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Jeremiah 23:1 — Word Study

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WLCה֣וֹי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־ צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה׃

BSAWoehôwy [a cry of sorrow, a lament] to the shepherdsrâʻâh [leaders, caregivers] who destroyʼâbad [cause to perish, ruin] and scatterpûwts [disperse, shatter] the sheeptsôʼn [God's people, the flock] of My pasturemirʻîyth [my land, my care] declaresnᵉʼum [utters, speaks] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the sovereign God]

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Yah.weh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 23:1quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD expresses sorrow over the shepherds who harm and scatter His people.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing the leaders of His people.
Where we areA warning to the shepherds in the context of God's care for His flock.
The hard wordה֣וֹי
Take awayThe shepherds are held accountable for their actions towards the flock.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbרָעָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Jeremiah 23:1

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — A Warning to the Shepherdsgenerated

1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD.
2Therefore 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.
3Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply.
4I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:1 issues a lamentation against the shepherds, or leaders, who are failing in their duty to care for God's people. The following verses expand on this warning, highlighting the consequences of their negligence and the promise of restoration for the flock. This passage emphasizes God's concern for His people and the responsibility of leaders to guide and protect them.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jeremiah 2:8–26The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
2Ezekiel 13:3This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, yet have seen nothing.
3Ezekiel 34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock?
4Zechariah 11:17Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”
5Matthew 23:13–29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

The Key Word ה֣וֹי, Hogenerated

The word הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection expressing deep sorrow or lamentation. It serves to draw attention to the seriousness of the situation, much like a cry of distress. This term appears frequently in the prophetic literature, indicating God's displeasure with the actions of His people or their leaders.

In this context, it marks the beginning of a strong denunciation against the shepherds who are failing their duties. The emotional weight of הוֹי sets the tone for the entire declaration, as it emphasizes the gravity of the shepherds' actions and their consequences.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree on the rendering of הוֹי as 'woe' in all versions, conveying the lamentation expressed by the LORD.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause begins with the interjection הוֹי, followed by a description of the shepherds' actions. The structure emphasizes the lamentation and the direct address to the shepherds, highlighting their failure to care for the flock.

The sentence structure is straightforward, with the lamentation followed by a clear statement of the actions of the shepherds, creating a direct and impactful warning.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew הוֹי is rendered as , which similarly conveys a cry of lament. This choice reflects the translators' intent to preserve the emotional weight of the original Hebrew.

The Greek term used for 'shepherds' is ποιμένες, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning and maintaining the focus on leadership and care.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 23:1 warns the shepherds, or leaders, who are harming and scattering God's people. The LORD expresses sorrow over their actions and emphasizes the importance of caring for His flock.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does 'woe' indicate in this verse?

'Woe' expresses deep sorrow and lamentation, highlighting the seriousness of the shepherds' failures.

Who are the 'shepherds' referred to?

The 'shepherds' refer to the leaders and caregivers of God's people, responsible for their well-being.

What does it mean to 'scatter' the flock?

To 'scatter' the flock means to disperse or drive away the people, failing to protect and guide them.

What is the significance of the LORD's declaration?

The declaration emphasizes God's authority and concern for His people, holding the leaders accountable for their actions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see leaders in my life caring for or failing their responsibilities?
  2. How can I ensure that I am a good shepherd to those I influence?
  3. What does it mean to me that God cares for His flock?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from this passage to my own community?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Jerome comments on this verse, highlighting the LORD's lament over the shepherds who scatter His flock and the consequences of their actions.

JeromeChapter 23, Verse 1 and following c. 347–420
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,
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 23 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 23:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Woe be unto the pastors,.... Or, "O ye shepherds" or "governors", as the Targum; the civil rulers and magistrates, kings and princes of the land of Israel; since ecclesiastical rulers, the priests

Read John Gill on Jeremiah 23 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. This forms the epilogue to the denunciations of the four kings in Jeremiah 21:1-14; Jeremiah 22:1-30.

Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 23 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

CHAPTER 23 Woe against wicked pastors; the scattered flock shall be gathered; Christ shall rule and save them, : against false prophets, , and mockers of the true, . There is the like woe against the pastors denounced . Interpreters judge that by the pastors are to be understood the civil magistrates, for he denounceth the judgments of God against their ecclesiastical officers. The civil magistrates at this time in Judah were great tyrants; and whereas God had committed his people (whom he calls the sheep of his pasture) to them in trust, that they should protect and govern them, and that they might live under them godly and peaceable lives, in all prosperity, they had acted quite contrary…

Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 23 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.Ver. 1. Woe to the pastors,] i.e., To the rulers and chieftains, whether in the State or Church; woe to the wicked of both sorts; and why? They destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture.] So he calleth the people, how bad soever, because of the covenant with their fathers.

Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 23 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XXIII. (1) Woe be unto the pastors . . .—The message that follows in Jeremiah 23:1-8 comes as a natural sequel to that of Jeremiah 22. The unfaithful shepherds who had been there denounced are contrasted with those, more faithful to their trust, whom Jehovah will raise up. As before, in Jeremiah 2:8 and elsewhere, we have to remember that the “pastors” are (like the “shepherds of the people” in Greek poets) the civil rulers, not the prophets or the priests, of Israel. The parallelism with the prophecy of Ezekiel 34, delivered about the same time in the land of exile, is suggestive either of direct communication between the two writers, or of traditional lines of thought common to the two…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 23 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

CHAPTER XXIII Sequel of the discourse which commenced in the preceding chapter. The prophet denounces vengeance against the pastors of Israel who have scattered and destroyed the flock of the Lord, 1, 2. He concludes with gracious promises of deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, and of better times under the Messiah, when the converts to Christianity, who are the true Israel of God, shadowed forth by the old dispensation, shall be delivered, by the glorious light of the Gospel, from worse than Chaldean bondage, from the captivity of sin and death. But this prophecy will not have its fullest accomplishment till that period arrives which is fixed in the Divine counsel for the…

Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 23 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Jeremiah 23:1-8. See introd. summary to section. We should have expected, as the natural sequel to the three preceding passages, a direct reference to the reign of Zedekiah. Probably we may attribute the absence of it to Jeremiah’s unwillingness to attack one whom he recognised as merely a weak tool in the hands of the princes, the “shepherds” of Jeremiah 23:1. But see further on Jeremiah 23:5-8. Du. and Erbt make the whole passage to be late, while individual parts have been disputed, e.g. 7, 8 by Gi. and with some hesitation by Co. Others than Du. reject the most striking vv., viz. 5, 6, but Co. (so Gi.) emphatically maintains their genuineness. See notes below.

Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 23 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The pastors - shepherds, i. e., civil rulers Jeremiah 2:8. The sheep of My pasture - literally, of My pasturing, the sheep of whom I am shepherd. The people do not belong to the rulers but to God.

Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 23 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says Yahweh.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord says, “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged. They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

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

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

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

NWBWebster's Bible1833

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

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Woe be vnto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheepe of my pasture, saith the Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Woe to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture, An affirmation of Jehovah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“Woe to shepherds destroying, || And scattering the flock of My pasture,” || A declaration of YHWH.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the flocks of my pasture! saith the Lord.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture—this is Yahweh's declaration.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

What trouble is coming to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

A curse is on the keepers who are causing the destruction and loss of the sheep of my field, says the Lord.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseclauseה֣וֹיwoe.to!clausenoun phraseרֹעִ֗ים[the].shepherdsadjective phraseclauseverb phrase · verbמְאַבְּדִ֧ים[who.are].causing.to.strayוּandמְפִצִ֛ים[who.are].scatteringnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseצֹ֥אןthe.flocknoun phraseמַרְעִיתִ֖my.pastureיmyclausenoun phrase · predicateנְאֻםthe.utteranceיְהוָֽהof.Yahweh

