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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
11:8m 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
