Why does the Lord promise that there will once again be “habitations of shepherds resting their flocks” throughout Judah?

In the final part of this message of restoration, the Lord speaks of habitations of shepherds resting their flocks returning to the empty land that has been turned into waste by the invasion. As in Jeremiah 32:44, this scene of restoration will spread throughout every part of the land.

This is more than just the restoration of peace to the rural areas of the land; it speaks of a people finding rest in the land. In Jeremiah 23:1–2 the Lord condemned the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, referring to the leaders and kings of Judah. The Lord promised to restore his scattered flock and place over them shepherds who would care for them as they should (Jeremiah 23:3–4). That care is explained more fully here. These new shepherds will cause the sheep to rest. The Hebrew word is rabas and it means to lie down as the Lord, the shepherd of his people, leads them in Psalm 23:2 and Ezekiel 34:14–15. The sheep will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, showing care and commitment to each sheep¹. This description of the new shepherds prepares the way for what follows in the final passage of Jeremiah 33:1–26.