Zechariah 11:2
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!
Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen;
The imagery of trees in this passage symbolizes leaders and nations. The cedar, known for its strength and grandeur, often represents powerful leaders or kingdoms. The fall of the cedar signifies the downfall of a great power, possibly referring to the judgment upon Israel's leaders or foreign nations. The cypress, a less prominent tree, wails in response, indicating the impact of this downfall on lesser entities. This reflects the interconnectedness of leaders and their people, where the fall of one affects many. The call to wail suggests mourning and lamentation, a common biblical response to judgment and destruction.

the majestic trees are ruined!
The term "majestic trees" emphasizes the splendor and significance of those who are being judged. In biblical literature, trees often symbolize stability and prosperity. The ruin of these trees indicates a complete and devastating judgment, leaving nothing of their former glory. This can be seen as a warning to those who rely on earthly power and prestige, reminding them of the transient nature of such things. The destruction of these trees also foreshadows the coming judgment upon Israel and its leaders, as seen in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
Bashan, a region known for its fertile land and strong oaks, represents strength and prosperity. The oaks of Bashan symbolize robust and influential entities, possibly leaders or nations that are now called to mourn. The call to wail indicates that even the strongest and most prosperous are not immune to God's judgment. This serves as a reminder of the sovereignty of God over all creation and the futility of relying on human strength. The reference to Bashan connects to other scriptures where Bashan is depicted as a place of abundance and power, such as in Deuteronomy and Psalms.

for the dense forest has been cut down!
The dense forest represents a collective group, possibly a nation or a community, that has been devastated. The cutting down of the forest signifies a thorough and complete judgment, leaving no part untouched. This imagery is often used in prophetic literature to describe the totality of God's judgment against sin and rebellion. The destruction of the forest serves as a metaphor for the removal of protection and prosperity, leading to vulnerability and desolation. This phrase echoes themes found in other prophetic books, where the cutting down of trees symbolizes the end of an era or the fall of a kingdom.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Cypress and Cedar Trees
Symbolic representations of strength and majesty. In the context of Zechariah, they may represent leaders or nations that are facing judgment or destruction.

2. Oaks of Bashan
Bashan was a region known for its strong and mighty oaks. The reference to these trees emphasizes the extent of the devastation and loss of strength.

3. Dense Forest
Represents a place of abundance and life, now facing destruction. This can symbolize the loss of prosperity and security.

4. Zechariah
A prophet who conveyed God's messages to the people of Israel, often focusing on themes of judgment and restoration.

5. Judgment
The overarching event in this passage, where God is pronouncing judgment on the nations or leaders symbolized by the trees.
Teaching Points
Symbolism of Strength and Pride
The cypress, cedar, and oaks symbolize human strength and pride. This passage reminds us that earthly power is temporary and subject to God's judgment.

Warning Against Complacency
Just as the mighty trees are brought low, we are reminded not to become complacent in our own strength or achievements.

God's Sovereignty in Judgment
The passage underscores God's control over nations and leaders, reminding us to trust in His ultimate justice.

Call to Repentance
The imagery of destruction serves as a call to repentance, urging us to turn back to God before facing His judgment.

Hope in Restoration
While the passage speaks of judgment, it also points to the possibility of restoration for those who heed God's warnings.
Bible Study Questions
1. How do the cypress and cedar trees in Zechariah 11:2 symbolize human pride and strength, and what can we learn from their downfall?

2. In what ways does the imagery of the "dense forest" being cut down relate to our own lives and the things we place our security in?

3. How does the theme of judgment in Zechariah 11:2 connect with other biblical passages that discuss God's sovereignty over nations?

4. What practical steps can we take to avoid the complacency and pride that led to the downfall of the "majestic trees"?

5. How can we find hope and assurance in God's justice and sovereignty, even when facing difficult circumstances or witnessing the downfall of powerful entities?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 2:12-13
This passage also uses the imagery of trees to describe the downfall of the proud and lofty, connecting to the theme of judgment against those who exalt themselves.

Ezekiel 31:3-14
The fall of the great cedar of Lebanon is used as a metaphor for the downfall of a powerful nation, similar to the imagery in Zechariah 11:2.

Jeremiah 22:6-7
The destruction of the forests of Lebanon is used to symbolize the coming judgment on Judah, paralleling the imagery of fallen trees in Zechariah.
Grief for the Fall of a LeaderW. Forsyth Zechariah 11:2
Fallen GreatnessJoseph Parker, D. D.Zechariah 11:1-2
The Cedar and the FirH. Melvill, B. D.Zechariah 11:1-2
The Cedar Useful After it is FallenZechariah 11:1-2
The Cedars, Fir Trees, and Oaks of SocietyD. Thomas Zechariah 11:1, 2
The Cedars, Fir Trees, and Oaks of SocietyHomilistZechariah 11:1-2
The Death of Great MenZechariah 11:1-2
The Fallen CedarW. L. Alexander, D. D.Zechariah 11:1-2
People
Zechariah
Places
Bashan, Jordan River, Lebanon
Topics
Bashan, Cedar, Cut, Dense, Destroyed, Fallen, Fir, Forest, O, Oaks, Ones, Pine, Ruined, Stately, Tree, Trees, Wail
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Zechariah 11:2

