Isaiah 56:11
in Isaiah 56Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
KJV
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
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This verse in Isaiah 56
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Yea, they are greedy dogs - Margin, ‘Strong of appetite.’ Literally, ‘Strong of soul’ (עזי־נפשׁ ‛azēy-nephesh. Jerome renders it, Canes impudentissimi. So the Septuagint, Κύνες ἀναιδεῖς τῇ ψυχῇ Kunes anaideis tē psuchē - ‘Dogs impudent in soul.’ They were greedy and insatiable in that which the soul or the appetite demands. The idea here is, that the prophets to whom reference is here made were sensual, and disposed to gorge themselves; living only for carnal indulgence, insensible to the rights of others, and never satisfied.
This site's exposition
Come, all you beasts of the field
on Isaiah 56:9-12
The tone breaks at once with a call to plunder: “Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily”. The reason is the failure of those set to guard: “Israel’s watchmen are blind”, “mute dogs, they cannot bark”. The chapter turns from foreigners welcomed to leaders who fail their post.
This site's exposition
Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied
Barnes gives ravenous as strong of soul in the Hebrew, an insatiable appetite, and the Greek version makes them dogs shameless in soul. Matthew Henry sets their own gain beside Philippians 2:21, where all seek their own interests. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown see shepherds blind to the people's needs.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And the most shameless dogs knew not satisfaction: the shepherds themselves ignored understanding: all turned aside unto their own way, each to his own greed, from the highest even unto the lowest. LXX: And impudent dogs have ignored satisfaction. And they are evil, not understanding intelligence: they have followed all their own ways. Each together from its summit.
The Medieval Church2 voices
In plundering their goods: and most impudent dogs, plundering their subjects of their goods as if without any bridle of shame, and they are never satisfied: they shall suffer hunger like dogs (Ps 58:7[59:6]); and as to lack in perfection of knowledge: the shepherds themselves …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistThe Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 2, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth, serve unto the custody of the flock by no means with the zeal of shepherds, but in the way of hirelings; since they fly when the wolf cometh if they hide themselves under silence. For hence it is that the Lord through the prophet upbraids them, saying, "Dumb dogs, that cannot bark." Hence again He complains, saying, "Ye have not gone up against the enemy, neither opposed a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They are every one looking to his own way, minding his own private interests, and have no regard at all to the public welfare. It was St. Paul's complaint of the watchmen in his time ( Phil. ii. 21 ), All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's.
), which seems to be the beginning of a new sermon, by way of reproof and threatening, which is continued in the following chapters. And the word of God was intended for conviction, as well as for comfort and instruction in righteousness. 1 Thus saith the L ORD , Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They look - They regard neither God's glory, nor the peoples good, but only the satisfaction of their own base desires. Quarter - In their several stations.
Yea, they are greedy dogs,.... Or "strong of soul" (y); of great appetites, and are never satisfied: or "strong of body"; the soul is sometimes put for the body; large bodied, fat bellied men, such as the priests, monks, and friars, that live upon the fat of the land; gluttons, epicures, men of a canine appetite, like dogs, which can never have enough; know not fulness (z), or what it is to be filled to satisfaction, always craving more.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
greedy--literally, "strong" (that is, insatiable) in appetite (Eze 34:2, 3; Mic 3:11). cannot understand--unable to comprehend the wants of the people, spiritually: so Isa 56:10, "cannot bark." look to . . . own way--that is, their own selfish interests; not to the spiritual welfare of the people (Jer 6:13;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Greedy dogs - Insatiably feeding themselves with the fat, and clothing themselves with the wool, while the flock is scattered, ravaged, and starved! O what an abundance of these dumb and greedy dogs are there found hanging on and prowling about the flock of Christ! How can any careless, avaricious, hireling minister read this without agitation and dismay?
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And the dogs are of greedy disposition wanting to fill their stomachs [engrote talent in O.F.], sick with hunger.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
His lookouts are all blind Since he said, “Seek the Lord,” and the entire section, and they do not heed, he returns and says, Behold the prophets cry out to them ([Mss.:] to you) and announce concerning repentance, so that it will be good for them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַכְּלָבִ֣ים | vehakelavim | and the dogs | H3611 → | 32 times |
| עַזֵּי־ | ʾazei- | [are] mighty of | H5794 → | 24 times |
| נֶ֗פֶשׁ | nefesh | appetite | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָֽדְעוּ֙ | yadeu | they know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| שָׂבְעָ֔ה | saveah | satiety | H7654 → | 6 times |
| וְהֵ֣מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| רֹעִ֔ים | roim | [are] shepherds | H7462 → | 177 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדְע֖וּ | yadeu | they know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| הָבִ֑ין | havin | to understand | H995 → | 170 times |
| כֻּלָּם֙ | kulam | all of them | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְדַרְכָּ֣ם | ledarkam | to own way their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| פָּנ֔וּ | panu | they have turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְבִצְע֖וֹ | levitzo | to own unjust gain his | H1215 → | 23 times |
| מִקָּצֵֽהוּ׃ | mikatzehu | from end his | H7097 → | 97 times |
וְהַכְּלָבִ֣יםand the dogs
vehakelavimH3611 →32 times
עַזֵּי־[are] mighty of
ʾazei-H5794 →24 times
נֶ֗פֶשׁappetite
nefeshH5315 →754 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָֽדְעוּ֙they know
yadeuH3045 →945 times
שָׂבְעָ֔הsatiety
saveahH7654 →6 times
וְהֵ֣מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
רֹעִ֔ים[are] shepherds
roimH7462 →177 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדְע֖וּthey know
yadeuH3045 →945 times
הָבִ֑יןto understand
havinH995 →170 times
כֻּלָּם֙all of them
kulamH3605 →5413 times
לְדַרְכָּ֣םto own way their
ledarkamH1870 →707 times
פָּנ֔וּthey have turned
panuH6437 →135 times
אִ֥ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְבִצְע֖וֹto own unjust gain his
levitzoH1215 →23 times
מִקָּצֵֽהוּ׃from end his
mikatzehuH7097 →97 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
it leads to
- Micah 3:5
This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 6:13
“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
- Titus 1:11
who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.
- Micah 3:5
Through
John 8:43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
it leads to
- John 5:43
I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him.
- John 7:17
If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- John 12:39–40
For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says:
- Romans 8:7–8
because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- John 5:43
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Gregory the Dialogist, The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 2, Chapter 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.