Zechariah 11:8

8. In the carrying out of his commission the shepherd met opposition, but he overcame it.

Three shepherds… I cut off R.V., “the three shepherds.” Who are these shepherds? Are they foreigners or native rulers? If native rulers, who are they? The shepherds of Zechariah 10:3, are foreign oppressors, but the shepherds of Zechariah 11:5, are native rulers; since the latter is in the more immediate context it seems best to take the three shepherds of this verse to be native rulers. The defenders of the pre-exilic date see here a reference to the assassination of the successors of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, and a “third pretender” (2 Kings 15:13-15). On the other hand, those who favor a late postexilic date think of the frequent changes in the high-priestly office during the years immediately preceding the Maccabean uprising. Marti thinks of Lysimachus, who was killed by a mob about 171 B.C. ( 2Ma 4:22 ); Jason, who was driven from the office in 170 and found an ignominious end in exile ( 2Ma 5:10 ); and Menelaus, who became high priest again in 170 and lost his office in 168, when the Jehovah cult was temporarily discontinued in the temple, and who died a violent death in Beroea in Syria in 163 ( 2Ma 13:3-8 ). Reference has been made to the difficulty involved in assigning the prophecy to so late a date (p. 589); certainty seems impossible.

In one month Not to be understood literally. It is equivalent to in a short space of time. At any rate, we know of no crisis in Jewish history when three rulers, either foreign or native, either kings or high-priests, were cut off during one month.

8 b might be interpreted as supplying the reason why the good shepherd cut off the three shepherds. If so, the transition from Zechariah 11:8 to Zechariah 11:9 would be very abrupt; hence it seems better to make a full stop after “in one month” and connect 8b with Zechariah 11:9. With great zeal the shepherd entered upon his task, but the flock failed to appreciate his efforts.

And R.V., “for”; better, but.

My soul loathed them R.V., “was weary of them.” The shepherd grew weary of the unappreciative flock; to it refers the pronoun them and not to the shepherds.

Their soul also abhorred me R.V., “loathed.” The flock came to dislike the shepherd’s strict control.