Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

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THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
TWO SHEPHERD’S STAFFS AND THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER

Summary

A forest cries out and a flock of sheep is condemned to the slaughter. God will rescue none. Two symbolic shepherd’s staffs named Favored and United reveal YHWH’s will. Thirty pieces of silver are paid to the shepherd Zechariah. The second staff named United is broken to break the fellowship of Israel and Judah. YHWH calls for a useless shepherd who will abandon the flock.

Zechariah 11:1-6 – The Cry of a Forest and a Flock

ZC11:1 This is what Y^eH^oW^aH my God says: 284 “Open your doors, O Lebanon, so a fire may consume your cedar trees. 285
284 This is what Y^eH^oW^aH my God says: Or, ASV: Thus said Jehovah my God; NJB: Yahweh my God says this. The phrase is brought up from verse 4.
285 Open your doors, O Lebanon, so a fire may consume your cedar trees: Or, LXX: Let your doors be open, O Lebanon, so that fire may be burning among your cedars. [Jeremiah 22:7, 23]
ZC11:2 Give out a long wailing cry, O juniper, for the cedar tree has fallen, because the magnificent nobles have been violently devastated. 286 Give out a long wailing cry, O oaks of Bashan, because the ancient impenetrable forest has collapsed.
286 Give out a long wailing cry, O juniper, for the cedar tree has fallen, because the magnificent nobles have been violently devastated: Or, ASV: Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the goodly ones are destroyed: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest is come down; JPS: Let the pine howl, because the cedar has fallen; for the mighty men have been greatly afflicted: howl, ye oaks of the land of Basan; for the thickly planted forest has been torn down; LXX: Give a cry of grief, O fir-tree, for the fall of the cedar [CEDROS], because the great ones have been made low: give cries of grief, O you oaks of Bashan, for the strong trees of the wood have come down. [Isaiah 2:13; 10:33; 32:19; Ezekiel 31:3]
ZC11:3 Do you hear it? The long plaintive cry of the shepherds, for their magnificent nobles have been violently devastated. 287 It is the sound of young lions crying loudly. 288 For the pride of the Jordan has been violently devastated. 289
287 Do you hear it? The long plaintive cry of the shepherds, for their magnificent nobles have been violently devastated: Or, ASV: A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! for their glory is destroyed; BAS: Hark! the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is spoiled. [Jeremiah 2:30]
288 It is the sound of young lions crying loudly: Or, LXX: the sound [PHONE] of the loud crying of the young lions [LEONTON]. [Jeremiah 49:19; 50:44]
289 For the pride of the Jordan has been violently devastated: Or, BAS: for the thickets of the Jordan are spoiled; LXX: for the pride of Jordan is made waste.
ZC11:4 Shepherd the flock 290 [1 Peter 5:2] condemned to slaughter!
290 Shepherd the flock: Or, ASV: Feed the flock of slaughter; JPS: Feed the sheep of the slaughter; LXX: Take care of the flock of death. The LXX Greek here is POIMAINETE TA PROBATA and the Greek of 1 Peter 5:4 may echo this – POIMANATE TO EN HUMIN POIMNION. [Ezekiel 34:8]
ZC11:5 For the buyers of [the flock] slaughter them but are not found guilty! 291 Those who sell [the flock] keep saying, ‘Y^eH^oW^aH be blessed, for I am rich!’ 292 [Revelation 3:17] The shepherds of their own flock feel no compassion for them. 293
291 For the buyers of [the flock] slaughter them but are not found guilty: Or, ASV: whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; JPS: which their possessors have slain, and have not repented; LXX: Whose owners put them to death and have no sense of sin. This and verses 9 and 16 cannot be read without thinking of John 10:8, 12, 13. [Jeremiah 2:3; 23:1; Ezekiel 34:2]
292 Those who sell [the flock] keep saying, ‘Y^eH^oW^aH be blessed, for I am rich: Or, ASV: and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; JPS: for we have become rich [PEPLOUTEKAMEN]; LXX: May the Lord be praised for I have much wealth. The language is very similar to Revelation 3:17 where the Greek PEPLOUTEKA is used in a not dissimilar context. [Hosea 12:8] Compare James 4:13, 14.
293 The shepherds of their own flock feel no compassion for them: Or, JPS: heir shepherds have suffered no sorrow for them; LXX: and the keepers of the flock have no pity for them. [Ezekiel 34:4] Compare the Nazarene at Matthew 9:36.
ZC11:6 Y^eH^oW^aH declares, You can be sure that I will no longer have any compassion on the inhabitants of the land. 294 And so – behold! – I deliver every human into the hands of a neighbor and into the hands of the king! 295 I will rescue no one as they are crushed into the ground!” 296
294 You can be sure that I will no longer have any compassion on the inhabitants of the land: Or, JPS: Therefore I will no longer have mercy upon the inhabitants of the land; LXX: I will have no more pity for the people of the land. [Ezekiel 8:18]
295 And so – behold! – I deliver every human into the hands of a neighbor and into the hands of the king: Or, ASV: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king. Compare Zechariah 11:9; 14:13. [Ezekiel 38:21; Micah 7:2; Haggai 2:22]
296 I will rescue no one as they are crushed into the ground: Or, BAS: they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them; JPS: they shall destroy the land, and I will not rescue out of their hand; LXX: and I will not keep them safe from their hands. [Psalm 50:22; Hebrews 10:27]

