Zechariah 11:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I propose that the three shepherds represent the priests appointed by the law, the judges overseeing the people, and the scribes or lawyers, who all served as Israel's shepherds. The priests, who held high office, descended from the tribe of Levi; as stated by Malachi, “The mouth of the priest shall keep his knowledge, and the law shall be sought from his mouth” (Malachi 2:7). The judges, although chosen from the elect, were selected from all tribes. Likewise, the scribes and lawyers were always present with the judges, providing the words of the law for validation in all cases. It is clear that the ministers of divine mysteries arose from the same Levite lineage, and there is no need for further evidence of this. Yet, as Moses attests in Deuteronomy, judges and scribes were to be appointed from all tribes, instructing the Israelites to “set judges and scribes in all your cities, which the Lord your God gives you by tribes; and let them judge righteously for the people. Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality; do not accept bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and obscure the words of the righteous” (Deuteronomy 16:18-19). Therefore, the three shepherds consist of priests, judges, and legal scholars.

Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed sorrow specifically for the Pharisees and the scribes. He proclaimed, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees” (Luke 11:44). During this discourse, a lawyer approached, saying, “Teacher, you speak these things and offend us.” In response, He said, “Woe to you lawyers, for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:45-46). Furthermore, I acknowledge that even those of the tribe of Judah who reigned in Jerusalem at that time fulfilled the role of shepherds over the lesser nations. However, since Christ's birth witnessed the decline of the royal lineage (with Herod, the son of Antipater from Ascalon, and Pontius Pilate ruling over Judea), we must remain silent regarding the kingship of Judah. The disappearance of this lineage with Christ's arrival is attested by Scripture: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10). Consequently, with the arrival of Christ—the expectation of the nations—it became essential that the ruler from Judah had to be set aside.

Thus, the three shepherds—namely priests, judges, and teachers of the law—retained their roles until the time of Christ’s coming. Their annihilation is just, occurring within a single month, as they were complicit in killing the Prince of Life. Therefore, they faced destruction at the same time as Immanuel was sacrificed for us. It is true that even after the Savior’s death on the cross, some still governed Israel, as the Almighty showed patience, compassion, and called them to repentance. Nevertheless, regarding God's decree, we assert that they perished at the moment they crucified the Savior and Redeemer of all. Thus, their downfall coincided with that event.

This bears witness to the fate of the shepherds. The shepherds themselves are described in these terms: “I will not shepherd you,” and, “If they dare to devour and consume one another.” They exhibited hostility towards each other, becoming prey to those looking to steal. He rightly proclaimed regarding the three shepherds who fell within a month, "My soul is heavy upon me,” indicating a severe judgment upon them and that “their souls roar against me.” Like wild beasts, they relentlessly persecuted Christ, ultimately bringing Him to Pilate, demanding, “Take Him, take Him, crucify Him.” As Jeremiah poignantly conveys, “I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My inheritance; I have delivered My beloved soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage has become to Me like a lion in the forest; she has roared against Me; therefore, I hate her” (Jeremiah 12:7-8).

25:5).’ In the wilderness, there was merely a shadow of this, yet it was completely realized in the promised land, where the Jews faced destruction at the hands of the Romans. During the siege of Jerusalem, the remnant among them resorted to plundering and killing one another, engulfed by their own turmoil.

I refused to shepherd them, allowing what dies to perish and what weakens to wane, while the rest may consume each other, each devouring the flesh of their neighbor. Additionally, the statement about the afflicted flock implies a quietude; it shows that the gates of Lebanon are opened, and the oaks of Bashan, along with the firs and cedars, are felled. Then came the warning: I shall no longer spare the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord. This seems to refer to a particular nation of Jews, for when they persecuted the prophets, they ultimately turned against the Son of God, shouting in insanity, ‘His blood be upon us and our children’ (Matthew 27:25).

