“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 23:1 Mean?
Jeremiah pronounces woe on the pastors (shepherds) who destroy and scatter the sheep of God's pasture. The accusation is specific: the leaders who were supposed to care for the flock are the ones who destroyed and scattered it. The protection became the predation. The shepherd became the wolf.
The word "pastors" (ro'im — shepherds) refers to Israel's leaders: kings, priests, prophets, and officials. Their job was to feed, guide, and protect the flock. Instead, they destroyed (abad — caused to perish, ruined) and scattered (puts — dispersed, drove away). The two verbs cover both damage (destroyed) and displacement (scattered). The sheep aren't just harmed. They're lost.
"My pasture" — the possessive is critical. The sheep aren't the shepherds' property. They're God's. "My pasture" means God is the owner. The shepherds are employees. And the employees are destroying the owner's flock. The woe is proportional to the betrayal: you were trusted with MY sheep, and you destroyed them.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If you're a leader, are you shepherding or scattering — feeding or destroying?
- 2.Does 'MY pasture' (God's ownership, not yours) change how you treat the people under your care?
- 3.Where have you seen shepherds (leaders, pastors, parents) destroying the very flock they were supposed to protect?
- 4.Does the woe (grief + judgment in the same sound) describe God's response to leadership failure you've witnessed?
Devotional
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter MY sheep. That's God talking. To the leaders. About His flock.
The accusation is the ultimate indictment of spiritual leadership: the people who were appointed to protect the sheep are the ones who destroyed them. The shepherds didn't just fail to feed. They caused the flock to perish. They didn't just lose track of a few. They scattered the entire pasture.
"Destroy and scatter" — two verbs covering the full range of pastoral failure. Destroy: the sheep that were supposed to be nourished are ruined. Scatter: the flock that was supposed to be gathered is dispersed. The destruction handles the individual. The scattering handles the community. Both are the shepherd's doing.
"My pasture" — two words that transform the accusation from professional failure to personal betrayal. The sheep aren't the pastors'. They're God's. The pasture isn't the institution's. It's God's. And the God whose sheep they are is the God pronouncing the woe. You destroyed what was MINE.
The woe (hoy — an exclamation of grief and doom) is both mourning and judgment. God grieves what happened to His sheep AND judges the shepherds who did it. The mourning and the judgment are the same sound.
Every leader — pastor, parent, teacher, boss — who is responsible for people under their care is a shepherd of someone else's sheep. The sheep don't belong to you. They belong to God (or, in secular terms, they're entrusted to you by something bigger than your authority). And the woe that falls on the destroying, scattering shepherd is the woe of someone who betrayed someone else's trust with someone else's property.
The sheep are God's. Handle accordingly.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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I. Here is a word of terror to the negligent shepherds. The day is at hand when God will reckon with them concerning the…
Jer 23:1-8. See introd. summary to section. We should have expected, as the natural sequel to the three preceding…
Cross References
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