Zechariah 11:17

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Zechariah 11:17

Zechariah 11:17. Wo to the idol shepherd Or the shepherd of nothing, or of no value, as רעי האליל should be translated; he who calls himself the shepherd, ruler, or teacher of the people, but is in reality nothing less. So רפאי אליל , Job 13:4, signifies physicians of no value. That leaveth the flock Who taketh no care of the flock, and minds nothing but making his own profit out of them. Such a shepherd is no better than an idol, that is profitable for nothing, (Isaiah 44:10,) and... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Zechariah 11:4-17

Two short plays about leadership (11:4-17)After announcing God’s judgment on Israel’s bad leaders (see 11:1-3), Zechariah demonstrates that judgment in two short plays. In these plays he acts the part of a shepherd, representing the leaders of God’s people.In the first play God told Zechariah to act the part of a good shepherd. Zechariah was to look after a people oppressed and exploited by bad shepherds, whose sole aim was to enrich themselves. They cared nothing for the flock. God showed... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Zechariah 11:17

idol = idol's. For the sequel to this prophecy see Zechariah 13:7-9 . clean dried up = withered. darkened = blinded. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Zechariah 11:17

"Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."This curse upon the worthless shepherd fell repeatedly upon the worthless shepherds who, in turn, exploited and destroyed the ancient covenant people, after their final rejection of their true King and their choice of Caesar as the leader they would follow.This final tragic verse of the chapter is an eloquent commentary upon the "false... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Zechariah 11:17

17. the idol—The Hebrew expresses both vanity and an idol. Compare Isaiah 14:13; Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:5; Revelation 13:6, as to the idolatrous and blasphemous claims of Antichrist. The "idol shepherd that leaveth the flock" cannot apply to Rome, but to some ruler among the Jews themselves, at first cajoling, then "leaving" them, nay, destroying them (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:30-38). God's sword shall descend on his "arm," the instrument of his tyranny towards the sheep... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Zechariah 11:15-17

The appearance of the bad shepherd 11:15-17"The full fate of Israel is not recounted in the rejection of the good Shepherd God raised up to tend them. The complete tale of woe centers in their acceptance of the bad shepherd God will raise up to destroy them. The one dark episode centers in the events of Messiah’s first advent and death, followed by the dissolution of the Jewish state (Zechariah 11:1-14). The other tragic experience will occur in the events connected with Messiah’s second advent... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Zechariah 11:17

God pronounced judgment on the worthless shepherd for abandoning the flock (cf. Jeremiah 50:35-37). This condemnation applies to all the evil kings of Israel and Judah who had let their people down, but one particular individual is in view primarily. Yahweh would paralyze this man’s power (arm) and nullify his intelligence (eye) rendering him incapable of hurting others or defending himself.Who is this bad shepherd? Some students of history have seen Bar Kokhba as at least a partial... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 11:1-17

The Parable of the ShepherdsThe perplexing nature of the prophecies in this chapter renders exposition difficult, especially as we cannot be sure of the circumstances. Apparently, however, the passage deals with misrule in Jerusalem, either of worthless high priests, or of cruel foreign rulers, or of both, who are spoken of as shepherds: see Intro.1-3. Another storm of war bursts apparently over northern Israel. 4-14. The people reject their good ruler, and the prophet acts the part of a good... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Zechariah 11:4-17

(4-17) The great difficulty of this passage, which is metaphorical and symbolical throughout, consists in the fact that hardly any clue to the interpretation is given to us. Thus commentators are quite unable to agree as to whether the shepherds spoken of are heathen or native rulers. And on this point the whole nature of the interpretation turns. Guided by the language of Zechariah 11:6; Zechariah 11:10, we conclude that the shepherds represent foreign oppressors. Our prophet seems to have had... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Zechariah 11:17

(17) Idol shepherd.—Better, useless shepherd. Though the wicked useless shepherd is allowed for a time to ill-treat and neglect the flock, in the end the judgment of God will fall upon him. (Comp. Daniel 7:26; and for the date of the prophecies of Daniel, see Introduction to that book.) Ewald has maintained that the passage Zechariah 13:7-9 is out of place where it now stands, and that it ought to be transferred to the end of this chapter. There is apparently some truth in this supposition. In... read more

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