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־ צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה׃, while the Septuagint matches 6 of the 9 words, indicating a close relationship between the two texts despite differences in word order.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־ צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ה֣וֹירֹעִ֗יםποιμένεςמְאַבְּדִ֧יםδιασκορπίζοντεςוּמְפִצִ֛יםἀπολλύοντεςצֹ֥אןπρόβαταמַרְעִיתִ֖יμου

6 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Jeremiah 23:1הוֹיwoe to!woe to!הוֹיבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד[the] sheph[the] shepherdsבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדאָבַד[who] are c[who] are causiאָבַדפּוּץand [who arand [who are] sפּוּץאֵתthe object the object markאֵתצֹאן[the] flock[the] flock ofצֹאןמַרְעִיתpasture mypasture myמַרְעִיתנְאֻם[the] utter[the] utteranceנְאֻםיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתנָאַםto prophesto prophesyנָאַםהָיָהto beto beהָיָההוֹAh!Ah!הוֹאוֹיwoe!woe!אוֹיבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדHouse of SHouse of Shepheבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדסָפַדto mournto mournסָפַדרָבַץto stretchto stretchרָבַץעֵ֫דֶרflockflockעֵ֫דֶרתִּקְוָהcordcordתִּקְוָהשָׁמַדto destroyto destroyשָׁמַדזָרָהto scatterto scatterזָרָהגּוֹיGentileGentileגּוֹימִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁבָּקַרcattlecattleבָּקַרפּוּץto scatterto scatterפּוּץצֹאןSheep (GatSheep (Gate)צֹאןיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 23:1

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
ה֣וֹיHo woe to! H1945 Particle
51× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hoy is an expression of sadness or pain, like saying oh or woe. It's used to show strong emotions, and is often translated as alas or woe in the KJV Bible. This word conveys a sense of lament or regret.
Amplified meaning
a cry of sorrow, a lament
Tyndale gloss
woe!
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection expressing dissatisfaction and pain, often translated as 'ah,' 'alas,' or 'woe.' It is used in lamentations and conveys a sense of sorrow or distress. The word is a prolonged form of another Hebrew term, indicating its emotional weight.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוֹי 81 interj. expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1945 הוֹי expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1945 howy hoh'ee

a prolonged form of 1930 (akin to 188); oh!:--ah, alas, ho,

O, woe.

see HEBREW for 01930

see HEBREW for 0188

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוֹי (hoy) — woe!.

ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Is sometimes used in our Bibles where a softer expression would be at least equally proper: "Woe to such a one!" is in our language a threat or imprecation of some calamity, natural or judicial, to befall a person; but this is not always the meaning of the word in Scripture. We find the expression, "Woe is me!" that is, Alas for my sufferings! And, "Woe to the women with child, and those who give suck!" that is, Alas for their redoubled sufferings in times of distress! If in the denunciatory language of Christ, we should read, "Alas for thee, Chorazin! Alas for thee, Bethsaida!" we should do not injustice to the general sentiments of the passage.

Yet in many cases the word woe is used in a fuller and more awful sense, expressing an inspired denunciation and foreshadowing of God’s wrath upon sinners; as when we read, "Woe to those who build houses by unrighteousness, and cities by blood;"…

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
רֹעִ֗יםro.'Im [the] shepherds H7462 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to care for or tend to someone or something, like a shepherd with his flock. It can also mean to rule over or associate with someone as a friend, and is sometimes used to describe a close relationship.
Amplified meaning
leaders, caregivers
Tyndale gloss
House of Shepherds
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12

base

רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze

Qal

trans.

intrans.

Niph. poss.

Hiph. v.

base

[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with

Qal cherish faithfulness

Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man

base

[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7462 ra`ah raw-aw'

a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;

intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);

generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a

friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat

up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,

herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,

shepherd, wander, waste.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.

Ra'ah = "pasturing"

perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.

1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to tend, pasture

1a1a) to shepherd

1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)

1a1c) of people as flock (fig)

1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)

1a2) to feed, graze

1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)

1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)

1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess

Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.

1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)

1a) (Qal) to associate with

1b) (Hithpael) to be companions

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.

