Zechariah 11:4–17

11:4 In the first sign-action, God calls Zechariah to play the role of “shepherd of the flock.” In doing so he represents the Lord as “shepherd” to portray the history of his relationship with the “flock,” the nation of Israel (cf. Jer. 12:3). The phrase “my God” indicates the close relationship between Zechariah and the Lord. The description of the flock as “doomed to slaughter” (also Zech. 11:7) anticipates verse 6, where God’s judgment of Israel is portrayed.

11:5–6 The reason for God’s judgment of his people is given in these verses: “their own shepherds have no pity on them” (v. 5). Historically the leaders of the nation (particularly the kings) failed to rule with justice and righteousness. Rather than serving as good shepherds by guiding, protecting, saving, gathering, and nourishing the flock (cf. comment on 10:1–2), the leaders used the flock for their own advantage by selling them (11:5). This probably refers to political alliances with foreign kings that were costly and oppressive to God’s people (e.g., 2 Kings 16:8; 17:3). To make matters worse, the sellers mock God by boasting, “Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich” (Zech. 11:5). Their pious words only mask greed; their actions show they have “no pity” or compassion for the flock (cf. Jer. 23:1–2; Ezekiel 34).

The future tense in this section does not mean the sign-action represents the future; it is future only in the context of Zechariah’s acting it out. The events represented in the sign-action have already happened. The same phenomenon occurs when Ezekiel is commanded to lie upon his side (future) in order to depict a period of 390 years that has already been running for centuries (cf. Ezek. 4:4–5).¹

God explains that his patience with his people and their leaders finally ran out. He declares, “I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land” (Zech. 11:6). Instead, God handed them over to their enemies, described as “his neighbor, and . . . his king.” The judgment depicted in verse 6 fell upon the northern kingdom of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians and their king Shalmaneser in 722 BC (2 Kings 17). It fell upon the southern kingdom of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians and their king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC (2 Kings 25). These events were devastating.

11:7–9 Acting out the sign-action, Zechariah takes up two staffs to shepherd the flock.² Shepherds used the staff to discipline sheep (e.g., Ezek. 20:37) and as a weapon against wild animals that might attack the sheep (e.g., 1 Sam. 17:43). A staff also provided stability for the shepherds as they walked (e.g., Ex. 12:11). These staffs are given the names “Favor” and “Union,” explained in Zech. 11:10, 14.

The one month in which Zechariah “destroyed the three shepherds” is difficult to determine. Some suggest “one month” represents a short space of time and refers to the removal of the last three kings of Judah (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah) in quick succession. Another suggestion is that it refers to the one month in which Jerusalem fell and its leadership was exiled or killed (cf. Jer. 52:6, 12). In this case the “three shepherds” may represent the types of leadership that were removed at this time—king, prophets, and priests (cf. Jer. 52:10, 15, 24–27).

Zechariah reports that the people “detested me.” In doing so, they revealed their attitude toward God. After persevering with a rebellious people, God’s patience eventually ran out (Zech. 11:8), so he ceased shepherding his people and handed them over to defeat by the nations and exile (v. 9). The chilling charge, “Let those who are left devour the flesh of one another,” refers to what happens in the siege of a city when dead corpses are eaten for food due to desperate hunger. The book of Lamentations attests that this happened during the siege of Jerusalem before it fell (Lam. 2:20; 4:10; cf. Deut. 28:53; Jer. 19:9).

11:10–11 Zechariah breaks the first staff, called “Favor” (this can also be translated “Grace” or “Kindness”). This staff represents the “covenant that I had made with all the peoples.” While unusual, elsewhere the term “peoples” can refer to the whole nation of Israel, that is, “all the peoples” of Israel and Judah (cf. Isa. 3:13; Mic. 1:1–2). Hence, “covenant” most likely refers to the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai, mediated through Moses. Indeed, the judgment of exile was a curse threatened in the Mosaic covenant for rejecting God’s covenant requirements (e.g., Deut. 28:36, 45–68). The breaking of the staff is explained as “annulling the covenant” (cf. Jer. 31:32; Ezek. 44:7). Elsewhere God promises never to break this covenant (Lev. 26:44; Judg. 2:1), and here he is certainly not breaking its terms. Rather, since the people have broken the covenant by detesting him and rejecting him as Lord, he declares the covenant annulled (cf. Ex. 32:19). Yet, while God handed his people over to the covenant curses, he still remained firmly committed to them—the rest of Zechariah indicates that God restored his people after exile and intends to bless them once again in a new covenant relationship.

Some of the “afflicted of the flock” (cf. note 42, above) recognize that the punishment is in accordance with the word of the Lord as set out in the covenant curses of Leviticus and Deuteronomy and reiterated by Israel’s prophets.

11:12–13 Zechariah gives the people an opportunity to pay him for his prophecies; they willingly accept, and pay him “thirty pieces of silver.” In Exodus 21:32 this is the price of a slave, and it could be considered a reasonable sum. However, paying off Zechariah with any amount is an insult, indicating that the people have utterly rejected God as shepherd and are just as responsible as their leaders for God’s judgment.

Zechariah throws the money to the potter in the temple (Zech. 11:12), perhaps indicating he will not profit from his prophetic activity (cf. Amos 7:12). “Potter” can also be translated “molder” and may have been one who melted down metal to remit to Persia as taxes.

11:14 The name of the second staff is “Union,” conveying the idea of binding two parties together. Zechariah’s breaking this staff represents the division of Solomon’s kingdom into Israel under Jeroboam and Judah under Rehoboam (cf. 1 Kings 12). Elsewhere, Zechariah promises the reunion of Israel and Judah (e.g., Zech. 10:6–7; 12:12–14; cf. Ezek. 37:15–28). This first sign-action of breaking two staffs indicates that the division of the kingdom and the exile came about because the people persistently rejected the Lord as their shepherd. While historically these events happened the other way around, Zechariah’s sign-action conveys these significant moments in the nation’s history in a more general way.

11:15–17 The second sign-action shows the people have received the leadership they deserved for their rejection of the Lord. Zechariah is instructed to “take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.” The equipment is not specified but could be another staff or some kind of clothing (e.g., Deut. 22:5) or weapon (e.g., Gen. 49:5). The description “foolish” indicates someone who rejects the Lord and engages in evil behavior. Here the “foolish shepherd” does not care for the weak and vulnerable of the flock or feed the healthy, but instead devours and feasts on the fat sheep of the flock, tearing off their hoofs like a lion. This connects to the lions of Zechariah 11:3, who represent foreign rulers presently ravaging and feeding on God’s people. This sign-action reiterates that the Lord has raised up oppressive leadership in judgment on his people for their rejection of him as shepherd. The description “my worthless shepherd” (v. 17) indicates this shepherd functions as the Lord’s agent even though he is “foolish.” This description readily calls to mind foreign kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus.

The Lord’s last word announces judgment on the “worthless shepherd” (v. 17). “Woe” often introduces a prophetic judgment oracle (e.g., Isa. 5:8; Jer. 23:1; Amos 5:18). This connects to Zechariah 10:3 and 11:1–3, which also announce the destruction of foreign shepherds. The coming judgment (a withered arm and blinded eye) will render the shepherd unable to continue his role.