Jeremiah 50:6 · Bible study
Jeremiah 50:6 Commentary: Lost Sheep, False Shepherds, Forgotten Rest
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine God's charge against Israel's shepherds, the people's wandering into idolatry, and the meaning of the forgotten resting place.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel's leaders led them into idolatry, causing them to forget God, their true resting place.
- Key words: tzon o'vdot (lost sheep), ro'ehem (their shepherds), revets (resting place).
- Main debate: Whether the “resting place” is God himself, the temple in Zion, the land of Canaan, or a messianic figure.
- Theological theme: God's judgment on corrupt leadership, yet his continued ownership of his wandering people.
- Best use: A call for leaders to lead faithfully and for all believers to remember that rest is found in God alone.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting place.
KJV King James Version 1769
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting-place.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A perishing flock hath My people been, Their shepherds have caused them to err, To the mountains causing them to go back, From mountain unto hill they have gone, They have forgotten their crouching-place.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they turned them away on the mountains: they went from mountain to hill, they forgot their resting-place.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
My people have been a lost flock, their shepherds have caused them to go astray, and have made them wander in the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Ovejas perdidas fueron mi pueblo: sus pastores las hicieron errar, por los montes las descarriaron|strong="H7725, H7726": anduvieron de monte en collado, olvidáronse de sus majadas.
Meu povo tem sido ovelhas perdidas; seus pastores as fizeram errar, pelos montes as desviaram; andaram de monte em morro, esqueceram-se de seu lugar de descanso.
Mon peuple était un troupeau de brebis perdues;
Denn mein Volk ist wie eine verlorene Herde; ihre Hirten haben sie verführt und auf den Bergen in der Irre gehen lassen, daß sie von den Bergen auf die Hügel gegangen sind und ihre Hürden vergessen haben.
Mijn volk waren verloren schapen, hun herders hadden hen verleid, zij hadden hen gevoerd naar de bergen, zij gingen van berg tot heuvel, zij vergaten hun legering.
Il mio popolo era un gregge di pecore smarrite; i loro pastori le aveano sviate, sui monti dell’infedeltà; esse andavano di monte in colle, avean dimenticato il luogo del loro riposo.
Lud mój jest jako trzoda owiec straconych, pasterze ich zawiedli ich w błąd, po górach rozegnali ich: z góry na pagórek chodziły, zapomniawszy legowiska swego.
Народ Мой был как погибшие овцы; пастыри их совратили их с пути, разогнали их по горам; скитались они с горы на холм, забыли ложе свое.
「我的百姓 作了 迷失的 羊，牧人 使他們走差路，使他們轉到 山上。他們從大山 走 到 小山，竟忘了 安歇之處。
My people have been wandering sheep: their keepers have made them go out of the right way, turning them loose on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, having no memory of their resting-place.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 50:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse paints Israel as helpless sheep whose leaders deliberately misled them. The Hebrew verb hith'u (Hiphil of ta'ah, “to go astray”) means the shepherds actively caused the flock to wander, not by neglect but by directed error. Adam Clarke notes the shepherds are “pastors, kings, and prophets.” Barnes and Calvin specify civil rulers. The result: the people “went from mountain to hill,” visiting each high place of idol worship.
Almost all commentators identify the “resting place” as God himself, the fold where sheep find safety. Calvin writes that the Jews “forgot their resting-place, which was God.” Jamieson, Fausset and Brown agree, adding the temple on Zion as a secondary referent (Psalm 132:8,14). A few, like Gill, also connect it to the land of Canaan or to Christ, but the shared emphasis is that Israel traded secure rest in Yahweh for fruitless wandering among false gods. The blame falls squarely on the leaders, yet Calvin adds that God does not thereby excuse the people's own guilt, both shepherds and flock bear responsibility, but the verse highlights the shepherds' role in the tragedy.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Rest = God himself: Calvin, Gill, and many Reformed commentators point to Psalms 23:2 and 116:7, where rest is found in Yahweh’s presence.
- Rest = the land/temple: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize the land of Canaan and the temple in Zion as the place of rest (Psalm 132:8,14; Deuteronomy 12:9).
- Rest = Christ: Gill also offers a Christological reading: Matthew 11:28-30, where Christ is the rest for weary souls.
