Reference: Shepherd
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Or PASTOR. Abel was a keeper of sheep, Ge 4:2, as were the greater number of the ancient patriarchs. When men began to multiply, and to follow different employments, Jabal son of Lamech was acknowledged as father, that is, founder of shepherd and nomads, Ge 4:20. A large part of the wealth of ancient patriarchs consisted in flocks and herds, the care of which was shared by their sons, daughters, and servants. Rachel the bride of Jacob was a shepherdess, Ge 29:6; his sons, the fathers of the tribes of Israel were shepherds, and so was David their king, Ps 78:70-72. The employment is highly honored in the Bible, Lu 2:8-20. In the time of the kings, the "chief herdsman" occupies a post of some importance, 1Sa 21:7; 2Ki 3:4; 1Ch 27:29-31. In Palestine and its vicinity, besides those who united the keeping of flocks and herds with the tillage of the ground, there were and still are numbers of nomads or wandering shepherds confining themselves to no settled home. These dwellers in tents often had a wide range of pasture grounds, from one to another of which they drove their flocks as occasion required, Ge 37:12-17. In the vast deserts east and south of Palestine they found many spots which in winter and spring were clothed with verdure, Ex 3:1; Ps 65:12. But the heat of summer withered these "pastures of the wilderness," and drove the shepherds and their flocks to seek for highlands and streams. There are many indications in the Scripture of the conscious strength and independence of he ancient shepherd patriarchs, of the extent of their households, and the consideration in which they were held, Ge 14:14-24; 21:22-32; 26:13-16; 30:43; Job 1:3.
God sometimes takes the name of Shepherd of Israel, Ps 80:1 Jer 31:10; and kings, both in Scripture and ancient writers, are distinguished by the title of "Shepherds of the people." The prophets often inveigh against the "shepherds of Israel," that is, the kings, who feed themselves and neglect their flocks; who distress, ill-treat, seduce, and lead them astray, Eze 34:10. In like manner Christ, as the Messiah, is often called a shepherd,
Zec 13:7, and also takes on himself the title of "the Good Shepherd," who gives his life for his sheep, Joh 10:11,14-15. Paul calls him the great Shepherd of the sheep, Heb 13:20, and Peter gives him the appellation of Prince of shepherds, 1Pe 5:4. His ministers are in like manner the pastors or under-shepherds of the flock, Jer 3:15; 23:3; Eph 4:11.
In Joh 10:1-16, our Savior says the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep; that he knows them, and they know him; that they hear his voice, and follow him; that he goes before them; that no one shall force them out of his hands, and that he calls them by their names. These, however, being all incidents taken from the customs of the country, are by no means so striking to us as they must have been to those who heard our Lord, and who every day witnessed such methods of conducting this domesticated animal. Modern travelers in the East meet with many pleasing confirmation of the truth of Scripture in respect to these particulars; they see the shepherd walking before his flock, any one of which will instantly run to him when called by its own name. The hireling, or bad shepherd, forsakes the sheep, and the thief enters not by the door of the sheepfold, but climbs in another way. See SHEEP. The Bible applies many of the excellences of the faithful shepherd in illustration of the Savior's care of his flock. The shepherd was responsible for each member of the flock intrusted to him, Ge 31:39; Ex 22:12; Joh 10:28; he had need of great courage and endurance, Ge 31:40; 1Sa 17:34-35; Joh 15:10; he exercised a tender care towards the feeble, and carried the lambs in his arms, Ge 33:13; Isa 40:11; Mr 10:14,16; and searched for the lost sheep, bringing it back from the "land of drought and the shadow of death" into green pastures and still waters, Ps 23; Lu 15:4-7.
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And she did it again, giving birth to his brother Abel. Abel shepherded flocks and Cain became a farmer.
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the ancestor of those who live in tents and herd livestock.
When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he gathered together 318 of his trained men, who had been born in his household, and they went out in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram and his servants divided his forces, conquered his enemies, and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. read more. He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot, together with his possessions, the women, and the other people. After Abram's return from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with them, the king of Sodom went out to meet with him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King's Valley). King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine, since he was serving as the priest of God Most High. Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, "Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your control." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. The king of Sodom told Abram, "Return the people to me, and you take the possessions for yourself." But Abram answered the king of Sodom, "I have made an oath to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you won't be able to say, "I made Abram rich.' I will take nothing except what my warriors have eaten. But as for what belongs to the men who were allied with me, including Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their share."
