John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 11:8

"And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me." — Zechariah 11:8 (ASV)

At the beginning of the verse, the Prophet continues the same subject: that God spared no pains in ruling the people but patiently bore with many grievances. For it is the duty of every good and careful manager of a flock to inspect his flock often and to change his shepherd when he finds him idle and inattentive to his duties.

God then shows that He had exercised the greatest vigilance, for in one month he had rejected three shepherds; that is, He had within a short time often chosen new shepherds and substituted them for others. For one month is to be taken here for a short time, and the three shepherds signify many, indefinitely.

When a manager of a flock neglects his own flock, he may be deceived all year round if he encounters a thief or an inactive and worthless man. Since God says that He had changed His shepherds often in one month, He intimates what I have already said: that He took the greatest care of His flock, for He loved it and omitted nothing necessary to defend it.

And this circumstance especially aggravated the sin of the Jews, for they did not respond to such great care on God’s part, not even when they saw that He watched night and day for their safety.

Now the latter part of the verse is a complaint, for God begins to set forth how base the wickedness and ingratitude of the people had been. With weariness, He says, has my soul been affected by them, and their soul has hated me. He speaks not now of the shepherds, and those who read the passage this way are mistaken, as though God had repudiated the shepherds because His soul was wearied with them. On the contrary, He turns His discourse to the whole people and begins to show how wicked they had been, who, having been favored with so many benefits, could not yet endure the best of shepherds.

Hence He says that His soul had been straitened by them, for He found no room made for His favors. Paul also, addressing this subject, expostulates with the Corinthians and says that he was ready to pour out his heart and to open his mouth wide, but they themselves were straitened, and he felt these straitenings in his own heart (2 Corinthians 6:11).

So also God complains here and says that He was straitened by the Jews, for He found that His blessings were not rightly received but were, as it were, hindered, so great was the wickedness of the people.

He expresses more clearly at the end that He was despised by them: They also have hated me. Now it was an inexcusable contempt when the Jews would not acknowledge how kindly and bountifully God had treated them. We now perceive the Prophet’s design: after having related how kindly God had condescended to rule the people, he now says that this labor had produced no fruit, for the door for God’s favors had been closed up. It follows next—