Zechariah 11:7-11 – Two Shepherd’s Staffs

ZC11:7 So for the buyers of sheep I began to shepherd the flock condemned to slaughter. 297 I took two staffs. 298 One I named Favored, and the other I named United. 299 With these I cared for the flock.
297 So for the buyers of sheep I began to shepherd the flock condemned to slaughter: Or, ASV: So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily the poor of the flock; JPS: I will tend the flock of slaughter in the land of Chanaan; LXX: So I took care of the flock of death, for those who made profit out of the flock. [Psalm 23:1; 80:1; 95:7; Isaiah 40:11]
298 I took two staffs: Or, ASV: staves; JPS: rods. [1 Samuel 17:40; Psalm 23:4]
299 One I named Favored, and the other I named United: Or, ASV: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; BAS: the one I called Graciousness, and the other I called Binders; JPS: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Line; NJB: Goodwill… Couplers; TAN: Favor… Unity; LXX: one Beautiful, and the other Bands. Compare Zechariah 11:10, 14. See the two staffs at Ezekiel 37:19.
ZC11:8 In one month I fired three shepherds because I was personally impatient with them. 300 For their part they personally detested me. 301
300 In one month I fired three shepherds because I was personally impatient with them: Or, ASV: And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul [NEPHESH] was weary of them; BAS: I cut off the three shepherds in one month; ‘for My soul became impatient of them; LXX: in one month I put an end to the three keepers of the flock; for my soul [PSYCHE] was tired of them. [Hosea 5:7]
301 For their part they personally detested me: Or, JPS: for their souls [NEPHESH] cried out against me; LXX: and their souls [PSYCHAI] were disgusted with me.
ZC11:9 I told [the flock]: “I will no longer shepherd you. Those who die will die, and those disappearing will disappear, 302 and those left remaining will annihilate one another 303 [Galatians 5:15].
302 I will no longer shepherd you. Those who die will die, and those disappearing will disappear: Or, LXX: I will not tend you: that which dies, let it die; and that which falls off, let it fall off; LXX: I will not take care of you: If death comes to any, let death be its fate; if any is cut off, let it be cut off. [Jeremiah 15:2]
303 Annihilate one another: Or, ASV: let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another; JPS: let the rest eat every one the flesh of his neighbour; LXX: let the rest take one another’s flesh for food. The idea is repeated at Galatians 5:15. It is an historical reproach that Jews did cannibalize one another, including children, during the great sieges. [Jeremiah 19:9; Ezekiel 5:10]
ZC11:10 So I then took the staff named Favored and cut it in two that I might cut in two my covenant that I cut with the tribal families. 304
304 So I then took the staff named Favored and cut it in two that I might cut in two my covenant that I cut with the tribal families: Or, ASV: And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples; BAS: And I took my staff Graciousness, and cut it asunder, ‘that I might break My covenant which I had made with all the peoples; LXX: And I took my rod Beautiful, cutting it in two, so that the Lord’s agreement, which he had made with all the peoples, might be broken. God is not a Person who continues to ignore the sins of His people. In time He must break His covenant with them because they had already violated it. Compare Matthew 23:38. [Jeremiah 14:21; Ezekiel 16:59]
ZC11:11 So it was in this way, on that day when the staff was broken, all the people watching me realized that it was the word of Y^eH^oW^aH. 305
305 So it was in this way, on that day when the staff was broken, all the people watching me realized that it was the word of Y^eH^oW^aH: Or, ASV: And it was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah; BAS: the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew of a truth that it was the word of the LORD; LXX: And it was broken on that day: and the sheep-traders, who were watching me, were certain that it was the word of the Lord. See notes on Zephaniah 3:12, 13.

