Zechariah 11:7

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 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. 6The Lord declares, “I will no longer have pity on those who live in the land. I am going to hand the people over to their neighbors and their king, who will crush the land. And I won’t rescue any of them from their power.” So I became the shepherd of the sheep that were to be slaughtered and also of the oppressed sheep. I took two shepherd staffs and named one Favor and the other Unity. And I took care of the sheep. 8I got rid of three shepherds in one month. I became impatient with the sheep, and they also became disgusted with me. 9So I said, “I won’t be your shepherd. Let those that are dying die. Let those that are missing stay missing. And let those that are left devour each other.”

Zechariah 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 my God says: Take care of the sheep that are about to be slaughtered.
• Zechariah 13:8The Lord declares, “Throughout the land two-thirds will be cut off and die. Yet, one-third will be left in it.
• Isaiah 11:4He will judge the poor justly. He will make fair decisions for the humble people on earth. He will strike the earth with a rod from his mouth. He will kill the wicked with the breath from his lips.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.
• Jeremiah 5:4I thought, “These are poor, foolish people. They don’t know the way of the Lord and the justice that God demands.
• Zephaniah 3:12So with you I will leave a faithful few, a humble and poor people. They will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
• Matthew 11:5Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News.
• Mark 12:37David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?” The large crowd enjoyed listening to him.
• James 2:5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
• Zechariah 11:10Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it in pieces, to break the promise that I had made to all the nations.
• Leviticus 27:32Every tenth head of cattle or sheep that you counted is holy and belongs to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 17:40He took his stick with him, picked out five smooth stones from the riverbed, and put them in his shepherd’s bag. With a sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.
• Psalms 23:4Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.
• Psalms 133:1See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!
• Ezekiel 37:16“Son of man, take a stick and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the Israelites who are associated with it.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘The stick of Ephraim, for Joseph and for all the people of Israel associated with it.’
• John 17:21I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have 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

• Beauty and Bands
• Poor
• Staves (Long Poles)
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Bands
• Weigh
• Band
• Beauty and Bands
• Berechiah
• Bible, the
• Salvation
• Zechariah, Book of
• Shepherd

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