Jeremiah 23:1

The Lord and His Sheep

1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!"^[a] [This is] the Lord's declaration.

Jeremiah 23:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:1

Woe be unto the pastors
Or, "O ye shepherds" or "governors", as the Targum; the civil rulers and magistrates, kings and princes of the land of Israel; since ecclesiastical rulers, the priests and prophets, are mentioned as distinct from them in ( Jeremiah 23:9 ) ; whose business it was to rule and guide, protect and defend, the people: but, instead of that, they were such that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord God;
set them bad examples, led them into idolatry and other sins, which were the cause of their ruin, and of their being carried captive, and scattered in other countries; and their sin was the more aggravated, inasmuch as these people were the Lord's pasture sheep, whom he had an interest in, and a regard unto, and had committed them to the care and charge of these pastors or governors, to be particularly taken care of.

Jeremiah 23:1 In-Context

1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" [This is] the Lord's declaration.

2 "Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I will attend to you because of your evil acts"-the Lord's declaration.

3 "I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.

4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing." [This is] the Lord's declaration.

5 "The days are coming"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"when I will raise up a righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.

Footnotes

• [a] Ps 100:3; Ezk 34:31