זכריה, פרק י״א, פסוק ט״ו

God instructs the prophet to perform a symbolic act signaling a severe shift in leadership for the nation, foretelling an era of destructive and cruel rule. By taking up the gear of a foolish shepherd, the prophet points to a future leader who will ruin his flock rather than guide it. Commentators offer different perspectives on the nature of this equipment. It may simply refer to a shepherd's staff [מצודת ציון] or his garments [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, the equipment represents cooking pots. In this view, the future leader will not use a staff to direct the sheep with gentleness or firmness, but will instead use his tools to cook, consume, and obliterate the flock [מלבי״ם]. A normal shepherd carries essential wilderness supplies, such as a bag for bread and a drinking cup. The foolish shepherd’s equipment, however, is defective. When his food spills from his broken bags, his resulting frustration and anger drive him to beat the flock with ruthless cruelty [רד״ק].

The character of this shepherd is defined by profound failure and a lack of sense [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. However, other perspectives suggest that his foolishness is actually a direct expression of cruelty [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. In this context, his foolishness represents raw power, arrogance, and unjust violence [אברבנאל]. Any staff he holds is not an instrument of guidance, but a weapon meant exclusively to devastate and destroy the sheep [מצודת דוד].

There is broad agreement that this terrible shepherd represents a harsh regime that arose during or at the close of the Second Temple period, though opinions differ on the exact historical figure. Some identify this ruler with the onset of Greek domination, which brought destruction to Jerusalem and initiated a long, ongoing exile [אבן עזרא]. A prominent alternative view identifies the shepherd as King Herod, a servant of the Hasmoneans who violently seized power, descended into madness, murdered his own wife and sons, and brought immense suffering upon Israel [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. This aligns with the idea that the prophecy refers generally to the corrupt final kings who ruled at the end of the Second Temple era [מלבי״ם]. Finally, this dark vision is also seen as a sign that God would eventually hand over the generation of the Temple's destruction to Titus, who would conquer Jerusalem and rule over the people with unrelenting force and cruelty [רש״י, אברבנאל].