Common misinterpretations include equating the worthless shepherd with Jesus, despite His portrayal as the Good Shepherd elsewhere; applying it solely to a distant future Antichrist without acknowledging historical fulfillments in corrupt leaders like Herod or Roman governors leading to Jerusalem's fall; or assuming God endorses evil rulers rather than using them as instruments of judgment for Israel's rebellion.
Zechariah 11:16
King James Version (1769)
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
Zechariah 11:16 reveals God's judgment on Israel for rejecting the true shepherd by raising up a worthless one who neglects the lost, ignores the young and broken, and exploits the healthy flock for selfish gain, symbolized by eating their flesh and tearing their claws; this prophecy underscores divine sovereignty in appointing destructive leaders as consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, contrasting with caring shepherds like the Messiah.