Zechariah 11:12 · Bible study
Zechariah 11:12 Commentary: Thirty Pieces of Silver
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why thirty pieces of silver? This prophetic act shows God's rejected love and foreshadows Judas's betrayal of Jesus.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Good Shepherd asks for wages as a test; the people pay the price of a slave, showing contempt and prefiguring Judas’ betrayal.
- Key words: sakhar (wages, hire), shaqal (weigh out), sheloshim kesef (thirty silver).
- Main debate: Whether the act is a direct prophecy of Judas or a broader typological pattern of Israel’s rejection.
- Theological theme: The rejection of God’s love and the insult of treating His grace as worthless.
- Best use: To show the cost of human ingratitude and to intensify the wonder of Christ’s sacrificial love.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
KJV King James Version 1769
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And I say unto them: `If good in your eyes, give my hire, and if not, forbear;' and they weigh out my hire--thirty silverlings.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my hire; and if not, forbear. And they weighed for my hire thirty silver-pieces.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And I said to them: If it be good in your eyes, bring hither my wages: and if not, be quiet. And they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y díjeles: Si os parece bien, dadme mi salario; y si no, dejadlo. Y pesaron para mi salario treinta piezas de plata.
Pois eu havia lhes dito: Se vos parece bem aos vossos olhos, dai-me meu salário; e se não, deixai-o. E pesaram meu salário: trinta moedas de prata.
Je leur dis: Si vous le trouvez bon, donnez-moi mon salaire; sinon, ne le donnez pas. Et ils pesèrent pour mon salaire trente sicles d’ argent.
Und ich sprach zu ihnen: Gefällt' s euch, so bringet her, wieviel ich gelte; wo nicht, so laßt's anstehen. Und sie wogen dar, wieviel ich galt: dreißig Silberlinge.
Want ik had tot henlieden gezegd: Indien het goed is in uw ogen, brengt mijn loon, en zo niet, laat het na. En zij hebben mijn loon gewogen, dertig zilverlingen.
E io dissi loro: “Se vi par bene, datemi il mio salario; se no, lasciate stare”. Ed essi mi pesarono il mio salario; trenta sicli d’argento.
Bom rzekł do nich: Jeźli to jest dobre w oczach waszych, dajcie zapłatę moję, a jeźli nie, zaniechajcież; tedy odważyli zapłatę moję trzydzieści srebrników.
И скажу им: если угодно вам, то дайте Мне плату Мою; если же нет, - не давайте; и они отвесят в уплату Мне тридцать сребренников.
我對他們 說：「你們若 以為 美，就給 我工價。不然，就罷了！」於是他們給 了三十 塊錢 作為 我的工價。
And I said to them, If it seems good to you, give me my payment; and if not, do not give it. So they gave me my payment by weight, thirty shekels of silver.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Zechariah 11:12
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse portrays the rejection of the Good Shepherd. The prophet speaks in the person of Jehovah-Messiah (Barnes, JFB). His request for wages, “if you think it best”, leaves the flock free to respond, exposing their ingratitude (Barnes, Cambridge). They answer with thirty pieces of silver, the price of a gored slave (Exod 21:32). Clarke, Gill, and JFB note this is a direct insult: the people value God’s care at the price of a servant. Gill and Wesley explicitly connect this to Judas’ betrayal (Matt 26:15). The consensus: the insulting wage shows the depth of human rejection prefiguring the cross.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Messianic prophecy: The exact sum of thirty pieces appears in Matthew 26:15; Gill and JFB see it as direct prediction fulfilled in Judas.
- Historical symbolic drama: The passage narrates a prophetic act by Zechariah himself, illustrating Israel’s historical rejection of God’s shepherds without necessarily predicting a specific future event.
What is clear: The thirty pieces of silver denote the price of a slave (Exod 21:32) and signify contemptuous rejection of the Shepherd's work.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the Shepherd | The shepherd represents God’s care for His people, as shown in the allegory of Zechariah 11. | Some interpreters see the prophet Zechariah himself acting as a type; others view the figure as a direct prefiguration of the Messiah. |
| Meaning of the Wages | The thirty pieces of silver are the price of a slave (Exod 21:32) and symbolize contemptuous rejection. | A few commentators treat the wages as a literal payment to the prophet; most understand them as purely symbolic of the people’s disrespectful response. |
| New Testament Fulfillment | Matthew 26:15 echoes this verse, and the connection is universally recognized in Christian tradition. | Some hold that Zechariah’s act directly predicts Judas’ betrayal; others see it as a typological pattern that finds a parallel, but not a one-to-one prophecy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The cultural practice of weighing silver (shaqal) rather than counting coins indicates a formal, deliberate transaction. Thirty shekels of silver was the restitution price for a slave gored by an ox (Exod 21:32), a minimal sum, less than a freeman’s value at sixty shekels (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The prophet’s demand for wages comes after he has broken his staff Favor, symbolizing the dissolution of the covenant (Zech 11:10). The request is not for payment in the ordinary sense; it is a test. Keil and Delitzsch argue that the shepherd asks precisely to let the flock declare whether they acknowledge his care. The idiom “if it is good in your eyes” echoes passages like 1 Kings 21:2 and 2 Chronicles 30:4, where it refers to a voluntary, just decision.
Literarily, this verse stands at the climax of Zechariah 11’s shepherd allegory. The prophet has played the role of a good shepherd to a flock doomed to slaughter (vv. 4-6). When the flock rejects him, he invites them to set his wage. Their answer, the price of a slave, is a calculated insult. The gesture then moves to the potter in verse 13, adding further degradation. Historically, the passage addresses post-exilic Judah, but its typological reach extends to the Messiah. Barnes emphasizes that God does not force our will; He places life and death before us and bids us choose. This verse captures that moment of free rejection.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for Zechariah 11:12. The Hebrew text is consistent across ancient witnesses, and the wording presents no critical difficulties.
Reception History
Christian tradition has consistently read this verse as a prophecy of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew (26:15; 27:9-10) directly cites the thirty pieces of silver and the potter’s field, interpreting them as fulfillment. Early church fathers like Origen and Jerome saw in this the rejected Messiah. Medieval Jewish exegetes, such as Rashi, applied the passage to the unfaithful shepherds of Israel in their own time. The verse has been incorporated into Passion liturgies and Good Friday readings across denominations, serving as a somber reminder of how easily God’s gifts can be devalued.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Shepherd’s Request, God asks for a response to His faithful care. He does not compel it; He sets the choice before us.
- The People’s Payment, They offer the price of a slave, showing contempt for the Shepherd who gave everything.
- The Prophetic Pattern, This insult foreshadows the betrayal of Christ for the same sum, a rejection that leads to the cross and resurrection.
Five-Point Outline
- God’s Shepherd Heart, He fed the flock, cared for the poor, and sought their love.
- Our Freedom to Respond, “If you think best… if not, forbear.” Obedience must be willing.
- The Insult of Rejection, Thirty silver pieces is the price of a slave, not a shepherd.
- The Cost of Betrayal, The same amount bought Judas and sealed the crucifixion.
- Hope Beyond Rejection, God’s plan does not end with insult; it turns toward redemption.
Illustration Hooks
- A worker who gives years of faithful service and receives a severance that barely covers a meal.
- A child offered a valuable gift who responds with a rude gesture, the gift’s worth is not recognized.
- An artist whose masterpiece is appraised at the cost of the canvas alone, ignoring the value of the work itself.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “Why would God, who owns everything, ask for wages?”
- “If God knew His people would reject Him, why did He continue to care for them?”
- “How do we know this verse is about Jesus and not just a historical event?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage pushes us to examine how we value God's care. The Good Shepherd asks for a response, not because He needs anything, but because our hearts are revealed in what we offer. The flock’s answer is an insult: the price of a slave. Let the text search your own patterns of response to God’s grace.
Discussion Questions
- What does the shepherd’s demand for wages reveal about his relationship with the flock? (Observation)
- Why do commentators describe the thirty pieces of silver as an insult? What does Exodus 21:32 add to the meaning? (Interpretation)
- In what ways does the phrase “if you think best… if not, forbear” show God’s character? (Interpretation)
- How does the New Testament use of this verse (Matthew 26:15) shape your reading of Zechariah? (Interpretation)
- Think of a time you offered someone a gift or service and received a cold or dismissive response. How did that feel? How might that reflect what God experiences? (Application)
- What are some subtle ways we today can “weigh out thirty pieces of silver”, treating God’s gifts as cheap? (Application)
- The passage ends with God throwing the silver to the potter (v.13). What does that action say about how God deals with our rejection? (Application/Hope)
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)
| Genesis 37:28 | Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt. |
| Exodus 21:32 | If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned. |
| I Kings 21:2 | Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” |
| II Chronicles 30:4 | The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. |
| Matthew 26:15 | and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. |
| Mark 14:10 | Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them. |
| Mark 14:11 | They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him. |
| Luke 22:3 | Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve. |
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 the phrase asking for payment reflects the man’s belief his suffering has value. He states that people considered this amount too low because it matched the price paid for a slave. This shows they saw his pain as worthless.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that God asks for only what people can give as a return for His gifts. He says this price is set so that humans may freely choose to accept or reject Him by faith.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The prophet says he will not be their shepherd any longer and asks for his pay so he can leave. He gives no indication that he hopes to keep his job.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that the men who hired Zechariah offered him thirty silver pieces as payment for his work. They decided on this amount after considering whether it was a fair price.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the ones addressed here as the Jews who despised Christ, not the faithful remnant. The thirty pieces of silver represent the contemptuous valuation they placed on him, the price of a slave. He notes that Jewish interpreters themselves apply this verse to the Messiah, even though they misread its meaning.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the prophet speaks as Jehovah Messiah to show His willingness to accept only love and obedience as payment for His service. He will not force people to give this reward but leave the matter with God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue the sheep’s demand for wages is not really a refusal but a way for them to show they recognize the shepherd
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 here serves as a picture of Christ. He explains that these verses show Christ came into the world so that judgment would take place.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Christ appears to remind the Jewish leaders of his rights as they consider paying him thirty pieces of silver. He shows them whether they think he deserves that amount.