Zechariah 11:9

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 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. I said to the sheep, ‘I will not be your shepherd and you will die. The sheep that do not die will eat each other.’ 10I took ‘Grace’ which was my first stick. I broke it into two pieces. The Lord's promise to his people finished. 11On the day that the Lord's promise finished, the weak sheep watched me. They knew that it was the Lord's message.

Zechariah 11:9 word by word

וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹ֥א אֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם הַמֵּתָ֣ה תָמ֗וּת וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙ תִּכָּחֵ֔ד וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת תֹּאכַ֕לְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־בְּשַׂ֥ר רְעוּתָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I, I will not feedרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• you: that that diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and that that is to be cut offכָּחַדkâchad · to hideH3582
• and let the restשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• every oneאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: anotherH802
• the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• of anotherרְעוּתre‛ûth · neighborH7468

Cross-references for Zechariah 11:9

• Jeremiah 23:33The Lord said, ‘Jeremiah, someone may ask you a question. He may be one of these people or a prophet or a priest. He may ask you, “What message of trouble is the Lord telling us now?” Then you must say to him, “You are the trouble! The Lord says that he will go away from you.”
• Matthew 13:10Then Jesus' disciples came to him. They asked him, ‘Why do you use stories to speak to the crowd?’
• Matthew 21:43I tell you this: Because you do not believe in me, God will take his kingdom away from you. He will give it to people who show that they obey him.
• Matthew 23:38So listen! Your place will now become like a wilderness where nobody lives.
• John 8:21Jesus said to them again, ‘I will go away and you will look for me. But even when you die, God will still not have forgiven your sins. You cannot go where I will go.’
• John 12:35Jesus answered, ‘The light will be with you for only a short time longer. So continue to walk while you still have the light. Do that, so that the dark will not come over you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
• Acts 13:46But Paul and Barnabas were not afraid of them. They said to them, ‘It was right that we first tell you who are Jews the message from God. But now you say that God's message is not true. You have shown that you do not deserve true life with God. So we will leave you now. We will go and tell this message to the Gentiles.
• Acts 28:26“Go and say to this people, ‘You will listen and listen. But you will not understand. You will look and look. But you will not see anything.’
• Psalms 69:22Please God, cause their feasts to become a trap for them. Let it bring trouble to them and their friends.
• Jeremiah 15:2They may ask you, “Where should we go?” Then tell them, “This is what the Lord says: Those who should become ill and die will die. Those who should die in war will die in war. Those who should die from famine will die from famine. Those who should go away as prisoners will go away as prisoners.”
• Jeremiah 43:11He will come here and he will attack Egypt. Those who should become ill and die will die. Those who should go away as prisoners will go away as prisoners. Those who should die in war will die in war.
• Matthew 15:14Do not listen to what the Pharisees say. They are blind, but they try to show people which way to go. A blind person cannot lead another blind person. If he does, then both of them will fall into a deep hole.’
• Matthew 21:19He saw a fig tree near to the road. He went to see if it had fruit on it. But there were only leaves on the tree, and no fruit. Jesus said to the tree, ‘No fruit will ever grow on you again!’ Then, immediately, the tree became dry and it died.
• Revelation 22:11Let everybody continue to live as they choose. Everyone who does wrong things will continue to do wrong things. Everyone who is disgusting will continue to be disgusting. Everyone who does right things will continue to do right things. Everyone who belongs to God will continue to be holy.’
• Deuteronomy 28:53When that happens, you will have no food, because your enemy's soldiers are all around your town. You will be so hungry that you eat your own children. Those are the sons and daughters that the Lord your God has given to you.
• Isaiah 9:19The Lord Almighty is very angry. He punishes the land of Israel, like a fire that burns everything. The people are like wood that makes the fire burn well. None of them try to help each other.

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

• Staves (Long Poles)

In the dictionaries

• Weigh
• Bible, the
• 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