Zechariah 11

Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! Zechariah 11:1

This chapter is deeply spiritual, symbolic and mysterious. Barnes comments, “Lebanon has of old been understood to be the temple, which was built with cedars of Lebanon” [1] Baldwin says, “The cedar was used as a symbol of the royal house of Judah in Ezekiel (17:3, 4, 12f.).” [2] Pfeiffer and Harrison add: “The events of this chapter are set in the time of the earthly ministry of the Shepherd of Israel, and his rejection by them, with its consequences in AD 70. They speak of the dark hour of Israel’s national history.” [3] Of course, the darkness of this hour was the result of Israel rejecting her own Messiah, Jesus. Within one generation of his crucifixion, Jerusalem and the temple were burned with fire and destroyed. The historian Josephus gives us an interesting and even eerie account:

Moreover the eastern gate of the inner, [court of the temple] which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolt fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night…the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. [4]

“Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!” (11:2). Barnes says, “The more glorious and stately, ‘the cedars,’ were destroyed. Woe then to the rest…” [5] That would certainly include the junipers. Many of the other translations render this as “cypress.” We should note that the cypress tree was also used in the construction of the temple floors, doors and panels (1 Ki. 6:15; 6:34; 2 Chr. 3:5). [6] Even less impressive still were the oaks of Bashan and other forests. The destruction of these mighty trees was surely a picture of the high and mighty in Israel who were about to be cut down. It was also a picture of an evil government that must fall in God’s judgment.

“Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!” (11:3). Now the prophet comes out clearly to focus on the real culprits in Israel – the shepherds and leaders. The shepherds are howling because their profitable religious game was about over (cf. Jer. 25:34-38; 49:19).

These elites of Israel lived in luxury and it was all at the expense of the poor who came to make their offerings at the temple. The shepherds had for themselves a religious racket, selling birds and animals for sacrifice that were seriously overpriced. Barclay says, “… it was to all intents and purposes certain that they would reject an animal bought outside and would direct the worshipper to the temple stalls and booths… a pair of doves could cost as little as 4 pence outside the temple and as much as 75 pence inside the temple.” [7] If we translate this into our own coinage we can see how wildly overpriced these offerings were. It was a religious rip-off.

Then there was the matter of the temple tax. Every Jew had to pay the tax and it amounted to one half-shekel. After a certain date each year this tax could then only be paid at the temple itself. It could not be paid in common coinage, but shekels of the sanctuary, in Galilean half-shekels or especially in Tyrian currency which had a very high percentage of silver content. [8] Never mind that the Tyrian currency had graven images upon it. Of course, when money was exchanged, Annas and his crew took for themselves a fat fee. Indeed, these evil leaders were like lions devouring poor Israelites. They were howling because their cover was blown.

Wiersbe comments: “…Usually the shepherds gave the sheep for slaughter, but here the shepherds themselves are led to the slaughter!…their rejection of truth led to their acceptance of lies, and the result was the Roman invasion and the destruction of their temple and city.” [9]

A Picture Of The Good Shepherd

This is what the LORD my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.” Zechariah 11:4

We see here that God commanded the prophet to play the role of the good shepherd. Wiersbe suggests that what we may see here is an “action sermon,” the kind of thing that Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel did in order to get the attention of a careless people. [10] The sheep pictured here were already destined for the butcher’s knife because of their evil leaders.

Josephus reports the gruesome end of Jerusalem’s population, which included people from all over the country who had fled there for refuge. He says that eleven hundred thousand died with ninety-seven thousand carried away captive. [11] The city ran with blood insomuch that at times the fires were extinguished with it. The Romans found houses full of those already dead by starvation. Many of those captured alive were cruelly crucified until there was no more room for crosses. [12]

“Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the LORD, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them” (11:5). Jamieson and company say: “The rulers of Judah, who by their avaricious rapacity and selfishness (John 11:48-50) virtually sold their country to Rome…[they said] I am rich — by selling the sheep (Deut. 29:19; Hosea 12:8).” [13] Baldwin describes them as: “Jewish leaders, who ingratiated themselves with the authorities to their own material advantage, regardless of the suffering they caused.” [14] Long before, Ezekiel had described them: “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally” (Ezek. 34:4). We immediately think of the heartless acts of the Scribes and Pharisees regarding the man born blind that Jesus healed (Jn. Ch. 9).

“‘For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands’” (11:6). After the Romans encircled Jerusalem in AD 70 the suffering was almost indescribable. People began to starve to death by the hundreds and thousands. The wicked Jewish leaders allowed robbers to freely plunder the survivors. Josephus describes this saying: “they brake open those houses which were no other than graves of dead bodies, and plundered them of what they had; and carrying off the coverings of their bodies, went out laughing, and tried the points of their swords on their dead bodies; and order to prove what mettle they were made of, they thrust some of those through that still lay alive upon the ground…” [15]

“So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock” (11:7). The prophet, who probably could clearly see their suffering to come, tried to shepherd the doomed flock.