About that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, told Abraham, "God is with you in everything that you're doing. Therefore swear an oath here by God that you won't deal falsely with me, my sons, or my descendants. Just as I've dealt graciously with you, won't you do so with me and with the land in which you live as a foreigner?" read more. And Abraham replied, "I agree!" But then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. "I don't know who did this thing," Abimelech replied. "You didn't report this to me, and I didn't hear about it until today." So Abraham took sheep and oxen and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs, so Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set aside?" He replied, "You are to accept from me these seven ewe lambs as a witness that I have dug this well." Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba, because the two of them swore an oath. So after they had made a covenant in Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to Philistine territory.
He became very wealthy and lived a life of wealth, becoming more and more wealthy. He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him. read more. They filled in with sand all of the wells that Isaac's father Abraham's servants had dug during his lifetime. Then Abimelech ordered Isaac, "Move away from us! You've become more powerful than we are."
So he asked them, "How's he doing?" "Very well," they answered. "As a matter of fact, look over there! That's his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep."
Therefore the man Jacob prospered so much that he had large flocks, female and male servants, as well as camels and donkeys.
and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.
"Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die.
Some time later, his brothers left to tend their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel instructed Joseph, "Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I'm going to send you to them." "Here I am!" he responded. read more. "Go and see how things are with your brothers," Israel ordered him. "And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me." Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering around in a field. So the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" "I'm searching for my brothers," he responded. "Tell me, where are they tending the flock?" "They've already left," the man answered. "I heard them saying that they were headed to Dothan." So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
Meanwhile, Moses continued tending the sheep that belonged to his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the sheep to the western desert and came to Horeb, God's mountain, where
But if it was actually stolen from him, the neighbor is to make restitution to its owner.
Now, Doeg the Edomite, one of Saul's officials, was there that day, detained in the LORD's presence. He was the chief of Saul's shepherds.
His livestock included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants. Indeed, the man's stature greatly exceeded that of many people who lived in the East.
Then he chose his servant David, whom he took from the sheepfold. He brought him from birthing sheep to care for Jacob, his people, Israel, his possession. read more. David shepherded them with a devoted heart, and led them with skillful hands. A Psalm of Asaph
Shepherd of Israel, listen! The one who leads Joseph like a flock, the one enthroned on the cherubim, display your glory.
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."
I'll give you shepherds after my own heart, and they'll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense."
"I'll gather the remnant of my flock from all the countries where I've driven them, and bring them back to their pasture where they'll be fruitful and increase in numbers.
Nations, listen to this message from the LORD, and declare it in the distant coastlands. Say, "The one who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock."
"This is what the Lord GOD says: "Watch out, I'm coming after you shepherds! I'm going to demand my sheep back from them and fire them as shepherds. The shepherds won't be shepherds anymore when I snatch my flock right out of their mouths so they can't be eaten by them anymore."'"
"Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the mighty one who is related to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "Strike the shepherd, the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the insignificant ones.
When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.
Then after he had hugged the children, he tenderly blessed them as he laid his hands on them.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. read more. Then the angel told them, "Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough." Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God by saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!" When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about." So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the feeding trough. When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them. Then the shepherds returned to their flock, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
"Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. He leaves the 99 in the wilderness and looks for the one that is lost until he finds it, doesn't he? When he finds it, he puts it on his shoulders and rejoices. read more. Then he goes home, calls his friends and neighbors together, and says to them, "Rejoice with me, because I've found my lost sheep!' In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent."
"Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the person who doesn't enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. read more. It's to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it's his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They'll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don't recognize the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn't understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, I'm the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I'm the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He'll come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I've come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. "I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
"I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired worker, who isn't the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them, read more. because he's a hired worker, and the sheep don't matter to him. I'm the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
I'm the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that don't belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they'll listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.
I give them eternal life, they'll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
If you keep my commandments, you'll abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,
Now may the God of peace, who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep,
Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the victor's crown of glory that will never fade away.
Easton
a word naturally of frequent occurence in Scripture. Sometimes the word "pastor" is used instead (Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16). This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people (Ps 23:1; 80:1; Isa 40:11; 44:28; Jer 25:34-35; Na 3:18; Joh 10:11,14; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25; 5:4).
