Zechariah
Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and God's people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them." 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter - the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these
The author feels that this passage goes in accordance with the earlier situation described in Zechariah 10:3. Westminster Bible Companion: Obadiah Through Malachi. Now God will leave the people in the hands of one another. This commentary refers to him as an "anti-shepherd" (p. Instead, he severely mistreats them and shows them no mercy. Favor referred to God's favor to the Israelites that they would be at peace with foreign nations. I think this is a message to false prophets that eventually no one will believe them, and also to the leaders or kings that they will lose all of their power and military strength. After some time of being this shepherd, Zechariah becomes frustrated with the people. Zechariah is instructed by God to provide for a flock of sheep that is intended to be slaughtered. Interpreting the Minor Prophets agrees with the latter commentary by linking this passage with Zechariah's 10:2-3, which deals with Israel's useless and corrupt leaders. Next the term shepherd is thought to symbolize both political leaders and prophetic leaders. The author feels that this symbolizes that corruption has even spread into the temple, the center of religious life in Israel. They will all be removed from the land by either death or relocation as a result of their sins. Next a new translation for "slaughter" is discussed.
Common topics in this essay:
Unity Translation,
Meyers Meyers,
Meyer Meyer,
Israel Lord,
Israel Favor,
Minor Prophets,
God Zechariah,
Favor Union,
Herod Simon,
Judah Israel,
false prophets,
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political leaders,
northern southern kingdoms,
buyers sellers,
southern kingdoms,
foolish shepherd,
role shepherd,
god tells,
god instructed,
northern southern,
flock intended slaughter,
else testament shepherd,
testament shepherd refers,
moses else testament,
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