Zechariah 11:7 Commentary and Bible Study

‘I will feed the flock of slaughter’, especially the poor of the flock. The Messiah will personally teach the last generation and will call to himself his sheep. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord’ (Luke 4:18-19). The Lord almost fulfils literally this in the Sermon on the Mount. When Messiah comes he will actually feed the unworthy flock, most of whom will be destroyed. The vast majority of the people would call for his execution, and only a few would be saved.Zechariah is instructed to act as the Shepherd of Israel and to speak for him. In his hands he hold two staves: Beauty and Bands. The KJV is good generally here, but at this point there is one big failing. ‘Beauty’ should be translated as favour, and ‘Bands’ as union: that is, gospel favour and union (or bindings that unite) – between Judah and Israel (verse 14). These are two shepherd’s rods which he symbolically holds in his hands, representing how he has always treated this unworthy people – with favour and with grace. God poured out on Israel patience, grace and favour, in spite of their rebelliousness. In ancient times he privileged them with union and grace, but at last it has come to this: they are the flock of slaughter, due to be destroyed.