The duties of a shepherd in an unenclosed country like Palestine were very onerous. "In early morning he led forth the flock from the fold, marching at its head to the spot where they were to be pastured. Here he watched them all day, taking care that none of the sheep strayed, and if any for a time eluded his watch and wandered away from the rest, seeking diligently till he found and brought it back. In those lands sheep require to be supplied regularly with water, and the shepherd for this purpose has to guide them either to some running stream or to wells dug in the wilderness and furnished with troughs. At night he brought the flock home to the fold, counting them as they passed under the rod at the door to assure himself that none were missing. Nor did his labours always end with sunset. Often he had to guard the fold through the dark hours from the attack of wild beasts, or the wily attempts of the prowling thief (see 1Sa 17:34).", Deane's David.
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David told Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
The LORD is the one who is shepherding me; I lack nothing.
Shepherd of Israel, listen! The one who leads Joseph like a flock, the one enthroned on the cherubim, display your glory.
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."
who says about Cyrus, "He's my shepherd, and he'll carry out everything that I please: He'll say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt,' and of my Temple, "Let its foundations be laid again.'"'"
"The priests didn't say, "Where is the LORD?' and those handling the Law didn't know me. The rulers transgressed against me, the prophets prophesied by Baal, and they followed that which does not profit.
I'll give you shepherds after my own heart, and they'll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense."
Because the shepherds are stupid and don't seek the LORD, therefore, they don't prosper, and their flock is scattered.
Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard. They'll trample down my portion. They'll turn my pleasant portion into a desolate desert.
I haven't run away from being your shepherd, and I haven't longed for the day of sickness. You know what comes out from my lips, it's open before you.
"Scream, you shepherds! Cry out! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! Indeed, the time for your slaughter and your dispersion has arrived, and you will break like a choice vessel. Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, as will be escape for the leaders of the flock.
Hey king of Assyria! Your shepherds are asleep and your nobles are lying down! Your people lie scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them together.
"I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
I'm the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Now may the God of peace, who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep,
Fausets
(See SHEEP.) The nomadic state is one of the earliest stages of society, and was regarded as honourable even to a chief (Ge 4:2,20; 30:29 ff; Genesis 37); chiefs' daughters did not disdain to tend flocks (Ge 29:6, etc.; Ex 2:19). The long stay in Egypt elevated Israel from the nomadic to a settled life. The two and a half nomadic tribes received their portion in the outlying regions beyond Jordan (Numbers 32). As agriculture increased pasturage decreased, and was limited to particular spots, the border of the wilderness of Judah, Carmel (1Sa 25:2), Bethlehem (1Sa 16:11; Lu 2:8), Tekoa (Am 1:1), and Gedor (1Ch 4:39). Hence the "shepherd's tent" came to symbolize desolation (Eze 25:4; Zep 2:6). The shepherd's occupation was now no longer dignified (Ps 78:70; 2Sa 7:8; Am 7:14).
The shepherd's office represents Jehovah's tender care of His people (Psalm 23; Isa 40:11; 49:9-10; Jer 23:3-4; Eze 34:11-12,23). Allusions occur to the exposure to heat and cold (Ge 31:40), the precarious food (Am 7:14), the husks of the carob (Lu 15:16), the attacks of beasts (1Sa 17:34; Isa 31:4; Am 3:12), robbers (Ge 31:39). The shepherd had a mantle of sheepskin with the fleece on (Jer 43:12), a wallet for food (1Sa 17:40), a sling such as the Bedouin still carries, a staff to ward off foes and to guide the flock with its crook (Ps 23:4; Zec 11:7; so Jehovah "lifts up His staff against" His people's foes, Isa 10:1-24; His word is at once our prop of support and our defense against Satan). The shepherd, when far from home, had his light tent (Song 1:8), easily taken down and shifted (Isa 38:12).