What is clear: The people's wandering is a direct result of their shepherds' misdirection, and the community forgot the secure, life-giving presence that God alone provides.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the shepherds | The shepherds are the civil and religious leaders of Israel, kings, priests, and prophets. | Some commentators (e.g., Adam Clarke) focus on all three groups; others (e.g., Calvin, Barnes) emphasize the civil rulers. No one disputes that the term covers multiple kinds of leaders. |
| Why shepherds are blamed | The hebrew verbs show active misdirection: the shepherds caused the people to wander, not just neglected them. | Calvin argues this does not absolve the people of their own sin; Poole suggests the shepherds forced or encouraged idolatry. The precise degree of the people's culpability is discussed across traditions. |
| Meaning of the mountains | The mountains refer to high places used for pagan worship (Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6). | Cambridge notes the MT consonants could be read as 'the seducing mountains' (a pun on the verb 'shovav'), making the mountains themselves apostate. The EVV follow the vocalization 'mountains', but this textual nuance affects how directly the places are personified. |
| The forgotten resting place | The resting place (revets) is the security and safety that God provides for his people. | Calvin and many Reformed commentators identify it directly with God. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown also point to the temple and the land. Gill expands to include Christ as the true rest. These are complementary, not contradictory, but they reflect different ways of reading Old Testament imagery through a Christological lens. |
| Cause of the exile | The exile resulted from Israel's idolatry, which the shepherds promoted. | Some (e.g., Matthew Henry, Wesley) stress the shepherds' direct fault in causing idolatry; others (Calvin, Lange) emphasize that God uses the exile to discipline even while holding the people responsible. The relationship between divine sovereignty and human failure is nuanced. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 50:6 appears within a long oracle against Babylon (chapters 50, 51), written near the end of the Babylonian exile (c. 540 BC). The surrounding verses (v.2, 5) announce Babylon's fall and the return of God's people. Verse 6 then explains why exile happened: not because God abandoned his flock, but because their shepherds led them astray.
“Shepherds” in the Old Testament regularly refers to kings, princes, and religious leaders (Jeremiah 2:8; 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34). These men turned the people toward “the mountains”, the high places where Canaanite worship of Baal and Asherah occurred (1 Kings 12:31; Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6,23). The repetition “from mountain to hill” pictures a frantic, aimless search for spiritual satisfaction, each new hill promising fertility and security but delivering only more wandering.
Israel's “resting place” (Hebrew revets, “place of lying down”) evokes the secure fold of a shepherd. In the ancient Near East, sheep returned each night to a protected enclosure. The people, however, had forgotten their true fold, the God who gave them rest in the land (Deuteronomy 12:9) and in the temple on Zion (Psalm 132:8,14). Because they rejected him, they experienced not rest but scattering among the nations. The verse directly prepares for the call in v.8 to “flee out of Babylon” and return to that rest.
Textual Notes
The chief textual question in Jeremiah 50:6 involves the Hebrew word translated “on the mountains.” The consonants hrrym can be vocalized as harim (“mountains”) or as horim (“seducing/apostate”). Cambridge Bible notes that the Septuagint and Vulgate take the latter reading, while the English versions follow the Masoretic vocalization as “mountains.” Many modern scholars see a deliberate pun, the mountains themselves are both the places of idolatry and the agents of seduction. The other verbs (šōḇḇûm) also use the root šûḇ, “to turn back,” suggesting a consistent play on words throughout the verse. No other significant variants are attested in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters read this verse as a prophetic lament over Israel's rejection of God, often allegorizing the shepherds as false teachers who led the people away from Christ. The Vulgate translation influenced medieval readings; the “resting place” was frequently understood as the Church or the peace of the heavenly Jerusalem.
During the Reformation, Calvin used the verse to emphasize both the gravity of pastoral office and the patience of God, who still calls the lost “my people.” Jeremiah 50:6 also appears in Wesleyan and Methodist commentary as a call for leaders to be accountable. In modern evangelical preaching, the verse is regularly cited in sermons on church leadership failure and the danger of spiritual restlessness. It has been set to music in hymns of trust and return, though no specific hymn is universally tied to this passage alone.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Lost identity. God still calls them “My people” even though they are lost. Their condition does not cancel his covenant.
- Blame on leadership. The shepherds caused the wandering, not by accident but by actively turning them toward idols.
- Forgotten rest. The people forgot that true security is found only in God, not in any mountain or ritual.
Five-point outline
- The flock's condition: “Lost sheep”, helpless, directionless, in danger.
- The shepherds' crime: They “caused them to go astray”, a verb of deliberate deception.
- The method: Turning them toward the mountains, the high places of idolatry.
