Tyndale Open Study NotesZechariah 10

God will strengthen his people with his power and restore them because of his compassion (Zechariah 10:6, 12). The passage mentions shepherds several times (Zechariah 10:2–3; 11:3). These references prepare the reader for the next section, which uses an allegory (a symbolic story) about good and evil shepherds (11:4–17).

This rebuke targets false shepherds, human leaders who use their people for their own benefit instead of caring for them.

Rain was a sign of divine blessing (see Joel 2:23). The Lord provided the rain, but Israel's leaders made the people trust false gods instead.

idols: This might refer to ancestor statues used in ceremonies to summon the spirits of the dead. Consulting with the dead was common in the ancient world, but God's law forbade it for the Hebrews (see Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10–11).

• My anger burns: Israel often faces this divine wrath due to disobedience to covenant rules or falling into idol worship (see Exodus 22:22–24; Deuteronomy 6:14–15; Joshua 7:1; Judges 2:20; Hebrews 10:31).

• the leaders (or these male goats): This is a metaphor for princes, since male goats usually lead goat herds.

A true shepherd will come. God promises a faithful leader who will care for his people and guide them rightly.

• A cornerstone is the first foundation stone that supports a building's structure (see Job 38:6; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:20).

• Just as a tent peg secures a tent to the ground, Judah will provide future leaders to stabilize the Hebrew nation.

• Many see the cornerstone, tent peg, and bow for battle as titles for the Messiah (compare Isaiah 22:20–23; Zechariah 9:13).

• save: This Hebrew word is also used for the escape from Egypt (see Exodus 14:30). Salvation and victory come from God (Psalm 3:8; Isaiah 63:1).

• God saves and restores his people, Israel, because of his compassion (see Exodus 33:19; Psalms 103:13; 111:4; Lamentations 3:32).

• I will whistle for them: In biblical times, shepherds guided their flocks by whistling or playing pipes (see Judges 5:16).

• Redeemed can also mean “ransomed,” which is buying slaves out of their servitude or indentured status (see Deuteronomy 15:15; 24:18).

• Numerous as they once were: The growth of the Hebrew people was one of God's promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3; 22:17; 32:12).

• The Lord had previously called the armies of Egypt and Assyria to attack King Ahaz of Judah because he did not believe (Isaiah 7:18). These two nations symbolized the slavery and exile the Hebrews faced.

• Gilead is a fertile area east of the Jordan River and south of the Sea of Galilee. It is good for growing grain and raising animals. The tribes of Manasseh and Gad settled there.

• Lebanon sometimes marked the northern boundary of the promised land (see Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:4). God would restore and resettle the Hebrews so completely that even the outer areas of Israelite land would be full of people.

When the Hebrews returned to Israel from exile in Babylon, they had to cross the Euphrates River. This journey is similar to their exodus from Egypt (see Isaiah 43:2–6, 16–17).

This verse repeats the earlier promise that God will strengthen his people (Zechariah 10:6; see Isaiah 41:8–10; compare Psalms 18:1; 22:19; 28:8; 29:11).