Jeremiah 12:10

10 Many shepherds destroyed my vinery, defouled my part, gave my desirable portion into desert of wilderness; (Many shepherds destroyed my vineyard, and defiled my portion, yea, they turned my desirable portion into a desert of wilderness;)

Jeremiah 12:10 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 12:10

Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard
This is a metaphor which is often used of the people of Israel and Judah; see ( Psalms 80:8 ) ( Isaiah 5:1-7 ) ( 27:2 ) , the pastors that destroyed them are not their own governors, civil or religious, but Heathen princes, Nebuchadnezzar and his generals. So the Targum paraphrases it,

``many kings slay my people;''

so Kimchi and Ben Melech. They have trodden my portion under foot;
the people of the Jews, that were his portion, and before called his heritage; whom the Chaldeans subdued, and reduced to extreme servitude and bondage; and were as the dirt under their feet, greatly oppressed and despised. They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness;
by pulling down stately edifices, unwalling of towers, and destroying men; so that there were none to manure the fields, to dress the vineyards, and keep gardens and orchards in good case; but all were come to ruin and what before was a delightful paradise was now like an heath or desert.

Jeremiah 12:10 In-Context

8 Mine heritage is made as a lion in the wood to me; it gave voice against me, therefore I hated it. (My inheritance is made like a lion in the woods to me; they gave voice against me, and so I hated them.)

9 Whether mine heritage is (like) a bird of diverse colours to me? whether it is (like) a bird dyed throughout? All beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; haste ye for to devour. (Is my inheritance like but a bird of diverse colours to me? is it like but a bird dyed throughout? All the beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; hasten ye to devour!/hasten ye to the feast!)

10 Many shepherds destroyed my vinery, defouled my part, gave my desirable portion into desert of wilderness; (Many shepherds destroyed my vineyard, and defiled my portion, yea, they turned my desirable portion into a desert of wilderness;)

11 they setted it into scattering, and it mourned on me (and it mourned for me); all the land is desolate by desolation, for none is that again-thinketh (on it) in (his) heart.

12 All (the) destroyers of the land came on all the ways of (the) desert, for the sword of the Lord shall devour from the last part of the land unto the last part thereof; no peace is to all flesh (no flesh shall have any peace).