Zechariah 11:12-14 – Thirty Pieces of Silver

ZC11:12 It was then that I said to them: “If it pleases you give me my wages, and if not, never mind.” 306 However, they weighed out my wages – thirty pieces of silver. 307 [Matthew 26:15]
306 If it pleases you give me my wages, and if not, never mind: Or, JPS: And I will say to them, If it be good in your eyes, give me my price, or refuse it; LXX: If it seems good to you, give me my payment; and if not, do not give it.
307 Thirty pieces of silver: Or, LXX: thirty shekels of silver [TRIACONTA ARGYROUS]. This was the price of a slave. [Exodus 21:32] The account is used as a prophecy regarding the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Matthew 26:15 has it: TRICONTA ARGYRIA. [Matthew 27:9; Mark 14:11; Luke 22:5]
ZC11:13 Then Y^eH^oW^aH told me: “Hurl it into the [Temple] Treasury! 308 So much for the glorious price these people value Me!” 309 So I took the thirty pieces of silver and hurled them into the Treasury of the House of Y^eH^oW^aH. 310
308 Hurl it into the [Temple] Treasury: Or, ASV: Cast it unto the potter; BAS: Cast it into the treasury; JPS: Drop them into the furnace; LXX: Put it into the store-house; NJB: smelter; TAN: treasury. Matthew 27:5 describes Judas as, “throwing the silver pieces into the Sanctuary [NAON].”
309 So much for the glorious price these people value Me: Or, ASV: the goodly price that I was prized at by them; BAS: the goodly price that I was prized at of them; LXX: the price at which I was valued by them. Israel valued Jehovah as no more than the price of a dead slave. [Exodus 21:32] Of course, it is really Jehovah’s “shepherd” who was so valued. Just so, the Jewish hierarchy valued the Father’s “good shepherd” Jesus in a similar manner.
310 So I took the thirty pieces of silver and hurled them into the Treasury of the House of Y^eH^oW^aH: Or, BAS: And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury; JPS: and cast them into the furnace; LXX: And I took the thirty shekels of silver and put them into the store-house in the house [OIKON] of the Lord. Matthew 27:5 describes Judas as hurling the money into the NAON [temple], but it is unlikely that the betrayer had access to the Holy Place within the temple shrine. Consistent with the prophecy of Zechariah Judas would have thrown the money into the temple treasury where it was likely smelted down into temple money. In Greek the word for the shrine of a god is NAOS, whereas the whole temple courtyard or compound is HEIRON.
ZC11:14 Next I cut in two my second staff named United that I might break in two the fellowship between Judah and Israel. 311
311 Next I cut in two my second staff named United that I might break in two the fellowship between Judah and Israel: Or, ASV: Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel; BAS: Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Binders, that the brotherhood between Judah and Israel might be broken; JPS: that I might break the possession between Juda and Israel; LXX: so that the relation of brothers between Judah and Israel might be broken. See notes on Isaiah 9:21; 11:13. [1 Kings 12:20; Ezekiel 37:16] The breach continued down to the days of Jesus. [See John chapter 4.]

Zechariah 11:15-17 – A Useless Shepherd

ZC11:15 Y^eH^oW^aH continued to tell me: “Now get for yourself the equipment of a useless shepherd. 312
312 Now get for yourself the equipment of a useless shepherd: Or, ASV: Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd; JPS: shepherd’s implements belonging to an unskillful shepherd; LXX: Take again the instruments of a foolish keeper of sheep. Jesus describes similar people at Matthew 15:14. [Ezekiel 34:2]
ZC11:16 For, behold, I am raising up a shepherd in the land. 313 He will pay no attention to those [sheep] that disappeared, and he will not seek those [sheep] that wandered off. He will not bind up the [sheep] that are suffering broken bones. He will not care for the sick and hungry [sheep], but instead he will eat the fat ones, crushing their hooves. 314
313 For, behold, I am raising up a shepherd in the land: Or, ASV: raise up a shepherd against the land; LXX: For see, I will put a sheep-keeper over the land. Compare similar persons at Acts 20:29.
314 He will pay no attention to those [sheep] that disappeared, and he will not seek those [sheep] that wandered off. He will not bind up the [sheep] that are suffering broken bones. He will not care for the sick and hungry [sheep], but instead he will eat the fat ones, crushing their hooves: Or, ASV: who will not visit those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces; BAS: who will not think of those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are young, nor heal that which is broken; neither will he feed that which standeth still, but he will eat the flesh of the fat, and will break their hoofs in pieces; JPS: and he shall not heal that which is bruised, nor guide that which is whole: but he shall devour the flesh of the choice ones, and shall dislocate the joints of their necks; LXX: who will have no care for that which is cut off, and will not go in search of the wanderers, or make well what is broken, and he will not give food to that which is ill, but he will take for his food the flesh of the fat, and let their feet be broken. Compare similar language of the Master at John 10:8, 10, 12, 13. [Jeremiah 23:2; Ezekiel 34:3, 6, 10, 21] Compare Jesus at Matthew 9:36.
ZC11:17 Woe to My useless shepherd who abandons the flock! 315 A sword upon his arm! Upon his right eye! His arm will be completely shriveled, and his right eye will be totally blind.” 316
315 Woe to My useless shepherd who abandons the flock: Or, ASV: Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock; BAS: Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock; JPS: Alas for the vain shepherds that have forsaken the sheep; LXX: A curse on the foolish keeper who goes away from the flock. [Ezekiel 13:2] Compare Jeremiah chapter 23 with Matthew chapter 23. The phrase “abandons the flock” is echoed in John 10:12.
316 A sword upon his arm! Upon his right eye! His arm will be completely shriveled, and his right eye will be totally blind: Or, ASV: the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened; BAS: The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened; LXX: the sword will be on his arm and on his right eye: his arm will become quite dry and his eye will be made completely dark; NJB: totally blinded; TAN: his right eye shall go blind. On the dried up arm see 1 Kings 13:4.

Mark Heber Miller