John Gill Commentary Zechariah 11

Open your doors, O Lebanon
By which may be meant, either the temple of Jerusalem, which was built of the cedars of Lebanon;``the gates of which are said <sup>F23</sup> to open of themselves forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, when Jochanan ben Zaccai, who lived at the same time, rebuked them, saying, O temple, temple, why do you frighten yourself? I know your end is to be destroyed; for so prophesied Zechariah, the son of Iddo, concerning you, "open your doors, O Lebanon".'' So Lebanon, in (Zechariah 10:10) , is interpreted of the sanctuary, both by the Targum and by Jarchi; or else it may be understood of Jerusalem, and of the whole land of Judea, because it was situated by it; it was the border of it on the north side. That the fire may devour your cedars ;
of which the temple was built, and the houses of Jerusalem, which were consumed by fire; unless the fortresses of the land are meant. So the Targum paraphrases it, ``and the fire shall consume your fortresses.''

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 39. 2.

Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen
By which are designed the princes, nobles, and magistrates of the land: so the Targum interprets them of kings and princes; see (Nahum 2:3) (Ezekiel 31:3) : because all the mighty are spoiled ;
which is an explanation of the figurative expressions in the former clause, and in the following; and designs rich men, as the Targum paraphrases it, who at this time would be spoiled of their wealth and substance. Howl, O you oaks of Bashan ;
which the Targum interprets of governors of provinces; and men of power and authority are doubtless intended; see (Isaiah 2:13) (Amos 2:9) : for the forest of the vintage has come down ;
or rather, "the fortified forest"; meaning the city of Jerusalem, which was a fortified place, and like a forest full of trees, for number of inhabitants, but now cut down and destroyed; see (Isaiah 10:16–19) .

[There is] a voice of the howling of the shepherds
Which may be understood either of the civil rulers among the Jews, who now lose their honour and their riches; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, interpret it of kings; or of the ecclesiastical rulers, the elders of the people, the Scribes and Pharisees:

for their glory is spoiled ;
their power and authority; their riches and wealth; their places of honour and profit; their offices, posts, and employments, whether in civil or religious matters, are taken from them, and they are deprived of them:

a voice of the roaring of young lions ;
of princes, comparable to them for their power, tyranny, and cruelty: the Targum is,``their roaring is as the roaring of young lions:''

for the pride of Jordan is spoiled ;
a place where lions and their young ones resorted, as Jarchi observes; (See Gill on Jeremiah 49:19). Jordan is here put for the whole land of Judea now wasted, and so its pride and glory gone; as if the waters of Jordan were dried up, the pride and glory of that, and which it showed when its waters swelled and overflowed; hence called by Pliny ^F24 "ambitiosus amnis", a haughty and ambitious swelling river.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 15.

Thus says the Lord my God: The Syriac version adds, "to me"; not the Prophet Zechariah, but the Messiah, who calls the Lord his God, as he was man and Mediator (John 20:17). For what follow are the words of God the Father to him, calling upon him, and giving him a commission to Feed the flock of the slaughter.

Meaning the people of the Jews in general, to whom Christ was sent as a prophet, to teach and instruct them by the ministry of the word; so "feeding" is interpreted of prophesying, by the Targum and Jarchi. And these are called "the flock of slaughter", because of the cruel usage they met with from their shepherds and owners, mentioned in the next verse (Zechariah 11:5); and because they were appointed and given up to ruin and destruction of God, on account of their sins and transgressions.

Though there was a remnant among them, a little flock, afterwards in this chapter called the poor of the flock (Zechariah 11:7), who were the special care of Christ, and were fed by him in a spiritual manner; and may go by this name, because exposed to the cruelties of men, and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Romans 8:36).

These Christ was called upon by his Father in the council of peace to take care of, which he did; and in the everlasting covenant of grace he agreed to feed them; and in the fulness of time he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who were as sheep without a shepherd; and he fed them with knowledge and with understanding.

Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty, &c.] Not the Romans after Christ came, into whose hands they were delivered, and by whom they were slain in great numbers, not accounting it any sin to put them to death; but the priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and doctors, among the Jews, who ruined and destroyed their souls, by feeding them with poisonous doctrines; teaching them the commandments of men, and to observe the traditions of the elders; and to seek for life and salvation by the works of the law, which was a ministration of condemnation and death to them; and yet thought they did God and the souls of men good service.

And they that sell them; as false teachers make merchandise of the souls of men.

Say, Blessed [be] the Lord, for I am rich; having devoured widows' houses and substances, under a pretence of long prayers; and enriched themselves through tithes of everything, and by other methods; as the Scribes and Pharisees did.

And their own shepherds pity them not; those who should have been concerned for the welfare of their souls had no compassion on them. Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret this of God, the Shepherd of Israel; the verb being singular, though the noun is plural: so God is called Makers, Creators, (Psalms 149:2) (Ecclesiastes 12:1) and this sense agrees with the following words.