Reference: Shepherd
American
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 again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a pastor of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and of those who have cattle.
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his tried and experienced servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he and his slaves poured themselves out against them by night and smote them and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. read more. And he recovered all the goods and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods and the women also and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of the heavens and of the earth; and blessed be the most high God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And Abram gave him tithes of all. Then the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of the heavens and of the earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet; I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou should say, I have made Abram rich, except only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who shall take their portion.
And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the prince of his host, spoke unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son; but according to the mercy that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me and to the land in which thou hast sojourned. read more. And Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's slaves had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I know not who has done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither have I heard of it, but today. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand that they may be a witness unto me that I have dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they swore, both of them. Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech rose up and Phichol, the prince of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
And the man waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great, for he had possession of flocks, possession of herds, great store of servants, and the Philistines envied him. read more. For all the wells which his father's slaves had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us, for thou art become much mightier than we.
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and, behold, Rachel, his daughter, comes with the sheep.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had many sheep, and maidslaves and menslaves, and camels, and asses.
That which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night. By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
And he said unto him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the sheep and cows with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them, in one day all the sheep will die.
And his brethren went to feed their father's sheep in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the sheep in Shechem? Come and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. read more. And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren and well with the sheep and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. And the man said, They are departed from here; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan.
Now as Moses shepherded the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, he led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Now a certain man of the slaves of Saul was there that day, fulfilling a vow before the LORD, and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the principal of the pastors of Saul.
His substance was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she asses, and a very great store of servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
They fall upon the habitations of the wilderness; and the hills gird themselves with happiness.
He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance. read more. So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I will gather the remnant of my sheep out of all the lands where I have driven them and will cause them to return to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye Gentiles, and cause it to be known in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.
Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any longer; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and they shall no longer be food for them.
Awake, O sword, upon the pastor and upon the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of the hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
And Jesus seeing it, became angry and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me and hinder them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.
And taking them up in his arms and putting his hands upon them, he blessed them.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the clarity of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared greatly. read more. But the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you a gospel of great joy, which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in man. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad that which had been told them concerning this child. And all those that heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. read more. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine just persons, who need no repentance.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. read more. To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Jesus spoke this parable unto them, but they did not understand what it was that he spoke unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the door; whosoever enters in by me shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy the sheep; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it in abundance. I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. read more. The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and the sheep do not belong to him. I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.
I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my soul for the sheep.
As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my soul for the sheep. And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; it is expedient that I bring them also, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.
and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers,
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal testament,
And when the great Prince of the pastors shall appear, ye shall receive the incorruptible crown of glory.
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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And David replied unto Saul, Thy slave was the pastor of his father's sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.
that calls Cyrus, my shepherd, and all that I desire, he shall fulfil, by saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
The priests did not say, Where is the LORD? and those that handled the law did not know me; the pastors also rebelled against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that do not profit.
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
For the pastors are become carnal and have not sought the LORD; therefore they did not understand, and all their flocks scattered.
Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard; they have trodden my heritage under foot; they have made my precious heritage a desolate wilderness.
For I did not take it upon myself to be a pastor following thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; thou dost know: that which came out of my lips has come forth in thy presence.
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the dust, ye principals of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like an enticing vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor for the principals of the flock to escape.
Thy shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria; thy valiant ones are at rest; thy people scattered themselves upon the mountains, and there is no one to unite them.
I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal testament,
Fausets
(See SHEEP.) The nomadic state is one of the earliest stages of society, and was regarded as honourable even to a chief (2000'>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 again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a pastor of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and of those who have cattle.
And Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there. And Isaac reopened the wells of water, which they had opened in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham, and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. read more. And Isaac's slaves dug in the valley and found there a well of living waters. And the pastors of Gerar strove with Isaac's pastors, saying, The water is ours; therefore he called the name of the well Esek, because they strove with him. And they opened another well and strove for that one also; and he called the name of it Sitnah. And he left there and opened another well; and for that one they did not strive and he called the name of it Rehoboth, and he said, For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and, behold, Rachel, his daughter, comes with the sheep. And he said, behold, it is yet high day; neither is it time that the livestock should be gathered together; water the sheep and go and feed them.
And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee and how many livestock thou hast with me.
And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink that they should conceive when they came to drink.
And Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the idols of her father.
That which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night. By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
And he said unto him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the sheep and cows with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them, in one day all the sheep will die.
