Zechariah 11:13
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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The phrase "a goodly price" is laced with heavy irony, highlighting the utter contempt shown for God's value. It's not just about money, but about how the divine worth was reduced to the cheapest possible commodity and then discarded.
Zechariah is acting out a prophetic vision where he is the shepherd of God's people. After being insulted and undervalued by the leaders of Israel, represented by the rejection of his shepherd's staff, he is instructed to take the paltry sum offered—thirty pieces of silver—and cast it back. This action directly foreshadows the betrayal of the Good Shepherd Himself for a similar price.
Thirty pieces of silver. That’s the price paid for a slave. What does it reveal when this is the value placed on God’s chosen Shepherd?
The prophet Zechariah is instructed by God to take the payment for his shepherding service – thirty pieces of silver – and cast it to the potter. This amount, the price of a lowly slave, is a stark, ironic declaration of how Israel valued their divine Shepherd. It wasn’t just an insult to Zechariah as a representative; it was a profound devaluation of God’s provision and presence among them.
The Weight of 'Goodly Price'
This 'goodly price,' as the text calls it, is dripping with sarcasm. It signifies a 'magnificent' valuation in name only. The reality is that thirty pieces of silver represented utter contempt for the one who was meant to guide and protect them. It’s a reflection of a heart that has lost its reverence and can no longer recognize true worth.
What happens to the money used for the ultimate betrayal? It’s not just thrown away; it’s intentionally directed by God.
The command to 'cast it unto the potter' isn't just about contempt; it’s about divine disposal. This money, the price of betrayal, is ultimately destined for a purpose that underscores its worthlessness and the sin it represents.
From Betrayal to Potter's Field
This action foreshadows Judas's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent remorse. The thirty pieces of silver, stained with innocent blood, are cast into the temple. God, in His providence, ensures this money, meant to devalue His Son, ends up purchasing a potter's field – a place for burying strangers, signifying uncleanness and disposability.
The House of the Lord's Role
Casting the money 'to the potter in the house of the Lord' is significant. It demonstrates that even this sordid transaction, initiated by human treachery, takes place under God's sovereignty and within His domain. The place of worship becomes the backdrop for the ultimate rejection of God’s Shepherd, and from which His ultimate plan unfolds.
Understand the original words
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.
Zechariah's symbolic act of casting thirty pieces of silver to the potter foreshadows the betrayal of the Messiah for the same amount, directly linking God's judgment on His unfaithful people with the ultimate rejection of His Son.
c. 700 BC
Jeremiah's Potter Vision
Jeremiah prophesies God's judgment upon Judah, using the imagery of a potter's vessel being broken, particularly in the Valley of Hinnom. This symbolic action critiques their sin and foreshadows their destruction.
c. 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and exiles much of the population to Babylon. This event marks a period of national trauma and spiritual reassessment for the Jewish people.
c. 516 BC
Temple Reconstruction Completed
The Second Temple is completed in Jerusalem after the exiles return from Babylon. While a significant achievement, it lacks the glory of Solomon's original Temple.
c. 470 BC— this verse
Zechariah's Ministry
Zechariah prophesies to the returned exiles, encouraging them to rebuild the Temple and turn back to God. His prophecies often have a visionary and symbolic character.
This passage directly recounts Judas' betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and the subsequent purchase of the potter's field, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy.
Jeremiah 18:1-6This earlier prophecy describes a potter and clay, symbolizing God's sovereignty over Israel and His ability to remake or destroy them, foreshadowing the judgment implied by the potter receiving the price of betrayal.
Exodus 21:32This law specifies that if an ox gores a male or female slave to death, the owner shall pay thirty shekels of silver to the slave's owner, highlighting the demeaning value placed on the 'thirty pieces of silver' in Zechariah.
Psalm 2:1-3This psalm describes the rulers of the earth conspiring against the Lord and his Anointed, paralleling the rejection and low valuation of God's representative by the very people He came to save.
cambridgeZechariah 11:13: "And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD."
13 . Cast it ] “as a thing vile and rejected, as torn flesh was to be cast to dogs ( Exodus 22:31 ), or a corpse was cast unburied ( Isaiah 14:19 ), or the dead body of Absalom was cast into the pit ( 2 Samuel 18:17 ), or the dust of the idol-altars into the brook Kidron by Josiah ( 2 Kin…
barnesZechariah 11:13: "And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD."
And the Lord said unto me, Cast it - As a thing vile and rejected, as torn flesh was to be cast to dogs Exodus 22:31 , or a corpse was cast unburied Isaiah 14:19 ; Isaiah 34:3 ; Jeremiah 14:16 ; Jeremiah 22:19 ; Jeremiah 26:23 ; Jeremiah 36:30 , or the dead body of Absalom was cast into t…
The phrase "a goodly price" is laced with heavy irony, highlighting the utter contempt shown for God's value. It's not just about money, but about how the divine worth was reduced to the cheapest possible commodity and then discarded.
Zechariah is acting out a prophetic vision where he is the shepherd of God's people. After being insulted and undervalued by the leaders of Israel, represented by the rejection of his shepherd's staff, he is instructed to take the paltry sum offered—thirty pieces of silver—and cast it back. This action directly foreshadows the betrayal of the Good Shepherd Himself for a similar price.
Zechariah is acting out a prophetic vision where he is the shepherd of God's people. After being insulted and undervalued by the leaders of Israel, represented by the rejection of his shepherd's staff, he is instructed to take the paltry sum offered—thirty pieces of silver—and cast it back. This action directly foreshadows the betrayal of the Good Shepherd Himself for a similar price.
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c. 30 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver, crucified, and buried. The chief priests purchase a potter's field with this money for a burial place for strangers.
"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." — The phrase "a goodly price" is laced with heavy irony, highlighting the utter contempt shown for God's value. It's not just about money, but about how the divine worth was reduced to the cheapest pos…
