Berean Standard Bible
Zechariah 11:9
9Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”
Zechariah 11:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
- New International Version (NIV)and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.”
Context of Zechariah 11:9
7So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock. 8And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me. Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.” 10Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
Read all of Zechariah 11Zechariah 11:9 word by word
וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹ֥א אֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם הַמֵּתָ֣ה תָמ֗וּת וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙ תִּכָּחֵ֔ד וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת תֹּאכַ֕לְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־בְּשַׂ֥ר רְעוּתָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
- Then I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I will no longerלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- shepherd youרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- Let the dyingמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and the perishingכָּחַדkâchad · to hideH3582
- and let those who remainשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- devourאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- oneאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: anotherH802
- another’sרְעוּתre‛ûth · neighborH7468
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
Cross-references for Zechariah 11:9
- Jeremiah 23:33“Now when this people or a prophet or priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you are to say to them, ‘What burden? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’
- Matthew 13:10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
- Matthew 21:43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- Matthew 23:38Look, your house is left to you desolate.
- John 8:21Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
- John 12:35Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
- Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
- Acts 28:26‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
- Psalms 69:22May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.
- Jeremiah 15:2If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
- Jeremiah 43:11He will come and strike down the land of Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.
- Matthew 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
- Matthew 21:19Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
- Revelation 22:11Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”
- Deuteronomy 28:53Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you.
- Isaiah 9:19By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.
Commentaries on Zechariah 11:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9I will not feed you - I shall instruct you no longer: some of you are appointed to death by famine; others, to be cut off by the sword; and others of you, to such desperation that ye shall destroy one another.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And I said, I will not feed you - God, at last, leaves the rebellious soul or people to itself, as He says by Moses, “Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and will hide My Face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall find them” Deuteronomy 31:17: and our Lord tells the captious Jews; “I go My way, and ye shall seek Me and shall die in your sins” John 8:21. That which dieth, let…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-14Verses 4-14 Christ came into this world for judgment to the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those have their minds wofully blinded, who do ill, and justify themselves in it; but God will not hold those guiltless who hold themselves so. How can we go to God to beg a blessing on unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for success in them? There was a general decay of religion among them, and they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9devour one another’s flesh: This might refer literally to cannibalism (people eating human flesh) caused by famine during the siege of Jerusalem in 588–586 BC (see Lamentations 4:10) and later in AD 70 (see Josephus, War 7.4.4). The expression may also be a metaphor for different types of exploitation and oppression (see Micah 3:3; Galatians 5:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Then said I--at last when all means of saving the nation had been used in vain (Joh 8:24). I will not--that is, no more feed you. The last rejection of the Jews is foretold, of which the former under Nebuchadnezzar, similarly described, was the type (Jr 15:1-3; 34:17; 43:11; Eze 6:12). Perish those who are doomed to perish, since they reject Him who would have saved them! Let them rush on to their own ruin, since they will have it so. eat ... flesh of…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 11:9
In the dictionaries
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
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