Zechariah 11:13 kjv
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.
Zechariah 11:13 nkjv
And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"?that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.
Zechariah 11:13 niv
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.
Zechariah 11:13 esv
Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter" ? the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.
Zechariah 11:13 nlt
And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter " ? this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the LORD.
Zechariah 11 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zech 11:12 | ...So they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. | Immediate context of the sum, God's perceived valuation. |
| Ex 21:32 | If a bull gores a male or female slave, the owner shall pay thirty shekels | Legal price of a slave; underscores the devaluing of the Shepherd (God). |
| Mt 26:15 | ...and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. | Judas' betrayal price, exact fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy. |
| Mt 27:3 | ...brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. | Judas' remorse and attempt to return the blood money. |
| Mt 27:5 | ...and departing, he threw the pieces of silver into the temple... | Judas' act echoes Zechariah throwing the money into the "house of the LORD". |
| Mt 27:6-7 | ...“It is not lawful to put them into the treasury... So they conferred together and bought...the potter's field... | Religious leaders recognize the money as "blood money," leading to its prophetic use. |
| Mt 27:9-10 | Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying... “They took the thirty pieces of silver...for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” | Explicit New Testament fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy (mistakenly attributed to Jeremiah by Matthew, but combining themes from both). |
| Acts 1:18-19 | ...he obtained a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong...and it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so that field was called in their own language Aceldama, that is, Field of Blood. | Details about Judas' death and the name "Aceldama" for the potter's field. |
| Ps 41:9 | Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. | Prophetic echo of betrayal by one's own, similar to Judas. |
| Is 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men... | Foreshadows the world's rejection and low estimation of the suffering Servant Messiah. |
| Ps 118:22 | The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. | Relates to the rejection of the valuable by those who should know its worth. |
| 1 Pet 2:7 | So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," | New Testament application of rejection of Christ. |
| Is 64:8 | But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. | God as the Potter; highlights His creative sovereignty contrasted with human devaluation. |
| Jer 18:2-3 | “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. | Jeremiah's visit to the potter as a place of prophetic instruction and divine sovereignty over Israel. |
| Rom 9:20-21 | Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me thus?" Has the potter no right over the clay... | Emphasizes God's sovereign right as Potter over His creation. |
| Zech 11:7 | So I shepherded the flock destined for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor, and the other I called Union. | The "Good Shepherd" role taken on by Zechariah as a type of Messiah. |
| Zech 11:10 | So I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, breaking the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. | Breaking of "Favor" parallels the breaking of the covenant and the rejection. |
| Jer 32:6-9 | “Anathoth,” saying, “Buy my field which is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. | Jeremiah buying a field, connecting to prophetic acts involving land/money. |
| Lev 27:32 | Every tenth of herd or flock, whatever passes under the shepherd's staff, shall be holy to the LORD. | Value and dedication, contrasting with the desecration in Zech 11:13. |
| Dt 23:18 | “You shall not bring the wages of a prostitute or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any vow..." | Principles regarding unclean money not to be brought into the Temple. |
Zechariah 11 verses
Zechariah 11 13 Meaning
Zechariah 11:13 depicts a profound prophetic action, illustrating the profound contempt with which the covenant people valued God, represented by the rejected "Good Shepherd." The thirty pieces of silver, a slave's price, symbolized their low estimation. God commanded Zechariah to cast this paltry sum to the potter, or into the Temple treasury for the potter, signifying the money's defilement and ultimately foreshadowing its future use in purchasing the "Potter's Field," a burial ground for strangers. This act underscored the nation's spiritual degradation and rejection of divine guidance, ultimately finding its direct fulfillment in the betrayal of Jesus Christ.
Zechariah 11 13 Context
Zechariah 11 describes a prophetic drama involving a "Good Shepherd" who symbolizes the Lord God, entrusted to shepherd a flock doomed for slaughter—representing Israel. This Shepherd tries to guide the people, but they ultimately reject His leadership. He asks for His wages, and in an act of profound disrespect and devaluation, they weigh out a mere thirty pieces of silver, the standard price of a slave. The immediate context of verse 13 follows this contemptuous "valuation" by the people. The instruction to throw the money "to the potter" or "into the house of the LORD for the potter" highlights its status as "blood money" or something ritually unclean, unsuitable for holy use in the Temple, and prefigures its role in securing the place for burial of outcasts. Historically, this prophecy arises in the post-exilic period, speaking to a nation struggling with its identity and spiritual faithfulness after returning from Babylon, foreseeing their continued unfaithfulness to God even in the face of His divine Shepherd.
Word Analysis
- Then the LORD said to me,
- LORD: (Heb. Yahweh, יְהוָה) Signifies a direct divine command, emphasizing the authoritative source of this prophecy.