Thus, God either gave the prophet a brief opportunity to shepherd the already rebellious sheep of Israel or else all this might have been a vision given to him. For his work he took two staffs called favor and union. The Hebrew word for favor is no-am meaning delightfulness or pleasantness. [16] The word for union is chov-lim which could mean cord or band. [17] We might think of that beautiful Psalm: “…How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psa. 133:1). It is always pleasant when people live in obedience to God’s word and are bound together with the Shepherd and with each other. The prophet would soon see that this was not the case with the stubborn sheep of Israel.

“In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them and said, ‘I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh’” (11:8-9). This is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament. There are in fact over forty different interpretations as to the identity of the three shepherds. [18] We certainly do not want to make another try at interpretation. Probably the best and most popular explanation is to see them as falling into three groups of prophets, priests and kings of the Jews. This idea goes back all the way to the church father Theodoret (AD 393-457). [19]

The prophet found Israel as stiff-necked as always. They detested their shepherd and he soon got weary of them. The shepherd had to stop his work and let things run their course. It is at this point that we realize that this in some ways is a picture of Jesus’ ministry. We think of how great numbers of his own disciples forsook Jesus at Capernaum and how other crowds heard him only for the miraculous bread and fish that he provided. We remember what Jesus said of them: “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come” (Jn. 8:21). Theodoret said: “We find the God of the universe often giving rein to humanity because of the excesses of its wickedness, and he allows the human race to be borne where it will.” [20]

We see a gruesome picture here with people dying and others being reduced to cannibalism. Josephus tells of a starving woman in AD 70 who “slew her son; and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed.” [21] Robbers followed the scent of her food intent on taking it by force but when they saw the sight even these hardened robbers left appalled and shaken.

“Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations” (11:10). Feinberg comments here: “God has made a covenant with the peoples of the earth relative to his own people Israel. He has placed them under restraint lest they work Israel harm or ill…When the restraint was removed, the Romans destroyed their city and economy. Neither Alexander, nor Antiochus Epiphanes, nor Pompey were allowed to mar their national existence. But when the Messiah broke his staff, neither Titus nor his generals could spare the Temple, nor could Julian the Apostate later restore it.” [22]

The good shepherd now knows that he cannot continue with the sheep. They were intent upon following their depraved leaders, the false shepherds. We are reminded of Jesus’ last words when he exclaimed, “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). After those words, the sheep of Israel were doomed to the Roman destruction which many of them would live to witness.

“It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD” (11:11). The Hebrew word here for oppressed can mean poor, afflicted or humble. It likely has reference to those lowly ones who were able to believe and understand. The ones “watching” (Heb. Ha-shom-rim ) seem to refer to the lowly sheep as the NIV has it here. Some translations (ESV, NRS) try to make it refer to the sheep merchants or traders but this is likely stretching the meaning. For certain, the oppressive merchants and rulers over Israel would never have admitted that it was the word of the Lord.

“I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver” (11:12). With this verse and the next one, the scripture makes it plain that this whole scenario relates to the last days of Jesus. His account is recorded in Matthew 26:15 and 27:3. The prophet did not highly regard their ability to compensate him and they did not have much confidence in his value. The thirty pieces of silver were the price of a gored and useless slave (Exo. 21:32). The price was an insult and a picture of how poorly many in Israel would regard their Messiah. Pfeiffer and Harrison say: “They placed Messiah on the level of a worthless slave.” [23] Rufinus (AD 340-410) brings this story down to Judas. He says, “You observe that he was appraised by the traitor’s covetousness at thirty pieces of silver.” [24]

“And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ – the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD” (11:13). Here again, the scripture and the Holy Spirit tie Zechariah’s experience to the final days of Jesus that would come several hundred years into the future. Here we want to mention the passage in Matthew 27:9-10: “Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’” In the Hebrew of verse 13, there seems to be is a great deal of sarcasm expressed regarding the price paid.

We note that the thirty pieces of silver were thrown to the potter and that the potter had some connection with the house of the Lord. Baldwin says, “Potters were connected with the Temple because the sacrificial ritual needed a continual supply of new vessels (Lv. 6:28).” [25] Utley comments saying: “Some believe that it refers to Levites who made the vessels used by the priests, and therefore, a potter’s shop was located in the temple. Others say that it is a Hebrew idiom for ‘that which is worthless and needs to be remade.’” [26] We have shades of reflection here of Jeremiah 18:1 – 19:15. The Hinnom Valley furnished the most suitable clay in those days. [27] It is interesting that it was in that valley that Judas committed suicide after his horrible act of betraying Jesus. He was buried in a graveyard there that was purchased with the thirty pieces of silver. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 313-386) remarks about all this exclaiming: “O prophetic accuracy!” [28]

