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 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zechariah 11:7 | So I tended the flock destined for slaughter, indeed the flock of the marketplace. | Direct fulfillment |
| Matthew 26:31 | Jesus predicts His followers will abandon Him. | Messianic prophecy |
| Mark 14:27 | Jesus foretells the scattering of the sheep. | Messianic prophecy |
| Luke 22:31-32 | Jesus prays for Peter's faith to be restored after scattering. | Messianic prophecy |
| John 10:11-13 | The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep; the hired hand flees. | Shepherd imagery contrast |
| John 10:14-15 | Jesus knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him. | Shepherd imagery connection |
| Isaiah 53:4-7 | The Suffering Servant is led like a sheep to slaughter, bearing iniquity. | Prophetic foreshadowing |
| Jeremiah 23:1-4 | God denounces shepherds who scatter His sheep and promises to appoint new shepherds. | Judgment on bad shepherds |
| Ezekiel 34:2-6 | God condemns the shepherds of Israel for failing to care for the flock. | Judgment on bad shepherds |
| Ezekiel 34:10-16 | God promises to deliver His flock from the shepherds and tend them Himself. | God as Shepherd |
| Micah 5:2-5 | A ruler will come from Bethlehem to shepherd God's people Israel. | Messianic ruler/shepherd |
| Acts 20:28-30 | Paul warns the Ephesian elders about wolves entering the flock. | Spiritual leadership duty |
| 1 Peter 5:2-4 | Elders are exhorted to shepherd God's flock willingly, not by compulsion. | Pastoral responsibility |
| Revelation 7:17 | The Lamb will be their shepherd and lead them to springs of living water. | Heavenly Shepherd |
| Psalm 23:1-4 | The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. | God as Shepherd |
| Jeremiah 50:6 | Israel's lost sheep have been fed by their enemies. | Consequences of straying |
| Nahum 3:1-3 | Judgment on Nineveh, likened to a city with scattered people. | Imagery of destruction |
| Amos 5:18-20 | Warning of judgment, calling it a "day of the Lord." | Divine judgment context |
| Genesis 49:24 | Jacob's blessing on Joseph, comparing his strength to a shepherd. | Patriarchal blessing |
| Romans 9:22-23 | God's sovereignty in showing mercy and hardening hearts. | God's ultimate authority |
| Matthew 11:20-24 | Jesus pronounces woes on cities that did not repent. | Divine judgment |
Zechariah 11 verses
Zechariah 11 7 Meaning
The verse describes God's judgment upon the flock of Judah, likening it to the fate of sheep. The phrase "cut off" signifies destruction and scattering, implying a divine action of removal. The verse emphasizes God's intention to execute His wrath upon this portion of His people.
Zechariah 11 7 Context
Zechariah chapter 11 depicts a series of allegorical actions by the prophet, representing God's dealings with Israel. In the preceding verses, Zechariah had acted as a shepherd to the people of Judah, representing God's care. However, the people were not responsive and proved difficult to lead. This verse marks a turning point where God, through the prophet's actions, signifies a withdrawal of His protective care and the handing over of the flock to destruction. Historically, this speaks to the impending judgment and scattering of Judah due to their unfaithfulness, which would culminate in Babylonian exile and later the rejection of the Messiah.
Zechariah 11 7 Word analysis
- "And I": Connects this action to Zechariah's previous prophetic ministries and establishes his role as an instrument of God's will.
- "said": Introduces a pronouncement or declaration, indicating a communication from God through the prophet.
- "I will": Expresses a definite future intention and action of God. This is God's decree.
- "feed": In this context, the verb "ra'ah" (רָעָה) usually means to tend, shepherd, or pasture. However, in the negative or specific contexts of judgment, it can imply a "feeding" into destruction or abandonment to those who will destroy. The Septuagint translates this as "poimainō" (ποιμαίνω), meaning to shepherd or to lead.
- "the flock": Refers to the people of Judah, specifically identified as "the flock destined for slaughter."
- "destined": Implies a predetermined fate or appointment for destruction.
- "for slaughter": Highlights the severity of the judgment, comparing them to sacrificial animals meant for killing. The Hebrew "lema'mūkhāh" (לְמַמּוּכָה) can mean slaughter, sale, or ruin. The most common interpretation in context points to a fate of utter destruction and devastation.
- "indeed": An emphatic particle, strengthening the following statement.
- "the flock": Repetition emphasizes the identity of those who are judged.
- "of the marketplace" / "of the buyers": The Hebrew "likneḥe sheh-qehel" (לִקְנֵה שֶׁקֶל) is debated. It could refer to the "flock belonging to those who buy them" (mercenaries or leaders who profit from them), or more generally "the flock that will be sold off." The sense is that they are no longer valued or protected by God, becoming commodities to be taken advantage of and destroyed by those who exploit them. It signifies a state of being abandoned to those who exploit and consume them.
Zechariah 11 7 Bonus section
The allegorical actions of Zechariah as a shepherd in chapters 10-11 are highly significant. He first breaks the staff "Favor" (or "Beauty"), symbolizing the rejection of God's covenantal favor. Then, he breaks the staff "Union" (or "Bands"), signifying the broken unity between Judah and Israel, and between God and His people. This verse is the consequence of those symbolic actions, where God removes His protective hand, and the flock is delivered to its fate. The phrase "flock destined for slaughter" strongly echoes the imagery of Israel as sheep led to the slaughter in the New Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.
Zechariah 11 7 Commentary
This verse marks a pivotal moment in Zechariah's prophetic allegory. Having served as a shepherd to a people who proved recalcitrant, the prophet, under divine instruction, turns away from tender care to endorse their destined destruction. God declares His intent to abandon the flock, which is explicitly identified as doomed for slaughter and as belonging to those who exploit and sell them off. This foreshadows severe judgment, scattering, and a period of suffering for the people of Judah due to their apostasy. It speaks to a reversal of God's protective role, delivering them over to the consequences of their sin, akin to how a flock without a true shepherd falls prey to predators. This imagery finds profound fulfillment in the rejection of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by the Jewish leadership, leading to the scattering of Israel and judgment upon them.