Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 23:1KJV
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Jeremiah 23:1 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 23:1 mean?

Jeremiah 23:1 is a warning from God against leaders—called "pastors" in the King James Version—who harm and scatter the people of Israel, described here as "the sheep of my pasture." God declares trouble and judgment for those who have failed to care for and protect His people.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God's message to the leaders of Judah, especially those responsible for guiding and caring for the nation. The image of sheep and pasture highlights the leaders’ responsibility to nurture and protect, but instead, they have caused harm and division. This sets the stage for God’s coming judgment and His promise to raise up better leaders in the verses that follow.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 23:1

  • "Woe" (הוֹי, hoy): This word is a strong expression of grief or warning, often used by prophets to announce serious trouble or impending judgment.
  • "Pastors" (רֹעִים, ro‘im): This word literally means "shepherds," referring to those with authority and responsibility over others, especially the leaders of Israel.
  • "Destroy" (שָׁמַד, shamad): This verb means to ruin or bring to an end, emphasizing the severe damage the leaders have caused.
  • "Scatter" (פָּרַץ, parats): This word means to disperse or drive apart, showing that the leaders have not just neglected but actively divided the people.
  • "Sheep" (צֹאן, tson): This word refers to the people of Israel, pictured as vulnerable and in need of care.
  • "Pasture" (מַרְעִיתִי, mar‘iti): This word means a place of feeding and safety, reinforcing the idea that God’s people should have been cared for and protected.

Why Jeremiah 23:1 matters

  • Jeremiah 23:1 clarifies that God holds leaders accountable for the well-being of those they lead, not just for their own actions.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of spiritual and communal responsibility, showing that neglect or harm by leaders is not overlooked by God.
  • This warning sets up the rest of the chapter, where God promises to intervene and provide faithful leaders, making the failure of the current leaders a turning point in the message.

Where else these words appear

“pasture” Hebrew H4830 · used in 10 verses

  • Psalms 74:1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
  • Psalms 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
  • Jeremiah 25:36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.

“Woe” Hebrew H1945 · used in 48 verses

  • Ruth 4:1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
  • Isaiah 29:1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
  • Ezekiel 13:18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

“scatter” Hebrew H6327 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
  • Job 18:11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
  • Ezekiel 12:15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

“pastors” Hebrew H7462 · used in 144 verses

  • Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
  • Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
  • Jeremiah 33:12 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.