but will eat the flesh of the fat ones, and He pronounces that a sword will come upon the arm and the right eye of the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock.

Key Verses

• Zechariah 11:7 "The one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands": Throughout the chapter, the breaking of the two staffs symbolizes the breaking of the covenant and of the community.
• Zechariah 11:12–13 "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver": This passage is linked to the New Testament account of Judas Iscariot.
• Zechariah 11:17 "Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock!": A pronouncement of judgment against false leaders.

People and Places

• Zechariah: The prophet of this book. In this chapter he takes on the role of a shepherd.
• The three shepherds: Leaders cut off within one month. The text does not identify them.
• The potter: The recipient of the thirty pieces of silver, portrayed as connected with the house of the LORD (the Temple in Jerusalem).
• Lebanon and Bashan: Northern regions renowned for their cedars and oaks.
• Jordan: "The pride of Jordan" refers to the thickets along the Jordan River.

Points for Reflection

• The placement of verses 1–3: Some interpreters regard these verses as concluding the judgment on the nations in chapter 10, while others see them as introducing the judgment on Israel in chapter 11.
• The identity of the three shepherds: Various proposals have been offered, including historical kings, priests, and foreign rulers, but there is no consensus.
• The nature of the symbolic actions: Opinions also differ as to whether the prophet actually performed these acts or whether they are a vision or a figurative description.
• The meaning of the thirty pieces of silver: In Exodus 21:32, thirty shekels of silver is the compensation owed for a servant gored by an ox. For this reason many interpreters read these wages as an insultingly low price. The text itself, however, does not explicitly connect the two passages.
• Relationship to Matthew: Matthew 27:9–10 cites this passage as fulfilled when the thirty pieces of silver returned by Judas Iscariot were used to buy the potter's field, attributing the words to what "was spoken by Jeremy the prophet." Several explanations have been offered:
• That it is a composite citation drawing together material from Jeremiah 18, 19, and 32, which mention a potter and the purchase of a field
• That it names the better-known prophet as representative
• The worthless shepherd: Some interpret this figure as a wicked historical ruler, and some connect it with the eschatological Antichrist.
• Related passages: The contrast between the good shepherd and the wicked shepherd is read alongside Ezekiel 34, the Good Shepherd of John 10, and Zechariah 13, which depicts the striking of the shepherd.
• Authorship: Some critical scholars regard chapters 9–14 as having been composed in a later period, after Zechariah's time. Conservative denominations and scholars attribute them to Zechariah.

In the Korean Church

The chapter is often cited during Holy Week in sermons on Judas's betrayal and the thirty pieces of silver. In sermons on pastoral responsibility, the "worthless shepherd" serves as a cautionary text.