     4528   trees

Zechariah 11:1-2

     4424   cedar

Zechariah 11:1-3

     4448   forests

Library
Inspiration of Scripture. --Gospel Difficulties. --The Word of God Infallible. --Other Sciences Subordinate to Theological Science.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. BUT that is not exactly what St. Paul says. The Greek for that, would be He graphe--not pasa graphe--theopneustos. St. Paul does not say that the whole of Scripture, collectively, is inspired. More than that: what he says is, that every writing,--every several book of those hiera grammata, or Holy Scriptures, in which Timothy had been instructed from his childhood,--is inspired by God [330] . It comes to very nearly the same thing but it is not quite
John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation

And Again David Says:...
And again David says: They looked upon me: they parted my garments among them, and upon any vesture they cast lots. For at His crucifixion the soldiers parted His garments as they were wont; and the garments they parted by tearing; but for the vesture, because it was woven from the top and was not sewn, they cast lots, that to whomsoever it should fall he should take it. And again Jeremiah the prophet says: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was sold, whom they bought
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

In the House of his Heavenly, and in the Home of his Earthly Father - the Temple of Jerusalem - the Retirement at Nazareth.
Once only is the great silence, which lies on the history of Christ's early life, broken. It is to record what took place on His first visit to the Temple. What this meant, even to an ordinary devout Jew, may easily be imagined. Where life and religion were so intertwined, and both in such organic connection with the Temple and the people of Israel, every thoughtful Israelite must have felt as if his real life were not in what was around, but ran up into the grand unity of the people of God, and
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Good Shepherd' and his one Flock' - Last Discourse at the Feast of Tabernacles.
The closing words which Jesus had spoken to those Pharisees who followed HIm breathe the sadness of expected near judgment, rather than the hopefulness of expostulation. And the Discourse which followed, ere He once more left Jerusalem, is of the same character. It seems, as if Jesus could not part from the City in holy anger, but ever, and only, with tears. All the topics of the former Discourses are now resumed and applied. They are not in any way softened or modified, but uttered in accents of
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Discourse on the Good Shepherd.
(Jerusalem, December, a.d. 29.) ^D John X. 1-21. ^d 1 Verily, verily, I say to you [unto the parties whom he was addressing in the last section], He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [In this section Jesus proceeds to contrast his own care for humanity with that manifested by the Pharisees, who had just cast out the beggar. Old Testament prophecies were full of declarations that false shepherds would arise to
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The First Trumpet.
The first trumpet of the seventh seal begins from the final disturbance and overthrow of the Roman idolarchy at the close of the sixth seal; and as it was to bring the first plague on the empire, now beginning to fall, it lays waste the third part of the earth, with a horrible storm of hail mingled with fire and blood; that is, it depopulates the territory and people of the Roman world, (viz. the basis and ground of its universal polity) with a terrible and bloody irruption of the northern nations,
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

Remorse and Suicide of Judas.
(in the Temple and Outside the Wall of Jerusalem. Friday Morning.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 3-10; ^E Acts I. 18, 19. ^a 3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned [Judas, having no reason to fear the enemies of Jesus, probably stood in their midst and witnessed the entire trial], repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. [There are two Greek words which are translated "repented,"
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Questions.
LESSON I. 1. In what state was the Earth when first created? 2. To what trial was man subjected? 3. What punishment did the Fall bring on man? 4. How alone could his guilt be atoned for? A. By his punishment being borne by one who was innocent. 5. What was the first promise that there should be such an atonement?--Gen. iii. 15. 6. What were the sacrifices to foreshow? 7. Why was Abel's offering the more acceptable? 8. From which son of Adam was the Seed of the woman to spring? 9. How did Seth's
Charlotte Mary Yonge—The Chosen People

The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of Its Author
In Isaiah 41:21-23 we have what is probably the most remarkable challenge to be found in the Bible. "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods." This Scripture has both a negative
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon
OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated, is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearly adjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, and capital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the border conflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposes that, to keep
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the Enjoyments of the Heavenly World.
John iii. 3. John iii. 3. --Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God. IN order to demonstrate the necessity of regeneration, of which I would fain convince not only your understandings, but your consciences, I am now proving to you, that without it, it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of God; and how weighty a consideration that is I am afterwards to represent. That it is thus impossible, the words in the text do indeed sufficiently prove: but for the further illustration
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober Reason,
appears of itself highly credible and probable, and abundantly recommends itself in its native simplicity, merely by its own intrinsic goodness and excellency, to the practice of the most rational and considering men, who are desirous in all their actions to have satisfaction and comfort and good hope within themselves, from the conscience of what they do: So it is moreover positively and directly proved to be actually and immediately sent to us from God, by the many infallible signs and miracles
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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