Zechariah 11:1-3

The strongholds of the Syro-Greek empire are taunted with the failure of their power. The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan are a constant metaphor for that which is lofty and powerful (cf. Isaiah 2:13). For the strong forest a probable correction is the forest of Bozrah, i.e. not the Edomite town but the Bosora of 1Ma_5:26, the modern Buṣ? râ, 22 miles SE. of Edrei. The shepherds and, with a change of metaphor, the young lions are the heathen rulers. The pride of Jordan here and elsewhere means the luxuriant vegetation of the Jordan valley which afforded cover for the wild beasts. The passage means that the heathen rulers may howl in sorrow and anguish, since their strongholds can no longer protect them.