Zechariah 11:9
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The shepherd resigns his care, leaving the flock to die, perish, and devour one another.
What Does Zechariah 11:9 Mean?
Met with such hostility, the shepherd withdraws. He declares he will no longer feed them; the dying may die, the perishing may perish, and those left will consume one another. The rejected shepherd steps back, and the flock is given over to the ruin it has chosen.
This sobering scene shows what becomes of a people who spurn the shepherd God provides. Protection refused becomes protection removed, and the result is self-destruction. The verse is a warning wrapped in grief, urging the reader never to push away the Shepherd's care, but to receive the One who still calls, 'Come unto me,' while the door stands open.