1 Chronicles 11:2

11:2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general. ¹  The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’”

Psalms 78:71-72

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, ² 

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation. ³ 

78:72 David ⁴  cared for them with pure motives; ⁵ 

he led them with skill. ⁶ 

Jeremiah 23:4

23:4 I will install rulers ⁷  over them who will care for them. Then they will no longer need to fear or be terrified. None of them will turn up missing. ⁸  I, the Lord, promise it! ⁹ 

Ezekiel 34:2

34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds ¹⁰  of Israel; prophesy, and say to them – to the shepherds: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock?

Micah 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post ¹¹  and shepherd the people ¹²  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ¹³ 

They will live securely, ¹⁴  for at that time he will be honored ¹⁵ 

even in the distant regions of ¹⁶  the earth.

Matthew 2:6

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ¹⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “you were the one who led out and the one who brought in Israel.”

² tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”

³ tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”

³ tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”

⁵ tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”

⁴ tn Heb “shepherds.”

⁵ tn There are various nuances of the word פָּקַד (paqad) represented in vv. 2, 4. See Ps 8:4 (8:5 HT) and Zech 10:3 for “care for/take care of” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.1.a). See Exod 20:5; Amos 3:2; Jer 9:24; 11:22 for “punish” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.3). See 1 Kgs 20:39 and 2 Kgs 10:19 for “be missing” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Niph.1).

⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

⁵ tn The term shepherd is applied to kings in the ancient Near East. In the OT the Lord is often addressed as shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24; Ps 8:1). The imagery of shepherds as Israel’s leaders is also employed (Jer 23:1-2).

⁶ tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

⁷ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁸ tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

⁹ tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

¹⁰ tn Heb “be great.”

¹¹ tn Or “to the ends of.”

⁷ sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.