Tree of Life Version
Zechariah 11:16
16For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the dying, seek out the young or heal the injured or nourish the healthy. Instead he will eat the meat of the choice sheep, even tearing off their hoofs.”
Zechariah 11:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
- New International Version (NIV)For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For 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.
Context of Zechariah 11:16
14Then I broke my second staff called Union, in order to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15Again Adonai said to me, “Once more take up the equipment of a foolish shepherd! For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the dying, seek out the young or heal the injured or nourish the healthy. Instead he will eat the meat of the choice sheep, even tearing off their hoofs.” 17Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword fell his arm and his right eye! May his arm be all withered and his right eye totally blinded!”
Read all of Zechariah 11Zechariah 11:16 word by word
כִּ֣י הִנֵּֽה־אָנֹכִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים רֹעֶ֜ה בָּאָ֗רֶץ הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹת לֹֽא־יִפְקֹד֙ הַנַּ֣עַר לֹֽא־יְבַקֵּ֔שׁ וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶת לֹ֣א יְרַפֵּ֑א הַנִּצָּבָה֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל וּבְשַׂ֤ר הַבְּרִיאָה֙ יֹאכַ֔ל וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ן יְפָרֵֽק׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For, lo, I will raise upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- a shepherdרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- shall not visitפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: visitH6485
- those that be cut offכָּחַדkâchad · to hideH3582
- neither shall seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- the young oneנַ֫עַרna‛ar · young oneH5289
- nor healרָפָאrâphâ' râphâh · to healH7495
- that that is brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- nor feedכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
- that that standethנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
- still: but he shall eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- of the fatבָּרִיאbârîy' · fatH1277
- and tearפָּרַקpâraq · to tearH6561
- their clawsפַּרְסָהparsâh · hoofH6541
Cross-references for Zechariah 11:16
- Jeremiah 23:2Therefore thus says Adonai, the God of Israel, about the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and have not taken care of them. I will soon visit on you the evil of your deeds.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
- Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Oy , shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should shepherds not take care of the sheep?
- Matthew 23:2saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.
- Luke 12:45“But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the young slave boys and girls and to eat and drink and get drunk,
- John 10:12The hired worker is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. He sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees. Then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep.
- Genesis 33:13He continued, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and the cattle in my care are nursing. So if they were pushed hard just one day, all the flocks would die.
- 1 Samuel 17:34But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb out of the flock,
- Isaiah 40:11Like a shepherd, He tends His flock. He gathers the lambs in His arms carries them in his bosom, and gently guides nursing ewes.
- Genesis 31:38These past twenty years I’ve been with you, your ewes and female goats have never miscarried, and I’ve never eaten the rams of your flock.
- Ezekiel 34:10thus says Adonai Elohim: “Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will demand My flock from their hand. I will dismiss them from tending the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed themselves. I will rescue My sheep from their mouth, so they will not be food for them.”
- John 10:1“Amen, amen I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
Commentaries on Zechariah 11:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16I will raise up a shepherd in the land - Some wicked king; and Newcome supposes Hoshea may be meant. See 2 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 17:2, and to such an abominable sovereign the prophecy may well apply.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16I will raise up - God supplies the strength or wisdom which people abuse to sin. He, in His Providence, disposeth the circumstances, of which the ambitious avail themselves. antichrist, whom the Jews look for, will be as much an instrument of God for the perfecting the elect, as the Chaldees Habakkuk 1:6 or the Assyrians Amos 6:14 whom God raised up, for the chastisement of His former people, or the Medes against Babylon Isaiah 13:17. Which shall not…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. 16tear off their hooves: This is a Hebrew saying. It means searching greedily for the last bit of meat on an animal carcass (see Micah 3:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. in the land--Antichrist will probably he a Jew, or at least one in Judea. not visit ... neither ... seek ... heal ... broken, nor feed ... but ... eat ... flesh ... tear--Compare similar language as to the unfaithful shepherds of Israel in Eze 34:2-4. This implies, they shall be paid in kind. Such a shepherd in the worst type shall "tear" them for a limited time. those ... cut off--"those perishing" [Septuagint], that is, those sick unto death, as if…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 11:16
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
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