The Fall of the Proud
Study note
The chapter opens with a vivid poem about the destruction of Lebanon's great cedar trees, a symbol for proud and powerful leaders. The mighty cedars, oaks, and thick forests are destroyed. The shepherds cry because the rich pastures are ruined, and the lions roar because the thick forests along the Jordan River are gone.
1 Throw open your doors, Lebanon, so fire can devour your cedar trees! Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
2 Weep, cypress tree — the great cedar has crashed down! The magnificent trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan — the dense forest has been chopped to the ground! Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
3 Listen to the shepherds crying in anguish — their lush pasturelands are gone! Listen to the young lions roaring — the thick forests along the Jordan River are destroyed! There 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.
The Good Shepherd Rejected
Study note
God tells Zechariah to act out the role of a shepherd caring for a doomed flock. The people's own leaders were slaughtering them without guilt. Zechariah takes two staffs named 'Favor' and 'Unity' and cares for the flock. But the people reject him, and he asks for his wages. They pay him thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. God tells him to throw it to the potter in the temple. This was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins and returned them to the temple, where they were used to buy a potter's field.
4 The LORD my God said, "Go and take care of the flock that is being raised for slaughter." Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
5 The buyers kill the sheep without a twinge of guilt. The sellers celebrate, saying, "Thank the LORD, I am getting rich!" Their own shepherds could not care less about them. 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.
6 "I will no longer show pity to the people of this land," the LORD declares. "I will hand each person over to their neighbor and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not step in to save anyone." For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: 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.
7 So I became the shepherd of the doomed flock — especially the poorest and weakest sheep. I grabbed two shepherd staffs. I named one Favor and the other Unity. Then I began caring for the flock. And 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 Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
8 In a single month, I fired three worthless shepherds. But the flock grew to despise me, and I grew fed up with them. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9 Finally I said, "I quit. I will not be your shepherd anymore. Those who are dying can die. Those who are getting lost can stay lost. And those who remain can tear each other apart." Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
10 I grabbed my staff called Favor and snapped it in half, breaking the agreement I had made with all the nations. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11 It was officially over. The poorest sheep who had been watching me closely recognized that this was the LORD's doing. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
12 I said to them, "If you think I deserve to be paid, then pay me. If not, forget it." So they counted out thirty pieces of silver as my wages. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13 The LORD told me, "Throw it to the potter — what a generous price they thought I was worth!" So I took the thirty silver coins and threw them to the potter in the LORD's temple. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
14 Then I snapped my second staff, Unity, in half -- ending the bond between Judah and Israel. Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
The Worthless Shepherd
Study note
God tells Zechariah to act out another role, this time as a worthless, foolish shepherd. This represents a future leader who will not care for the people but will only use them. God pronounces a judgment on this worthless shepherd: his arm will be completely withered and his right eye will go blind. This warns against leaders who exploit the people God has entrusted to them.
15 Then the LORD said to me, "Now dress up like a foolish, worthless shepherd." And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16 "I am going to put a shepherd over this land. He will not look for the lost sheep or search for the young ones. He will not heal the hurt ones or feed the healthy ones. Instead, he will kill the fattest sheep for himself and rip the hooves right off them." 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.
17 "Disaster is coming for that worthless shepherd who walks away from the flock! May a sword slash his arm and stab his right eye! May his arm wither to nothing, and may his right eye go completely blind!" Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.