Zechariah 11:16
in Zechariah 11For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Zechariah 11
Commentary
11 notes on this verseFor, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land,.... Not in the land of Judea, but in the Roman empire; and so not Herod, nor King Agrippa, as Kimchi; nor Antiochus Epiphanes, as others; nor those wicked priests and princes, who governed after the times of Zechariah; nor the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's times, though they are often called fools by him, and were truly foolish shepherds; nor even Titus Vespasian, who destroyed the city and temple; nor Bar Cozba, who set up for the Messiah, and was a false one; or any other of that sort.
This site's exposition
the equipment of a foolish shepherd
on Zechariah 11:15-17
The prophet takes up “the equipment of a foolish shepherd”, a leader failing every duty from “care for the lost” to “sustain the healthy”. The woe falls on “the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock”, and the sword strikes the arm and the eye that watches the sheep.
This site's exposition
I will raise up a shepherd in the land
Each duty the worthless shepherd neglects matches a duty a good shepherd owes. John Wesley reads them as seeking the lost, guarding the young who perish most easily and healing the wounded. This shepherd feeds on the flock instead.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(vv. 15 seqq.) And the Lord said to me: Take for yourself the vessels of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are abandoned, he will not seek the scattered, and he will not heal the broken. And what stands, he will not nourish, and he will eat the flesh of the fat ones, and he will dissolve their hoofs.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Their shepherds take no care of the young ones, that need their care and are well worthy of it, as Christ does, Isa. xl. They do not heal that which was broken, which was worried and torn, but let it die of its bruises, when a little thing, in time, would have saved it.
They shall be imposed upon and deluded by false Christs and false prophets, as our Saviour foretold, Matt. xxiv. Many such there were, who by their seditious practices provoked the Romans, and hastened the ruin of the Jewish nation; but it is observable that they were never cheated by a counterfeit Messiah till they had refused and rejected the true Messiah.
1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 2 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 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Who shall not visit - Who seeks not out those that are lost. The young one - Which are aptest to perish through weakness. Nor heal - But leaves it to die of its wounds.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
I will raise up a shepherd in the land - Some wicked king; and Newcome supposes Hoshea may be meant. See 2Ki 17:1, 2Ki 17:2, and to such an abominable sovereign the prophecy may well apply.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This implies, they shall be paid in kind. Such a shepherd in the worst type shall "tear" them for a limited time. those . . . cut off--"those perishing" [Septuagint], that is, those sick unto death, as if already cut off. the young--The Hebrew is always used of human youths, who are really referred to under the image of the young of the flock.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I will raise up - God supplies the strength or wisdom which people abuse to sin. He, in His Providence, disposeth the circumstances, of which the ambitious avail themselves. antichrist, whom the Jews look for, will be as much an instrument of God for the perfecting the elect, as the Chaldees Hab 1:6 or the Assyrians Amo 6:14 whom God raised up, for the chastisement of His former people, or the Medes against Babylon Isa 13:17. Which shall not visit them that be cut off - Zechariah uses the imagery, yet not the exact words of Jeremiah Jer 23:1-2 and Ezekiel Eze 34:3-4. Neglect of every duty of a shepherd to his flock, to the sick, the broken, the sound; direct injury of them, preying upon them, make up the picture. Which shall not visit - Or tend, “that which is cut off:” fulfilling God’s judgment, “that which is to be cut off let it be cut off” Zec 11:9. Neither shall seek the young one - Better, “the scattered , dispersed,” as the Good Shepherd “came to seek and to save that which was lost” Luk 19:10; Mat 18:11. “Nor heal that which is broken; bound not,” Ezekiel says Eze 34:4. : “The broken legs of sheep are healed no otherwise than those of people; rolled in wool impregnated with oil and wine, and then bound up with splinters placed round about it.” Nor feed that which standeth still - Better, “the whole” Yet Jonathan renders as English), as the word always means, “in its good estate,” like our prayer, “that Thou wouldest strengthen those who do stand.”
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנֵּֽה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִי֩ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מֵקִ֨ים | mekim | [am] about to raise up | H6965 → | |
| רֹעֶ֜ה | roeh | a shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| בָּאָ֗רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹת | hanikhchadot | those [which] are being destroyed | H3582 → | 32 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִפְקֹד֙ | yifkod | he will visit | H6485 → | 303 times |
| הַנַּ֣עַר | hanaar | the young man | H5289 → | |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְבַקֵּ֔שׁ | yevakesh | he will seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶת | vehanishberet | and the [one which] is maimed | H7665 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְרַפֵּ֑א | yerape' | he will heal | H7495 → | |
| הַנִּצָּבָה֙ | hanitzavah | the [one which] stands firm | H5324 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל | yekhalkel | he will sustain | H3557 → | |
| וּבְשַׂ֤ר | uvesar | and [the] flesh of | H1320 → | 270 times |
| הַבְּרִיאָה֙ | haberiah | the fat [sheep] | H1277 → | |
| יֹאכַ֔ל | yokhal | he will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ן | ufarseihen | and hooves their | H6541 → | |
| יְפָרֵֽק׃ ס | yefarek | he will tear off | H6561 → |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִנֵּֽה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִי֩I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מֵקִ֨ים[am] about to raise up
mekimH6965 →
רֹעֶ֜הa shepherd
roehH7462 →177 times
בָּאָ֗רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹתthose [which] are being destroyed
hanikhchadotH3582 →32 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִפְקֹד֙he will visit
yifkodH6485 →303 times
הַנַּ֣עַרthe young man
hanaarH5289 →
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְבַקֵּ֔שׁhe will seek
yevakeshH1245 →225 times
וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶתand the [one which] is maimed
vehanishberetH7665 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יְרַפֵּ֑אhe will heal
yerape'H7495 →
הַנִּצָּבָה֙the [one which] stands firm
hanitzavahH5324 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יְכַלְכֵּ֔לhe will sustain
yekhalkelH3557 →
וּבְשַׂ֤רand [the] flesh of
uvesarH1320 →270 times
הַבְּרִיאָה֙the fat [sheep]
haberiahH1277 →
יֹאכַ֔לhe will eat
yokhalH398 →810 times
וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ןand hooves their
ufarseihenH6541 →
יְפָרֵֽק׃ סhe will tear off
yefarekH6561 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 10:1“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- John 10:8–10
All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Hebrews 5:4
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
- Matthew 7:15
Through
Jeremiah 23:2Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold,…
it leads to
- Micah 7:4
The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time…
- Jeremiah 21:12
O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire…
- Micah 7:4
Through
Jeremiah 23:22But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and turned them back from their evil ways and deeds.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:18
But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?
- Jeremiah 23:18
Where this verse is studied
About Zechariah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zechariah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.