(Piel) to be a special friend

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVqrmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Early mention of

Ge 4:2

- Usually carried a scrip or bag

1Sa 17:40

- Carried a staff or rod

Le 27:32; Ps 23:4

- Dwelt in tents while tending their flocks

So 1:8; Isa 38:12

- Members of the family both male and female acted as

Ge 29:6; 1Sa 16:11; 17:15

- Had hired keepers under them

1Sa 17:20

- The unfaithfulness of hireling, alluded to

Joh 10:12

Thompson Chain Reference topics

general references to

Ge 4:2; 13:5; 29:9; 37:2; 46:32; Ex 2:17; 3:1; 1Sa 16:11; 17:20

1Ch 4:39; Am 3:12; Mt 25:32; Lu 2:8

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
מְאַבְּדִ֧יםme.'a.be.Dim [who] are causing to stray H6 Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine plural
184× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To perish means to be destroyed or lost, whether it's a person, animal, or thing, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Amplified meaning
cause to perish, ruin
Tyndale gloss
to perish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to perish or be lost. It encompasses a range of meanings, including dying, vanishing, and destruction, often in a moral or judgment context. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, with uses related to individuals, nations, and inanimate objects. The lexicons indicate that it can also imply causing something to perish or stray.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבַד vb. perish (M I אבד, As. abâtu Dl W 184 Aram אֲבַד, Syriac).—

Qal Pf. א׳ Nu 21:30 +; אָבְדוּ ψ 10:16 + (+ Ez 6:3 𝔊 Co) etc.; Impf. יֹאבַד Jb 3:3 Je 4:9; יֹאבֵ֑ד Jb 20:7 + 2t.; 3fs. תֹּאבַד Dt 22:3 + 4t.; תֹּאבֵ֑ד Jb 8:13 + 3t.; יֹאבְדוּ Ju 5:31 + 3t.; יֹאבֵ֑דוּ Jb 4:9 +; 3fpl. וַתֹּאבַדְנָה֙ I S 9:3; תֹּאבֵדוּן Dt 4:26 +; נֹאבֵ֑ד Jon 1:6

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6 אָבַד perish .. perish, die, of individuals

. fig. perish, vanish, subj. memory

. be lost, strayed

. . cause to perish, destroy, kill

. fig. cause to vanish, blot out, do away with

. cause to stray, lose

. . destroy, put to death, in judgment

. fig. obj. name of kings; hope; voice of mirth etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6 'abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose

oneself; by implication to perish (causative,

destroy):--break, destroy(- uction), + not escape, fail,

lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be

undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבַד (a.vad) — to perish.

1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) perish, die, be exterminated

1a2) perish, vanish (fig.)

1a3) be lost, strayed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate

1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.)

1b3) cause to stray, lose

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to destroy, put to death

1c1a) of divine judgment

1c2) object name of kings (fig.)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel — Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine plural
HVprmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Straying animals to be returned Ex 23:4; De 22:1-3

→ Instance of animals straying, Kish' s 1Sa 9

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
וּמְפִצִ֛יםu.me.fi.Tzim and [who are] scattering H6327 Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural
67× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shatter means to break something into pieces, either physically or figuratively. It can also mean to disperse or scatter people or things, as seen in various Bible translations.
Amplified meaning
disperse, shatter
Tyndale gloss
to scatter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פּוּץ (puwts) primarily means to scatter or disperse, applicable to both people and armies. It can also convey the idea of flowing or overflowing. The noun form מֵפִיץ (mephits) refers to a scatterer. Additionally, it has connotations of breaking or shattering, as seen in related forms.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פּוּץ] vb. be dispersed, scattered

Qal be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies

Niph.

be scattered, of army

be spread abroad, of peoples

Hiph.

trans. scatter

intrans. scatter

base

מֵפִיץ n.m. scatterer, disperser

base

פּוּץ vb. flow, overflow

base

[פָּצַץ] vb. break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush)

Pō‛. a hammer which shatters rock.

