Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 23:1
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah 23:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord.
Context of Jeremiah 23:1
“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 tend my people: You have scattered my flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts” — this is 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.
Read all of Jeremiah 23Jeremiah 23:1 word by word
ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Jeremiah 23:1
- Jeremiah 2:8The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?” The experts in the law no longer knew me, and the rulers rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
- Ezekiel 13:3This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.
- Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock?
- Zechariah 11:17Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither away and his right eye go completely blind!”
- Matthew 23:13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.
- Luke 11:42“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.
- Jeremiah 23:2“Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts” — this is the Lord’s declaration.
- Jeremiah 10:21For the shepherds are stupid: They don’t seek the Lord. Therefore they have not prospered, and their whole flock is scattered.
- Jeremiah 12:10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled my plot of land. They have turned my desirable plot into a desolate wasteland.
- Jeremiah 22:22The wind will take charge of all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your evil.
- Jeremiah 25:34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. Because the days of your slaughter have come, you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.
- Jeremiah 50:6My people were lost sheep; their shepherds led them astray, guiding them the wrong way in the mountains. They wandered from mountain to hill; they forgot their resting place.
- Isaiah 56:9All you animals of the field and forest, come and eat!
- Ezekiel 22:25The conspiracy of her prophets within her is like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her.
- Micah 3:11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
- Zephaniah 3:3The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Wo be unto the pastors - There shall a curse fall on the kings, princes, priests, and prophets; who, by their vicious conduct and example, have brought desolation upon the people.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The pastors - shepherds, i. e., civil rulers Jeremiah 2:8. The sheep of My pasture - literally, of My pasturing, the sheep of whom I am shepherd. The people do not belong to the rulers but to God.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The restoration of the Jews to their own land. (Jr 23:1-8) The wickedness of the priests and prophets of Judah, The people exhorted not to listen to false promises. (Jr 23:9-22) The pretenders to inspiration threatened. (Jr 23:23-32) Also the scoffers at true prophecy. (Jr 23:33-40) Verses 1-8 Woe be to those who are set to feed God's people, but take no concern to do them good! Here is a word of comfort to the neglected sheep. Though only a remnant of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1In the ancient Near East, people often called kings shepherds. Good shepherds protected and cared for their people. However, Judah's kings scattered their people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-40This forms the epilogue to the denunciations of the four kings, in Jr 21:1-22:30. 1. pastors--Shallum, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah (Eze 34:2).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 23:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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