The prophet next foreshews, by typical actions, accompanied by explanations declaratory of their purport, the death of Christ, and the dissolution of the Old Covenant. _And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder; that I might break my Covenant, which I made with all the people._ The Covenant with Moses promised protection against all nations, while Israel remained obedient. Israel disobeyed and the Covenant was broken. The Covenant with Abraham promised blessing to all nations through his seed. The Gospel of Christ was that blessing; refused by the Jews, and consequently given to the Gentiles; for a remnant only of Israel received the Gospel, and those were the poor of the flock. _And it was broken in that day, and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me, knew that it was the word of the Lord._ “The poor had the Gospel preached unto them,” and received it with gratitude; but the ingratitude of their leaders towards the Great Shepherd, for the care he had so long taken of them; and the small estimation in which they held a spiritual Messiah, are aptly foreshewn by the prophet, in the name of the Great Shepherd, claiming his reward at their hands, and their offering the precise sum which was given for Christ, thirty pieces of silver. _And I said, If ye think good give me my wages, and if not, forbear; so they weighed me for my reward, thirty pieces of silver._ The way in which this money was actually bestowed, is next foreshewn, by the Shepherd’s rejecting it scornfully, and desiring it may be given to the potter. _And the Lord said unto me, cast it to the potter; a goodly price that I was valued at by them: so I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord._ The price they actually gave for Christ, aptly denotes the value they put upon God’s goodness in sending him, the Great Shepherd’s proffered remuneration. The house of the Lord, or the temple, is the supposed scene of action, shewing the spiritual import of the transaction. The money being given to the potter, foreshews how it would be actually employed, to wit, in the purchase of the potter’s field; in fact, it was given to the potter. If it be asked what the potter had to do in the temple? the answer is, he went there, as others did, to pray. His being there does not, as some suppose, imply that he was at work there. Those who rejected and crucified Christ, are thenceforward rejected from being God’s chosen people. As Christ was cut off from natural life, so Israel was cut off from _the life in Christ_ as next intimated. _Then I cut asunder my other staff, even Bands, __ that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel._