And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

ZECHARIAH 11:10KJV
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Zechariah 11:10 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 11:10 mean?

Zechariah 11:10 describes the prophet Zechariah taking a staff called "Beauty" and breaking it in two, as a sign that God is ending the special agreement (covenant) He had made with all the people. This act shows that God is withdrawing His protection and favor from the people because of their unfaithfulness.

In this verse, Zechariah is acting out a message from God to the people of Israel. The staff named "Beauty" represents the blessings and care God had given them. By breaking the staff, Zechariah is showing that God will no longer keep His covenant promises with the people, which is a serious warning in the context of their rejection of God's guidance.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 11:10

  • "Beauty" (נֹעַם, no‘am): This word means pleasantness, favor, or delight. Naming the staff "Beauty" highlights that God's covenant brought goodness and grace to the people.
  • "Covenant" (בְּרִית, berit): This is the formal agreement or promise God made with Israel. Breaking the staff is a visible sign of breaking this important relationship.
  • "Break" (פָּרַר, parar): This word means to annul or make void. It emphasizes that the covenant is not just ignored, but actively undone.
  • "People" (עָם, ‘am): This refers to the nation as a whole, showing that the message is directed at all of Israel, not just a small group.

Why Zechariah 11:10 matters

  • Zechariah 11:10 uses a physical action (breaking the staff) to make the seriousness of God's message clear, so the people could see what it meant for God to withdraw His favor.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Zechariah 11, where God’s patience with the people’s leaders and their rejection of Him reaches a breaking point.
  • Understanding the symbolism of the staff and the covenant helps clarify that this is not just about punishment, but about the loss of a close and special relationship between God and His people.

Where else these words appear

“Beauty” Hebrew H5278 · used in 7 verses

  • Psalms 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
  • Proverbs 3:17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
  • Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

“staff” Hebrew H4731 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 30:37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
  • Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
  • Jeremiah 48:17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

“asunder” Hebrew H1438 · used in 23 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
  • Isaiah 22:25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

“break” Hebrew H6565 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
  • Ezra 4:5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
  • Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.