Zechariah 11:5

"The LORD my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter."

Key Reflection

Zechariah 11:5 presents a poignant image where the Lord commands the prophet to care for a flock that is destined for slaughter, evoking a stark contrast between life and death. In the original context, this would have resonated deeply with Zechariah's audience, who were likely familiar with the economic realities of sheep farming and the sacrificial practices in ancient Israelite worship. The Lord’s directive to "feed" these doomed animals would have highlighted the impending judgment on the nation, foreshadowing a time when even those considered valuable or protected would face destruction.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Whose possessors -(buyers) slay them and hold themselves not guilty, rather, are not guilty either in their own eyes, or in the sight of God, since He gave them up and would no more avenge them. They contract no guilt. Aforetime God said; “Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first-fruits of His increase; all that devour him shall be guilty: evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord”Jeremiah 2:3.

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