Revised Literal Translation
Zechariah 11:5
5Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be Yhwh; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
Zechariah 11:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
- New International Version (NIV)Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them.
Context of Zechariah 11:5
3There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. 4Thus saith Yhwh my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be Yhwh; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 6For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Yhwh: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. 7And 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 Grace, and the other I called Union; and I fed the flock.
Read all of Zechariah 11Zechariah 11:5 word by word
אֲשֶׁ֨ר קֹנֵיהֶ֤ן יַֽהֲרְגֻן֙ וְלֹ֣א יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן יֹאמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֖ה וַאעְשִׁ֑ר וְרֹ֣עֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יַחְמ֖וֹל עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃Read the interlinear
- Whose possessorsקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
- slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- them, and hold themselves not guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816
- and they that sellמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- them sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- for I am richעָשַׁר‛âshar · to enrichH6238
- and their own shepherdsרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- pityחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550
Cross-references for Zechariah 11:5
- Jeremiah 23:1Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Yhwh.
- Ezekiel 22:25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
- Ezekiel 34:2Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Yhwh unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
- Micah 3:1And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
- Matthew 23:14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
- John 16:2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
- Jeremiah 2:3Israel was holiness unto Yhwh, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith Yhwh.
- Jeremiah 50:7All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against Yhwh, the habitation of justice, even Yhwh, the hope of their fathers.
- Genesis 37:26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
- 2 Kings 4:1Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear Yhwh: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
- Nehemiah 5:8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
- Matthew 21:12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
- 2 Peter 2:3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
- Revelation 18:13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
- Deuteronomy 29:19And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
- Hosea 12:8And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
Commentaries on Zechariah 11:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Whose possessors - Governors and false prophets, slay them, by leading them to those things that will bring them to destruction. And they that sell them - Give them up to idolatry; and bless God, strange to tell, that they get secular advantage by the establishment of this false religion.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Whose possessors - (buyers) slay them and hold themselves not guilty, rather, are not guilty either in their own eyes, or in the sight of God, since He gave them up and would no more avenge them. They contract no guilt. Aforetime God said; “Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first-fruits of His increase; all that devour him shall be guilty: evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord” Jeremiah 2:3. Now God reversed this, as He said by the same prophet…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. 5The sheep (the Hebrew people) were being sold as slaves to foreign powers, foreign allies, or local slave traders (see Amos 2:6). The sellers were the leaders, who cared more about getting rich than the well-being of the people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. possessors--The buyers [Maurer], their Roman oppressors, contrasted with "they that sell men." The instruments of God's righteous judgment, and therefore "not holding themselves guilty" (Jr 50:7). It is meant that they might use this plea, not that they actually used it. Judah's adversaries felt no compunction in destroying them; and God in righteous wrath against Judah allowed it. they that sell them--(Compare Zec 11:12). The rulers of Judah, who by…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 11:5
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
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