Zechariah Battles Against The Odds And Finally Resigns (Zechariah 11:7-11).
‘So I fed the flock doomed to be slain for the traffickers of the sheep (or ‘truly the lowly of the flock'). And I took to me two staves, the one I called Beauty (or Favour') and the other I called Bands (or ‘Union'), and I fed the flock.'
In obedience to God Zechariah acts as shepherd to those who are doomed to die as a result of the failure of their leaders and teachers, seeking to feed and deliver them. He takes as his implements God's covenant with His people, the covenant that offers God's grace and favour (beauty) and also offers to unite the people (bands). But those who watch over them, to whom the people are listening, are behaving merely as traffickers or traders in sheep. Their concern is for their own welfare rather than that of the sheep. And the sheep are being condemned to die for their gain. It is Zechariah alone who is concerned for their true needs.
The translation ‘traffickers' arises from the fact that the Hebrew consonants for cen ‘aneyy (‘thus the lowly') if combined as one word would give cen‘aneyy (Cananeans or ‘Canaanites' i.e. merchants - see Job 41:6; Isaiah 23:8; Ezekiel 17:4; Zephaniah 1:11 for a similar use of the root form). The original Hebrew text had no word divisions so that either reading is possible, and the latter certainly fits better with the previous verse. Compare also the use of the same root consonants to mean ‘Cananeans' or ‘Canaanites' in Zechariah 14:21.
History is full of the activities of ‘traffickers of the sheep'. Whether it has been for money, or for political power, or for position and standing, many so-called leaders of the people of God have failed them and treated them as merchandise. Yet the people choose to follow them to their own disadvantage, often ignoring the true voice that speaks out in God's name, delaying yet again the final fulfilment of God's purposes.
Alternately we may read ‘even the poor (or lowly) of the flock'. The word for lowly would then be the same as that used of the coming King in Zechariah 9:9. This would then refer to those few who were listening to Zechariah.
To assist him in his task he takes two staves, one called Beauty the other Bands. These staves clearly represent God's covenant with His people (Zechariah 11:10). This is on offer to the people if only they will respond.
‘Beauty.' See Psalms 27:4; Psalms 90:17 where the beauty of YHWH reflects His graciousness and favour, especially as revealed in His covenant with His people. So Zechariah's first implement of support and protection as the seal to the covenant is the grace and favour of God.
‘Bands' or ‘unity'. His second staff is that which binds in unity making God's people one within the covenant (see Zechariah 11:14). Unity and love for one another is ever the requirement of God as a response to His grace and favour.
‘And I fed the flock.' Repeated twice. The repetition, connected with the fact that there are two staves, stresses the importance of what he did. Two is the number of true witness. Other shepherds have failed but Zechariah feeds with truth the lowly ones who respond to his words and give heed to him (Zechariah 11:11).
‘And I cut off the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. What dies, let it die. What is to be cut off, let it be cut off. And let those who are left every one eat the flesh of another.'
Those who refuse to respond to his words come under the condemnation of God. The act of cutting off most probably refers to some overt act by which Zechariah displays his rejection of them in an attempt to win over the people. Or it may refer to some form of disrobing of official prophets and teachers which would then suggest Zechariah was at the time in a position of some authority. There was clearly strong disagreement between Zechariah and them for Zechariah was tired of their teaching and they loathed him and what he proclaimed.
‘The three shepherds.' The number three is often used to express completeness. Thus the idea of ‘three' may be intended to indicate the whole body of prophets and teachers. Alternately three often means ‘many'. Compare for example 1 Kings 17:12 where ‘two sticks' meant ‘a few sticks'. In the same way ‘three sticks' would have meant ‘many sticks'. This may therefore mean the ‘many shepherds'. This would tie in with the phrases which follow it. However, three particular prophets or teachers may also have been in mind representing the whole.
To most people numbers were rarely in use mathematically so that the numbers from one to ten and especially ‘two' and ‘three' were often used adjectivally to signify ideas rather than quantity.
‘I will not feed you.' Zechariah refuses to act as shepherd. This may mean to the shepherds, or it may mean to the people because they have listened to the false shepherds and rejected him. It is not because he is unwilling to guide them aright but because they have refused his ministration.
‘What dies, let it die. What is cut off, let it be cut off.' They must be left to their own devices and learn their lesson the hard way. What is to die must be left to die, what is cut off must be left to be cut off. What they sow they will reap. They will have no one to blame but themselves.
‘Eat the flesh of one another.' To ‘eat the flesh' meant to kill (Psalms 14:4; Psalms 27:2; Psalms 53:4; Ezekiel 39:18; Micah 3:3). Thus through the false teaching they are destroying each other.
‘And I took my staff Beauty and cut it in two, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. And it was broken in that day, and thus the lowly of the flock (or ‘the traffickers of the sheep') who took notice of me knew that it was the word of Yahweh.'
Zechariah now recognises that he has lost the struggle. The majority of the people cling to the false shepherds and refuse to listen to him. So he breaks the staves one after the other. Firstly he breaks Beauty. This signifies that God will cease to be a shepherd to His people as a whole and that the grace of God towards His people will cease because they have refused His word through Zechariah. In the breaking of this staff the covenant of God's grace and favour which had been renewed is now again broken and no longer holds.
‘My covenant which I had made.' In other words the covenant He had brought from God as His prophet.
‘Thus the lowly of the flock who took notice of me'. This translation fits better here. Indeed there is probably a deliberate play on the fact that cen ‘aneyy can mean ‘thus the lowly' here and ‘Cananean' or ‘trafficker' in Zechariah 11:7. The Cananeans are unlikely to have rightly interpreted his actions, but his true followers surely would. They alone, the remnant, would still benefit from the promises of God. So there are those who still listen to him and to them the covenant still stands firm.
Alternately it could suggest that through his actions those who use the sheep as simply means of trade know that YHWH has indeed spoken through him, but if so it is probably his hope and intention rather than the reality.
It was a sad day for Zechariah when, having raised such hopes in people's hearts, he had to declare that because they have listened to and responded to false teachers the promises no longer apply to them and he can no longer be their shepherd. He must have felt that he had failed miserably, not realising what a blessing he would be to future generations.
‘All the peoples.' The plural is probably intended to indicate that the people of Jerusalem, Judah and Israel are all included. The second staff represented unity and its breaking indicated that Judah and Israel were still divided, were still two peoples.