Zechariah 11:5

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

3Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is destroyed! Listen to the roaring of young lions, for Jordan’s thickets are ruined! 4Thus said Adonai my God: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter! Their buyers slay them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Adonai, for I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land”—it is a declaration of Adonai. “Behold, I will hand everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.” 7So I pastured the flock for the slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took two staffs—one I called Favor and the other I called Union—and I pastured the flock.

Zechariah 11:5 word by word

אֲשֶׁ֨ר קֹנֵיהֶ֤ן יַֽהֲרְגֻן֙ וְלֹ֣א יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן יֹאמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֖ה וַאעְשִׁ֑ר וְרֹ֣עֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יַחְמ֖וֹל עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• 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
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 23:1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” It is a declaration of Adonai.
• Ezekiel 22:25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing prey. They have devoured lives, they take wealth and valuables, they multiply widows in her midst.
• 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?
• Micah 3:1Then I said: “Hear, leaders of Jacob, rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?
• John 16:2They will throw you out of the synagogues. Yes, an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
• Jeremiah 2:3Israel was kadosh to Adonai, the firstfruits of the harvest. All who devoured him were held guilty. Catastrophe overtook them.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
• Jeremiah 50:7Everyone finding them devoured them. Their foes said: ‘We’re not guilty!’ Instead, they sinned against Adonai, the habitation of justice—Adonai, the hope of their fathers.”
• Genesis 37:26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come on!
• 2 Kings 4:1Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, “Your servant my husband is dead—you know that your servant feared Adonai. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”
• Nehemiah 5:8I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the nations. Now you also are selling your brothers so that they will be sold back to us?” Then they became silent and could not find anything to say.
• Matthew 21:12Then Yeshua entered the Temple and drove out all those selling and buying in the Temple. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those selling doves.
• 2 Peter 2:3In their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
• Revelation 18:13cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; and slaves—that is, human souls.
• Deuteronomy 29:19Adonai will be unwilling to forgive him. For then the anger of Adonai and His jealousy will smoke against that person. So all the oath that is written in this scroll will settle on him, and Adonai will blot out his name from under the heavens.
• Hosea 12:8A merchant loves to extort, with deceptive balances in his hand.

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

• Minister, Christian

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