Now the Creator of all and God reveals the mysteries of His creation, indicating that He bore two rods: one representing Integrity, or goodness, and the other named Bonds, symbolizing His role as shepherding the bound flock. He would strike down three shepherds in one month and would feel deep distress towards them, as interpreted by the Seventy: My soul will be burdened with wrath against them; undoubtedly, this alludes to the shepherds He struck in that time. The cause of His immense anger towards them was that they had changed their hearts concerning Me. This passage signifies that they did not love Me wholeheartedly; not even the hired shepherds of the True Shepherd demonstrated true love for Me, for the Good Shepherd sacrifices His life for His sheep (John 10:11). Consequently, I declared My judgment with righteous indignation, stating to those shepherds whom I condemned in my wrath, as well as to the remainder of the people after the shepherds faced their punishment: I will not shepherd you; let those who choose death face it willingly, and let them turn against one another, inflicting harm through mutual slaughter.

This reinterpretation serves to pave the way for further explanation. The Creator and Shepherd, whose voice is known to the sheep who follow Him, took up two rods, or two staffs known in Hebrew as macaloth, illustrating His shepherd-like actions. One staff was called Integrity, representing the era of Noah when God, through blessing, safeguarded humanity before they tainted the renewed world with sin. The calling of all nations is deemed honorable and just since nothing is more fitting than for the Father of the universe to call all whom He has created in the same manner. The second staff was termed a Bond or a Surveyor's Line, highlighting the period when the Most High separated nations and scattered the descendants of Adam, establishing the boundaries of nations according to the number of the divine beings (Deuteronomy 32:8). During this time, Jacob became the Lord’s portion, and Israel was designated as His inheritance (Deuteronomy 32:9). He stated, I tended the flock, which could denote either this Israel or, collectively, the entire human race. He remarked, I struck down three shepherds in one month. Some interpretations suggest that these shepherds refer to the priests, the false prophets, and the kings of Judah; it is argued that after Christ's suffering, all were smitten together, as Jeremiah notes: The priests did not inquire, Where is the Lord? They who possess the law have failed to know me, and the shepherds acted treacherously, while the prophets proclaimed in the name of Baal and followed idols (Jeremiah 2:8).

Yet, the interpreter goes further, positing that the three shepherds represent those who sinned against the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; indeed, every heretic sins against one, two, or all three persons of the Holy Trinity. Let this scholar assert as he wishes, for he should not criticize another’s comprehension. However, we contend that the three shepherds struck in that span are Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; Miriam perished in the first month called Nisan in the wilderness of Sin: at that very place and month, Moses and Aaron faced condemnation, prohibited from entering the promised land due to the contentious waters (Numbers 20:10-13). Of these three leaders, one died, while the other two were sentenced to death by divine decree. When He says My soul was angry with them, He refers to the three shepherds placed over His flock because they failed to glorify Him at the waters of contention. If we consider these references to the people, then it should be understood that My anger arose because they wavered between Me and idols, rebelling against Me in manifold ways. Thus, in My indignation, I charged Moses to leave Me, saying, I will scatter you (Exodus 32:10). And when He speaks in anger, commanding Leave Me, He beckons for supplication, highlighting that He can indeed be appeased. Let what perishes do so, and let what is slain be slain; may the bodies languish in the wilderness, and let them, in their strife, act like beasts, mutually inflicting wounds, denying entry into the promised land. Some perceive this dual calling - of the Jews and of the Gentiles, the former directed toward Israel, and the latter toward Christians. However, given that the calling of Christians was to be realized in the future and the Jews were nurtured and preserved by God, they remained inattentive to Him.

Now, consider this question: what becomes of this silver? Does the individual who receives it retain it, or does he return it? And if he does return it, what does it become? The prophet declares, I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of the Lord (Zechariah 11:13). Reflect on how the Gospel aligns with this prophecy; it states that Judas, filled with remorse, cast the silver pieces into the temple before leaving (Matt. 27:3, 5).