Towers were sometimes erected to spy a foe afar off, and to guard the flock (2Ch 26:10; 27:4, compare "tower of Edar," Ge 35:21; Mic 4:8). (See EDAR.) His duty was to go before and call by name the sheep (Joh 10:4), watch it with dogs, a sorry animal in the East (Job 30:1), to search for stray sheep (Eze 34:12; Lu 15:4), to supply water, either at a stream or at troughs by wells (Ge 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16), (so Jesus, Ps 23:2), to bring back to the fold at evening and to reckon the sheep that none be missing (compare as to Jesus Joh 18:9; 17:11-12; 10:28-29), passing one by one "under the rod" (Le 27:32; Jer 33:13; Eze 20:37), (i.e. you shall be counted as Mine, and subjected to My chastening discipline with a view to My ultimate saving of the elect, Mic 7:14), checking each sheep as it passed; to act as porter, guarding the entrance to the fold by night (Joh 10:3).
The shepherds kept watches (plural in Greek, Lu 2:8, not "slumbering," Na 3:18) by turns at night, not on duty both night and day as Jacob (Ge 31:40). Tenderness to the young and feeble was the shepherd's duty, not to overdrive them (Ge 33:13); so Jesus (Isa 40:11-29; Mr 6:31; 8:2; 4:33; Joh 16:12). There were chief and under shepherds (Ge 47:6; 1Pe 5:4), and hirelings not of the family (Joh 10:11-13; 1Sa 21:7). The shepherd had responsibility, and at the same time personal interest in the flock (1Sa 31:13; 30:31; 1Co 9:7).
Playing on the pipe beguiled the monotony, and a feast at shearing time gave a yearly variety (1Sa 16:17; Ge 31:19; 38:12; 2Sa 13:23). Shepherds often contended with one another as to water (Ge 26:17-22; Ex 2:17). The Egyptian antipathy to shepherds (whom the monuments always represent as mean) was due to their being themselves agriculturists, whereas the neighbouring Arabs with whom they so often strove were nomads. The seizure of Lower Egypt by shepherd kings (Hyksos) for centuries aggravated this dislike, though the Hyksos were subsequent to Joseph (Ge 46:34). Princes, and even hostile leaders, are called shepherds: Isa 44:28; Jer 2:8; 3:15; 6:3; Eze 34:2; Mic 5:5. Teachers: Ec 12:11. Messiah: Ge 49:24; Ps 80:1; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:14; Heb 13:20.
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And she did it again, giving birth to his brother Abel. Abel shepherded flocks and Cain became a farmer.
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the ancestor of those who live in tents and herd livestock.
So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the Gerar Valley, where he settled. Isaac re-excavated some wells that his father had first dug during his lifetime, because the Philistines had filled them with sand after Abraham's death. Isaac renamed those wells with the same names that his father had called them. read more. While Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they discovered a well with flowing water. But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen. "The water is ours," they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek, for they had fiercely disputed with him about it. When his workers started digging another well, those herdsmen quarreled about that one, too, so Isaac named it Sitnah. Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac named it Rehoboth, because he used to say, "The LORD has enlarged the territory for us. We will prosper in the land."
So he asked them, "How's he doing?" "Very well," they answered. "As a matter of fact, look over there! That's his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep." "Look!" Jacob replied. "The sun is still high. It's not yet time for the flocks to be gathered. Let's water the sheep, then let them graze."
But Jacob replied to Laban, "You know how I've served you and how your cattle thrived under my care.
Then he placed the branches that he had stripped bare in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He placed the branches in front of the flock, and they went into heat as they came to drink.
Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols.
and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.
As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.
"Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die.
Jacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder.
Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.
you are to tell him, "Your servants have been taking care of livestock since we were youths. We and our ancestors have taken care of livestock.' That way, you'll be able to live in the Goshen territory, since shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."
Egypt is at your disposal, so settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land! Let them live in the Goshen territory. If you learn that any of them are especially skilled, put them in charge of my livestock."
nevertheless his bow remained steady and his arms kept in shape by the strength of Jacob's Mighty One, in the name of the Shepherd, Israel's Rock,
Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father's sheep. Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep.
"An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they replied, "and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!"
All the tithes from cattle and flocks that pass under the measuring rod are sacred to the LORD.
Then Samuel told Jesse, "Are these all the young men?" He said, "There yet remains the youngest one, and right now he's tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send someone to get him, for we won't do anything else until he arrives here."
Saul told his servants, "Find a man for me who can play well and bring him to me."
David told Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch in his shepherd's bag. He approached the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
David got up and went down to the Wilderness of Paran. Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel of Judah, and the man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
They took their bones, buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.
