Zechariah 11:12-13
Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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When the prophet asks for his wages, he's not truly concerned about the money; he's signaling his departure and highlighting the people's utter contempt for him by giving him the price of a mere slave. This deliberate insult, the deliberate act of weighing out thirty pieces of silver, underscores their rejection of God's care and leadership.
The prophet Zechariah, acting out a symbolic prophecy, is about to abandon his role as shepherd to God's people. He asks them to pay him his wages as a final reckoning, but they insultingly give him only thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This act foreshadows the betrayal of the Messiah for a similar sum, highlighting the people's contempt for the divine care they have received.
Imagine a shepherd tenderly caring for his sheep, day in and day out. When it's time to part ways, he doesn't demand payment, but simply asks, 'Is my service worth anything to you?'
In Zechariah 11:12, the prophet, acting as a representative of God, presents himself to the people of Israel like a shepherd asking for his wages. This isn't about the prophet needing money – God has no material needs! Instead, it's a profound moment of reckoning.
A Choice Offered
The prophet says, 'If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.' This is a gentle, almost humble, offer. He places the decision entirely in their hands. It’s a test of their appreciation and their recognition of his faithful service.
The True Cost of Care
This act highlights the relationship between the shepherd and the flock. The shepherd’s work isn't transactional in the typical sense. He has poured himself out for their well-being, and now he simply asks for acknowledgment. It’s about their willingness to value what has been given to them.
What happens when a loving, sacrificial offer is met not with gratitude, but with utter contempt? The response here is shocking in its devaluation.
The people's response to the shepherd's offer is staggering: 'And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.' This wasn't just a rejection; it was a deliberate insult.
The Value of a Slave
Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a common slave, specifically the indemnity paid for a slave killed by an animal (Exodus 21:32). It was the lowest possible valuation, signifying that they considered the shepherd—and by extension, God's care for them—to be worth less than a person's property.
A Prophetic Foreshadowing
This act is deeply prophetic. It directly foreshadows the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot for the same amount (Matthew 26:15). The rulers of Israel, who were the 'shepherds' of God's people, ultimately assigned this contemptible price to the Great Shepherd Himself. It reveals their utter disdain for God's appointed King and His divine love.
Understand the original words
keseph · Hebrew Noun
The standard unit of currency used in ancient Israel for commercial exchange, often used in legal contexts and occasionally symbolizing value, redemption price, or, ironically, the price of a slave.
yatsar · Hebrew Noun
A person who molds clay, functioning in the Old Testament both as a common artisan and as a powerful metaphor for God’s sovereignty in shaping humanity and nations according to His will.
The prophet Zechariah, acting as a stand-in for God, presents a powerful, symbolic demand for his 'wages' from the people he has shepherded. Their response – weighing out thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave – is a profound insult, foreshadowing the ultimate rejection and betrayal of the Messiah for a paltry sum.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and scattering them among its vast territories. This event marked a significant blow to the covenant people and initiated a period of foreign domination for the land.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles a significant portion of the population to Babylon. This was a profound crisis of faith and national identity for the Jews.
c. 520-518 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
Under the Persian Empire, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Jewish returnees begin rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. This marked a significant step in the restoration of Jewish religious and national life after the exile.
c. 450-400 BC— this verse
This passage defines the value of a life at thirty pieces of silver as the price of a slave, directly connecting to the contemptible 'wages' the leaders paid Zechariah, and later Judas, for the Good Shepherd.
Matthew 26:15This New Testament passage explicitly fulfills Zechariah's prophecy, showing Judas Iscariot receiving the same thirty pieces of silver from the chief priests to betray Jesus.
Matthew 27:9-10This passage links the thirty pieces of silver, paid for Jesus' betrayal, to Zechariah's prophecy, noting the priests' intent to use the money to buy the potter's field, fulfilling another layer of the prophet's vision.
Hosea 3:2In this passage, Hosea is directed to buy his unfaithful wife for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley, paralleling the low price paid for something of great value and the theme of unfaithfulness.
wesleyZechariah 11:12: "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
11:12 And I said - Upon parting, Christ seems after the manner of men, to mind them of his claims for them, and desire them to reckon with him. If ye think good - He puts it to them, whether they thought he deserved ought at their hands? So they - The rulers of the Jews, the high priest, chief priests, and pharisees. Weighed - Which was the mann…
clarkeZechariah 11:12: "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
If ye think good, give me my price - "Give me my hire." And we find they rated it contemptuously; thirty pieces of silver being the price of a slave, Exodus 21:32 .
When the prophet asks for his wages, he's not truly concerned about the money; he's signaling his departure and highlighting the people's utter contempt for him by giving him the price of a mere slave. This deliberate insult, the deliberate act of weighing out thirty pieces of silver, underscores their rejection of God's care and leadership.
The prophet Zechariah, acting out a symbolic prophecy, is about to abandon his role as shepherd to God's people. He asks them to pay him his wages as a final reckoning, but they insultingly give him only thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This act foreshadows the betrayal of the Messiah for a similar sum, highlighting the people's contempt for the divine care they have received.
The prophet Zechariah, acting out a symbolic prophecy, is about to abandon his role as shepherd to God's people. He asks them to pay him his wages as a final reckoning, but they insultingly give him only thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This act foreshadows the betrayal of the Messiah for a similar sum, highlighting the people's contempt for the divine care they have received.
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Post-Exilic Period and Prophetic Ministry
Zechariah's ministry occurs during the challenging post-exilic period under Persian rule. The community grapples with maintaining faith, rebuilding society, and discerning God's ongoing purpose amidst foreign domination and internal struggles.
c. 167-164 BC
Maccabean Revolt
A period of intense conflict arises when Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempts to suppress Jewish religious practices and desecrates the Jerusalem Temple. The Maccabean family leads a successful rebellion, securing a period of religious freedom.
c. 63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
The Roman Republic, led by Pompey the Great, intervenes in a dispute over the Judean throne and brings the region under Roman control. This marked the end of Jewish independence and the beginning of Roman occupation.
c. AD 28-30
Ministry, Betrayal, and Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy, is betrayed by one of his own disciples for thirty pieces of silver, a price equivalent to that of a slave. He is subsequently condemned and crucified by the Roman authorities.
"Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by…" — When the prophet asks for his wages, he's not truly concerned about the money; he's signaling his departure and highlighting the people's utter contempt for him by giving him the price of a mere slav…
