The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:4 Explained

Jeremiah 23:4

KJV: And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

YLT: And I have raised for them shepherds, And they have fed them, And they fear no more, nor are affrighted, Nor are they lacking -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: And I will raise up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, saith Jehovah.

ASV: And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will set up  shepherds  over them which shall feed  them: and they shall fear  no more, nor be dismayed,  neither shall they be lacking,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 23:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord also promised to raise up shepherds (leaders) for His people, in the great future restoration, who would care for them properly (cf. Jeremiah 3:15). The Israelites would finally no longer feel fearful or terrified, and none of them would be missing from the land.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 23:1-12 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth.
Jeremiah 23:1-40 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 23

1  He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock
5  Christ shall rule and save them
9  Against false prophets;
33  and mockers of the true prophets

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 23:4 mean?

And I will set up over them shepherds and who will feed them and no they shall fear more nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking says Yahweh -
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֧י עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם רֹעִ֖ים וְרָע֑וּם וְלֹא־ יִֽירְא֨וּ ע֧וֹד וְלֹא־ יֵחַ֛תּוּ וְלֹ֥א יִפָּקֵ֖דוּ נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה ס

וַהֲקִמֹתִ֧י  And  I  will  set  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם  over  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רֹעִ֖ים  shepherds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
וְרָע֑וּם  and  who  will  feed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
וְלֹא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִֽירְא֨וּ  they  shall  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
ע֧וֹד  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
וְלֹא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵחַ֛תּוּ  be  dismayed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִפָּקֵ֖דוּ  shall  they  be  lacking 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation