Zechariah 11:5 · Bible study
Zechariah 11:5 Commentary: Exploiters Blessing God
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Commentary on Zechariah 11:5: buyers slaughter without guilt, sellers bless God for gain, shepherds show no pity. The hypocrisy of exploiting God's flock.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse depicts the exploitation of God’s people by leaders and oppressors who feel no guilt and even thank God for their profit.
- Key words: Qanah (buy), asham (be guilty), barak (bless), ashar (become rich), chamal (pity).
- Main debate: Whether the buyers and sellers refer to foreign oppressors (e.g., Rome) or to Jewish leaders who exploited the people from within.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment and the hypocrisy of using religious language to cover exploitation.
- Best use: Teaching on false leadership, the nature of judgment, and the call to examine our own integrity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them.
KJV King James Version 1769
Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; and their own shepherds pity them not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Whose buyers slay them, and are not guilty, And their sellers say, Blessed is Jehovah, And I am rich, And their shepherds have no pity on them.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
whose possessors slay them without being held guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah! for I am become rich; and their own shepherds pity them not.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Which they that possessed, slew, and repented not, and they sold them, saying: Blessed be the Lord, we are become rich: and their shepherds spared them not.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
A las cuales mataban sus compradores, y no se tenían por culpables; y el que las vendía, decía: Bendito sea Jehová, que he enriquecido; ni sus pastores tenían piedad de ellas.
Cujos compradores as matam, e ninguém os considera culpados; e os que as vendem dizem: Bendito seja o SENHOR, porque estou rico; nem seus pastores se compadecem delas.
Ceux qui les achètent les égorgent impunément;
Denn ihre Herren schlachten sie und halten's für keine Sünde, verkaufen sie und sprechen: Gelobt sei der HERR, ich bin nun reich! und ihre Hirten schonen ihrer nicht.
Welker bezitters hen doden, en houden het voor geen schuld; en een ieder dergenen, die ze verkopen, zegt: Geloofd zij de HEERE, dat ik rijk geworden ben; en niemand van degenen, die ze weiden, verschoont ze.
che i compratori uccidono senza rendersi colpevoli, e delle quali i venditori dicono: Sia benedetto l’Eterno! Io m’arricchisco, e che i loro pastori non risparmiano affatto.
Które dzierżawcy ich zabijają, a nie bywają obwinieni, i owszem, sprzedawający je mówią: Błogosławiony Pan, żeśmy się zbogacili, a którzy je pasą, nie mają litości nad niemi.
которых купившие убивают ненаказанно, а продавшие говорят: "благословен Господь; я разбогател!" и пастухи их не жалеют о них.
買他們的 宰了他們，以自己為無 罪；賣他們的 說：『耶和華 是應當稱頌的，因我成為富足。』牧養他們的 並不 憐恤 他們。
Whose owners put them to death and have no sense of sin; and those who get a price for them say, May the Lord be praised for I have much wealth: and the keepers of the flock have no pity for them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Zechariah 11:5
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 this verse exposes the wanton exploitation of God's people, the flock of slaughter. Barnes notes that the buyers (possessors) slay them and hold themselves not guilty because God has handed over His people in judgment, reversing earlier protection (Jeremiah 2:3). Gill and the Cambridge Bible see the sellers as false teachers who make merchandise of souls, hypocritically blessing God for their enrichment. JFB emphasizes that the Jewish rulers sold their country to Rome, culminating in the sale of the Messiah. The shepherds, whether rulers or priests, show no pity, as Wesley and Clarke observe. The underlying agreement: this is not random cruelty but divine judgment where oppressors become instruments, and the leaders' greed and hypocrisy seal the people's fate.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Gentile oppressors: Barnes and JFB point to parallels with Jeremiah 50:6-7 and the Roman destruction; the buyers are foreign powers God uses as instruments.
- Jewish leaders: Gill and Adam Clarke cite the internal corruption of priests and false prophets who destroy souls and profit from the flock.
- Both layers: Some commentators (e.g., Matthew Henry) see the verse referring both to historical oppressors and to the spiritual exploitation by leaders, culminating in the rejection of Christ.
- Shepherd as God: Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Hengstenberg (via JFB) take the singular verb 'pities not' as referring to Yahweh, the Shepherd of Israel, who withdraws compassion.
