Albert Barnes Commentary Zechariah 11:15

"And Jehovah said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd." — Zechariah 11:15 (ASV)

Take to yourself again the instrument—

Of a foolish shepherd—Osorius: "Yet He had enacted one tragedy, in which He clearly set forth the future guilt of Judas; now another is set forth, the accumulated scoffing through Antichrist. For as Paul said, because they do not receive the Spirit of truth, the All-righteous Judge will send them a spirit of delusion, that they should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10–11). He calls him a foolish shepherd, because the extreme folly consists in the extreme wickedness, he will be the most foolish who reached the highest impiety, and this he will do by arrogating to himself divinity and claiming divine honors (2 Thessalonians 2:4)."

This is the only action which the prophet had to enact or relate. If it was a visible act, the instrument might be a staff that would bruise, an instrument that would resemble that of the good shepherd but would be pernicious.

Cyril: "Good shepherds, who understood their business, had slight staves, so that, if it became necessary to strike, the stricken sheep might not be bruised; but one who does not understand beats them with thicker clubs." Or it may also mean whatever he would use for the hurtful treatment of the sheep, such as he proceeds to speak of.

He is spoken of as, in fact, foolishly sinful, for sin is the only real folly, and all real folly has sin mingled with it. The short-lived wisdom of the foolish shepherd for his own ends will also be his destruction.