And many days passed and Judah's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died; and Judah was comforted and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
Then ye shall say, Thy slaves' trade has been about livestock from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers, that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every pastor of sheep is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any men of valour among them, then make them rulers over my livestock.
but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty one of Jacob; from there did the stone of Israel shepherd,
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came and drew water to fill the troughs to water their father's sheep. But the pastors came and drove them away. Then Moses stood up and defended them and watered their sheep.
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the pastors and also drew water enough for us and watered the sheep.
And concerning the tithe of the cows or of the sheep, even of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holiness unto the LORD.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all thy young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes here.
And Saul said unto his slaves, Provide me now a man that can play well and bring him to me.
And David replied unto Saul, Thy slave was the pastor of his father's sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.
And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
and to those who were in Hebron and in all the places where David had been with his men.
And they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh and fasted seven days.
And they came unto the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the low country and in the plains, husbandmen also and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved agriculture.
Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
But now those that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me.
He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.
The words of the wise are as goads and as nails hammered into place, those of the teachers of the congregations, who are placed under one Shepherd.
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go forth, following the footprints of the flock and feed thy little female goats beside the booths of the shepherds.
Woe unto those that establish unrighteous laws and that wilfully prescribe tyranny to turn aside the poor from right judgment and to take away the right from the afflicted of my people that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless! read more. And what will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help and where will ye leave your glory? They shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. O Assyrian, rod and staff of my anger, in thy hand have I placed my indignation. I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and upon the people of my wrath will I send him to take spoil and to take prey and to ready them that they might be tread down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he shall not think like this; not even in his heart shall he imagine this way of doing things, but his thought shall be to destroy and cut off nations not a few. For he shall say, Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus? As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel those of Jerusalem and of Samaria; shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? Therefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord has performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will come upon the fruit of the pride of the heart of the king of Assyria, and upon the glory of his high looks. For he said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have been prudent: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and I have cast down as valiant ones those who were seated: And my hand has found as a nest the riches of the peoples: and as one gathers eggs that are left, I have taken control over all the earth; and there was no one that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. Shall the axe boast itself against him that hews with it? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that moves it? as if the rod should rise up against those that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift itself up. Is it not wood? Therefore shall the Lord, the LORD of the hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; and shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, from the soul unto the flesh; and they shall come to be as a standard-bearer in defeat. And the trees that shall remain in his forest shall be in number such that a child may count them. And it shall come to pass in that day that those who shall be left of Israel and those who shall be left of the house of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall become converted, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet the remnant of them shall become converted; when the consumption comes to an end, righteousness shall overflow. For the Lord GOD of the hosts shall make a consumption and an end in the midst of all the land. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of the hosts, O my people, dweller of Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his stick against thee by the way of Egypt;
For thus has the LORD spoken unto me, Like the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, even if a multitude of shepherds come forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voices, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of the hosts come down to fight for Mount Zion and for his hill.
My dwelling place has been moved and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent; he has cut off my life like a weaver: he has cut me off with sickness: between the day and the night thou shalt consume me.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and prepared the heavens with his palm and with three fingers measured the dust of the earth and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills with weights? read more. Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or being his counsellor has taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him? Who taught him in the path of judgment and taught him knowledge and showed unto him the way of intelligence? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he causes the isles to disappear as dust. And all Lebanon is not sufficient for the fire, nor all the beasts thereof sufficient for the sacrifice. All the Gentiles are as nothing before him, and they are counted to him as vanity and as less than nothing. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman prepares the graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold and casts silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks unto himself a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not been taught since the land was founded? He is seated upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; he stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in: He brings the powerful to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as if they had never been, As if they had never been planted, as if they had never been sown, as if their stock had never taken root in the earth; even blowing upon them, they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or what shall ye compare me to? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and behold who has created these things; he brings out his host by number; he calls them all by their names; none shall be lacking by the greatness of his might and by the strength of his power. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest thou, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the God of the age is the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not faint, nor is he weary; and there is no one that can attain to his intelligence. He gives power to the faint; and to those that have no might he increases strength.
that calls Cyrus, my shepherd, and all that I desire, he shall fulfil, by saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
that thou may say to the prisoners, Go forth; and unto those that are in darkness, Show yourselves. Upon the ways shall they be fed, and upon all the high places shall be their pastures. They shall never hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water he shall feed them.
The priests did not say, Where is the LORD? and those that handled the law did not know me; the pastors also rebelled against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that do not profit.
