The Meaning of Zechariah 11:9 Explained

Zechariah 11:9

KJV: Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

YLT: And I say, 'I do not feed you, the dying, let die; and the cut off, let be cut off; and the remaining ones, let each eat the flesh of its neighbour.'

Darby: And I said, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and that which perisheth let it perish; and let them which are left eat every one the flesh of another.

ASV: Then said I, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  I, I will not feed  you: that that dieth,  let it die;  and that that is to be cut off,  let it be cut off;  and let the rest  eat  every one  the flesh  of another. 

What does Zechariah 11:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zechariah , as God"s representative, turned "them" over to their fate though that meant that some of them would die, suffer annihilation, and devour one another. The Jews did eat one another during the siege of Jerusalem in the first century A.D. [1] And they will evidently do so again during the Tribulation.
"By withholding his leadership the shepherd abandoned the people to the consequences of their rejection of him: death, and mutual destruction. He simply let things take their course." [2]

Context Summary

Zechariah 11:1-17 - Beauty And Bands
The times were very dark when Zechariah felt called upon to act as shepherd to Jehovah's harried flock. Rulers and priests were actuated by selfish greed and mutual antagonism. Three shepherds had already failed. After a brief effort Zechariah renounced the attempt. He broke his staff of Beauty, or Grace, Zechariah 11:10, r.v. margin, as if God's tender love had withdrawn from its struggle with evil; and when he challenged the people to set a value on his services, they weighed him out thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. Thereupon he broke the other staff, disrupting the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. In the following paragraph, Zechariah 11:15-17, there is an evident reference to the terrible reign of Antiochus whose cruelties led to the heroic uprising of the Maccabees. Five centuries afterwards Jesus was sent to gather the flock with the same result, Matthew 27:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 11

1  The destruction of Jerusalem
3  The elect being cared for, the rest are rejected
10  The staves of Beauty and Bands broken by the rejection of Christ
15  The type and curse of a foolish shepherd

What do the individual words in Zechariah 11:9 mean?

And I said not I will feed you what is dying let die and what is perishing perish and those that are left let eat each - flesh of other
וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹ֥א אֶרְעֶ֖ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם הַמֵּתָ֣ה תָמ֗וּת וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙ תִּכָּחֵ֔ד וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת תֹּאכַ֕לְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־ בְּשַׂ֥ר רְעוּתָֽהּ

וָאֹמַ֕ר  And  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶרְעֶ֖ה  I  will  feed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
הַמֵּתָ֣ה  what  is  dying 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
תָמ֗וּת  let  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙  and  what  is  perishing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: כָּחַד  
Sense: to hide, conceal, cut off, cut down, make desolate, kick.
תִּכָּחֵ֔ד  perish 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּחַד  
Sense: to hide, conceal, cut off, cut down, make desolate, kick.
וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת  and  those  that  are  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
תֹּאכַ֕לְנָה  let  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אִשָּׁ֖ה  each 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּשַׂ֥ר  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
רְעוּתָֽהּ  of  other 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רְעוּת  
Sense: female companion, mate, neighbour woman.