Zechariah 11:17
New International Version
“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”

New Living Translation
“What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye. His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind.”

English Standard Version
“Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”

King James Bible
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

New King James Version
“Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

New American Standard Bible
“Woe to the worthless shepherd Who abandons the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, And his right eye will be blind.”

NASB 1995
“Woe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered And his right eye will be blind.”

NASB 1977
“Woe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, And his right eye will be blind.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd Who forsakes the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally dried up, And his right eye will be utterly dimmed.”

Amplified Bible
“Woe (judgment is coming) to the worthless and foolish shepherd Who deserts the flock! The sword will strike his arm And his right eye! His arm shall be totally withered And his right eye completely blinded.”

Christian Standard Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither away and his right eye go completely blind! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither away and his right eye go completely blind!”

American Standard Version
Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Woe, simple Shepherd, because you have abandoned the sheep at your arm and before your right eye! Your right arm shall wither and your right eye will be blind!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Alas for the vain shepherds that have forsaken the sheep! the sword shall be upon the arms of such a one, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be completely withered, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Contemporary English Version
You worthless shepherd, deserting the sheep! I hope a sword will cripple your arm and blind your right eye.

Douay-Rheims Bible
O shepherd, and idol, that forsaketh the flock: the sword upon his arm and upon his right eye: his arm shall quite wither away, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

English Revised Version
Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock, the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"How horrible it will be for the foolish shepherd who abandoned the sheep. A sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered. His right eye will be completely blind."

Good News Translation
That worthless shepherd is doomed! He has abandoned his flock. War will totally destroy his power. His arm will wither, and his right eye will go blind."

International Standard Version
"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye. May his arm wither and his right eye be completely blind."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Woe to the worthless shepherd That leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, And upon his right eye; His arm shall be clean dried up, And his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Literal Standard Version
Woe [to] the worthless shepherd, forsaking the flock, | A sword [is] on his arm, and on his right eye, | His arm is utterly dried up, | And his right eye is very dim!”

Majority Standard Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”

New American Bible
Ah! my worthless shepherd who forsakes the flock! May the sword fall upon his arm and upon his right eye; His arm will surely wither, and his right eye surely go blind!

NET Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither completely away, and his right eye become completely blind!"

New Revised Standard Version
Oh, my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be completely withered, his right eye utterly blinded!

New Heart English Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock. The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded."

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be wholly dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

World English Bible
Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”

Young's Literal Translation
Woe to the worthless shepherd, forsaking the flock, A sword is on his arm, and on his right eye, His arm is utterly dried up, And his right eye is very dim!'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Thirty Pieces of Silver
16For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves. 17Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”

Cross References
Jeremiah 23:1
"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 50:35
A sword is against the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, against those who live in Babylon, and against her officials and wise men.

Ezekiel 30:21
"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. See, it has not been bound up for healing, or splinted for strength to hold the sword.

Ezekiel 30:22
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

Zechariah 10:2
For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Zechariah 11:15
And the LORD said to me: "Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.


Treasury of Scripture

Woe to the idol shepherd that leaves the flock! the sword shall be on his arm, and on his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Woe.

Jeremiah 22:1
Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

Ezekiel 13:3
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel 34:2
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

idol.

Isaiah 9:15
The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Isaiah 44:10
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

Jeremiah 23:32
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

that leaveth.

John 10:12,13
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep…

the sword.

Isaiah 6:9,10
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not…

Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

Isaiah 42:19,20
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant? …

his arm.

1 Samuel 2:31
Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

1 Kings 13:4
And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

Ezekiel 30:22-24
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand…

Jump to Previous
Arm Blind Blinded Clean Completely Curse Dark Darkened Deserts Dried Dry Eye Flock Foolish Forsaking Goes Idle Idol Keeper Leaves Oracle Quite Right Shepherd Smite Strike Sword Totally Utterly Wholly Withered Wo Woe Worthless
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Arm Blind Blinded Clean Completely Curse Dark Darkened Deserts Dried Dry Eye Flock Foolish Forsaking Goes Idle Idol Keeper Leaves Oracle Quite Right Shepherd Smite Strike Sword Totally Utterly Wholly Withered Wo Woe Worthless
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.














Verse 17. - Woe to the idol shepherd! rather, woe to the worthless shepherd! literally, shepherd of vanity, or nothingness, as Job 13:4, "physicians of no value." The LXX., recognizing that no special shepherd is signified, renders, Ω οἱ ποιμαίνοντες τὰ μάταια, "Alas for those who tend vanities!" St. Jerome, expounding the verse of antichrist, "O pastor, et idolum!" That leaveth the flock. Thus Christ speaks of the hireling (John 10:12). The sword shall be upon his arm, etc. The punishment denounced is in accordance with the neglect of the shepherd's duties. The sword represents the instrument of punishment, whatever it he; the right eye, the severity of the retribution (1 Samuel 11:2). The arm that ought to have defended the flock shall be withered up as by catalepsy; the eye that should have watched for their safety shall be blinded. This is the judgment on the foolish shepherd. Ewald thinks that the passage Zechariah 13:7-9 is out of place there, and belonged originally to the end of the, present chapter.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Woe
ה֣וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!

to the worthless
הָֽאֱלִיל֙ (hā·’ĕ·lîl)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol

shepherd,
רֹעִ֤י (rō·‘î)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7473: Pastoral, a shepherd

who deserts
עֹזְבִ֣י (‘ō·zə·ḇî)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

the flock!
הַצֹּ֔אן (haṣ·ṣōn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

May a sword
חֶ֥רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

strike his arm
זְרוֹע֖וֹ (zə·rō·w·‘ōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

and his right
יְמִינ֑וֹ (yə·mî·nōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

eye!
עֵ֣ין (‘ên)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

May his arm
זְרֹעוֹ֙ (zə·rō·‘ōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

be completely
יָב֣וֹשׁ (yā·ḇō·wōš)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither

withered
תִּיבָ֔שׁ (tî·ḇāš)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither

and his right
יְמִינ֖וֹ (yə·mî·nōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

eye
וְעֵ֥ין (wə·‘ên)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

utterly blinded!”
כָּהֹ֥ה (kā·hōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3543: To be weak, to despond, to grow dull


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OT Prophets: Zechariah 11:17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves (Zech. Zec Zc)
Zechariah 11:16
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