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed each one his portion.
And I will gather the remnant of my sheep out of all the lands where I have driven them and will cause them to return to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them; and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed neither shall they be lacking, said the LORD.
In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that counts them, said the LORD.
And I will put fire to the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his garment; and he shall go forth from there in peace.
And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee and pitch their tents in thee; they shall eat thy plantings, and they shall drink thy milk.
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto the pastors, Thus hath the Lord GOD said; Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
For thus hath the Lord GOD said: Behold, I, even I, will both search and recognize my sheep. As the shepherd recognizes his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I recognize my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
As the shepherd recognizes his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I recognize my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my slave David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
The words of Amos, who was among the pastors of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Thus hath the LORD said: As the pastor takes out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the sons of Israel escape that dwell in Samaria in the corner of the bed and at the border of the couch.
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, neither am I a prophet's son, but I am a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, neither am I a prophet's son, but I am a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:
And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion shall come unto thee; and the dominion shall come first, the kingdom, to the daughter of Jerusalem.
And he shall be our peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell only in the mountain, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the time of old.
Thy shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria; thy valiant ones are at rest; thy people scattered themselves upon the mountains, and there is no one to unite them.
And the sea coast shall be for dwellings and cottages for pastors, and sheepfolds.
And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. For I took unto me two staves: the one I named Beauty, and the other Bands; and I fed the flock.
Awake, O sword, upon the pastor and upon the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of the hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
And with many such parables he spoke the word unto them as they were able to hear it.
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while; for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
I have mercy on the multitude because they have now been with me three days and have nothing to eat;
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it?
And he longed to fill his belly with the husks that the swine ate, but no one gave them unto him.
To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. read more. The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and the sheep do not belong to him. I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.
and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
And now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, those whom thou hast given me, keep them in thy name, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.
that the word might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Of those whom thou gavest me I have lost none.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal testament,
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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
That which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night. By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Awake, O sword, upon the pastor and upon the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of the hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. read more. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Jesus spoke this parable unto them, but they did not understand what it was that he spoke unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the door; whosoever enters in by me shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy the sheep; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it in abundance. I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and the sheep do not belong to him. I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my soul for the sheep. And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; it is expedient that I bring them also, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal testament,
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
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and, behold, Rachel, his daughter, comes with the sheep. And he said, behold, it is yet high day; neither is it time that the livestock should be gathered together; water the sheep and go and feed them. read more. And they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and until they roll the stone from the well's mouth, that we may water the sheep.
And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee and how many livestock thou hast with me.
And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink that they should conceive when they came to drink.
That which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night. By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
And he said unto him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the sheep and cows with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them, in one day all the sheep will die.
the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any men of valour among them, then make them rulers over my livestock.
And when the child grew, she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came and drew water to fill the troughs to water their father's sheep.
Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock, and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, it seemed unto them that the place was a place for livestock.
And David replied unto Saul, Thy slave was the pastor of his father's sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.
took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.
took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.
Now a certain man of the slaves of Saul was there that day, fulfilling a vow before the LORD, and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the principal of the pastors of Saul.
He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the low country and in the plains, husbandmen also and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved agriculture.
Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
But now those that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me.
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go forth, following the footprints of the flock and feed thy little female goats beside the booths of the shepherds.
For thus has the LORD spoken unto me, Like the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, even if a multitude of shepherds come forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voices, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of the hosts come down to fight for Mount Zion and for his hill.
My dwelling place has been moved and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent; he has cut off my life like a weaver: he has cut me off with sickness: between the day and the night thou shalt consume me.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the desert shall destroy them and a tiger shall lie in wait over their cities; anyone that goes out from there shall be torn in pieces because their rebellions have been multiplied, and their backslidings are increased.
In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that counts them, said the LORD.
neither shall ye build a house, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers.
And I will put fire to the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his garment; and he shall go forth from there in peace.
And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
As the shepherd recognizes his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I recognize my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
For I have known of your many rebellions and your great sins that afflict the just and take a ransom and turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, neither am I a prophet's son, but I am a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:
And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion shall come unto thee; and the dominion shall come first, the kingdom, to the daughter of Jerusalem.
And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. For I took unto me two staves: the one I named Beauty, and the other Bands; and I fed the flock.
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it?
And he longed to fill his belly with the husks that the swine ate, but no one gave them unto him.
To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
And when the great Prince of the pastors shall appear, ye shall receive the incorruptible crown of glory.