Shepherd

Shepherd is a name for the Lord, who leads, feeds, carries and protects his flock. Jesus is the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep and seeks the lost, and the leaders of the church are to shepherd his flock.

The Lord is my shepherd

• Psalm 23
  ¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ⁴Yea, 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 they comfort me.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
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• Psalm 80:1
  Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
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• Psalm 100:3
  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
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• Psalm 95:7
  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice,
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He gathers and carries his flock

• Isaiah 40:11
  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 tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
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• Ezekiel 34:11-16
  ¹¹For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. ¹²As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land. ¹⁴I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.I will feed them in good pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. ¹⁶I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
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• Jeremiah 31:10
  Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.
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Jesus the good shepherd

• John 10:11
  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
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• John 10:14-16
  ¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, ¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I 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. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
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• John 10:27-28
  ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
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• Hebrews 13:20
  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 everlasting covenant,Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
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• 1 Peter 2:25
  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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Seeking the lost sheep

• Luke 15:4-7
  ⁴What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, ⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ ⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
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• Matthew 18:12-14
  ¹²How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? ¹³And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
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• Matthew 9:36
  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
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• Isaiah 53:6
  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
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Shepherds of God's flock

• 1 Peter 5:2-4
  ²Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; ³Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
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• Acts 20:28
  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
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• Jeremiah 3:15
  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
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• John 21:16
  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
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See also

• Protection
• Provision
• Guidance
• Elders
• Jesus Christ

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.