Zechariah 11 7

Zechariah 11:7 kjv

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.

Zechariah 11:7 nkjv

So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.

Zechariah 11:7 niv

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.

Zechariah 11:7 esv

So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.

Zechariah 11:7 nlt

So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter ? the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union.

Zechariah 11 verses

Zechariah 11 7 Meaning

Zechariah 11:7 portrays the prophet, by divine command, symbolically assuming the role of a shepherd over a flock specifically marked for slaughter—representing the nation of Israel. This flock includes the "afflicted" or "poorest" sheep, highlighting the vulnerability of the people and God's particular concern for the marginalized within Israel. To shepherd them, the prophet takes two staffs, which he names "Favor" (No'am) and "Union" (Chov'lim). These staffs represent distinct aspects of God's covenant relationship with His people: "Favor" signifies God's grace, protection, and pleasantness towards Israel, while "Union" symbolizes the brotherhood, unity, and cohesiveness of the nation. The prophet's repeated act of pasturing emphasizes the diligent yet ultimately challenging and futile nature of his (and implicitly, God's) ministry to a people destined for judgment due to their unfaithfulness and rejection of their true Shepherd.

Zechariah 11 7 Context

Zechariah 11 is a stark and dramatic chapter within Zechariah's final visions (Zech 9-14), often referred to as "The Burden." It uses an acted prophecy where the prophet himself becomes a shepherd, symbolizing both God's leadership and the future coming of the Messiah, yet also predicting Israel's rejection of Him. The chapter opens with a judgment against the corrupt leaders and people, culminating in the lament of a ravaged land (Zech 11:1-6). Verse 7 initiates the prophet's symbolic shepherding, portraying the attempt to lead a rebellious nation that is already "destined for slaughter" due to its sins. This act prefigures the first coming of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came to His own, yet was rejected, leading to severe consequences for the nation. The chapter then continues to detail the shepherd's dismissal, betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, and the breaking of the staffs, symbolizing the withdrawal of divine favor and the fragmentation of the nation, directly foretelling the events surrounding Christ's crucifixion and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Zechariah 11 7 Word analysis