They journeyed as far as the entrance of Gedor on the east side of the valley in order to find pasture for their flocks.
He also built watchtowers in the wilderness and had many cisterns hewed out, since he also possessed large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the midland plains. He had many farmers and vinedressers throughout the hills and fertile lands because he loved farming.
He also built cities in the hill country of Judah, along with fortresses and guard towers in the forests.
"But now they mock me; men who are far younger than I, whose fathers I would have hated to entrust with my own sheep dogs.
He causes me to lie down in pastures of green grass; he guides me beside quiet waters.
Even when I walk through a valley of deep darkness, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
Then he chose his servant David, whom he took from the sheepfold.
Shepherd of Israel, listen! The one who leads Joseph like a flock, the one enthroned on the cherubim, display your glory.
Sayings from the wise are like cattle prods and well fastened nails; this masterful collection was given by one shepherd.
If you don't know, most beautiful of women, go out after the flock and graze your young goats beside the shepherd's tents.
"How terrible it will be for the one who enacts unjust decrees, for those who write oppressive laws that they have prescribed to deprive the needy of justice and to rob the poor of my people of their rights, so that widows may become their spoil and so that they may plunder orphans! read more. What will you do on the day of Judgment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you run for help, and where will you leave your wealth, so you won't have to crouch among those in chains or fall among the slain? "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike." "How terrible it will be for Assyria, the rod of my anger! The club is in their hands! I'm sending my fury against a godless nation, and I'll command him against the people with whom I'm angry to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. But this is not what he intends, and this is not what he thinks in his mind; but it is in his mind to destroy, and to cut down many nations. "Because this is what he is saying: "My commanders are all kings, are they not? Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has reached to the idolatrous kingdoms whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, will I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols as I have dealt with Samaria and her images?'" "For the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful heart of Assyria's king and the haughty look in his eyes. He keeps bragging: "I've done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I'm so clever. I removed the boundaries of nations, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones. My hand has found, as if in a nest, the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned, so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the earth. Nothing moved a wing, opened its mouth, or chirped.' "Does the ax exalt itself over the one who swings it? Or does the saw magnify itself in opposition to the one who wields it? As if a rod were to wield those who lift it, or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood! Therefore, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will send a wasting disease among Assyria's sturdy warriors, and under its glory a conflagration will be kindled, like a blazing bonfire. "The light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame, and it will burn and consume Assyria's thorns and briers in a single day. The splendor of its forest and its fruitful land the LORD will destroy both soul and body and Assyria will be as when a dying man wastes away. What survives of the trees in his forest will be so few that a child can count them." At that time, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer rely on the one who struck them down, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return a remnant of Jacob to the Mighty God. For even if your people of Israel number as many as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Overwhelming, righteous destruction is decreed, because the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will bring about destruction, as has been decreed, throughout the entire region. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My people, you who live in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians, of the rod that beats you, who lift up their club against you as the Egyptians did.
For this is what the LORD told me: "Just as a lion or a young lion growls over his objects of prey, even when a whole band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not alarmed at their shouting or disturbed by their clamor so the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.
My house has been plucked up and vanishes from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver, I've taken account of my life, and he cuts me off from the loom day and night you make an end of me.
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep." "Who has measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens by the width of his hand? Who has enclosed the dust of the earth in a measuring bowl, or weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? read more. Who has fathomed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has taught him? With whom did he consult to enlighten and instruct him on the path of justice? Or who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom? "Look! The nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are reckoned as dust on the scales. Look! He even lifts up the islands like powder! Lebanon would not provide enough fuel, nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him they are reckoned by him as nothing and chaos. "To whom, then, will you compare me, the One who is God? Or to what image will you liken me? To an idol? A craftsman makes the image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains. To the impoverished person? He prepares an offering wood that won't rot Or to the one who chooses a skilled craftsman and seeks to erect an idol that won't topple?" "You know, don't you? You have heard, haven't you? Hasn't it been told you from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth? He's the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He's the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in, who brings princes to nothing, and makes void the rulers of the earth. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the earth, than he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest sweeps them away like stubble. "To whom, then, will you compare me, and to whom should I be equal?" asks the Holy One. "Lift your eyes up to heaven and see who created all these the one who leads out their vast array of stars by number, calling them all by name because of his great might and his powerful strength and not one is missing." "Jacob, why do you say and Israel, why do you complain "My predicament is hidden from the LORD, and my cause is ignored by my God.'? Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The LORD is the eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary; and his understanding cannot be fathomed. He's the one who gives might to the faint, renewing strength for the powerless.
