Zechariah 11:15

Zechariah 11:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd.

Context of Zechariah 11:15

13Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter [as if to the dogs]—that magnificent sum at which I am valued by them!” So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14Then I broke my second staff, Union, into pieces to break the brotherhood between Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and Israel (the Northern Kingdom). The Lord said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment [of a shepherd, but this time] of a foolish shepherd. 16For behold, I am going to raise up a [false] shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or feed the healthy; but will eat the flesh of the fat ones and tear off their hoofs [to consume everything]. 17Woe (judgment is coming) to the worthless and foolish shepherd Who deserts the flock! The sword will strike his arm And his right eye! His arm shall be totally withered And his right eye completely blinded.”

Zechariah 11:15 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י ע֣וֹד קַח־לְךָ֔ כְּלִ֖י רֹעֶ֥ה אֱוִלִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto me, Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• unto thee yet the instrumentsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
• of a foolishאֱוִלִי'ĕvilîy · foolishH196
• shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462

Cross-references for Zechariah 11:15

• Isaiah 6:10Make the heart of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”
• Jeremiah 2:26“As the thief is shamed when he is caught, So the house of Israel is shamed— They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets—
• Lamentations 2:14Your prophets have seen (imagined) for you False and foolish visions; And they have not exposed your wickedness To restore you from captivity [by teaching you to repent], But they have seen (imagined) and declared to you false and misleading oracles.
• Ezekiel 13:3Thus says the Lord God, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit [claiming to have seen things] but have [in fact] seen nothing.
• Matthew 15:14Leave them alone; they are blind guides [leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
• Matthew 23:17You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?
• Luke 11:40You foolish ones [acting without reflection or intelligence]! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

Commentaries on Zechariah 11:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The instruments of a foolish shepherd - Such as a bag without bread, a scrip without measure, and a staff without a hook, etc., things that were needless or of no use; to point out to the Jewish pastors, who took no care of the flock, but devoured them, or ruled them with force and with cruelty.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Take to thee yet the instrument - o Of a foolish shepherd - Osorius: “Yet He had enacted one tragedy, in which he clearly set forth the future guilt of Judas; now another is set forth, the accumulated scoffing through antichrist. For as Paul said, because they receive not the Spirit of truth, the Allrighteous Judge shall send them a spirit of “delusion, that they should believe a lie” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11. He calls him a foolish shepherd, for since the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 God, having showed the misery of this people in their being justly left by the Good Shepherd, shows their further misery in being abused by foolish shepherds. The description suits the character Christ gives of the scribes and Pharisees. They never do any thing to support the weak, or comfort the feeble-minded; but seek their own ease, while they are barbarous to the flock. The idol shepherd has the garb and appearance of a shepherd, receives…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The worthless shepherd represents corrupt leaders, in contrast to the good shepherd (compare Ezekiel 34:7–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. yet--"take again"; as in Zec 11:7 previously he had taken other implements. instruments--the accoutrements, namely, the shepherd's crook and staff, wallet, &c. Assume the character of a bad ("foolish" in Scripture is synonymous with wicked, Psa 14:1) shepherd, as before thou assumedst that of a good shepherd. Since the Jews would not have Messiah, "the Good Shepherd" (Joh 10:11), they were given up to Rome, heathen and papal, both alike their…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Weigh
• Bible, the
• Salvation
• Shepherd
• Zechariah, Book of
• Bag

Commentaries on Zechariah 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings