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 pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, therefore also the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor, and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. 8Then I did away with the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was tired of me. Then I said, “I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to perish, let it perish; and let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10And I took my staff Favor and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11So it was broken on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord.

Zechariah 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 not pastureרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and what is to perishכָּחַדkâchad · to hideH3582
• let those who are leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• eatאָכַל'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 the prophet or a priest asks you, saying, ‘What is the pronouncement of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What pronouncement?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will abandon you.’
• Matthew 13:10And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
• Matthew 21:43Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.
• Matthew 23:38Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
• John 8:21Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”
• John 12:35So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; also, the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
• Acts 13:46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
• Acts 28:26saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, and will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, and will not perceive;
• Psalms 69:22May their table before them become a snare; And when they are at peace, may it become a trap.
• Jeremiah 15:2And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
• Jeremiah 43:11He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword.
• Matthew 15:14Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”
• Matthew 21:19And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
• Revelation 22:11Let the one who does wrong still do wrong, and the one who is filthy still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous still practice righteousness, and the one who is holy still keep himself holy.”
• Deuteronomy 28:53Then you will eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, during the siege and the hardship by which your enemy will oppress you.
• Isaiah 9:19By the wrath of the Lord of armies the land is burned, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No one 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

• 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