Zechariah 11:7

“And I will feed the flock of slaughter, etc.] According to the call and commission he had from his divine Father, (<381104>Zechariah 11:4) he determines to do as it was enjoined him, and as he had undertook: [even] you, O poor of the flock; besides the people of the Jews in general, to whom Christ was sent, and he came to feed, there were a small remnant, according to the election of grace, he had a special regard for; and whom he fed by the word and ordinances with himself, the bread of life; and with the discoveries of his love, and with the covenant of grace, its blessings and promises, the sure mercies of David. These are called “the poor of the flock”, because they were the poor of this…”

“And--rather, "Accordingly": implying the motive cause which led Messiah to assume the office, namely, the will of the Father (Zac 11:4-5), who pitied the sheep without any true shepherd. I will feed--"I fed" [CALVIN], which comes to the same thing, as the past tense must in Zechariah's time have referred to the event of Messiah's advent then future: the prophets often speaking of the future in vision as already present. It was not My fault, Jehovah implies, that these sheep were not fed; the fault rests solely with you, because ye rejected the grace of God [CALVIN]. even you, O poor of the flock--rather, "in order that (I might feed, that is, save) the poor (humble; compare Zac 11:11; Zep…”

“The prophetic narrative which follows, differs in its form, in some respects, from the symbolical actions of the prophets and from Zechariah’s own visions. The symbolical actions of the prophets are actions of their own: this involves acts, which it would be impossible to represent, except as a sort of drama. Such are the very central points, the feeding of the flock, which are still intelligent people who understand God’s doings: the cutting off of the three shepherds; the asking for the price; the unworthy price offered; the casting it aside. It differs from Zechariah’s own visions, in that they are for the most part exhibited to the eye, and Zechariah’s own part is simply to enquire their…”

“Bands - The beauty of grace and glory, the bands of love and peace. Zechariah 11:9”

“11:7 Shepherd’s staffs symbolize leadership and authority. • Favor: This staff symbolized God’s choice of Israel as his people (see Gen 12:1-3) and the promise of a leader like King David (see 2 Sam 7:12-16). • Union: Ezekiel’s staff (Ezek 37:16-17) represented the unity of the Hebrew tribes as a single nation during King David’s reign (2 Sam 5:1-3).”

“I will: Zac 11:4, Zac 11:11, Zac 13:8, Zac 13:9 even you, O poor: or, verily the poor, Isa 11:4, Isa 61:1; Jer 5:4, Jer 5:5; Zep 3:12; Mat 11:5; Mar 12:37; Jam 2:5 staves: Zac 11:10, Zac 11:14; Lev 27:32; Sa1 17:40, Sa1 17:43; Psa 23:4 one: Psa 133:1-3; Eze 37:16-23; Joh 17:21-23 Bands: or, Binders, Joh 10:16; Eph 2:13-16 Zechariah 11:8”

“From Zac 11:7 onwards the feeding of the flock is described. Zac 11:7. "And I fed the slaughtering flock, therewith the wretched ones of the sheep, and took to myself two staves: the one I called Favour, the other I called Bands; and so I fed the flock. Zac 11:8. And I destroyed three of the shepherds in one month." The difficult expression לכן, of which very different renderings have been given (lit., with the so-being), is evidently used here in the same sense as in Isa 26:14; Isa 61:7; Jer 2:33, etc., so as to introduce what occurred eo ipso along with the other event which took place. When the shepherd fed the slaughtering flock, he thereby, or at the same time, fed the wretched ones of…”