XI. (1-3) Here, as in Zechariah 9:1, we have intimation of an invasion of the land of Israel from the north, only, whereas in the former case Philistia, as well as Syria and Phœnicia, was to be the sufferer, here it is “the pride of Jordan that is to be spoiled.” Some have considered the first three... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SLAUGHTER — _i.e._, which is being slaughtered. (Comp. Zechariah 11:5.)... [ Continue Reading ]
(4-17) The great difficulty of this passage, which is metaphorical and symbolical throughout, consists in the fact that hardly any clue to the interpretation is given to us. Thus commentators are quite unable to agree as to whether the shepherds spoken of are heathen or native rulers. And on this po... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HOLD... NOT GUILTY. — Comp. Jeremiah 1:7. Own is a gloss of the English version.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE LAND. — Better, _of the world._ THE MEN. — Better, _mankind._ God would punish the nations for their cruelty to His people (comp. Zechariah 1:15). He would cause the world to be smitten or broken up with wars and civil tumults.... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL FEED. — Correctly, _fed._ The prophet, acting as God’s representative, performs a symbolical action, figuring thereby God’s treatment of His people. BEAUTY. — Or, rather, _favour._ BANDS. — Or, as in margin, _binders._ The first staff denotes the return of God’s favour to His people; the seco... [ Continue Reading ]
The effect of the prophet’s (_i.e.,_ God’s) feeding the flock is that He “cut off three shepherds in one month.” As in Ezekiel and Daniel (Ezekiel 4:4; Daniel 9:24, &c.), the space of time mentioned here seems to be symbolical; and taking a day for a year, one month will mean about thirty years. Som... [ Continue Reading ]
Comp. Jeremiah 15:1; Isaiah 9:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
The people rejected Him; therefore He broke His staff “Favour,” and so annulled the covenant He had made with the nations in behalf of His people. This was fulfilled at the close of the glorious Maccabean period, when the nation became corrupted, and as a consequence was harassed by the nations on e... [ Continue Reading ]
MY PRICE. — The shepherd demands a requital for his toil, as a test of the gratitude of the sheep. AND IF NOT, FORBEAR. — Comp. Ezekiel 3:27, &c. God does not force our will, which is free. He places life and death before us; by His grace alone we can choose Him, but we _can_ refuse His grace and H... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse proves, if proof be needed, that the prophet, in his action, represents the Lord. POTTER. — The price was so contemptible that it is flung to the meanest of craftsmen. It seems probable that “to the potter with it!” was a proverbial expression, used of throwing away anything that was utt... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I MIGHT BREAK THE BROTHERHOOD. — This was the result of their rejection of the Good Shepherd, and of their consequent rejection by Him. It began with the civil discords which followed the victorious days of the Maccabees, and reached its worst in the horrible scenes which took place during the... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTRUMENTS OF A FOOLISH SHEPHERD. — It is needless to inquire in what respects, if any, these instruments differed from those of a wise shepherd. The words merely imply that the prophet, having represented the one character, should now personate the other. FOOLISH is almost equivalent to “wicked”... [ Continue Reading ]
THE YOUNG ONE. — Better, _the scattered._ The foolish shepherd we understand to mean all the misrulers of Israel from the time of the decline of the glories of the Maccabean period to the day when they themselves declared “We have no king but Cæsar.” With the latter part of the verse comp. Daniel 7:... [ Continue Reading ]
IDOL SHEPHERD. — Better, _useless shepherd._ Though the wicked useless shepherd is allowed for a time to ill-treat and neglect the flock, in the end the judgment of God will fall upon him. (Comp. Daniel 7:26; and for the date of the prophecies of Daniel, see _Introduction_ to that book.) Ewald has m... [ Continue Reading ]