Zechariah 11:16

Zechariah 11:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
• New International Version (NIV)For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

Context of Zechariah 11:16

14Then I broke my second staff, Union, into pieces to break the brotherhood between Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and Israel (the Northern Kingdom). 15The Lord said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment [of a shepherd, but this time] of a foolish shepherd. For 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 11:16 word by word

כִּ֣י הִנֵּֽה־אָנֹכִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים רֹעֶ֜ה בָּאָ֗רֶץ הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹת לֹֽא־יִפְקֹד֙ הַנַּ֣עַר לֹֽא־יְבַקֵּ֔שׁ וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶת לֹ֣א יְרַפֵּ֑א הַנִּצָּבָה֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל וּבְשַׂ֤ר הַבְּרִיאָה֙ יֹאכַ֔ל וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ן יְפָרֵֽק׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For, lo, I will raise upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
• a shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• shall not visitפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: visitH6485
• those that be cut offכָּחַדkâchad · to hideH3582
• neither shall seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• the young oneנַ֫עַרna‛ar · young oneH5289
• nor healרָפָאrâphâ' râphâh · to healH7495
• that that is brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
• nor feedכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
• that that standethנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• still: but he shall eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• of the fatבָּרִיאbârîy' · fatH1277
• and tearפָּרַקpâraq · to tearH6561
• their clawsפַּרְסָהparsâh · hoofH6541

Cross-references for Zechariah 11:16

• Jeremiah 23:2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the Lord.
• Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, the [spiritual] shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
• Matthew 23:2saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];
• Luke 12:45But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time in coming,’ and begins to beat the servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk,
• John 10:12But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
• Genesis 33:13But Jacob replied, “You know, my lord, that the children are frail and need gentle care, and the nursing flocks and herds [with young] are of concern to me; for if the men should drive them hard for a single day, all the flocks will die.
• 1 Samuel 17:34But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
• Isaiah 40:11He will protect His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young.
• Genesis 31:38These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not lost their young, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.
• Ezekiel 34:10‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My flock from them and make them stop tending the flock, so that the shepherds cannot feed themselves anymore. I will rescue My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.” ’ ”
• John 10:1“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place [on the stone wall], that one is a thief and a robber.

Commentaries on Zechariah 11:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16I will raise up a shepherd in the land - Some wicked king; and Newcome supposes Hoshea may be meant. See 2 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 17:2, and to such an abominable sovereign the prophecy may well apply.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16I will raise up - God supplies the strength or wisdom which people abuse to sin. He, in His Providence, disposeth the circumstances, of which the ambitious avail themselves. antichrist, whom the Jews look for, will be as much an instrument of God for the perfecting the elect, as the Chaldees Habakkuk 1:6 or the Assyrians Amos 6:14 whom God raised up, for the chastisement of His former people, or the Medes against Babylon Isaiah 13:17. Which shall not…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. 16tear off their hooves: This is a Hebrew saying. It means searching greedily for the last bit of meat on an animal carcass (see Micah 3:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. in the land--Antichrist will probably he a Jew, or at least one in Judea. not visit ... neither ... seek ... heal ... broken, nor feed ... but ... eat ... flesh ... tear--Compare similar language as to the unfaithful shepherds of Israel in Eze 34:2-4. This implies, they shall be paid in kind. Such a shepherd in the worst type shall "tear" them for a limited time. those ... cut off--"those perishing" [Septuagint], that is, those sick unto death, as if…Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 11:16

• Children
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Pekah
• Weigh
• Bible, the
• Claw
• Salvation
• Zechariah, Book of

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