Zechariah 11:2
WEB
Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down.
BSB
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!
KJV
Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3213
v — howl, yell
Derivation: a primitive root;
to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
KJV: (make to) howl, be howling.
vb — howl
[יָלַל] vb. Hiph. howl, make a howling (onomatop.)
H1265
n-m — cypress, lance, musical
Derivation: of uncertain derivation;
a cypress (?) tree; hence, a lance or a musical instrument (as made of that wood)
KJV: fir (tree).
n.m — cypress
בְּרוֹשׁ n.m. cypress or fir
1. (lit.) a noble tree
2. sim. of luxuriance, stateliness
3. as material (always pl.)
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H5307
v — fall
Derivation: a primitive root;
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
KJV: be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (× hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, × surely, throw down.
vb — fall
נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie
Qal 366
1. fall, by accident
2.
a. Esp. of violent death
b. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.
c. fig. = experience calamity
d. fall, of a city
3.
a. Fall prostrate
b. fall = prostrate oneself before
c. fall upon one's neck, in embrace
4.
a. Fall upon = attack
b. desert or fall away to, go over to
5. Fig., of deep sleep
6. Other idiomatic uses
7. = lie; = lie prostrate
Hiph.
1. cause to fall
2. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction
3. Esp. of casting lot
4. Fig., let drop, cause to fail
5. cause deep sleep to fall
6. Other idioms
Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself
H730
n-m — cedar
Derivation: from 729;
a cedar tree (from the tenacity of its roots)
KJV: cedar (tree).
n.m — cedar
אֶ֫רֶז n.m. cedar
1. cedar-tree
2. cedar-timber, cedar-wood for building
3. cedar-wood used in purification
H834
r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that
Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
part. of relation — who
אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.
adv — in which
בַאֲשֶׁר
a. in (that) which
b. adv. in (the place) where
c. conj. in that, inasmuch as
d. on account of whom?
conj — according as
כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when
1. according to that which, according as, as
2. with a causal force, in so far as, since
3. with a temporal force, when
adv — who
מֵאֲשֶׁר
a. from (or than) that which
b. adv. from (the place) where
c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since
H117
a — wide, large, powerful
Derivation: from 142;
wide or (generally) large; figuratively, powerful
KJV: excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty(-ier one), noble, principal, worthy.
adj — majestic
אַדִּיר adj. majestic
H7703
v — be burly, powerful, impregnable, ravage
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravage
KJV: dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), × utterly, (lay) waste.
vb — deal violently with
[שָׁדַד] 56 vb. deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin
Qal violently destroy, pers. = slay
Niph. we are utterly ruined.
Pi. assault not his dwelling-place
Pu. be devastated
Pō‛el violently destroy
Hoph. be devastated
H437
n-m — oak
Derivation: a variation of 436
KJV: oak.
n.m — oak
אַלּוֹן n.m. oak
H1316
n-pr-loc — Bashan
Derivation: of uncertain derivation;
Bashan (often with the article), a region East of the Jordan
KJV: Bashan.
n.pr.terr.m — Bashan
בָּשָׁן 60 n.pr.terr.m. (smooth (& fertile) land) Bashan, first mentioned as kingdom of Og, E. of Jordan, stretching from stream Jabboḳ (thus including northern Gilead) northward to Hermon, between Gennesaret (W) and mts of Hauran (E)
H3381
v — descend, go downwards, fall, bring down
Derivation: a primitive root;
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)
KJV: × abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, × indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.
vb — come down
יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend
Qal 306
1.
a. come or go down
b. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle
c. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor
d. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt
e. from Jerusalem
f. from altar
g. go down
h. = sink, in water
i. go down to She’ôl
j. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears
k. = be prostrated
2. of divine manifestations: descend
3. of inanimate things
Hiph.
1. cause to come or go down
a. bring down
b. send down rain = cause to flow down
c. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor
d. bring down to She’ôl
2. take down (from cart)
3. let down
Hoph.