Over the centuries, scholars have noted that there seems to be a textual problem in this section. The prophetic statement made by Zechariah here is attributed to Jeremiah in Matthew 27:9. How do we explain this? Feinberg comments: “…the solution is probably to be sought in the fact that the name of Jeremiah stood at the head of the whole collection of the prophets because his prophecy was placed first. There is evidence in Jewish writings for this position…” [29] The great scholar J. B. Lightfoot agrees saying: “Different groups of Old Testament writings were named among the Jews according to the first book of the roll. Zechariah happened to be in the book, or roll, in which Jeremiah was the first book.” [30]

“Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel” (11:14). Feinberg comments: “If The first indicated God’s restraint on the nations from destroying the nation Israel; the second had reference to the brotherly ties within the nation itself…” [31] When the city of Jerusalem was encircled by the Roman army her great suffering began. Soon there was general starvation and robbery everywhere as we have mentioned. The people suffered horribly under their own leaders. Guthrie mentions that in AD 70 four separate rebel groups were vying for control of the city. [32] There was no longer brotherhood but hatred, thievery, abuse and murder in every quarter.

A Picture Of The Evil Shepherd

Then the LORD said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.” Zechariah 11:15

Now the prophet is called upon by God to do another “action sermon.” This time he is asked to play the part of the evil or foolish shepherd. That should not have been hard since there were so many foolish shepherds around in those days just as there are today. For instance, one of the Hasmonean priestly rulers, by the name of Alexander Jannaeus (rule from 103 to 76 BC), was pelted by citrons by the worshippers because of his ineptitude. According to Josephus he turned upon the people with rage and slew about six thousand of them. [33]

We might wonder about the tools of a false shepherd. He might trade in his gentle shepherd staff for a club with which he would bludgeon the sheep or a knife with which he could slaughter them and make lamb stew for himself. He might become an expert at deceit with which he could swindle and steal from the sheep. Today it is often all about the shepherd but in Jesus’ ministry and in the first-century church it was all about the sheep.

The frightening part about people following the false shepherd is that at the end of days the real and final false shepherd will appear. We know him in the Bible as the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). He will bring about the ultimate destruction of those who believe in and follow him. The prophet might be speaking of him in the next verse.

“For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves” (11:16). The prophet Micah realized the same thing about Israel’s shepherds. He said of them that they were the ones who “…hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot…” (Mic. 3:2-3).

Over the centuries Israel has had her share of false leaders and especially false messiahs. The most prominent of these was Simon bar Kokhba who led the second revolt against Rome in the years of AD 132-135. He was regarded by many Jews, and even by the prominent Rabbi Akiva as the messiah. Unfortunately, bar Kokhba’s defeat brought further ruin of Judea and further disbursement of the population. The city of Jerusalem was even declared off-limits for all Jews.

“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!” (11:17). Jamieson and company comment: “God’s sword shall descend on his ‘arm,’ the instrument of his tyranny towards the sheep…and on his ‘right eye,’ wherewith he ought to have watched the sheep (John 10:12-13).” [34] Utley sees this expression as “…idiomatic language for effectiveness in leadership and influence.” [35] That leadership and influence will be destroyed by God. There is hardly a way that we cannot see this worthless shepherd ultimately as a picture of the coming Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8). He will be destroyed in a moment by the returning Christ.

Footnotes

1. Barnes, Notes On The Whole Bible, Zechariah, v. 11:1.

2. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 177.

3. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 907.

4. Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Bk. 6, Ch. 5, Par.3.

5. Barnes, Notes On The Whole Bible, Zechariah, v. 11:2.

6. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 11:2.

7. William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2, vs. 21:12-14. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/matthew-21.html

8. Ibid.

9. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1517.

10. Ibid.

11. Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6-9-3.

12. Ibid., 6-8-5; 5-11-1.

13. Jamieson, et al., Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vs. 11:5.

14. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 180.

15. Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 5-12-3.

16. Brown, Driver & Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 653.

17. Ibid., p. 286.

18. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 327.

19. Barnes, Notes On The Whole Bible, Zechariah, v. 11:8.

20. Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6-3-4.

21. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 328.

22. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 908.

23. Ferrekiro, ed., Ancient Christian Commentary of Scripture, XIV, The Twelve Prophets, p. 268.

24. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 185.

25. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 11:13.

26. Jamieson, et al., Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 11:13.

27. Ferrekiro, ed., Ancient Christian Commentary of Scripture, XIV, The Twelve Prophets, p. 268.

28. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 329.

29. Quoted in Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, v. 11:13.

30. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 327.

31. Guthrie, et al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 798.

32. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 13-13-5.

33. Jamieson, et al., Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, v. 11:17.

34. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, vs. 11:15-17.