What is the meaning of Zechariah 11:3?

Listen to the wailing of the shepherds

• “Shepherds” pictures Israel’s leaders—kings, priests, prophets (Jeremiah 25:34–36; Ezekiel 34:2–10; Zechariah 11:17).

• Their “wailing” signals sudden disaster they can neither prevent nor escape (Isaiah 13:6; Luke 23:30).

• God Himself calls us to “listen,” underscoring that this lament is a sure, divinely announced event.

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for their glory is in ruins

• The leaders’ “glory” (prosperity, prestige, temple worship) collapses under divine judgment (Jeremiah 13:18; Lamentations 2:1; Matthew 24:2).

• What once dazzled the nations—Solomon’s legacy, Herod’s refurbished temple—lies shattered (Psalm 89:44; Luke 19:41-44).

• The ruin is total: political power, religious standing, and economic security all crumble (Micah 3:11-12).

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Listen to the roaring of the young lions

• “Young lions” depict the powerful and aggressive—whether foreign invaders (Jeremiah 2:15; Nahum 2:11-13) or Israel’s own unrestrained rulers (Ezekiel 19:2-3; Amos 3:4).

• Their “roaring” conveys both their fierce confidence and their sudden alarm once God removes their prey and habitat (Job 4:10-11).

• The verse parallels shepherds/lions to show that every human power structure, gentle or violent, collapses when God judges.

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for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed

• The dense brush along the Jordan was a refuge for wildlife and a natural defense line (Jeremiah 12:5; 49:19; 50:44).

• Its destruction means the last shelters are gone; enemies cross unhindered, and even lions have nowhere to hide (Zechariah 10:3; Isaiah 32:14).

• Spiritually, God strips away false security so His people must face their sin and His holiness (Hosea 2:6-7).

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summary

Zechariah 11:3 sketches a vivid, two-fold lament: Israel’s leaders (shepherds) and its strongest figures (young lions) howl because everything that gave them security—glory, prestige, natural defenses—is obliterated by God’s righteous judgment. The prophecy anticipates the fall of Jerusalem and foreshadows the ultimate reckoning when any leadership that rejects the true Shepherd, Christ, is brought low. The verse calls believers to trust the Lord alone, not human power, and to heed His warnings before the glory fades and the refuge is gone.