Zechariah 11

Notes on the verses

Chap. XI. Ver. 1. Open thy doors, O Lebanon.—[By Lebanon is meant the temple, built of cedars from that mountain, ((1 Kings 5:18-18),) the destruction of which, along with Jerusalem, by the Romans, is here predicted. Josephus and other Jewish writers relate, that previous to its destruction, the eastern gate of the temple, which required 20 men to shut it, opened of its own accord.—B. —Blayney is of opinion, that “These first three verses can relate only to the destruction of the city and temple by the Romans; and such (he adds) was the application made by Rabbi Johanan.”] Ver. 2. The forest of the vintage.—See margin. Newcome remarks, “‘The original word is applied to cedars and vines.”’

(Ezekiel 17:8-23), Ver. 3. The pride of Jordan:—The wood on its banks, the resort of lions. (Jeremiah 49:19), Ver. 4. The flock of the slaughter—Or, of slaughter: Jewish chureb, now devoted to destruction by the hand of (2 Kings 24:14-16), and sequel. Ver. 7. The staves—That is, shepherds’ staves; Newcome, ‘crooks.’——The one I called BEAUTY—“To intimate how beautiful and pleasant the land would have been, if its inhabitants had kept their covenant with God.”* The other called BANDS—“To signify the union which ought to have subsisted between Judah and Israel.” Newcome. Ver. 8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month.—It is, perhaps, best to confess we do not understand this. Neither Blayney, Newcome, nor Boothroyd, throw any light upon it, farther than the general remark, (often made,) that the prophets are in Scripture said to do what they are commanded only to predict.

See (Jeremiah 1:10). Ver. 9. The flesh of another.—See margin. a fuming. See (Deuteronomy 28:53-57). r, as ver. 7: i.e. the flesh of the Chaldeans. See The most dreadful feature of Ver. 10. It was broken—That is, “His covenant of feeding the flock.” Ver. 11. So the poor.—*The common people, who observed this action of the prophet, understood it to be symbolical, and to represent toward their [pastors] the [way] God’s conduct [was]. Ver. 12. Give me my price—“Rate my labours as a true shepherd.” And they rated them contemptuously; thirty pieces of silver being the [usual] [price]. See (Exodus 21:32). See ver. 13. Have been prized.—*Jehovah calls the price of the prophet his own price, and commands that it should not be accepted.”

In the house of the Lord.—It is natural to suppose that the prophet met, in some part of the temple, the potter who made the vessels for sacred use. Mote had I might break the brotherhood.—From this verse it has been inferred, that the chapter must have been written before the separation of the two kingdoms, or at least before the captivity of Israel. But this is not conclusive. These words might refer only to the disunion of the returned captives, and to the dissensions breaking out amongst them: and so they are unap [plied to] [the] [present] [circumstances]. Ver. 15. The instruments of a foolish shepherd.—What [are] certainly what were unsuitable and improper; intimating, [that] [the] [false] teachers and rulers took wrong means to fulfil their duties, for which they were to be blamed.

[Parenthetically] to give account. Ver. 16. I will raise up—That is, I will permit such a one to [come] forward, whose character and fate is here described. Ver. 17. Wo to the idol shepherd.—This will apply equally to king or priest, who may be an idolater. See (Ezekiel 34:3-4).——Their claws—Or “hoofs.”