who says about Cyrus, "He's my shepherd, and he'll carry out everything that I please: He'll say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt,' and of my Temple, "Let its foundations be laid again.'"'"
saying to captives, "Come out!' and to those who are in darkness, "Be free!' "They will feed on all the mountains, and their pasture will be on all the barren hills. They won't hunger or thirst, nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them; for the one who has compassion on them will drive them and guide them alongside springs of water.
"The priests didn't say, "Where is the LORD?' and those handling the Law didn't know me. The rulers transgressed against me, the prophets prophesied by Baal, and they followed that which does not profit.
I'll give you shepherds after my own heart, and they'll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense."
Shepherds and their flocks will come against her. They'll pitch their tents all around her, and every one will tend his flock in his own place.
"I'll gather the remnant of my flock from all the countries where I've driven them, and bring them back to their pasture where they'll be fruitful and increase in numbers. I'll raise up shepherds over them, and they'll shepherd them. My flock will no longer be afraid or terrified, and none will be missing," declares the LORD.
In the towns of the hill country, in the towns of the Shephelah, in the towns of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the areas around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them,' says the LORD."
He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their idols and take them captive. He will wrap himself with the land of Egypt like a shepherd wraps himself with a garment, and then he will leave from there in peace.
"I'll cause you to pass under the rod until I will have brought you into the bond of the covenant.
therefore you'd better look out! I'm going to turn you over to men from the East, who will dominate you. You will become their property. They will set up military encampments and permanent places in which to live among you, and then they'll eat your fruit and drink your milk.
"Son of Man, prophesy against Israel's shepherds. Tell those shepherds, "This is what the Lord GOD says:
"This is what the LORD says: "Watch me! I'm going to search for my flock. I'll watch over them myself. Just as a shepherd looks after his flock during the day time while he is with them, so also I'm going to watch over my sheep, delivering them from every place where they've been scattered during the times of gloom and doom.
Just as a shepherd looks after his flock during the day time while he is with them, so also I'm going to watch over my sheep, delivering them from every place where they've been scattered during the times of gloom and doom.
""Then I'll install one shepherd for them my servant David and he will feed them, will be there for them, and will serve as their shepherd.
The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he spoke concerning Israel during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah and during the reign of Joash's son Jeroboam, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
This is what the LORD says: "Just as a shepherd might save from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a scrap of an ear, the Israelis will be saved in a similar manner those in Samaria who sit on the remains of their broken beds, and those in Damascus who lie on the edge of their couches."
Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet's son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.
Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet's son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.
"And you, watchtower of the flock, you stronghold of the daughter of Zion, it will happen even to you: The former dominion, even the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem, will come.
And he will be our peace." "When the Assyrian invades our land, trampling through our palaces, we will raise up seven shepherds against him, even eight significant men.
Use your rod to shepherd your people, the flock that belongs to you, that lives alone in the forest of Carmel. Let them find pasture in Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago.
Hey king of Assyria! Your shepherds are asleep and your nobles are lying down! Your people lie scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them together.
So I became shepherd of the flock marked for slaughter, paying attention to the oppressed of the flock. I took two staffs naming one "Pleasant" and the other one "Union" - and then I pastured the flock.
"Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the mighty one who is related to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "Strike the shepherd, the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the insignificant ones.
With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand.
He told them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while," because so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat.
"I have compassion for the crowd, because they've already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night.
"Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. He leaves the 99 in the wilderness and looks for the one that is lost until he finds it, doesn't he?
No one would give him anything, even though he would gladly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating.
It's to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it's his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
"I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired worker, who isn't the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them, read more. because he's a hired worker, and the sheep don't matter to him. I'm the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
I give them eternal life, they'll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is more important than anything, and no one can snatch it from the Father's hand.
"I still have a lot to say to you, but you cannot bear it now.
I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your Name, the Name that you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them by the authority that you gave me. I guarded them, and not one of them became lost except the one who was destined for destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
This was to fulfill what he had said, "I did not lose a single one of those you gave me."
