Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

ZECHARIAH 11:14KJV
Know the Bible

Zechariah 11:14 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 11:14 mean?

Zechariah 11:14 describes the prophet breaking his second staff, called "Bands," as a symbolic act to show that the close relationship—the "brotherhood"—between Judah and Israel would be broken. This verse uses the image of a shepherd breaking a staff to represent the ending of unity between the two groups.

In this part of Zechariah, the prophet is acting out a message from God to the people. Zechariah, speaking to the people of Judah after the exile, uses two staffs as symbols: one for favor and one for unity. By breaking the staff named "Bands," Zechariah signals that God is allowing division to come between Judah and Israel, which had once been united as one nation.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 11:14

  • "Bands" (חֹבְלִים, ḥovlim): This word means "bindings" or "connections," and here it is the name of the second staff. The breaking of "Bands" is a vivid way to show the loss of the bond or tie that kept Judah and Israel together.
  • "Break" (פָּרַק, paraq): This verb means to tear apart or break off. Its use here emphasizes a complete and forceful ending of the relationship, not just a gentle drifting apart.
  • "Brotherhood" (אַחְוָה, aḥvah): This word points to a close kinship or unity, not just a political alliance. The verse is about the loss of deep, family-like ties between the two groups.

Why Zechariah 11:14 matters

  • Zechariah 11:14 clarifies that the division between Judah and Israel is not just a political split but a breaking of a much deeper relationship, using strong imagery to show the seriousness of the separation.
  • The verse connects to the wider message of Zechariah 11, where the prophet acts out God's judgment on unfaithful leadership and the resulting consequences for the people.
  • Understanding the symbolism of the staffs helps readers see how prophetic actions in the Old Testament often carried deeper meanings about the community's relationship with God and with each other.

Where else these words appear

“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.

“Bands” Hebrew H2254 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 22:26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
  • Job 34:31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
  • Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

“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.