EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Zechariah 11:7
7So I was a good shepherd to the sheep that men would soon kill. I took special care of the weakest sheep. Then I took two sticks. And I called one stick ‘Grace’ and I called the other stick ‘Together’. I fed the sheep.
Zechariah 11:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
- New International Version (NIV)So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
Context of Zechariah 11:7
5Those men who buy the sheep will kill them. Nobody will punish them. They will sell them. And they will say, “Thank you Lord, because I am a rich man.” Their own shepherds do not give the sheep any help.’ 6The Lord says, ‘The people in this country were my people, but they are not my people now. I will not go on being kind to them. I myself will give them to their enemies and to foreign kings. The foreign kings will do very bad things to the country, but I will not come to help.’ So I was a good shepherd to the sheep that men would soon kill. I took special care of the weakest sheep. Then I took two sticks. And I called one stick ‘Grace’ and I called the other stick ‘Together’. I fed the sheep. 8In one month, I sent away three shepherds. They did not like me and I was not patient with them. 9I said to the sheep, ‘I will not be your shepherd and you will die. The sheep that do not die will eat each other.’
Read all of Zechariah 11Zechariah 11:7 word by word
וָֽאֶרְעֶה֙ אֶת־צֹ֣אן הַֽהֲרֵגָ֔ה לָכֵ֖ן עֲנִיֵּ֣י הַצֹּ֑אן וָאֶקַּֽח־לִ֞י שְׁנֵ֣י מַקְל֗וֹת לְאַחַ֞ד קָרָ֤אתִי נֹ֙עַם֙ וּלְאַחַד֙ קָרָ֣אתִי חֹֽבְלִ֔ים וָאֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will feedרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- of slaughterהֲרֵגָהhărêgâh · slaughterH2028
- youכֵּןkên · soH3651
- O poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
- And I tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- unto me twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- stavesמַקֵּלmaqqêl maqqelâh · rodH4731
- the oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- I calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- Beautyנֹ֫עַםnô‛am · pleasantnessH5278
- Bandsחָבַלchâbal · to pledgeH2254
Cross-references for Zechariah 11:7
- Zechariah 11:4This is what the Lord said to me, Zechariah. ‘My people are like sheep. There will be a time when men will buy them. And then they will kill them. But feed them until that time.
- Zechariah 13:8In the whole country,’ says the Lord, ‘two thirds of the people will die. But one third will still be living there.
- Isaiah 11:4But he will judge poor people with true justice. He will decide to do what is right for all the helpless people. He will have authority everywhere in the land. The words that he speaks will bring death to wicked people.
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is on me, because he has chosen me to serve him. He has sent me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset. He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free. They can go out of their prisons!
- Jeremiah 5:4I thought, ‘These are poor, foolish people. They do not understand what the Lord wants them to do. They do not know his commands.
- Zephaniah 3:12But I will let the poor people remain there. These are the people who have had bad times. These are the people who will trust me. And they will call me Lord.
- Matthew 11:5Blind people can now see again. People who could not walk can now walk again. People who had a bad disease of the skin are now well again. Deaf people can now hear again. People who had died now live again. Poor people are hearing God's good news.
- Mark 12:37In these words, David himself calls the Messiah his Lord. So can you really say that the Messiah is David's son?’ The large crowd liked to listen to the things that Jesus was saying. It made them happy.
- James 2:5My Christian friends, listen to me. God has chosen to bless people who are poor in this world. He has helped them to trust him. So really they are rich. God will give to them a place in his kingdom. He has promised to do that for all people who love him.
- Zechariah 11:10I took ‘Grace’ which was my first stick. I broke it into two pieces. The Lord's promise to his people finished.
- Leviticus 27:32Out of every ten animals, one animal is holy. It belongs to the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 17:40Instead, David picked up his shepherd's stick. He picked up five round stones from the stream. He put them in the pocket of his shepherd's bag. He held his sling in his hand. Then he walked towards the Philistine soldier.
- Psalms 23:4I may walk through a valley that is as dark as death. But I will not be afraid of any danger. This is because you are with me, Lord. Your stick and your shepherd's pole protect me from danger.
- Psalms 133:1It is good for a family of God's people to live together in peace. Yes! It brings great pleasure!
- Ezekiel 37:16‘Son of man, take a stick and write on it, “This stick belongs to Judah and the Israelite tribes that are with him.” Then take another stick and write on it, “This stick belongs to Joseph's son Ephraim and the Israelite tribes that are with him.”
- John 17:21I pray that all of them will become united. You, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they also will be united in us. Then the world's people will believe that you sent me.
Commentaries on Zechariah 11:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7And I wilt feed the flock of slaughter - I showed them what God had revealed to me relative to the evils coming upon the land; and I did this the more especially for the sake of the poor of the flock. Two staves - Two shepherd's crooks. One I called Beauty - that probably by which they marked the sheep; dipping the end into vermillion, or some red liquid. And this was done when they were to mark every tenth sheep, as it came out of the field, when the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7The prophetic narrative which follows, differs in its form, in some respects, from the symbolical actions of the prophets and from Zechariah‘s own visions. The symbolical actions of the prophets are actions of their own: this involves acts, which it would be impossible to represent, except as a sort of drama. Such are the very central points, the feeding of the flock, which are still intelligent people who understand God‘s doings: the cutting off of the…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. 7Shepherd’s staffs represent leadership and authority. Favor: This staff symbolized God's choice of Israel as his people (see Genesis 12:1–3) and the promise of a leader like King David (see 2 Samuel 7:12–16). Union: Ezekiel’s staff (Ezekiel 37:16–17) represented the unity of the Hebrew tribes as a single nation during King David’s reign (2 Samuel 5:1–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. And--rather, "Accordingly": implying the motive cause which led Messiah to assume the office, namely, the will of the Father (Zec 11:4, 5), who pitied the sheep without any true shepherd. I will feed--"I fed" [Calvin], which comes to the same thing, as the past tense must in Zechariah's time have referred to the event of Messiah's advent then future: the prophets often speaking of the future in vision as already present. It was not My fault, Jehovah…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 11:7
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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