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Jeremiah 23:2

in Jeremiah 23

Therefore 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.

This verse in Jeremiah 23

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Ye 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

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Jeremiah · Written before 420.

proposed

(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 & Brown

1802–1910

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

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 words

Every 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.

  • 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 stops

Each 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 7:4

    The 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…

  • Through

    Jeremiah 21:12

    O 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.

  • Through

    Hosea 2:13

    I 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.

  • Through

    Exodus 32:34

    Now 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.

Where this verse is studied

About Jeremiah

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.
Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.

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.