Zechariah 11:11 · Bible study
Zechariah 11:11 Commentary: Covenant Broken, Remnant Knows
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How the afflicted flock recognized the broken covenant as Yahweh's word, commentary, context, and meaning for the faithful.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The faithful remnant recognized the annulled covenant as God’s word, demonstrating that spiritual attentiveness leads to discernment of divine action.
- Key words: va/tuFar (broken, Niphal); aniyei hatzon (afflicted of the flock); shomarim oti (watching me); d'var Yahweh hu (it is the word of Yahweh).
- Main debate: Whether the remnant’s knowledge came primarily from fulfilled prophecy (Barnes, JFB) or from immediate recognition of the prophetic sign as divine decree (Gill, Wesley).
- Theological theme: Covenant judgment and the preservation of a humble remnant who perceive God’s work.
- Best use: Teaching on discernment, the nature of covenant, and the identity of the faithful remnant in times of unfaithfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
WEB World English Bible 2000
It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word.
KJV King James Version 1769
And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and it is broken in that day, and know well do the afflicted of the flock who are observing me, that it is a word of Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it was broken in that day; and so the poor of the flock that gave heed to me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And it was made void in that day: and so the poor of the flock that keep for me, understood that it is the word of the Lord.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y fué deshecho en ese día, y así conocieron los pobres del rebaño que miran á mí, que era palabra de Jehová.
Assim foi desfeito naquele dia, e assim as pobres do rebanho que me observavam reconheceram que isto era palavra do SENHOR.
Elle fut rompue ce jour-là; et les malheureuses brebis, qui prirent garde à moi, reconnurent ainsi que c’ était la parole de l’ Éternel.
Und er ward aufgehoben des Tages. Und die elenden Schafe, die auf mich achteten, merkten dabei, daß es des HERRN Wort wäre.
Dus werd het te dien dage vernietigd, en alzo hebben de ellendigen onder de schapen, die op mij wachtten, bekend, dat het des HEEREN woord was.
E quello fu annullato in quel giorno; e le pecore più misere del gregge che m’osservavano, conobbero che quella era la parola dell’Eterno.
A dnia onego, gdy wzruszone było, pewnie poznali nędzni z trzody, którzy się na mię oglądali, że to słowo Pańskie.
И он уничтожен будет в тот день, и тогда узнают бедные из овец, ожидающие Меня, что это слово Господа.
當 日 就廢棄了。這樣，那些仰望 我 的困苦 羊 就知道 所說的是 耶和華 的話。
And it was broken on that day: and the sheep-traders, who were watching me, were certain that it was the word of the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Zechariah 11:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse describes a moment of recognition: the faithful remnant, called the 'poor of the flock,' understand that the broken covenant is the word of Yahweh. The Hebrew verb va/tuFar (Niphal perfect, 'it was broken') refers to the breaking of the staff Favor in verse 10, which annulled God's protective covenant. Barnes notes that 'the rest were blinded; those who listened to God’s word… knew from the fulfilment of the beginning, that the whole was God’s word.' Gill emphasizes that the remnant 'waited upon' the shepherd, like servants watching a master, and so recognized the event as divine decree. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connect this to Jesus’ warning about Jerusalem's fall (Luke 21:20-21): the humble godly remnant knew the prediction was true when they saw it fulfilled. Clarke puts it simply: 'The pious, who attended to my teaching, saw that this was the word, the design, of God.' The thread running through all these readings is that spiritual attentiveness leads to discernment of God’s action in history.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The afflicted remnant who were attentive recognized the annulment of the covenant as Yahweh’s own word, confirming their faith in the prophet’s message.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'poor of the flock' | Traditions agree they represent the faithful remnant, those who are humble and attentive to God’s messenger. | Some (e.g., Wesley, Clarke) emphasize their spiritual poverty and teachability; others (Barnes, JFB) stress their literal status as the oppressed minority in a corrupt society. |
| What was broken | All see it as the annulment of the covenant signified by the staff Favor (v.10). | Christians who read this as Messianic prophecy connect the breaking to the rejection of Christ; Jewish interpreters focus on the historical judgment against the nation. |
| How the remnant knew it was Yahweh’s word | The remnant understood the event as God’s word through their attentiveness to the prophet. | Barnes and JFB emphasize the fulfillment of earlier predictions (e.g., Luke 21). Gill and Wesley highlight the immediate recognition that the prophet’s action was a divine decree. |
| Timing of the breaking | It occurred 'in that day', a specific historical moment of covenant termination. | Some (Gill) see it happening in principle at Christ’s death and in full at Jerusalem’s fall (AD 70). Others (Keil, Delitzsch) view it as a prophecy of the immediate judgment in Zechariah’s own context. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse stands in the middle of a prophetic sign-act that runs through Zechariah 11. The prophet is commanded to 'feed the flock of slaughter' (v.4), a flock marked for judgment because of corrupt leaders and the people’s rejection of Yahweh. In verse 7, the prophet takes two staffs: one named Favor (or Beauty), symbolizing God’s gracious covenant with the nations; the other named Union (or Bands), symbolizing the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. By breaking the first staff (v.10), the prophet enacts the annulment of that covenant. The 'day' of breaking is the moment when God’s protection is withdrawn.
The historical setting is the Persian period (late 6th to late 5th century BC), when the Jewish community had returned from exile and was rebuilding Jerusalem. Zechariah’s prophecies blend contemporary events with foreshadowing of a future shepherd, widely understood in Christian tradition as the Messiah. The 'poor of the flock' (aniyei hatzon) are not necessarily economically destitute; the word ani (H6041) carries the sense of afflicted, humble, and lowly, those who depend on God. These are the remnant who 'give heed' (shamar, H8104, meaning to watch, guard, obey) to the prophet’s words. In a time of national apostasy, this small group remains alert to God’s voice through the prophet, and their watchfulness is rewarded with understanding when the covenant is torn apart.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Zechariah 11:11. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the key terms (va/tuFar, aniyei hatzon, shomarim oti) are consistent. Douay-Rheims renders the verb as 'made void,' which captures the same sense as 'broken' or 'revoked.' Some ancient versions (e.g., Septuagint) may have slight differences in phrasing, but the consulted commentaries do not discuss any textual problem that alters interpretation.
Reception History
Early Christian writers saw Zechariah 11 as a detailed prophecy of Christ’s rejection and the judgment that followed. The breaking of the covenant staff was linked to the tearing of the temple veil (Matthew 27:51) and the fall of Jerusalem. In the patristic period, Jerome and others read the 'poor of the flock' as the believing Jews who recognized Jesus as Messiah. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin interpreted the passage as God’s judicial abandonment of unfaithful Israel, with the remnant representing true believers who discern God’s will even in judgment. In modern scholarship, the passage is often treated as a prophetic sign-act that critiques corrupt leadership and portrays God’s patience exhausted, though theologians still debate whether the primary referent is the exile, the Maccabean period, or the first century AD. Across eras, the verse has been held up as a challenge to remain watchful and humble before God’s word.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Covenant Is Broken. God’s protective covenant, symbolized by the staff Favor, is annulled in a single day. This is not a minor event, it is the withdrawal of grace. Preachers can draw attention to how the breaking of God’s covenant with Israel is a sobering reminder that sin has consequences.
- The Afflicted Watch. The 'poor of the flock' are those who are humble and attentive. They do not ignore the prophet’s actions or the coming judgment. They watch, they wait, they observe. Their posture is one of readiness, not complacency.
- They Know the Word. Their knowledge is not intellectual speculation; it is recognition born from familiarity with God’s message. They have been listening to the prophet throughout, so when the sign is fulfilled, they connect the dots. Discernment grows from sustained attention.
Five-point outline
- The Context: Israel’s leaders have failed, and judgment is inevitable.
- The Sign: Breaking the staff Favor represents the annulment of the covenant.
- The Day: A specific moment when God’s patience ends.
- The Remnant: The humble and watchful who see what others miss.
- The Recognition: They confirm that the event is indeed the word of Yahweh.
Illustration hooks
- A person who has been watching the weather forecasts and reading the clouds sees the sudden darkening and knows a storm is coming, while others are caught unprepared.
- An employee who has paid careful attention to management’s warnings over many months recognizes the paperwork on the desk for what it is: a layoff notice that was predicted.
- A community that has been praying and listening to teaching finds that when a crisis hits, they have the spiritual vocabulary to interpret it, while others are confused.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I tell if what is happening in my life is from God or just random trouble?
- What does it mean to 'watch' for God? Is it a passive or active thing?
- How do I become part of the faithful remnant in a culture that has turned away from God?
Leading a Discussion
This verse offers a window into the dynamics of spiritual discernment. A covenant is broken, and only a small group recognizes what has happened. The group dynamic, the many who are blind, the few who see, challenges us to ask where we stand.
Discussion questions
- What is broken in this verse? Read verses 10-11 together. What does the breaking of the staff signify?
- Who are 'the poor of the flock'? How does the Hebrew word ani (H6041) shape your understanding of their identity?
- What does it mean that they 'watched' or 'waited upon' the prophet? Look at the Hebrew verb shamar (H8104) and its range of meanings (to keep, guard, observe).
- How did these people 'know' that it was Yahweh’s word? Was it a logical deduction, a spiritual insight, or something else?
- Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connect this to Jesus’ warning to flee from Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-21). How does that link help explain the kind of knowledge the remnant had?
- In our own lives, what are the signs that a covenant has been broken? How do we stay alert to God’s actions in history and in personal experience?
- What practices help you become more like the 'poor of the flock', humble, attentive, ready to recognize God’s word?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 26:38 | You will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will eat you up. |
| Leviticus 26:46 | These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Yahweh made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses. |
| Deuteronomy 28:49 | Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand, |
| Deuteronomy 28:68 | Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you. |
| Deuteronomy 31:21 | It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.” |
| Deuteronomy 31:29 | For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.” |
| Deuteronomy 32:21 | They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. |
| Deuteronomy 32:42 | I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that those who follow his explanation understand this verse refers to the godly people who heed his teaching. They see it as God’s plan for them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the faithful remnant who listened to God’s prophet and waited on Him recognized the approaching judgment from the earliest signs. These “poor of the flock” obeyed the warning, fled to safety, and escaped the destruction that overwhelmed everyone else.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Some read this as a literal account of God breaking his covenant with his people. Others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Christians who hold the literal view see the poor of the flock as those who remained faithful to God’s word.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that the breaking of the staff served as a confirming sign to the faithful poor sheep. By witnessing this event, they recognized that the prophecy came from the Lord, not from human invention.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies three distinct moments when the beautiful staff was broken: in principle at Christ's death, visibly when the Gospel was taken from the Jews, and finally at Jerusalem's destruction. He explains "waited on me" as attentive service and observation, and notes three possible ways the poor flock knew it was the Lord's word.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Zechariah 11:11 while others emphasize Isaiah 30:18-21. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identify the three shepherds the prophet destroys as heathen imperial rulers, not Jewish leaders. The two staves, Favor and Bands, represent God's protective favor and the blessing of national unity. The phrase "in one month" is symbolic, pointing to a brief prophetic period.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this chapter as the tragic climax of Israel’s history: after all God’s patient efforts, the people deliberately reject the Good Shepherd. He stresses that the breaking of the two staves, Beauty and Bands, signified the irreversible loss of divine favor and national unity, leaving the flock to ruin.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the prophet in these verses is a picture of Christ. He says that breaking his staffs shows Christ ending his covenant with people and cutting off the bond between Judah and Israel.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley defines "waited" as active faith combined with obedience, and "knew" as perceiving God's hand at work and acknowledging Him personally. For him, these are not passive attitudes but deliberate responses of trust and recognition even when the covenant itself appears broken.