Now may the God of peace, who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep,
Hastings
Morish
A person's wealth in the East frequently consisted of flocks, the shepherd therefore held an important and honourable position. David was a keeper of sheep. Joseph instructed his brethren to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds, and they asked permission to dwell in Goshen, for every shepherd was an abomination to the Egyptians. This is supposed to have been caused by some 'shepherd-kings' having usurped authority over Egypt. The difficulties and hardships of a shepherd's life in the East may be gathered from what Jacob passed through during the time he was with Laban. Ge 31:39-40.
The sheep following the shepherd is a sight often witnessed in the East, and that each sheep has a name and knows the shepherd's voice, has been tested and proved again and again. All this is beautifully typical of the relation of Jehovah to Israel and of Christ to the church. The sheep of Christ know the good Shepherd's voice, and find salvation, liberty, and pasture in following the One who leads. The good Shepherd gives them eternal life, having given His life for the sheep. Christ is called the great Shepherd, for the work which He accomplished could have been done only by One who was Himself God, though become man to work out redemption.
In the church there are those who by reason of gift are called pastors, to feed and shepherd the sheep; but Christ is the chief Shepherd, who is over all, whose own the sheep are, and who has given His word that they shall never perish. Ps. 23; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:2-16; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 5:4; etc.
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and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.
"Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the mighty one who is related to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "Strike the shepherd, the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the insignificant ones.
The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. It's to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it's his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. read more. When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They'll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don't recognize the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn't understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, I'm the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I'm the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He'll come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I've come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. "I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired worker, who isn't the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them, because he's a hired worker, and the sheep don't matter to him. I'm the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that don't belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they'll listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Now may the God of peace, who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep,
Smith
Shepherd.
In a nomadic state of society every man, from the sheikh down to the slave, is more or less a shepherd. The progenitors of the Jews in the patriarchal age were nomads, and their history is rich in scenes of pastoral life. The occupation of tending the flocks was undertaken,not only by the sons of wealthy chiefs,
ff.; Gene 37:12 ff., but even by their daughters.
The Egyptian captivity did march to implant a love of settled abode, and consequently we find the tribes which still retained a taste for shepherd life selecting their own quarters apart from their brethren in the transjordanic district.
ff. Thenceforward in Palestine proper the shepherd held a subordinate position. The office of the eastern shepherd, as described in the Bible, was attended with much hardship, and even danger. He was exposed to the extremes of heat and cold,
his food frequently consisted of the precarious supplies afforded by nature, such as the fruit of the "sycamore" or Egyptian fig,
the "husks" of the carob tree,
Lu 15:16
and perchance the locusts and wild honey which supported the Baptist,
he had to encounter the attacks of wild beasts, occasionally of the larger species, such as lions, nerves, panthers and bears,
1Sa 17:34; Isa 31:4; Jer 5:6; Am 5:12
nor was he free from the risk of robbers or predators hordes.
To meet these various foes the shepherd's equipment consisted of the following articles: a mantle, made probably of sheep skin with the fleece on, which he turned inside out in cold weather, as implied in the comparison in
(cf. Juv. xiv. 187.); a scrip or wallet, containing a small amount of food
a sling, which is still the favorite weapon of the Bedouin shepherd,
and lastly, a which served the double purpose of a weapon against foes and a crook for the management of the flock.
If the shepherd was at a distance from his home, he was provided with a light tent,
the removal of which was easily effected.
In certain localities, moreover, towers were erected for the double purpose of spying an enemy at a distance and of protecting the flock; such towers were erected by Uzziah and Jotham,
while their existence in earlier times is testified by the name Migdal-edar
Authorized Version "a tower of Edar;"
Authorized Version "tower of the flock." The routine of the shepherd's duties appears to have been as follows: In the morning he led forth his flock from the fold
Joh 10:4
which he did by going before them and calling to them, as is still usual in the East; arrived at the pasturage he watched the flock with the assistance of dogs,
and should any sheep stray, he had to search for it until he found it,
Eze 34:12; Lu 15:4
he supplied them with water, either at a running stream or at troughs attached to wells,
Ge 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16; Ps 23:2
at evening he brought them back to the fold, and reckoned them to see that none were missing, by passing them "under the rod" as they entered the door of the enclosure
checking each sheep, as it passed, by a motion of the hand,
and, finally, he watched the entrance of the fold throughout the night, acting as porter.