- The progression: “From mountain to hill”, a restless search that never satisfies.
- The tragedy: “Forgotten their resting place”, the deepest wound is not exile but amnesia toward God.
Illustration hooks
- Misleading GPS. A driver trusts a route that leads to a dead end. The shepherds gave Israel bad directions, and the people followed because they trusted the source. Even sincere following can lead to a cliff if the guide is false.
- Forgotten home. An elderly person with dementia wandering familiar streets, unable to remember their own house. Israel once knew the way home; now they cannot find the door.
- Endless scrolling. People today jump from platform to platform, relationship to relationship, job to job, looking for rest. Every hill promises satisfaction but delivers only the next scroll.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know when a trusted spiritual leader is leading me away from God rather than toward him?
- What does it mean to “forget” God in daily life, is it intellectual or relational?
- If my leaders failed me, does God still hold me responsible for my own wandering?
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites the group to consider both the damage that bad leadership can do and the responsibility of each person to know their true rest in God. Begin by reading Jeremiah 50:6 aloud, then the surrounding promises of restoration (v.4, 5, 8). Notice the contrast: God calls them “my people” even while they are lost, a mix of grief and covenant loyalty.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse tell you about the condition of the people? About the actions of the shepherds?
- Interpretation: In the Old Testament, “shepherds” often means kings and priests. Why would God use this pastoral image to critique Israel's leaders?
- Interpretation: The people “have gone from mountain to hill”, what does this movement suggest about their spiritual state?
- Connection: Read Psalm 23:2 and Psalm 116:7. How do these passages define “resting place”?
- Application: Who are the shepherds in your life today, pastors, teachers, authors, influencers? How can you evaluate whether they are leading you toward rest or toward wandering?
- Application: Have you ever “forgotten” your resting place in God? What helps you remember?
- Gospel turn: Verse 4 says the people will return weeping and seeking Yahweh. How does repentance become the first step back to the rest they forgot?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 23:2 | He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. |
| Psalms 32:7 | You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. |
| Psalms 90:1 | A Prayer by Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations. |
| Psalms 91:1 | He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. |
| Psalms 116:7 | Return to your rest, my soul, for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you. |
| Psalms 119:176 | I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments. |
| Song of Solomon 1:7 | Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; for why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions? |
| Song of Solomon 1:8 | If you don’t know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that God's pity for the people stems from their leaders--pastors, kings, and prophets--who caused them to stray. The phrase "from mountain to hill" describes their widespread idolatry, practiced at every high place.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the term “shepherds” here refers to civil rulers, not literal shepherds, and that they led the people astray onto mountains, the usual sites for idolatrous worship. He also interprets “restingplace” as a fold, as in Psalm 23.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that God blames the shepherds for leading the people astray, but does not excuse the people themselves. Instead, God highlights the greatness of his own grace in showing mercy to a flock that was utterly lost and without hope. The people had forgotten their true resting place, God, and wandered from one form of idolatry to another.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes the phrase may refer literally to idolatrous worship on mountains, but prefers a metaphorical reading. The mountains represent barren, dangerous regions where ungodly guides have led the people, in contrast to the fertile pastures of a safe life in God’s favor.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that the people went astray not on their own but because their shepherds deliberately led them into error. These leaders turned them toward the mountains, causing them to wander aimlessly and forget the true resting place God had given them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that these "lost sheep" remain God's people despite their wandering, because God still holds a design of grace toward them. Their own kings, priests and prophets caused them to stray into idolatry and error, even as later rabbis misled them away from the true Messiah and His rest.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB contrasts two kinds of mountains in this verse: the hills where Israel sacrificed to idols and the resting place where God gathers His sheep. The sheep stray on the mountains of false worship, but find their true rest in Jehovah Himself and in His temple at Zion.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight that Jeremiah speaks of Babylon's fall as already accomplished in the spirit, piling up urgent commands to proclaim it. They take care to explain that Bel and Merodach are not separate gods but two names for Babylon's one chief deity, and the mountains that led Israel astray were the actual sites of idolatry.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights the tension between personal gratitude and prophetic duty. Jeremiah received kindness from the king of Babylon, yet he still had to announce that kingdom's ruin. God's prophets cannot let affection silence them: those who are friends to us but enemies to God must still hear the truth.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley places the blame squarely on the nation's leaders — both civil rulers and religious teachers — whose commands, example, and doctrine drove the people into idolatry. He sees the sheep as misled from one false worship to another until they had entirely forgotten God.