Jeremiah 23 1

Jeremiah 23:1 kjv

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:1 nkjv

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:1 niv

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:1 esv

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:1 nlt

"What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people ? the shepherds of my sheep ? for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 23 verses

Jeremiah 23 1 meaning

Jeremiah 23:1 proclaims a solemn declaration of divine judgment against the spiritual and political leaders of Israel, who, instead of faithfully tending to God's people, have actively destroyed and dispersed them. It indicts them for failing in their primary responsibility to shepherd, protect, and guide the flock entrusted to their care by God Himself, leading to their scattering and ruin. This verse initiates a crucial prophetic discourse on the failure of Israel's leadership and God's promise of a true and righteous shepherd.

Jeremiah 23 1 Context

Jeremiah 23:1 directly follows chapter 22, which pronounced severe judgments against unfaithful kings of Judah (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah). This verse serves as a summary indictment of the entire leadership class – kings, priests, and false prophets – who collectively failed in their God-given duty to shepherd Israel. The phrase "shepherds" encompasses all those in authority responsible for the welfare of God's people. This specific denunciation introduces a pivotal section (Jeremiah 23:1-8) that transitions from the failure of human leadership to God's future promise to provide righteous leadership, culminating in the "Righteous Branch" (the Messiah) who will gather and protect His flock. The immediate historical context is Judah on the brink of exile, where poor leadership had significantly contributed to the nation's spiritual and physical devastation and subsequent dispersion by the Babylonians.

Jeremiah 23 1 Word analysis

• Woe (הוֹי, Hoy):

  • Meaning: An interjection expressing sorrow, grief, lamentation, and most significantly, a declaration of divine judgment.
  • Significance: It is a prophetic curse or denunciation, common in the Old Testament, indicating the severe consequences and God's displeasure. It's not merely an expression of regret but a solemn pronouncement of doom.

• to the shepherds (לָרֹעִים, la-ro'im):

  • Meaning: "Shepherds" (רֹעִים, ro'im) refers primarily to those in leadership positions.
  • Significance: In biblical context, ro'im represents kings, civic rulers, priests, and anyone responsible for guiding and caring for God's people. It's a foundational metaphor for leadership (e.g., God Himself as Shepherd, Psa 23; David, Psa 78). The plural form emphasizes the collective failure of the leadership class.

• who destroy (מְאַבְּדִים, m'ab'dim):

  • Meaning: To cause to perish, ruin, lay waste, destroy completely.
  • Significance: This is an active and violent word, implying that the shepherds were not merely negligent but actively involved in bringing about harm and devastation to the flock. They are agents of destruction.

• and scatter (וּמְפָצְעִים, u-m'fats'im):

  • Meaning: To break apart, to disperse, to scatter.
  • Significance: This word contrasts sharply with the shepherd's primary role of gathering and protecting. Scattering makes the flock vulnerable to enemies. It graphically illustrates the fragmentation and disunity among God's people resulting from their leaders' misdeeds, often leading to exile.

• the sheep (צֹאן, tson):

  • Meaning: Flock, specifically sheep and goats.
  • Significance: In this metaphor, tson represents the people of Israel, God's covenant nation. They are portrayed as vulnerable, dependent, and requiring careful guidance.

• of My pasture! (מַרְעִיתִי, mar'iti):

  • Meaning: "My pasture" (מַרְעִיתִי, mar'iti) refers to the grazing ground provided for the flock. The suffix "My" indicates divine ownership.
  • Significance: This emphasizes God's ultimate ownership and personal claim over His people. The leaders were mere stewards of His flock, grazing in His designated area (the land of Israel). Their destructive actions were not against their own property but against God's cherished possession, highlighting the severity of their betrayal. It implies the abuse of divine trust.

• Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter: This opening declaration is a powerful indictment, signaling imminent divine judgment against a corrupt leadership. The "woe" is a legal, covenantal curse for failing duties.

• destroy and scatter the sheep: These two verbs are the antithesis of proper shepherding. A good shepherd protects and gathers; these leaders actively destroy (causing them to perish, perhaps through injustice, exploitation, or leading into idolatry) and scatter (through mismanagement, internal conflict, or failing to defend against foreign aggressors). This portrays not just neglect, but hostile actions.

• the sheep of My pasture!: This phrase explicitly connects the people (sheep) to God Himself (My pasture). It underscores God's personal anguish and wrath over the mistreatment of His cherished possession by those He appointed as caretakers. It defines the "flock" as Yahweh's special possession and object of His personal care and wrath when mistreated.

Jeremiah 23 1 Bonus section

The metaphor of the "shepherd" was profoundly significant in the ancient Near East, not just in Israel but across Mesopotamia and Egypt, where kings often referred to themselves as "shepherds" of their people. By adopting and subverting this universal regal title, Jeremiah's prophecy implicitly critiques the prevailing pagan notions of leadership, which often emphasized power and personal gain, contrasting it with Yahweh's covenantal standard for ethical, sacrificial, and caring leadership. The very fact that these leaders are called "shepherds" (a noble title) immediately followed by "destroy and scatter" (actions of a predator, not a protector) creates a jarring paradox, amplifying the severity of their failure and perversion of their role. This prophecy is a direct challenge to the legitimacy of the then-current monarchical and priestly system as practiced, revealing it to be contrary to God's intended design.

Jeremiah 23 1 Commentary

Jeremiah 23:1 is a thunderous divine indictment against the corrupt leaders of Israel, primarily its kings, but extending to priests and false prophets. They are labeled "shepherds" metaphorically, tasked with guiding and protecting God's people. However, instead of performing their duty, they are accused of actively "destroying and scattering" the "sheep of My pasture." This points to extreme negligence and outright malice: their self-serving policies, idolatry, injustice, and poor governance had led to the spiritual and physical devastation of the nation, making them vulnerable to enemies and resulting in widespread dispersion. The phrase "My pasture" forcefully underscores that these leaders were stewards, not owners; the people belonged to God. Thus, their failures were not just misgovernance but a direct affront to God's proprietorship and His covenant. This verse sets the stage for God's promise to intervene personally, remove these wicked shepherds, and establish a new, righteous "shepherd" (the Messiah) who would gather and genuinely care for His flock, foreshadowing the ultimate leadership of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who not only gathers but lays down His life for His sheep (John 10). The call to accountability for leadership, past and present, echoes strongly from this initial "Woe."