Zechariah 11:2 kjv
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.
Zechariah 11:2 nkjv
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the thick forest has come down.
Zechariah 11:2 niv
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!
Zechariah 11:2 esv
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled!
Zechariah 11:2 nlt
Weep, you cypress trees, for all the ruined cedars;
the most majestic ones have fallen.
Weep, you oaks of Bashan,
for the thick forests have been cut down.
Zechariah 11 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zech 11:1 | Open your doors, O Lebanon, that a fire may devour your cedars! | Immediate context: Fire precedes the wail. |
| Zech 11:3 | A voice of wailing shepherds, for their glory is ruined; a voice of roaring lions... for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined. | The wail of shepherds/leaders as their power crumbles. |
| Isa 2:12-13 | For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon everything proud and lofty... upon all the cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan; | Cedars & Oaks symbolize human pride and loftiness, facing divine judgment. |
| Ezek 31:3 | "Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches... its top among the thick boughs." | Nations or rulers personified as majestic trees. |
| Judg 9:8-15 | The trees once went out to anoint a king over them... | Allegory using trees to represent choices of leadership. |
| Isa 14:8 | The cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you were laid low, no woodsman comes up against us." | Cedars experiencing release from an oppressor's fall. |
| Psa 92:12 | The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. | Cedars as a symbol of strength and prosperity (positive context). |
| Amos 2:9 | "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks." | Mighty foes compared to strong trees, then destroyed. |
| Jer 25:34-36 | "Wail, you shepherds, and cry out... for the days of your slaughter and your dispersion have come." | Prophetic lament/wail over fallen shepherds (leaders). |
| Jer 22:6-7 | "For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: 'You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; yet I will surely make you a wilderness...'" | Leadership (House of David) compared to Lebanon, then doomed to desolation. |
| Isa 10:33-34 | Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the towering ones will be cut down, and the lofty will be humbled. | God's judgment felling powerful individuals like branches. |
| Dan 4:10-26 | Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great tree, reaching to heaven, then cut down to its stump. | A great king (ruler) symbolized as a majestic tree. |
| Nah 1:4 | He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan languishes... | Bashan (known for strength/fertility) suffering desolation due to divine power. |
| Rev 18:9-10 | "And the kings of the earth, who committed immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning..." | Wailing over the destruction of powerful earthly entities (Babylon). |
| Jer 48:31 | "Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab..." | Prophetic wailing over the desolation of a nation. |
| Ezek 26:15-18 | "Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre... Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall...?" | Nations reacting with lament to the downfall of powerful cities/leaders. |
| Psa 37:35-36 | I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree. Yet he passed away... | The temporary flourishing and eventual fall of the wicked, symbolized as a tree. |
| Zech 10:3 | "My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders..." | God's judgment directly against leaders (shepherds). |
| Jer 2:20 | "For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your bonds; and you said, 'I will not serve!'" | Breaking bonds often accompanies rejection, leading to judgment on leaders. |
| Isa 60:13 | The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine, to beautify the place of My sanctuary. | Cedars/Cypresses as symbols of glory for God's purposes (contrast to Zech 11:2). |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God... | Judgment beginning with those in leadership or prominence. |
Zechariah 11 verses
Zechariah 11 2 Meaning
Zechariah 11:2 is a profound dirge, a call to mourn over a prophesied catastrophic judgment. It metaphorically describes the destruction of mighty, esteemed, and seemingly invincible figures—likened to the majestic cypress, cedar, and oaks of Bashan—signifying the comprehensive ruin and humbling of powerful leaders, nations, or entrenched systems that were once sources of strength and pride.
Zechariah 11 2 Context
Zechariah chapter 11 opens a new section of the prophet's book, shifting from a focus on future glory and restoration to a stark oracle of judgment and lamentation. Verse 1 dramatically declares a "fire" will "devour the cedars of Lebanon," setting the stage for immense devastation. Verse 2 amplifies this destruction by issuing a universal command for nature itself to "wail" as an acknowledgment of the downfall of powerful entities. This passage functions as an allegory for Israel's leadership and destiny. Historically, it anticipates periods of immense suffering for the nation, particularly the collapse of its social and political structures due to faithless leadership. The subsequent verses introduce the symbolic "shepherds," both righteous and unfaithful, further emphasizing the theme of failed governance and the dire consequences. This lament foreshadows the divine judgment against those who neglected or exploited the "flock," ultimately pointing to the rejection of the True Shepherd, the Messiah, and the resulting desolation of the people and their leadership (leading to events like the destruction in 70 AD).
Zechariah 11 2 Word analysis
- Wail (יְלַּל, yelal): An imperative command to engage in loud, mournful lamentation. It denotes a public expression of deep sorrow, a dirge, typically sung or cried out over death or immense calamity. Its repetition underscores the widespread and severe nature of the coming disaster, emphasizing that the sorrow will be profound and universally felt, even by nature itself.
- O cypress (בְּר֖וֹשׁ, bə•rōš): This tree, also translated as pine or fir, like the cedar, symbolizes strength, stateliness, and majesty. It was prized for its timber. The personification of the cypress as being commanded to "wail" amplifies the magnitude of the loss, suggesting that the very natural order will mourn the scale of the impending ruin, adding a sense of cosmic grief to the event.
- for the cedar (אֶ֤רֶז, ’e•rez) has fallen (נָפָ֥ל, nā·p̄āl): The cedar of Lebanon was preeminent in the ancient world for its towering height, massive girth, and long-lasting wood. It universally symbolized power, pride, durability, and leadership—often representing mighty kings, nations, or prominent figures (Isa 2:13, Ezek 31:3). Its "fall" denotes a complete and decisive overthrow or collapse, not merely a weakening, signifying the comprehensive defeat and destruction of whatever it symbolizes.
- for the mighty trees (אַדִּרִ֑ים, ’ad·dî·rîm) are ruined (שֻׁדָּֽד, šud·dāḏ): The Hebrew word ’addîrîm refers to "glorious ones," "majestic ones," or "chief ones." Here, in the context of trees, it refers to the strongest and most imposing of the forest. When applied metaphorically, it signifies the powerful, the nobles, the elite, or the influential figures of a nation or system. The verb šud·dāḏ means to be "laid waste," "devastated," "destroyed," or "utterly ruined." This emphasizes that the judgment is thorough and complete, leaving no power intact.
- Wail (יְלַּל, yelal): This is the third occurrence of the imperative "wail," reinforcing the solemnity and universality of the lament. Its iterative use serves to intensify the command and highlight the gravity of the impending catastrophe.
- O oaks of Bashan (אַלּוֹנֵ֣י בָשָׁ֔ן, ’al·lō·nê ḇā·šān): Bashan was a fertile and mountainous region east of the Jordan River, renowned for its large, strong, and enduring oak trees (Isa 2:13). These oaks, much like the cedars, represent resilience, robustness, and firmly established power. Their inclusion broadens the scope of the lament, indicating that not only the loftiest (cedars) but also the deep-rooted and strong, perhaps more common, yet still mighty elements of the powerful establishment will fall.
- for the impenetrable forest (יַ֣עַר הַבָּצֽוּר, ya·‘ar hab·bā·ṣûr) has come down: "Impenetrable" or "fortified/dense" describes a forest so thick and strong that it is virtually impassable or unassailable, serving as a natural fortress. This symbolizes an unyielding, deeply entrenched power structure or a vast collective of powerful individuals, thought to be impregnable. Its "coming down" implies the complete and utter collapse of this formidable entity, signifying that even the most formidable and supposedly secure concentrations of power will be broken and brought to ruin by divine judgment.
Zechariah 11 2 Bonus section
The imagery of trees representing people, especially leaders, is common throughout the Old Testament (e.g., in Psalms, Ezekiel, Daniel). The prophet Zechariah utilizes this symbolism to communicate the scale of God's judgment and its impact on leadership. The reference to "Lebanon" and "Bashan" grounds the prophecy in familiar geographic and symbolic terms for its original audience, connecting the symbolic language to real-world structures of power and influence. This lament foreshadows the broader narrative of the rejected shepherd in Zechariah 11, indicating that the fall of these "mighty trees" is a precursor to the divine abandonment of unfaithful shepherds and the consequent scattering and judgment of the flock, ultimately pointing towards the coming and rejection of the Messiah.
Zechariah 11 2 Commentary
Zechariah 11:2 acts as a funeral dirge anticipating the catastrophic judgment foreshadowed in the preceding verse. Through the evocative metaphor of falling great trees, the prophet laments the downfall of mighty leaders and robust power structures. The "cypress," "cedar of Lebanon," and "oaks of Bashan" collectively represent the peak of strength, pride, and established authority—be it unfaithful religious leadership, corrupt political elite, or powerful opposing nations. The call to "wail" indicates the profound and pervasive sorrow that will accompany this devastating collapse, emphasizing its magnitude. The destruction of the "impenetrable forest" signifies that no power, no matter how deeply rooted or seemingly unassailable, will stand against God's determined judgment. This verse vividly paints a picture of complete ruin and humbling, setting the somber tone for Zechariah's prophetic warning regarding the rejection of God's true shepherd and the ensuing consequences for the flock.