New King James Version
Zechariah 11:15
15And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements 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 Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd.
Context of Zechariah 11:15
13And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. 17“Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
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 6:10“Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”
- Jeremiah 2:26“As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets,
- Lamentations 2:14Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.
- Ezekiel 13:3Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
- Matthew 15:14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
- Matthew 23:17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
- Luke 11:40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries