Zechariah 11:6
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. | For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.” | For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah; but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedThe LORD tells the prophet to feed "the flock of the slaughter," a people whose owners kill them and whose shepherds do not pity them. In this verse God gives the reason: he too will no longer pity the people of the land. He will hand them over to one another and to their king, and he will not rescue them. Zechariah 11:4Zechariah 11:5Zechariah 11:6
SpeakingThe LORD is speaking ("saith the LORD"). His word comes through the prophet Zechariah, who is told to act out the part of a shepherd. Zechariah 11:4Zechariah 11:6Zechariah overview
ToThe word is given to the prophet and through him to the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah 11:4Zechariah overview
Also involved"The inhabitants of the land" are the ones judged. They are the same people the chapter calls the flock of slaughter, in the land of Judah and Israel. Zechariah 11:6Zechariah 11:4Zechariah 11:14
God says he will no more pity the people. They will fall into each other's hands and into the hand of their king. They will crush the land, and God will not rescue them. Zechariah 11:6Strong's H2550Strong's H3807Strong's H5337
The judgment falls on "the land," the land of Judah and Israel. The chapter opens with Lebanon, Bashan and the Jordan mourning their ruin. The book was written in Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Zechariah 11:6Zechariah 11:1Zechariah 11:2Zechariah 11:3Zechariah 11:14Zechariah overview
The eventsThe verse speaks of a judgment still to come ("I will"). The text does not give a date or name the king. Zechariah 11:6
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 are Zechariah's from those years. Chapters 9-14, where this verse stands, carry no dates, and many scholars assign them to a later writer, while others hold Zechariah wrote them. Zechariah overview
HereThe verse explains why the flock is called a flock of slaughter. Its own shepherds show no pity, and now God withdraws his pity as well. This sets up the prophet's shepherding, the breaking of the staffs, and the shepherd priced at thirty pieces of silver. Zechariah 11:4Zechariah 11:5Zechariah 11:6Zechariah 11:10Zechariah 11:12Zechariah 11:13
In the whole of ScriptureOther prophets speak of the same kind of judgment. In Isaiah, under the wrath of the LORD, "no man shall spare his brother." In Jeremiah, God says, "I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy." Isaiah 9:19Isaiah 9:21Jeremiah 13:14
For readersScripture warns that those who forget God may find "none to deliver." The New Testament says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." God's mercy is not to be taken for granted. Psalms 50:22Hebrews 10:31Hebrews 10:26
Christians read this differently
The text does not name the king or say when this judgment comes. Some readers link it to the rejection of the shepherd priced at thirty pieces of silver in this chapter, and to the king who destroyed a city in Matthew 22:7. Others read it as a judgment on the people of the land nearer the prophet's own day. Zechariah 11:6Zechariah 11:12Zechariah 11:13Matthew 22:7
- pityחָמַל
The word means to spare, pity, or have compassion on. The verse before says the shepherds "pity them not." Now God says he too will no more pity the people, matching Jeremiah 13:14. Strong's H2550Zechariah 11:5Jeremiah 13:14
- deliver (hand over)מָצָא
This first "deliver" comes from a word whose basic meaning is "to find" or "to befall," rendered here "about to deliver." It is a different word from the "deliver" at the end of the verse. Strong's H4672Zechariah 11:6
- deliver (rescue)נָצַל
This word means to snatch away, rescue, or save. God says he will not rescue them out of the hands that crush them. Psalm 50:22 and Micah 5:8 speak the same way of "none to deliver." Strong's H5337Zechariah 11:6Psalms 50:22Micah 5:8
- neighbourרֵעַ
The word means friend, companion, or fellow-citizen. The harm comes from within the people themselves, as in Isaiah 9:19, where "no man shall spare his brother." Strong's H7453Isaiah 9:19
Takeaway
The flock's owners slay them and their shepherds pity them not, and God says he will no more pity the inhabitants of the land or deliver them. This verse is a warning of judgment, not a promise. Scripture calls it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Zechariah 11:5Zechariah 11:6Hebrews 10:31
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.
Who ruled
- King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC
Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription
- Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC
A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8
- High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC
Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2
- Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC
The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13
What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
- 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleThe first return
Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops
The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24
- 525 BCWarPersia conquers Egypt
Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16
- 522-521 BCWarDarius crushes the revolts
When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11
- 520 BCGod's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build
In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1
- c. 520-519 BCRulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree
Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12
- 515 BCBuildingThe second temple is finished
The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9
- 490-479 BCWarPersia's wars with Greece
Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13
- 445 BCBuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls
Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15
- 332 BCWarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza
Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| for | כִּ֠י | ki | H3588A | forכִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore |
| not | לֹ֣א | lo' | H3808 | notלֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809) |
| I will have compassion | אֶחְמ֥וֹל | 'ech-MOL | H2550 | to spareחָמַל (cha.mal) (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on |
| again | ע֛וֹד | od | H5750 | stillעוֹד (od) subst 1) a going round, continuance adv 2) still, yet, again, besides 2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence) 2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition) 2c) again 2d) still, moreover, besides Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751) |
| on | עַל־ | 'al- | H5921A | uponעַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) … |
| [the] inhabitants of | יֹשְׁבֵ֥י | yo-she-VEI | H3427 | to dwellיָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488) |
| the land | הָאָ֖רֶץ | ha-'A-retz | H0776G | land: country/planetאֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth … |
| [the] utterance of | נְאֻם־ | ne-'um- | H5002 | utteranceנְאֻם (ne.um) 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name) |
| Yahweh | יְהוָ֑ה | YAH-weh | H3068G | Lordאֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G) |
| and here! | וְהִנֵּ֨ה | ve-hi-NEH | H2009 | beholdהִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if |
| I | אָנֹכִ֜י | 'a-no-KHI | H0595 | Iאָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) I (first pers. sing.) Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589) |
| [am] about to deliver | מַמְצִ֣יא | mam-TZI' | H4672 | to findמָצָא (ma.tsa) 1) to find, attain to 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to find 1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought) 1a1b) to find (what is lost) 1a1c) to meet, encounter 1a1d) to find (a condition) 1a1e) to learn, devise 1a2) to find out 1a2a) to find out 1a2b) to detect 1a2c) to guess 1a3) to come upon, light upon 1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with 1a3b) to hit 1a3c) to befall 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be found 1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered 1b1b) to appear, be recognised 1b1c) to be discovered, be detected 1b1d) to be gained, be secured 1b2) to be, be found 1b2a) to be found in … |
| the everyone | הָאָדָ֗ם | ha-'a-DAM | H0120G | manאָדָם (a.dam) 1) man, mankind 1a) man, human being 1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT) 1c) Adam, first man 1d) city in Jordan valley |
| each | אִ֤ישׁ | 'ish | H0376I | manאִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective) |
| in [the] hand of | בְּיַד־ | be-yad- | H3027H | handיָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists |
| neighbor his | רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ | re-'E-hu | H7453 | neighborרֵעַ (re.a) 1) friend, companion, fellow, another person 1a) friend, intimate 1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense) 1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase) |
| and in [the] hand of | וּבְיַ֣ד | u-ve-YAD | H3027H | handיָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists |
| king his | מַלְכּ֔וֹ | mal-KO | H4428G | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430) |
| and they will crush | וְכִתְּתוּ֙ | ve-khi-te-TU | H3807 | to crushכָּתַת (ka.tat) 1) to beat, crush by beating, crush to pieces, crush fine 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to beat or crush fine 1a2) to beat, hammer 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to beat or crush fine 1b2) to beat, hammer 1c) (Pual) to be beaten 1d) (Hiphil) to beat in pieces, shatter 1e) (Hophal) to be beaten, be crushed |
| the land | הָאָ֔רֶץ | ha-'A-retz | H0776G | land: country/planetאֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth … |
| and not | וְלֹ֥א | ve-LO' | H3808 | notלֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809) |
| I will deliver [it] | אַצִּ֖יל | 'a-TZIL | H5337 | to rescueנָצַל (na.tsal) 1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself 1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to strip off, spoil 1b2) to deliver 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to take away, snatch away 1c2) to rescue, recover 1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death) 1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt 1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out 1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338) |
| from hand their | מִיָּדָֽם׃ | mi-ya-DAM | H3027H | handיָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.