“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.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 23:2 Mean?
God pronounces judgment against the pastors (ro'im — shepherds, leaders) who have "scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them." Three failures: scattering (dispersing through bad leadership), driving away (actively pushing people from God), and not visiting (failing to care for individual members).
The wordplay in "I will visit upon you the evil of your doings" uses the same verb (paqad — to visit, to attend to) that the shepherds failed to perform. They didn't visit (care for) the flock; God will visit (bring judgment on) the shepherds. The same word is used for both the neglected duty and the coming punishment. They failed to paqad the sheep; God will paqad them.
The indictment is against leaders specifically — not the flock. The sheep were scattered because the shepherds failed. The responsibility flows upward, not downward. Bad leadership, in God's economy, doesn't excuse the followers but does condemn the leaders first.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If you lead others, are you gathering or scattering — drawing closer or driving away?
- 2.How does God's focus on leader accountability rather than follower failure challenge common blame patterns?
- 3.Where have you been spiritually scattered or driven away by bad leadership?
- 4.What does the wordplay on 'visit' teach about the relationship between neglected duty and coming judgment?
Devotional
God is furious at the shepherds. Not the sheep — the shepherds. The leaders who were supposed to feed the flock scattered it instead. The ones entrusted with care drove people away. The ones responsible for visiting never showed up.
Three failures define bad spiritual leadership: scattering (your leadership disperses people rather than gathering them), driving away (you actively push people from God rather than drawing them closer), and not visiting (you're absent when individual care is needed). Any one of these would be serious. All three together constitutes a complete failure of the pastoral calling.
The wordplay — they didn't visit; God will visit — is divine irony at its sharpest. The care they refused to give, God will give in the form of judgment. The attention they withheld from the flock, God will direct toward them as accountability. The same verb works both ways: you can be visited with care or visited with consequence. The shepherds chose which version they'd receive.
If you're in a position of spiritual leadership — any position where people look to you for guidance, care, or direction — this verse is a direct address. Are you gathering or scattering? Drawing closer or driving away? Visiting or absent? The sheep's condition is your responsibility, and God's attention is directed at leaders first.
And if you've been scattered, driven away, or neglected by a leader? This verse says God sees it. He's not blaming you. He's coming for the shepherd.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel,.... The covenant God of that people, who are Called his sheep, and the…
They had scattered them first spiritually by leading them into idolatry; and secondly, many had literally been taken to…
I. Here is a word of terror to the negligent shepherds. The day is at hand when God will reckon with them concerning the…
feed Heb. shepherd.Cp. Jer 3:15.
scattered by exile, voluntary or forced, in Egypt or Babylon.
driven them away the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture