Zechariah 11:5

5. 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" ( :-). 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 Zechariah 11:12). The rulers of Judah, who by their avaricious rapacity and selfishness (John 11:48; John 11:50) virtually sold their country to Rome. Their covetousness brought on Judea God's visitation by Rome. The climax of this was the sale of the innocent Messiah for thirty pieces of silver. They thought that Jesus was thus sold and their selfish interest secured by the delivery of Him to the Romans for crucifixion; but it was themselves and their country that they thus sold to the Roman possessors."

I am rich—by selling the sheep (Deuteronomy 29:19; Hosea 12:8). In short-sighted selfishness they thought they had gained their object, covetous self-aggrandizement (Hosea 12:8- :), and hypocritically "thanked" God for their wicked gain (compare Luke 18:11).

say . . . pity—In Hebrew it is singular: that is, each of those that sell them saith: Not one of their own shepherds pitieth them. An emphatical mode of expression by which each individual is represented as doing, or not doing, the action of the verb [HENDERSON]. HENGSTENBERG refers the singular verbs to JEHOVAH, the true actor; the wicked shepherds being His unconscious instruments. Compare Zechariah 11:6, For I will no more pity, with the Hebrew "pitieth not" here.