Jeremiah 23:2
in Jeremiah 23Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith Jehovah.
KJV
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.
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This verse in Jeremiah 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseYe have scattered my flock - The bad government both in Church and State was a principal cause of the people’s profligacy.
This site's exposition
Woe to the shepherds who destroy
on Jeremiah 23:1-4
The oracle turns to the office itself: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” Their fault is neglect: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them.” The LORD will “gather the remnant of My flock” Himself.
This site's exposition
You have scattered My flock
The same word turns against the shepherds. They did not attend to the flock, so the LORD will attend to them for their evil deeds. Clarke holds the bad rule of the leaders chiefly to blame for the people's sin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 23, Verse 1 and following) Woe to the shepherds who scatter and tear apart the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Israel to the shepherds who feed my people: You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to the evil of your doings, says the Lord.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As to the literal Israel also, see Jer 32:37; Eze 34:11-16. shepherds . . . shall feed them-- (Jer 3:15; Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Maccabees were but typical of the consummating fulfilment of these prophecies under Messiah.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
They had scattered them first spiritually by leading them into idolatry; and secondly, many had literally been taken to Egypt with Jehoahaz, many in Jehoiakim’s time had fled there, while others fell away to the Chaldaeans: and finally the best of the land had been carried to Babylon with Jeconiah. Driven away - i. e., made them outcasts. In the East, shepherds never drive their flocks, but go ahead of them Joh 10:4-5. Have not visited them - i. e., have not concerned yourselves about their conduct.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָ֠כֵן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרֹעִים֮ | haroim | the shepherds | H7462 → | 177 times |
| הָרֹעִ֣ים | haroim | who are shepherding | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּי֒ | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אַתֶּ֞ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הֲפִצֹתֶ֤ם | hafitzotem | you have scattered | H6327 → | 67 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צֹאנִי֙ | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וַתַּדִּח֔וּם | vatadichum | and you have driven away them | H5080 → | 55 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| פְקַדְתֶּ֖ם | fekadtem | you have paid attention to | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הִנְנִ֨י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| פֹקֵ֧ד | foked | [am] about to visit | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם | ʾaleikhem | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֹ֥עַ | roa' | [the] wickedness of | H7455 → | 19 times |
| מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם | maaleikhem | deeds your | H4611 → | 41 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
לָ֠כֵן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָרֹעִים֮the shepherds
haroimH7462 →177 times
הָרֹעִ֣יםwho are shepherding
haroimH7462 →177 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמִּי֒people my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
אַתֶּ֞םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
הֲפִצֹתֶ֤םyou have scattered
hafitzotemH6327 →67 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
צֹאנִי֙flock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
וַתַּדִּח֔וּםand you have driven away them
vatadichumH5080 →55 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
פְקַדְתֶּ֖םyou have paid attention to
fekadtemH6485 →303 times
אֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הִנְנִ֨יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
פֹקֵ֧ד[am] about to visit
fokedH6485 →303 times
עֲלֵיכֶ֛םon you
ʾaleikhemH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רֹ֥עַ[the] wickedness of
roa'H7455 →19 times
מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖םdeeds your
maaleikhemH4611 →41 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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 7:4The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time…
it leads to
- Isaiah 22:5
For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
- Ezekiel 2:6
But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns surround you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of…
- Isaiah 22:5
Through
Jeremiah 21:12O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire…
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
- Proverbs 31:8–9
Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
- Isaiah 1:17
Through
Hosea 2:13I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, when she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers. But Me she forgot,” declares…
it leads to
- Judges 3:7
So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
- Hosea 13:6
When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.
- Judges 3:7
Through
Exodus 32:34Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Jeremiah

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
