Jeremiah 33:13

33:13 I, the Lord, say that shepherds will once again count their sheep as they pass into the fold. ¹  They will do this in all the towns in the southern hill country, the western foothills, the southern hill country, the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, and the towns of Judah.’ ² 

Ezekiel 20:37

20:37 I will make you pass under ³  the shepherd’s staff, ⁴  and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

Micah 7:14

7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, ⁵ 

the flock that belongs to you, ⁶ 

the one that lives alone in a thicket,

in the midst of a pastureland. ⁷ 

Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, ⁸ 

as they did in the old days. ⁹ 

¹ sn Heb “Sheep will again pass under the hands of the counter.” This appears to be a reference to counting the sheep to make sure that none was missing as they returned to the fold. See the same idiom in Lev 27:52 and in the metaphor in Ezek 20:37.

² sn Compare Jer 32:44.

³ tn This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.

⁴ sn The metaphor may be based in Lev 27:32 (see also Jer 33:13; Matt 25:32-33). A shepherd would count his sheep as they passed beneath his staff.

⁵ tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).

⁶ tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”

⁷ tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.

⁸ sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.

⁹ tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”