• וָאֶרְעֶה (va'ereh): "So I pastured / And I fed"
  • Hebrew: `רָעָה` (ra'ah), to pasture, feed, tend a flock, shepherd.
  • Significance: This verb denotes active leadership, care, and responsibility for the flock. The prophet takes on the direct role of a shepherd, signifying a divine commission. This highlights God's ongoing, personal, yet often frustrated, involvement with Israel, ultimately prefiguring Jesus' active shepherding ministry.
• אֶת־צֹאן (et-tzo'n): "the flock"
  • Hebrew: `צֹאן` (tzo'n), flock of sheep or goats, sheep.
  • Significance: Symbolically, this represents the people of Israel. The metaphor of God's people as His flock is deeply ingrained in the Old Testament, emphasizing their need for guidance and protection from a shepherd.
• הַהֲרֵגָה (haharegah): "destined for slaughter / doomed"
  • Hebrew: `הֲרֵגָה` (haregah), slaughter, killing, carnage. Often in the context of being prepared or handed over for death.
  • Significance: This is a powerful and somber descriptor. It indicates that the flock (Israel) is not merely endangered but already appointed or sentenced to destruction. This refers to their spiritual and national doom due to their rejection of God's covenant and their true shepherd, ultimately realized in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.
• וַיַּעֲנֵי (vaya'ane'y): "even the afflicted of / the most miserable of"
  • Hebrew: `עָנִי` (ani), poor, afflicted, humble, lowly, miserable. Often associated with the suffering righteous.
  • Significance: This phrase distinguishes a specific part of the doomed flock. While the whole nation is "destined for slaughter," there are those who are "afflicted"—the vulnerable, marginalized, and often the humble or poor who suffer under the oppressive false shepherds. This indicates God's special attention even to the most suffering within a condemned group, potentially a faithful remnant.
• הַצֹּאן (hatzon): "the flock"
  • Repetition emphasizes that the afflicted are still part of the larger, doomed entity.
• שְׁנֵי מַקְלוֹת (shney maqloat): "two staffs"
  • Hebrew: `מַקֵּל` (maqel), a rod, staff, branch. Shepherds use staffs for guidance, protection, and counting.
  • Significance: Staffs are instruments of a shepherd's authority and function. The number two implies a duality in the shepherd's governance or a distinction in his relationship with the flock. They symbolize the distinct elements of God's covenant and relationship with Israel.
• אֶחָד (echad): "one"
  • Significance: Distinguishes the first staff for individual identity and symbolic purpose.
• נֹעַם (No'am): "Favor / Pleasantness"
  • Hebrew: `נֹעַם` (no'am), pleasantness, grace, charm, favor, beauty.
  • Significance: This staff symbolizes God's gracious covenant protection, His favor, His pleasant relationship with Israel, and the divine blessing He extended. Its eventual breaking (Zech 11:10) will signify the withdrawal of God's special covenant grace and protection.
• וְאֶת־הַשֵּׁנִי (ve'et-hasheni): "and the second"
  • Significance: Identifies the second distinct staff.
• חֹבְלִים (Chov'lim): "Union / Binders"
  • Hebrew: `חֹבְלִים` (chov'lim), from `חָבַל` (haval), to bind, tie, act as a binder or repairer. Some interpretations also link it to "destroyers" but the context of "union" or "bands" is stronger for a staff's purpose.
  • Significance: This staff represents the unity, brotherhood, and cohesion of Israel—perhaps specifically the bond between Judah and Israel, or within the national identity. Its breaking (Zech 11:14) would signify national division and fragmentation, fulfilled dramatically in the aftermath of Jesus' rejection and the AD 70 destruction, separating the people further.
• וָאֶרְעֶה (va'ereh): "so I pastured / and I fed"
  • Repetition: Emphasizes the shepherd's continuous act of tending, despite the flock's underlying condition and future. It highlights the shepherd's commitment even to a wayward and doomed flock, and foreshadows Christ's diligent yet ultimately rejected ministry to Israel.

Zechariah 11 7 Bonus section

The concept of the "flock destined for slaughter" points not only to the general unfaithfulness of Israel throughout history but particularly to its ultimate rejection of the Messiah. This "slaughter" or doom is understood by many scholars as having a double fulfillment: first, in the general judgment Israel experienced throughout its history for its idolatry and disobedience (e.g., Assyrian and Babylonian exiles), and second, and more pointedly, in the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 by the Romans, following Israel's collective rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, the true Shepherd (Zech 11:12-13 foreshadows this explicitly). The prophet's assumption of the shepherd's role is not just symbolic; it reflects an embodiment of Christ, who would genuinely care for those most afflicted within the flock, gathering those who would respond, even as the nation moved towards its foretold judgment. The "two staffs" highlight the inseparable link between God's grace and Israel's unity—their fracture signified the profound consequences of forsaking their divine covenant and the Shepherd, leading to internal division and national downfall.

Zechariah 11 7 Commentary

Zechariah 11:7 functions as a pivotal point in an acted prophecy, revealing God's continued yet soon-to-be-rejected covenant engagement with Israel. The shepherd persona signifies the divine shepherd (God or Messiah), taking responsibility for a flock "destined for slaughter," emphasizing Israel's deep spiritual predicament and impending judgment due to its leaders' corruption and the people's unfaithfulness. The inclusion of the "afflicted" sheep shows God's mercy towards the vulnerable even within a condemned nation. The two staffs, "Favor" and "Union," encapsulate the core blessings of God's covenant: His protective grace and the internal unity of His people. The prophet's diligent pasturing with these staffs, even for a doomed flock, highlights the steadfastness of God's love and the tragic reality of Israel's rejection of this divine provision. This symbolic act powerfully anticipates Jesus Christ, the true Shepherd, who ministered with grace and sought unity, yet was ultimately scorned by His own people, leading to the consequences foreshadowed by the staffs' breaking.