Zec 11:1
11:1 Open thy doors, O {a} Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy
     cedars.

     (a) Because the Jews thought themselves so strong by reason
         of this mountain, that no enemy could come to hurt
         them, the Prophet shows that when God sends the
         enemies, it will show itself ready to receive them.

Zec 11:2
11:2 Wail, {b} fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the
     mighty are laid waste: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the
     forest of the {c} vintage is come down.

     (b) Showing that if the strong men were destroyed, the
         weaker were not able to resist.
     (c) Seeing that Lebanon was destroyed, which was the
         strongest fortress, the weaker places could not hope to
         hold out.

Zec 11:3
11:3 [There is] a voice of the wailing of the shepherds; for
     their {d} glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of
     young lions; for the pride of Jordan is laid waste.

     (d) That is, the fame of Judah and Israel would perish.

Zec 11:4
11:4 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the {e}
     slaughter;

     (e) Which being now destined to be slain, were delivered as
         out of the lion's mouth.

Zec 11:5
11:5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves {f} not
     guilty: and they that sell them say, {g} Blessed [be] the
     LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

     (f) Their governors destroy them without any remorse of
         conscience, or yet thinking that they do evil.
     (g) He notes the hypocrites, who always have the name of
         God in their mouths, though in their life and doings
         they deny God, attributing their gain to God's
         blessings, which comes from the wealth of their
         brethren.

Zec 11:6
11:6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith
     the LORD: but, lo, {h} I will deliver the men every one
     into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his {i}
     king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand
     I will not deliver [them].

     (h) I will cause one to destroy another.
     (i) Their governors will execute cruelty over them.

Zec 11:7
11:7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, [even] you, {k} O
     poor of the flock. And I took to me {l} two staffs; the one
     I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed
     the flock.

     (k) That is, the small remnant, whom he though worthy to
         show mercy to.
     (l) God shows his great benefits toward his people to
         convince them of greater ingratitude, who would
         neither be ruled by his most beautiful order of
         government, neither continue in the bands of brotherly
         unity, and therefore he breaks both the one and the
         other.  Some read "Destroyers" instead of "Bands", but
         in @Zec 11:14 the second reading is confirmed.

Zec 11:8
11:8 {m} Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my
     soul lothed {n} them, and their soul also abhorred me.

     (m) By which he shows his care and diligence that he would
         not allow them to have evil rulers, so that they would
         consider his great love.
     (n) Meaning, the people, because they would not acknowledge
         these great benefits of God.

Zec 11:11
11:11 And it was broken in that day: and so the {o} poor of the
      flock that waited upon me knew that it [was] the word of
      the LORD.

      (o) He shows that the least always profit by God's
          judgments.

Zec 11:12
11:12 And I said to them, If ye think good, give [me] {p} my
      price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price
      thirty [pieces] of silver.

      (p) Besides their ingratitude, God accuses them of malice
          and wickedness, who did not only forget his benefits,
          but esteemed them as nothing.

Zec 11:13
11:13 And the LORD said to me, Cast it to the {q} potter: a
      glorious price that I was valued at by them. And I took
      the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter
      in the house of the LORD.

      (q) Showing that it was too little to pay his wages with,
          which could hardly suffice to make a few tiles to
          cover the temple.

Zec 11:15
11:15 And the LORD said to me, Take to thee yet {r} the
      instruments of a foolish shepherd.

      (r) Signifying that they should have a certain type of
          regiment and outward show of government: but in effect
          it would be nothing, for they would be wolves, and
          devouring beasts instead of shepherds.

Zec 11:16
11:16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, [who]
      shall not visit those that are cut off, neither shall seek
      the young one, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed
      that which {s} standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh
      of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

      (s) And is in health and sound.

Zec 11:17
11:17 Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword
      [shall be] upon his {t} arm, and upon his right eye: his
      arm shall be wholly dried up, and his right eye shall be
      utterly darkened.

      (t) By the arm he signifies strength, as he does wisdom
          and judgments by the eye: that is, the plague of God
          will take away both your strength and judgment.



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