Zechariah 11 · Verse 16

Zechariah 11:16

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.
Zechariah 11:16, King James Version

Zechariah 11:16 in other translations

BSBFor 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.
WEBFor, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.
ASVFor, 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.
YLTFor lo, I am raising up a shepherd in the land, The cut off he doth not inspect, The shaken off he doth not seek, And the broken he doth not heal, The standing he doth not sustain, And the flesh of the fat he doth eat, And their hoofs he doth break off.
DARBYFor behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit those that are about to perish, neither shall seek that which is strayed away, nor heal that which is wounded, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their hoofs in pieces.
BBEFor see, I will put a sheep-keeper over the land, who will have no care for that which is cut off, and will not go in search of the wanderers, or make well what is broken, and he will not give food to that which is ill, but he will take for his food the flesh of the fat, and let their feet be broken.
WebsterFor 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 standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

What does Zechariah 11:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. in the land--Antichrist will probably he a Jew, or at least one in Judea. not visit ... neither ... seek ... heal ... broken, nor feed ... but ... eat ... flesh ... tear--Compare similar language as to the unfaithful shepherds of Israel in Eze 34:2-4. 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. Ancient expositors [Chaldee Version, Jerome, &c.] translate, "the straying," "the dispersed"; so Gesenius. broken--the wounded. standeth still--with faintness lagging behind. tear ... claws--expressing cruel voracity; tearing off the very hoofs (compare Ex 10:26), giving them excruciating pain, and disabling them from going in quest of pasture.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 I will raise up a shepherd in the land - Some wicked king; and Newcome supposes Hoshea may be meant. See 2Kgs 17:1, 2Kgs 17:2, and to such an abominable sovereign the prophecy may well apply.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 11:15-17

God, having showed the misery of this people in their being justly left by the Good Shepherd, shows their further misery in being abused by foolish shepherds. The description suits the character Christ gives of the scribes and Pharisees. They never do any thing to support the weak, or comfort the feeble-minded; but seek their own ease, while they are barbarous to the flock. The idol shepherd has the garb and…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 11:15-17 →

Zechariah 11:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֣יkiforH3588
הִנֵּֽה\־hi.neh-here!H2009
אָנֹכִי֩'a.no.KhiIH595
מֵקִ֨יםme.Kim[am] about to raise upH6965
רֹעֶ֜הro.'Eha shepherdH7462
בָּאָ֗רֶץba.'A.retzin the landH776
הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹתha.nikh.cha.Dotthose [which] are being destroyedH3582
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יִפְקֹד֙yif.Kodhe will visitH6485
הַנַּ֣עַרha.Na.'arthe young manH5289
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יְבַקֵּ֔שׁye.va.Keshhe will seekH1245
וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶתve.ha.nish.Be.retand the [one which] is maimedH7665
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יְרַפֵּ֑אye.ra.Pe'he will healH7495
הַנִּצָּבָה֙ha.ni.tza.Vahthe [one which] stands firmH5324
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יְכַלְכֵּ֔לye.khal.Kelhe will sustainH3557
וּבְשַׂ֤רu.ve.Sarand [the] flesh ofH1320
הַבְּרִיאָה֙ha.be.ri.'Ahthe fat [sheep]H1277
יֹאכַ֔לyo.Khalhe will eatH398
וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ןu.far.sei.Henand hooves theirH6541
יְפָרֵֽק\׃\ \סye.fa.Rekhe will tear offH6561

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zechariah 11:16

  • John 10:12-13

    But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

  • Jeremiah 23:2

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.

  • Ezekiel 34:2-6

    Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. …

  • John 10:1

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

  • Matthew 23:13-29

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! …

  • Luke 12:45-46

    But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

  • Genesis 33:13

    And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

  • Ezekiel 34:21

    Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

  • Matthew 23:2-4

    Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

  • Ezekiel 34:16

    I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

  • Isaiah 40:11

    He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

  • 1 Samuel 17:34-35

    And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
which.
Jer 23:2,22; Eze 34:2-6,16; Mt 23:2-4,13-29; Lu 12:45,46
Joh 10:12,13
cut off. or, hidden. neither.
Ge 33:13; 1Sa 17:34,35; Isa 40:11
feed. or, bear. but.
Ge 31:38; Eze 34:10,21; Joh 10:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zechariah 11:15

    And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

  • Zechariah 11:16

    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.

  • Zechariah 11:17

    Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Read all of Zechariah 11

Zechariah 11:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque he aquí, yo levanto pastor en la tierra, que no visitará las perdidas, no buscará la pequeña, no curará la perniquebrada, ni llevará la cansada á cuestas; sino que se comerá la carne de la gruesa, y romperá sus uñas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car voici, je suscite un berger dans le pays, qui ne visitera pas ce qui va périr, qui ne cherchera pas ce qui est dispersé, qui ne pansera pas ce qui est blessé, et ne nourrira pas ce qui est en bon état; mais il mangera la chair de ce qui est gras, et rompra la corne de leurs pieds.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn siehe, ich erwecke einen Hirten im Lande: der Umkommenden wird er sich nicht annehmen, das Versprengte wird er nicht suchen, und das Verwundete nicht heilen; das Gesunde wird er nicht versorgen, und das Fleisch des Fetten wird er essen und ihre Klauen zerreißen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quia ecce ego suscitabo pastorem in terra, qui derelicta non visitabit, dispersum non quæret, et contritum non sanabit, et id quod stat non enutriet, et carnes pinguium comedet, et ungulas eorum dissolvet.