What is clear: The verse describes the exploitation of God's people by those who should care for them, and the hypocrisy of attributing unjust gain to God's blessing, all within the context of divine judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of buyers and sellers | Christians agree the verse describes people who exploit God's flock for personal gain. | Barnes and JFB see the buyers as Gentile oppressors (Romans, Babylonians) acting as God's instruments; Gill and Adam Clarke identify them as corrupt Jewish leaders (priests, false prophets) who destroy and sell the people. |
| Meaning of 'not guilty' | The phrase indicates that these exploiters do not consider themselves guilty and, by divine permission, are not held accountable at that moment. | Some (Barnes, JFB) see it as God's judicial act: because He has given up Israel, the oppressors contract no guilt. Others (Gill) emphasize the moral blindness of the oppressors who think they do no wrong. |
| Identity of the shepherds | Shepherds represent leaders (political and religious) who should care for the flock. | Most commentators take the shepherds as human leaders; Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, followed by Hengstenberg (noted in JFB), refer the singular verb 'pities not' to God Himself, the Shepherd of Israel, who withholds compassion in judgment. |
| The blessing of God for enrichment | All note the hypocrisy of thanking God while profiting from exploitation. | Some (Wesley, Clarke) see the sellers as profaning God’s name by using it to sanctify wickedness; others (JFB) emphasize the blindness of self-deception, as in Deuteronomy 29:19. |
| Timing of fulfillment | The verse is prophetic, pointing to a coming judgment on Israel for rejecting God's shepherding. | Barnes and JFB see primary fulfillment in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). Matthew Henry and Gill see a deeper layer in the rejection of Christ and the subsequent judgment. Keil and Delitzsch treat the whole passage as a symbolic vision of God's historical dealings, not tied to a single event. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Zechariah prophesied around 520, 518 BC, after the return from Babylon, to encourage the rebuilding of the temple. But chapter 11 pivots to a darker vision: the people will reject the true Shepherd (ultimately Christ), leading to catastrophe. The “flock of slaughter” refers to Israel under repeated oppression. Historically, the nation had been ravaged by Assyria and Babylon; now they were a vassal of Persia. Later, under Greek and Roman rule, exploitation would intensify. Barnes connects the buyers to Rome, noting that Titus during the siege of Jerusalem marveled that God had delivered the Jews into his hands. Gill and Clarke, however, see the buyers and sellers as internal leaders, priests, scribes, and false prophets, who led the people into idolatry and profited from their ruin. The phrase “not guilty” echoes Jeremiah 50:6, 7, where adversaries declare themselves innocent because Israel sinned against the Lord. This reversal of accountability is central: God had once promised to hold Israel’s enemies guilty (Jeremiah 2:3), but now He uses them as instruments of judgment. The shepherds represent those charged with care, political and religious leaders, who abandoned their duty. The verb chamal (pity, spare) appears in the singular, which some rabbinic interpreters (Aben Ezra, Kimchi) take as referring to God Himself, the Shepherd of Israel, who withholds compassion. This fits verse 6: “I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land.” The literary setting of Zechariah 11:1, 3, a taunt against Lebanon’s cedars, signals the fall of proud powers. Verse 5 then zooms in on the ordinary suffering of the flock, betrayed on every side.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Zechariah 11:5 shows no significant variation across the major manuscripts. The consulted sources note no text-critical issues. The readings in the Masoretic Text are consistent, and the supplied translations (KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) all reflect the same underlying Hebrew. The only slight differences are in English rendering of terms like “possessors” vs. “buyers” and “hold themselves not guilty” vs. “without remorse,” but these are translation choices, not textual variants.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Zechariah 11:5 has been read as a prophecy of judgment on Israel for rejecting the Messiah. Jerome, cited by Barnes, saw its fulfillment in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, noting how Titus acknowledged God’s hand. Reformation commentators such as Calvin and Luther (via later tradition) emphasized the hypocrisy of false shepherds who exploit the flock while praising God. Matthew Henry applied the verse to the corrupt Jewish leaders who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, leading to the nation’s ruin. Wesley and Clarke used it to warn against ministers who make merchandise of souls. In modern times, the verse continues to challenge religious institutions that mask greed with piety. The book of Zechariah as a whole has been treasured for its messianic hope, yet this verse remains a sobering call to examine how power and religion can be twisted together.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Exploiters: Buyers who kill without guilt, those in power who destroy God’s people with no remorse.
- The Hypocrites: Sellers who bless God for ill-gotten gain, leaders who use piety to cover greed.
- The Negligent: Shepherds who show no pity, those meant to care but who abandon the flock.
Five-point outline
- The Flock of Slaughter: God’s people under judgment, exposed to exploitation.
- The Buyers: Those who destroy with impunity, feeling no guilt.
- The Sellers: Leaders who profit by selling out the flock.
- The Hypocritical Blessing: Credit God for unjust enrichment, twisting worship into self-congratulation.
- The Shepherds’ Failure: No pity from those expected to give care.
Illustration hooks
- A church leader builds a ministry on unpaid volunteers, then thanks God for the church’s “growth” in attendance and budget.
- An employer cuts wages and mistreats workers, then prays over company profits, crediting God for success.
- Contrast the Good Shepherd (John 10) who lays down his life, with these shepherds who cannot even pity.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God allow corrupt leaders to prosper?
- How can I guard against hypocrisy that uses God as a cover for greed?
- What should I do when I see exploitation in my church or community?
Leading a Discussion
Zechariah 11:5 confronts us with the raw reality of exploitation masked by piety. In a world where power often abuses the vulnerable, this verse holds up a mirror to religious hypocrisy and divine judgment. As you discuss, consider the layers of responsibility: buyers, sellers, and shepherds. How does each group fail, and how might we be complicit?
Discussion questions
- Observation: Who are the three groups mentioned in this verse, and what does each do to the flock?
- Observation: What do the sellers say, and how does their statement contrast with their actions?
- Interpretation: Why might the buyers “hold themselves not guilty”? How does Jeremiah 2:3 help explain God’s earlier promise and its reversal?
- Interpretation: In what sense does God use oppressors as instruments, and when do they become guilty themselves (see Isaiah 10:5, 7)?
- Interpretation: The shepherds “pity not”, how does this connect to Ezekiel 34, where God condemns shepherds who feed themselves instead of the flock?
- Application: In what ways can we be tempted to bless God while benefiting from unjust systems or relationships?
- Application: How does the promise of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) give hope for the flock of slaughter?
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 37:26 | Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? |
| 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. |
| Deuteronomy 29:19 | and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,” to destroy the moist with the dry. |
| Deuteronomy 29:21 | Yahweh will set him apart for evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law. |
| II Kings 4:1 | Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared Yahweh. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.” |
| Nehemiah 5:8 | I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. |
| Jeremiah 2:3 | Israel was holiness to Yahweh, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him will be held guilty. Evil will come on them,”’ says Yahweh.” |
| Jeremiah 23:1 | “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says Yahweh. |
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 in power who kill people by leading them to destruction are the same rulers who push others into idolatry for personal gain. He also says those who sell people to idolatry benefit financially from this false religion.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out a striking reversal: those who once would have been guilty for harming God's people now act as guiltless instruments because God has given Israel over to judgment. Even their own shepherds and teachers, who should have shown compassion, show none at all.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Zechariah 11:5, while others emphasize verses showing God’s mercy. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note condemns three groups involved in the flock's ruin: buyers slaughter them without guilt, sellers thank God for the profit, and even the shepherds themselves fail to spare the sheep. All act with complete disregard for the flock's welfare.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "possessors" and "sellers" not as Roman occupiers but as the Jewish religious leaders who destroyed souls by teaching human traditions and justification by works. He notes these leaders felt no guilt, grew rich through exploitation, yet still blessed God for their wealth. An alternative view, which Gill mentions, interprets "their own shepherds" as God himself.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Zechariah 11:5 and 6 while others emphasize other verses. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. You may find hope in the resurrection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists the shepherd in this passage is not a human prophet but God Himself or the Messiah acting through the prophet. They distinguish the "flock of slaughter" as specifically the people of Israel, not all humanity, and argue that the "inhabitants of the earth" are the oppressive world powers holding Israel captive.
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 sees Zechariah as a picture of Christ who feeds the victims of murder without pity. He explains that the prophet broke his covenant and accepted thirty pieces of silver for his work.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley exposes the self-deception of rulers who sell people into slavery. They think themselves innocent and even thank God for the wealth they gain through cruelty and oppression, profanely calling it a blessing.