Pilp. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6327a פּוּץ be dispersed, scattered .be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies

. . be scattered, of army

. be spread abroad, of peoples

. . trans. scatter

. intrans. scatter

H6327b מֵפִיץ scatterer, disperser H6327c פּוּץ flow, overflow H6327d [פָּצַץ] break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush) . a hammer which shatters rock.

. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6327 puwts poots

a primitive root; to dash in pieces, literally or

figuratively (especially to disperse):--break (dash, shake)

in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive,

retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּץ (puts) — to scatter.

1) to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered

1a) (Qal) to be dispersed, be scattered

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be scattered

1b2) to be spread abroad

1c) (Hiphil) to scatter

1d) Hithpael) scatter

מֵפִיץ (me.phits) — scatterer.

n.m.

scatterer

פּוּץ (puts) — to flow.

(Qal) to flow, overflow

פָּצַץ (pa.tsats) — to shatter.

1) to break

1a) (Polel) to shatter

1b) (Pilpel) to dash to pieces

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil — Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural
HC/Vhrmpa
woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
צֹ֥אןtzon [the] flock of H6629 Noun common · both singular construct
274× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a flock of sheep or goats, and is sometimes used to describe people in a figurative sense. It is also associated with the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, a significant location in biblical times.
Amplified meaning
God's people, the flock
Tyndale gloss
Sheep (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צֹאן (tso'n) refers to small cattle, specifically sheep and goats, and is used to denote a flock or flocks. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a multitude. The term appears in contexts such as Psalm 144:13, where it emphasizes the collective nature of these animals.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צֹאן 273 n.coll.f. small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6629 צֹאן small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6629 tso'n tsone

or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}; from an unused root

meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or

goats); also figuratively (of men):--(small) cattle, flock

(+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֹאן (tson) — flock.

1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats)

1b) of multitude (simile)

1c) of multitude (metaphor)

צֹאן (tson) — Sheep (Gate).

This name means sheep and goats

Also named: probatikos (προβατικός "Sheep Gate" G4262)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular construct
HNcbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
מַרְעִיתִ֖יmar.'i.Ti pasture my H4830 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to the act of caring for sheep or goats, like a shepherd. It can also mean the animals themselves, as in a flock. This word is used in the Bible to describe the work of a shepherd.
Amplified meaning
my land, my care
Tyndale gloss
pasturing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַרְעִית (mir`iyth) refers to concepts related to pasturing and shepherding, including pasturage and a flock. It is derived from a root meaning to feed. The term encompasses both the act of grazing and the collective group of animals being tended.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַרְעִית] n.f. pasturing, shepherding, pasturage

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4830 [מַרְעִית] pasturing, shepherding, pasturage

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4830 mir`iyth meer-eeth'

from 7462 in the sense of feeding; pasturage; concretely, a

flock:--flock, pasture.

see HEBREW for 07462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַרְעִית (mir.it) — pasturing.

1) pasturing, pasturage, shepherding

1a) pasturing, shepherding

1b) pasturage

1c) flock (meton)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
נְאֻם־ne.'um- [the] utterance of H5002 Noun common · masculine singular construct
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to an utterance or declaration from God, often through a prophet. It is used in the Bible to describe a revelation or message from God, like in Exodus or Numbers.
Amplified meaning
utters, speaks
Tyndale gloss
utterance
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נְאֻם (*n'um*) means 'utterance' or 'oracle,' derived from the root meaning 'to say.' It refers to declarations, often made by prophets, particularly in ecstatic states or preceding divine names. The entries consistently highlight its prophetic context without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְאֻם 376 n.m. utterance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5002 נְאֻם utterance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5002 n'um neh-oom'

from 5001; an oracle:--(hath) said, saith.

see HEBREW for 05001

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְאֻם (ne.um) — utterance.

1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet)

1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state)

1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

woe to! [the] shepherds [who] are causing to stray and [who are] scattering the object marker [the] flock of pasture my [the] utterance of Yahweh
יְהוָֽה׃Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the sovereign God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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