זכריה, פרק י״א, פסוק ד׳

Periods of severe national crisis reveal a tragic picture of the Israelites and the nature of their leadership. Commentators debate the specific historical era in focus. Some connect the events to the past, specifically the First Temple period leading up to the Babylonian exile [רש"י, רד"ק]. However, the primary approach among commentators points toward the future, focusing on the days of the Second Temple [אבן עזרא, מלבי"ם, אברבנאל]. According to this view, after the prophet witnesses the destruction of the First Temple, he is shown how the people will be led during the Second Temple era. This specifically highlights the events following the Hasmonean period, which would ultimately lead to another devastating destruction brought on by corrupt behavior.

God issues a clear directive to shepherd the nation, though the exact nature of this action is understood in various ways. Some explain that God instructs the prophet to perform a real, physical action while fully awake, symbolically acting as a shepherd [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Others view this as a prophetic instruction, requiring the prophet to deliver a message about the future leaders who will take charge of the nation [רש"י, מלבי"ם]. Another perspective suggests that the prophet simply experiences himself acting as a shepherd within the realm of a prophetic vision [אבן עזרא]. Alternatively, there is an approach suggesting that this is not a command directed at the prophet at all, but rather a declaration that God Himself will personally shepherd the people [רד"ק].

The imagery used to describe the people is that of a flock destined for slaughter. In a practical sense, these are not sheep raised to produce milk or wool, nor are they kept to enrich their owners. They are raised exclusively for the slaughterhouse [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Metaphorically, this flock represents the Israelites, and there are two main reasons given for such a harsh description. The first points to internal corruption, describing a reality where the nation's own leaders exploit, ruin, and consume their people [רש"י]. The second reason focuses on the nation's spiritual decline and their vulnerability to foreign powers. Because the people sinned and abandoned God's commandments, they are constantly threatened with extermination, left defenseless to be killed by their enemies [רד"ק, אברבנאל].