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whose possessors kill them, and hold themselves not guilty; and those who sell them say, Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich; and their own shepherds don`t pity them.
Verse Takeaways
1
Exploitative Shepherds
Commentators agree that this verse depicts a crisis of leadership. The 'possessors,' 'sellers,' and 'shepherds' represent corrupt leaders—both internal religious figures like the Pharisees and potentially external rulers—who exploit God's people for personal profit. Instead of caring for the flock, they 'slay' and 'sell' them, showing no pity. This serves as a timeless warning against leaders who abuse their authority for selfish gain.
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Book Overview
Zechariah
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8
18th Century
Presbyterian
Whose possessors—that is, their buyers—slay them and hold themselves not guilty; rather, they are not guilty either in their own eyes or in …
19th Century
Anglican
And hold ... not guilty. —Compare to Jeremiah 1:7. Own is a gloss of the English version.
Baptist
The literal prophecy is that the seed of Israel will go back to their own land and will prevail over their adversaries; but the spiritual meaning i…
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16th Century
Protestant
Here a reason is given why God intended to deal so severely with His people—because their obstinacy deserved no pardon. Just as in the beginning of…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty, &c.] Not the Romans after Christ came, into whose hands they …
Christ came into this world for judgment on the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those who do wrong and just…
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