Why does the Lord speak judgment against the “shepherds who destroy and scatter my flock and have driven them away”?

The section on the Lord’s condemnation of Judah’s kings (Jeremiah 21:1–23:8) ends with this passage Jeremiah 23:1–8). This passage returns to the failure of king Zedekiah, who ruled during the Babylonian invasion. But more importantly, this passage brings hope in the midst of failure and judgment, as the Lord promises to send a righteous Branch who will establish the Davidic dynasty.

The passage begins with words of judgment. ’Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord. The word shepherd has been used often by Jeremiah to refer to the leadership of Judah. Even though he is not named, the historical context suggests that the immediate focus is King Zedekiah. But these words also look back on all the failed kings of Judah. With a few exceptions, none had cared for the Lord’s people the way they should have. By referring to the people as the sheep of my pasture, the Lord makes it very clear that the kings of Judah were meant to be under-shepherds with the Lord as the true Shepherd.¹ There is a sharp contrast in the first four verses of this passage between the failure of these under-shepherds and the Lord as the true Shepherd of his people. Notice first, how you is used to refer to the failure of the kings and I is used to speak of what the Lord will do. This contrast is highlighted by the deliberate structure of Jeremiah 23:1–4.²

A Woe to shepherds destroying the flock (Jeremiah 23:1)

B You yourselves scattered, thrust out, have not taken care of my flock (Jeremiah 23:2)

C Behold I take care of you (Jeremiah 23:3a)

B' I myself will gather, bring back my flock (Jeremiah 23:3b)

A' I will raise up shepherds who will shepherd (Jeremiah 23:4)

This structure contrasts the failure of the kings who destroy the flock (A) and scatter it (B) with the Lord who “raises shepherds who care for them" (‘A) and he will gather them (‘B), and focuses on C, the central verse (Jeremiah 23:3), where the Lord commits himself to caring for his sheep.