- 'Throw it
- Throw: (Heb. shalak, שָׁלַךְ) A strong verb, implying a forceful, decisive casting off, often with a connotation of disdain or rejection, not a careful deposit. It conveys a sense of riddance or dismissal.
- to the potter—
- to the potter: (Heb. el hayyôtser, אֶל-הַיּוֹצֵר) The definite article "the" suggests either a specific, known potter, or the class/occupation itself as symbolic. This specific destination becomes a crucial detail in its New Testament fulfillment, leading to the "potter's field." It highlights the ironic degradation of the money, from "princely price" to an association with common, perhaps unholy, ground.
- the princely price
- princely price: (Heb. hayyāqār hāhôder, הַיָּקָר הַהוֹדֶר) Yāqār means "precious," "costly," or "noble." Hōder means "magnificence," "splendor," "majesty." The juxtaposition of these grand terms with the paltry thirty pieces of silver creates a scathing sarcasm, mocking the low value Israel placed on God, effectively saying "what a splendid value you assigned to Me!" It highlights the dramatic discrepancy between their perception and the actual infinite worth of the Shepherd.
- at which I was valued by them.'
- I was valued by them: (Heb. asher yāqartî mēʻǎlêhem, אֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתִּי מֵעֲלֵיהֶם) "I was made precious from/upon them." This directly attributes the valuation to the people of Israel and unequivocally states that it is the LORD Himself who has been "valued." The "I" refers to Yahweh, God.
- So I took
- Zechariah's obedience confirms his role as an obedient prophet, faithfully executing God's often shocking instructions.
- the thirty pieces of silver
- (Heb. sheloshîm kesef, שְׁלֹשִׁים כֶּסֶף) This precise amount is critical for linking to Exodus 21:32 (slave's price) and its ultimate fulfillment in Matthew 26:15 regarding Judas' betrayal. It emphasizes the utterly inadequate and insulting value placed on the divine.
- and threw them
- (Heb. wā’ashlîḵem, וָאַשְׁלִכֶם) Repetition of the verb shalak reinforces the contemptuous and decisive act commanded by the Lord.
- into the house of the LORD
- (Heb. bêt YHWH, בֵּית יְהוָה) Refers to the Temple building or its treasury. This action within the holy precincts further highlights the defilement of the money. While it was thrown "into the house of the Lord," it was not for the Lord's use in a holy manner, but for the potter and the unclean purpose.
- for the potter.
- (Heb. el hayyôtser, אֶל-הַיּוֹצֵר) Identical phrase to the first mention. The preposition "el" indicates purpose or direction. The money was consigned for an acquisition linked to a potter (a potter's field), which later served as a burial ground for strangers, emphasizing its defiled status. This clarifies that even though it ended up in the Temple, it was designated for a specific, seemingly ignoble, purpose by divine decree.
Zechariah 11 13 Bonus section
- The exact wording "into the house of the LORD for the potter" has led to differing interpretations over time, but the New Testament (Matthew 27) definitively clarifies its meaning and fulfillment: the money returned by Judas into the Temple treasury was then used by the chief priests to buy the potter's field, thereby directly linking the act in Zechariah to the Temple treasury's role in the purchase. This resolves the seeming ambiguity in Zechariah.
- The idea of "princely price" is pure mockery, intended to shame those who so carelessly and callously valued their God and Savior. It contrasts the immense worth of God with the paltry sum they offered, highlighting the chasm between divine value and human perception.
- The act of casting the money for a potter's field also signifies its separation from anything sacred or pure. A potter's field would typically be barren or exhausted land, used for digging clay, and then often became a waste ground or burial plot for the impoverished or outcasts. This speaks volumes about the destiny of money stained by the rejection of the divine Shepherd.
- This passage underscores God's meticulous foresight and control over history, demonstrating that even the most heinous acts of betrayal serve to fulfill His preordained plans.
Zechariah 11 13 Commentary
Zechariah 11:13 stands as a poignant and darkly prophetic utterance. It details a symbolic act orchestrated by God, revealing the extreme disdain with which Israel would regard its divine Shepherd. The payment of thirty pieces of silver, a pittance equal to the legal compensation for a gored slave, dramatically underscores this low valuation, epitomizing the spiritual bankruptcy of the people. The divine instruction to "throw" this money to "the potter," or into the Temple treasury specifically for the potter, denotes its defiled status. This money, used to spurn God's precious Shepherd, becomes an anathema, ritually unfit for sacred use, ultimately used to acquire a burial field for foreigners or "strangers"—those outside the covenant community. This act vividly prefigured the betrayal of Jesus Christ for the identical sum, the return of the "blood money" to the Temple, and its ultimate use by the chief priests to purchase the "Potter's Field," as recorded in Matthew 27. The sarcasm in "princely price" underlines the bitter irony: humanity valued God for less than a slave, yet this act of rejection became part of God's redemptive plan, fulfilling prophecy and demonstrating divine sovereignty even over human wickedness.