Strike the Shepherd, Scatter the Sheep, Refine the Remnant

A sword is summoned against ‘my shepherd’ and ‘the man that is my fellow/companion.’ The shepherd is struck, the sheep scatter, and judgment leaves a remnant that is refined like silver and tested like gold. The surviving third calls on God’s name, and the covenant formula is restored: ‘It is my people’ / ‘The LORD is my God.’

Where Scripture takes it next: Jesus explicitly quotes verse 7 in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27, applying the struck shepherd and scattered sheep to his own arrest and the disciples’ flight. That makes the central Christological connection inspired interpretation, not later guesswork.