1. be brought down
2. be taken down
H3293
n-m — copse of bushes, forest, honey in the comb
Derivation: from an unused root probably meaning to thicken with verdure;
a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees)
KJV: (honey-) comb, forest, wood.
n.[m.] — honeycomb
יַ֫עַר n.[m.] honeycomb
n.m — wood
יַ֫עַר n.m. wood, forest, thicket
H1219
v — gather grapes, be isolated
Derivation: a primitive root; to clip off; specifically (as denominative from 1210)
to gather grapes; also to be isolated (i.e. inaccessible by height or fortification)
KJV: cut off, (de-) fenced, fortify, (grape) gather(-er), mighty things, restrain, strong, wall (up), withhold.
vb — cut off
[בָּצַר] vb. cut off, make inaccessible (esp. by fortifying), enclose
Qal cut off, grape-clusters; hence grape-gathering, -gatherer; fig. cut off (= take away)
Niph. be withheld
Pi. fortify
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Verses 1–3
Zechariah 11:1–3
In dark and figurative expressions, as is usual in the scripture predictions of things at a great distance, that destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish church and nation is here foretold which our Lord Jesus, when the time was at hand, prophesied of very plainly and expressly. We have here, 1. Preparation made for that destruction (Zac 11:1): "Open thy doors, O Lebanon! Thou wouldst not open them to let thy king in - he came to his own and his own received him not; now thou must open them to let thy ruin in. Let the gates of the forest, and all the avenues to it, be thrown open, and let the fire come in and devour its glory." Some by Lebanon here understand the temple, which was built of cedars from Lebanon, and the stones of it white as the snow of Lebanon. It was burnt with fire by the Romans, and its gates were forced open by the fury of the soldiers. To confirm this, they tell a story, that forty years before the destruction of the second temple the gates of it opened of their own accord, upon which prodigy Rabbi Johanan made this remark (as it is found in one of the Jewish authors), "Now I know," said he, "that the destruction of the temple is at hand, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, Open thy doors, O Lebanon! that the fire may devour thy cedars." Others understand it of Jerusalem, or rather of the whole land of Canaan, to which Lebanon was an inlet on the north. All shall lie open to the invader, and the cedars, the mighty and eminent men, shall be devoured, which cannot but alarm those of an inferior rank, Zac 11:2. If the cedars have fallen (if all the mighty are spoiled, and brought to ruin), let the fir-tree howl. How can the slender fir-trees stand if stately cedars fall? If cedars are devoured by fire, it is time for the fir-trees to howl; for no wood is so combustible as that of the fir. And let the oaks of Bashan, that lie exposed to every injury, howl, for the forest of the vintage (or the flourishing vineyard, that used to be guarded with a particular care) has come down, or (as some read it) when the defenced forests, such as Lebanon was, have come down. Note, The falls of the wise and good into sin, and the falls of the rich and great into trouble, are loud alarms to those that are every way their inferiors not to be secure. 2. Lamentation made for the destruction (Zac 11:3): There is a voice of howling. Those who have fallen howl for grief and shame, and those who see their own turn coming howl for fear. But the great men especially receive the alarm with the utmost confusion. Those who were roaring in the day of their revels and triumphs are howling in the day of their terrors; for now they are tormented more than others. Those great men were by office shepherds, and such should have protected God's flock committed to their charge; it is the duty both of princes and priests. But they were as young lions, that made themselves a terror to the flock with their roaring and the flock a prey to themselves with their tearing. Note, It is sad with a people when those who should be as shepherds to them are as young lions to them. But what is the issue? The shepherds howl, for their glory is spoiled. Their pastures, and the flocks which covered them, which were the glory of the swains, are laid waste. The young lions howl, for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. The pride of Jordan was the thickets on the banks, in which the lions reposed themselves; and therefore, when the river overflowed and spoiled them, the lions came up from them (as we read Jer 49:19), and they came up roaring. Note, When those who have power proudly abuse their power, and, instead of being shepherds, are as young lions, they may expect that the righteous God will humble their pride and break their power.
Cross-references: Zech 11:1 · Zech 11:2 · Zech 11:3 · Jer 49:19