Jeremiah 10:21

For our leaders ¹  are stupid. They have not sought the Lord’s advice. ²  So they do not act wisely, and the people they are responsible for ³  have all been scattered.

Isa 56:10-12; Jer 2:8; Jer 5:31; Jer 8:9; Jer 10:8,14; Jer 12:10; Jer 23:1; Jer 23:9-32; Jer 49:32; Jer 50:17; Eze 22:25-30; Eze 34:2-10; Eze 34:5,6,12; Zec 10:3; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:12,13

¹ tn Heb “the shepherds.”

² tn Heb “They have not sought the Lord.”

sn The idiom translated sought the Lord’s advice quite commonly refers to inquiring for the Lord’s guidance through a prophet. See for example Exod 18:15; 1 Sam 9:9; 1 Kgs 22:8. It would not exclude consulting the law.

³ tn Heb “all their flock (or “pasturage”).”

sn This verse uses the figure of rulers as shepherds and the people they ruled as sheep. It is a common figure in the Bible. See Ezek 34 for an extended development of this metaphor.