New English Translation
Zechariah 11:15
15Again the Lord said to me, “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
Zechariah 11:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd.
Context of Zechariah 11:15
13The Lord then said to me, “Throw to the potter that exorbitant sum at which they valued me!” So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the temple of the Lord. 14Then I cut the second staff “Binders” in two in order to annul the covenant of brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Again the Lord said to me, “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16Indeed, I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not take heed to the sheep headed to slaughter, will not seek the scattered, and will not heal the injured. Moreover, he will not nourish the one that is healthy but instead will eat the meat of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. 17Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither completely away, and his right eye become completely blind!”
Read all of Zechariah 11Zechariah 11:15 word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י ע֣וֹד קַח־לְךָ֔ כְּלִ֖י רֹעֶ֥ה אֱוִלִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Zechariah 11:15
- Isaiah 6:10Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”
- Jeremiah 2:26Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets.
- Lamentations 2:14Your prophets saw visions for you that were worthless lies. They failed to expose your sin so as to restore your fortunes. They saw oracles for you that were worthless lies. ס (Samek)
- Ezekiel 13:3This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing!
- Matthew 15:14Leave them! They are blind guides. If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”
- Matthew 23:17Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
- Luke 11:40You fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well?
Commentaries on Zechariah 11:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The instruments of a foolish shepherd - Such as a bag without bread, a scrip without measure, and a staff without a hook, etc., things that were needless or of no use; to point out to the Jewish pastors, who took no care of the flock, but devoured them, or ruled them with force and with cruelty.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Take to thee yet the instrument - o Of a foolish shepherd - Osorius: “Yet He had enacted one tragedy, in which he clearly set forth the future guilt of Judas; now another is set forth, the accumulated scoffing through antichrist. For as Paul said, because they receive not the Spirit of truth, the Allrighteous Judge shall send them a spirit of “delusion, that they should believe a lie” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11. He calls him a foolish shepherd, for since the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 God, having showed the misery of this people in their being justly left by the Good Shepherd, shows their further misery in being abused by foolish shepherds. The description suits the character Christ gives of the scribes and Pharisees. They never do any thing to support the weak, or comfort the feeble-minded; but seek their own ease, while they are barbarous to the flock. The idol shepherd has the garb and appearance of a shepherd, receives…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The worthless shepherd represents corrupt leaders, in contrast to the good shepherd (compare Ezekiel 34:7–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. yet--"take again"; as in Zec 11:7 previously he had taken other implements. instruments--the accoutrements, namely, the shepherd's crook and staff, wallet, &c. Assume the character of a bad ("foolish" in Scripture is synonymous with wicked, Psa 14:1) shepherd, as before thou assumedst that of a good shepherd. Since the Jews would not have Messiah, "the Good Shepherd" (Joh 10:11), they were given up to Rome, heathen and papal, both alike their…Read the comment
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries