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11:1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
11:2 Howl, 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.
11:3 There 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.
11:4 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 11:5 Whose 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.
11:6 For 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.
11:7 And 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.
11:8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
11:9 Then 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.
11:10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11:11 And 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.
11:12 And 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.
11:13 And 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.
11:14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
11:15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
11:16 For, 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.
11:17 Woe 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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Everything King James Bible:Zechariah
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Zechariah
Book: Zechariah
Chapter: 11

Overview:
Destruction to come upon the Jews. (1-3) The Lord's dealing
with the Jews. (4-14) The emblem and Curse of a foolish
Shepherd. (15-17)

1-3 In figurative expressions, that Destruction of Jerusalem,
and of the Jewish Church and nation, is foretold, which our Lord
Jesus, when the time was at Hand, prophesied plainly and
expressly. How can the Fir trees stand, if the cedars fall? The
falls of the Wise and good into Sin, and the falls of the rich
and great into trouble, are loud alarms to those every way their
inferiors. It is sad with a people, when those who should be as
shepherds to them, are as young Lions. The pride of Jordan was
the thickets On the banks; and when the River overflowed the
banks, the Lions came up from them roaring. Thus the doom of
Jerusalem may Alarm other churches.

4-14 Christ came into this world for Judgment to the Jewish
Church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate.
Those have their minds woefully blinded, who do ill, and justify
themselves in it; but God will not Hold those guiltless who Hold
themselves So. How can we go to God to Beg a blessing On
unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for
success in them? There was a general decay of religion among
them, and they regarded it not. The Good Shepherd would feed his
flock, but his attention would chiefly be directed to the Poor.
As an emblem, the Prophet seems to have taken two staves;
Beauty, denoted the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their
national Covenant; the other he called Bands, denoting the
harmony which hitherto united them as the flock of God. But they
chose to cleave to false teachers. The Carnal mind and the
friendship of the world are Enmity to God; and God hates all the
workers of iniquity: it is easy to foresee what this will End
in. The Prophet demanded Wages, or a reward, and received thirty
Pieces of Silver. By Divine direction he cast it to the potter,
as in disdain for the smallness of the sum. This shadowed forth
the bargain of Judas to betray Christ, and the final method of
applying it. Nothing ruins a people So certainly, as weakening
the brotherhood among them. This follows the dissolving of the
Covenant between God and them: when Sin abounds, Love waxes
cold, and civil contests follow. No wonder if those fall out
among themselves, who have provoked God to fall out with them.
Wilful contempt of Christ is the great cause of men's ruin. And
if professors rightly valued Christ, they would not contend
about little matters.

15-17 God, having showed the misery of this people in their
being justly left By the Good Shepherd, shows their further
misery in being abused By foolish shepherds. The description
suits the character Christ gives of the Scribes and Pharisees.
They never do any thing to support the weak, or comfort the
feeble-minded; but seek their own ease, while they are barbarous
to the flock. The Idol Shepherd has the garb and appearance of a
Shepherd, receives submission, and is supported at much expense;
but he leaves the flock to perish through neglect, or leads them
to ruin By his Example. This suits many in different churches
and nations, but the warning had an awful fulfilment in the
Jewish teachers. And while such deceive others to their ruin,
they will themselves have the deepest condemnation.

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