Zechariah 11:8 kjv
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
Zechariah 11:8 nkjv
I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
Zechariah 11:8 niv
In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them
Zechariah 11:8 esv
In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me.
Zechariah 11:8 nlt
I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too.
Zechariah 11 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zechariah 11:8 | "I [made] away with the three shepherds in one month;" | Isaiah 10:25 (God’s judgment) |
| Zechariah 11:8 | "... I bore the land also to death." | Jeremiah 10:24 (God’s discipline) |
| Zechariah 11:9 | "For I will again raise up in the land shepherds, | Ezekiel 34:23 (Future Shepherd) |
| Zechariah 11:9 | and they shall not seek the lost, nor the scattered, | Jeremiah 23:1-2 (False shepherds) |
| Zechariah 11:9 | nor heal the broken, nor nurse the sickly, | Jeremiah 50:6 (Scattered sheep) |
| Zechariah 11:9 | but shall eat the flesh of the fat ones, and tear in pieces their hoofs." | Ezekiel 34:2-3 (Greedy shepherds) |
| Matthew 2:6 | "...from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." | Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem prophecy) |
| Matthew 27:25 | "His blood be on us and on our children!" | Acts 2:23 (Guilt of rejectors) |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | John 15:13 (Love and sacrifice) |
| John 10:12 | "He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, and whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees..." | Hebrews 13:5 (Presence of God) |
| Acts 2:36 | "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” | Luke 11:23 (Who is not with Me is against Me) |
| 1 Peter 5:2 | "Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by compulsion but willingly, not for shameful gain, but eagerly," | 1 Timothy 4:14 (Laying on of hands) |
| Revelation 7:17 | "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd," | Isaiah 40:11 (Gentle shepherd) |
| Isaiah 53:4 | "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;" | Matthew 8:17 (Jesus bearing sickness) |
| Isaiah 53:5 | "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;" | 1 Peter 2:24 (Bearing sins) |
| Ezekiel 37:24 | "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd." | John 10:16 (One flock, one shepherd) |
| Jeremiah 50:19 | "And I will bring Israel back to his own dwelling..." | Psalm 23:1 (The Lord is my shepherd) |
| Amos 8:11-12 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." | Deuteronomy 8:3 (Man shall not live by bread alone) |
| Matthew 9:36 | "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." | Mark 6:34 (Jesus' compassion) |
| Psalm 78:71 | "...from following the ewes great with young he brought him, to be a shepherd of Jacob his people, and of Israel his inheritance." | 1 Samuel 16:11-12 (David chosen as shepherd) |
Zechariah 11 verses
Zechariah 11 8 Meaning
The passage describes God's action of "pruning" the flock by removing three shepherds in a single month. This act signifies a decisive judgment and a swift end to their leadership or influence.
Zechariah 11 8 Context
Zechariah 11 follows a prophecy of judgment against the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, referring to the dispersion of God's people. This chapter describes the prophet's commission to act as a shepherd for the "flock destined for slaughter." The actions described here—breaking the staff labeled "Favor" and the staff labeled "Union"—symbolize the broken covenant and the rejection of God's protective leadership by His people and their leaders. Verse 8 specifically details the immediate and forceful removal of three false or ineffective shepherds who were responsible for leading the flock. This sets the stage for the ultimate rejection of the true Shepherd in the following verses.
Zechariah 11 8 Word Analysis
- "I": Refers to God (Yahweh), the ultimate actor in this divine judgment.
- "made away with" (Hebrew: abdam): Means to destroy, annihilate, put to death. Indicates a decisive and complete removal.
- "the three shepherds": Refers to specific leaders or a class of leaders within Israel who failed their divine responsibility. The number "three" can denote completeness or a significant group, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the judgment.
- "in one month": Signifies a swift, concentrated, and decisive period of judgment. It highlights the suddenness and finality of God's action.
- "I bore the land also to death" (Hebrew: ubareh zeh umeh uqtaloh ha'arets): This phrase is difficult and has multiple interpretations. A common understanding is that the prophet, acting under God's impulse, "wasted away" or "became a desolate ruin" and the land also suffered destruction due to the absence of proper shepherding. Another view is that "I" (God) also bore the land in the sense of judging or afflicting it to death. It underscores the devastation that results from the removal of shepherds and God's subsequent judgment.
Zechariah 11 8 Bonus Section
The phrase "the three shepherds" has been interpreted in various ways by scholars. Some suggest it refers to the High Priest, the King, and possibly the Sanhedrin or another influential group. Others view it as symbolic of all negligent leadership. The intense and sudden judgment depicted—"in one month"—contrasts sharply with the slow decay often associated with moral and spiritual decline, suggesting a divine tipping point where judgment is executed with alacrity. The prophecy also anticipates the ultimate Shepherd, Jesus Christ, whose sacrificial death and resurrection fulfill the need for true leadership, contrasting with the failure of those mentioned in Zechariah's vision.
Zechariah 11 8 Commentary
Zechariah 11:8 vividly portrays God's direct intervention to remove ineffective leadership. The swift disposal of "three shepherds" signifies a purge of corrupt or failed shepherds who had harmed the flock. This act results in widespread desolation ("bore the land also to death"), illustrating the grave consequences of poor leadership and divine judgment. This sets a context for the rejection of God's appointed Shepherd (Jesus) who would later be despised by the religious and civil leaders.