Joh 10:3
[See Sheepfold, under SHEEP] The shepherd's office thus required great watchfulness, particularly by night.
See Sheep
Lu 2:8
cf. Nahu 3:18 It also required tenderness toward the young and feeble,
particularly in driving them to and from the pasturage.
In large establishments there are various grades of shepherds, the highest being styled "rulers,"
or "chief shepherds,"
in a royal household the title of abbir "mighty," was bestowed on the person who held the post.
[SHEEP]
See Sheep
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So he asked them, "How's he doing?" "Very well," they answered. "As a matter of fact, look over there! That's his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep." "Look!" Jacob replied. "The sun is still high. It's not yet time for the flocks to be gathered. Let's water the sheep, then let them graze." read more. But they responded, "We can't do that until all the sheep have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the opening of the well. Only then can we water the flock."
But Jacob replied to Laban, "You know how I've served you and how your cattle thrived under my care.
Then he placed the branches that he had stripped bare in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He placed the branches in front of the flock, and they went into heat as they came to drink.
and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.
"Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die.
Egypt is at your disposal, so settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land! Let them live in the Goshen territory. If you learn that any of them are especially skilled, put them in charge of my livestock."
After the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, because she said, "I drew him out of the water."
Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father's sheep.
Now, the descendants of Reuben and descendants of Gad happened to be joint owners of a very large herd of cattle. When they observed that Jazer and Gilead were good grazing lands for cattle,
David told Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch in his shepherd's bag. He approached the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch in his shepherd's bag. He approached the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch in his shepherd's bag. He approached the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
Now, Doeg the Edomite, one of Saul's officials, was there that day, detained in the LORD's presence. He was the chief of Saul's shepherds.
He also built watchtowers in the wilderness and had many cisterns hewed out, since he also possessed large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the midland plains. He had many farmers and vinedressers throughout the hills and fertile lands because he loved farming.
He also built cities in the hill country of Judah, along with fortresses and guard towers in the forests.
"But now they mock me; men who are far younger than I, whose fathers I would have hated to entrust with my own sheep dogs.
He causes me to lie down in pastures of green grass; he guides me beside quiet waters.
Even when I walk through a valley of deep darkness, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
If you don't know, most beautiful of women, go out after the flock and graze your young goats beside the shepherd's tents.
For this is what the LORD told me: "Just as a lion or a young lion growls over his objects of prey, even when a whole band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not alarmed at their shouting or disturbed by their clamor so the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.
My house has been plucked up and vanishes from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver, I've taken account of my life, and he cuts me off from the loom day and night you make an end of me.
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."
Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will devastate them. A leopard is watching their towns, and everyone who goes out of them will be torn to pieces. For their transgressions are many, and their apostasies numerous.
In the towns of the hill country, in the towns of the Shephelah, in the towns of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the areas around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them,' says the LORD."
You aren't to build houses, you aren't to sow seeds, and you aren't to plant vineyards, or own them. Instead, you are to live in tents all your lives, so you will enjoy a long life in the land where you reside.'
He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their idols and take them captive. He will wrap himself with the land of Egypt like a shepherd wraps himself with a garment, and then he will leave from there in peace.
"I'll cause you to pass under the rod until I will have brought you into the bond of the covenant.
Just as a shepherd looks after his flock during the day time while he is with them, so also I'm going to watch over my sheep, delivering them from every place where they've been scattered during the times of gloom and doom.
and because I know that your transgressions are many, and your sins are numerous as you oppose the righteous, taking bribes as a ransom, and turning away the poor in court
Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet's son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.
"And you, watchtower of the flock, you stronghold of the daughter of Zion, it will happen even to you: The former dominion, even the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem, will come.
So I became shepherd of the flock marked for slaughter, paying attention to the oppressed of the flock. I took two staffs naming one "Pleasant" and the other one "Union" - and then I pastured the flock.
John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night.
"Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. He leaves the 99 in the wilderness and looks for the one that is lost until he finds it, doesn't he?
No one would give him anything, even though he would gladly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating.
It's to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it's his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the victor's crown of glory that will never fade away.