Zechariah 11 · Verse 4

Zechariah 11:4

Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
Zechariah 11:4, King James Version

Zechariah 11:4 in other translations

BSBThis is what the LORD my God says: “Pasture the flock marked for slaughter,
WEBThe LORD my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter.
ASVThus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter;
YLTThus said Jehovah my God: ‘Feed the flock of the slaughter,
DARBYThus saith Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter,
BBEThis is what the Lord my God has said: Take care of the flock of death;
WebsterThus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

What does Zechariah 11:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. The prophet here proceeds to show the cause of the destruction just foretold, namely, the rejection of Messiah. flock of ... slaughter--(Psa 44:22). God's people doomed to slaughter by the Romans. Zechariah here represents typically Messiah, and performs in vision the actions enjoined: hence the language is in part appropriate to him, but mainly to the Antitype, Messiah. A million and a half perished in the Jewish war, and one million one hundred thousand at the fall of Jerusalem. "Feed" implies that the Jews could not plead ignorance of God's will to execute their sin. Zechariah and the other prophets had by God's appointment "fed" them (Ac 20:28) with the word of God, teaching and warning them to escape from coming wrath by repentance: the type of Messiah, the chief Shepherd, who receives the commission of the Father, with whom He is one (Zec 11:4); and Himself says (Zec 11:7), "I will feed the flock of slaughter." Zechariah did not live to "feed" literally the "flock of slaughter"; Messiah alone "fed" those who, because of their rejection of Him, were condemned to slaughter. Jehovah-Messiah is the speaker. It is He who threatens to inflict the punishments (Zec 11:6, 8). The typical breaking of the staff, performed in vision by Zechariah (Zec 11:10), is fulfilled in His breaking the covenant with Judah. It is He who was sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zec 11:12, 13).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Feed the flock of the slaughter - This people resemble a flock of sheep fattened for the shambles; feed, instruct, this people who are about to be slaughtered.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 11:4-14
Christ came into this world for judgment to the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those have their minds wofully blinded, who do ill, and justify themselves in it; but God will not hold those guiltless who hold themselves so. How can we go to God to beg a blessing on unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for success in them? There was a general decay of religion among them, and they regarded it not. The Good Shepherd would feed his flock, but his attention would chiefly be directed to the poor. As an emblem, the prophet seems to have taken two staves; Beauty, denoted the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their national covenant; the other he called Bands, denoting the harmony which hitherto united them as the flock of God. But they chose to cleave to false teachers. The carnal mind and the friendship of the world are enmity to God; and God hates all the workers of iniquity: it is easy to foresee what this will end in. The prophet demanded wages, or a reward, and received thirty pieces of silver. By Divine direction he cast it to the potter, as in disdain for the smallness of the sum. This shadowed forth the bargain of Judas to betray Christ, and the final method of applying it. Nothing ruins a people so certainly, as weakening the brotherhood among them. This follows the dissolving of the covenant between God and them: when sin abounds, love waxes cold, and civil contests follow. No wonder if those fall out among themselves, who have provoked God to fall out with them. Wilful contempt of Christ is the great cause of men's ruin. And if professors rightly valued Christ, they would not contend about little matters.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Zechariah 11:4 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.

כֹּ֥הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֖ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהָ֑י'e.lo.HaiGod myH430
רְעֵ֖הre.'EhshepherdH7462
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
צֹ֥אןtzon[the] flock ofH6629
הַהֲרֵגָֽה\׃ha.ha.re.Gah<the> slaughterH2028

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

Cross references for Zechariah 11:4

  • Zechariah 11:7

    And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

  • Matthew 23:37

    O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

  • Romans 15:8

    Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

  • Ephesians 1:3

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

  • Isaiah 49:4-5

    Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

  • Micah 5:4

    And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

  • Ezekiel 34:23-24

    And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

  • Luke 19:41-44

    And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

  • John 20:17

    Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

  • Zechariah 14:5

    And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

  • Matthew 15:24

    But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

  • Isaiah 40:9-11

    O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lord.
14:5; Isa 49:4,5; Joh 20:17; Eph 1:3
Feed.
7; Isa 40:9-11; Eze 34:23,24; Mic 5:4; Mt 15:24; 23:37; Lu 19:41-44
Joh 21:15-17; Ro 15:8

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

Context

  • Zechariah 11:3

    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.

  • Zechariah 11:4

    Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

  • Zechariah 11:5

    Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

Read all of Zechariah 11

Zechariah 11:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así ha dicho Jehová mi Dios: Apacienta las ovejas de la matanza;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ainsi dit l’ Éternel, mon Dieu: Pais le troupeau de la tuerie,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Also sprach Jehova, mein Gott: Weide die Herde des Würgens,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Hæc dicit Dominus Deus meus: Pasce pecora occisionis,