God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 10:3
3“My burning anger is directed against the shepherds. I will punish the male goats. The Lord of Armies takes care of his flock, the people of Judah. He makes them like his splendid war horse.”
Zechariah 10:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
- New International Version (NIV)“My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the goatherds. For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, The house of Judah, And will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
Context of Zechariah 10:3
1Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. The Lord makes thunderstorms. He gives everyone rain showers for the plants in the field. 2The idols speak lies. The fortunetellers see false visions. They speak about false dreams. They give useless comfort. That is why people wander around like sheep. They are troubled because there is no shepherd. “My burning anger is directed against the shepherds. I will punish the male goats. The Lord of Armies takes care of his flock, the people of Judah. He makes them like his splendid war horse.” 4From them will come a cornerstone, from them a tent peg, from them a battle bow, from them every leader. 5Together they will be like warriors who trample the enemy in the mud on the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them. They will put to shame those who ride on horses.
Read all of Zechariah 10Zechariah 10:3 word by word
עַל־הָֽרֹעִים֙ חָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֔י וְעַל־הָעַתּוּדִ֖ים אֶפְק֑וֹד כִּֽי־פָקַד֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֤וֹת אֶת־עֶדְרוֹ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה וְשָׂ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם כְּס֥וּס הוֹד֖וֹ בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Mine angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- was kindledחָרָהchârâh · to be incensedH2734
- against the shepherdsרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- and I punishedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: visitH6485
- the goatsעַתּוּד‛attûd ‛attûd · goatH6260
- for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- his flockעֵ֫דֶר‛êder · flockH5739
- the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and hath madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- them as his goodlyהוֹדhôd · splendorH1935
- horseסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- in the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
Cross-references for Zechariah 10:3
- Zechariah 11:5Those who buy them will kill them and go unpunished. Those who sell them will say, “Praise the Lord! I’ve become rich!” Even their own shepherds will have no pity on them.
- Isaiah 56:9All you animals in the field, all you animals in the forest, come and eat.
- Jeremiah 10:21The shepherds are foolish. They don’t look to the Lord for help. That is why they won’t succeed, and all their flocks will be scattered.
- Jeremiah 23:1“How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 50:6My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. They wander around on the mountains. They go from mountains to hills. They have forgotten their resting place.
- Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy to these shepherds. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: How horrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who have been taking care of only themselves. Shouldn’t shepherds take care of the sheep?
- Ezekiel 34:16I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that have strayed away, bandage those that are injured, and strengthen those that are sick. I will destroy those that are fat and strong. I will take care of my sheep fairly.
- Matthew 25:32The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
- Isaiah 10:12When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for all his boasting and all his arrogance.
- Isaiah 24:21On that day the Lord will punish heaven’s armies in heaven and earth’s kings on earth.
- Jeremiah 11:22This is what the Lord of Armies says: I’m going to punish them. The young men will die because of war. Their sons and daughters will die because of famine.
- Jeremiah 25:12“When the 70 years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their crimes, declares the Lord. I will turn Babylon into a permanent wasteland.
- Zephaniah 1:8“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice I will punish the officials, the king’s sons, and all who dress in foreign clothing.
- Exodus 4:31and the people believed them. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about the people of Israel and that he had seen their misery, they knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground.
- Ruth 1:6Naomi and her daughters-in-law started on the way back from the country of Moab. (While they were still in Moab she heard that the Lord had come to help his people and give them food.
- Zephaniah 2:7The coast will belong to the faithful few from the nation of Judah. There they will graze their sheep. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will take care of them and will restore their fortunes.
Commentaries on Zechariah 10:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds - Bad kings and bad priests. I will punish the goats; these were the wicked priests, who were shepherds by their office, and goats by the impurity of their lives. As his goodly horse in the battle - The honorable war horse, or the horse that carried the general's equipage. In the unaccountable variation of interpreters on these chapters, this, among other things, is thought to be spoken of Matthias, and Judas…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds - As Ezekiel continued, “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand” Ezekiel 34:10. I punished the he-goats - The evil powerful are called the “he-goats of the earth: Isaiah 14:9; and in Ezekiel God says, “I will judge between cattle and cattle, between rams and he-goats” Ezekiel 34:17; and our Lord speaks of the reprobate as goats, the saved as sheep…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3My anger burns: Israel often faces this divine wrath due to disobedience to covenant rules or falling into idol worship (see Exodus 22:22–24; Deuteronomy 6:14–15; Joshua 7:1; Judges 2:20; Hebrews 10:31). the leaders (or these male goats): This is a metaphor for princes, since male goats usually lead goat herds.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. against the shepherds--the civil rulers of Israel and Judah who abetted idolatry. punished--literally, "visited upon." The same word "visited," without the upon, is presently after used in a good sense to heighten the contrast. goats--he-goats. As "shepherds" described what they ought to have been, so "he-goats" describes what they were, the emblem of headstrong wantonness and offensive lust (Is 14:9, Margin; Eze 34:17; Da 8:5; Mt 25:33). The he-goats…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 10:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 10
- 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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