Jeremiah 12:10
Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.
Many shepherds
The term "shepherds" in the Hebrew context often refers to leaders or rulers, both spiritual and political. In ancient Israel, shepherds were responsible for the care and guidance of their flock, symbolizing the leaders' duty to guide the people in righteousness. The use of "many" suggests a collective failure among the leaders of Israel, indicating widespread corruption and neglect. Historically, this reflects the period of the divided kingdom, where both Israel and Judah experienced leadership that often led the people away from God's commandments.

have destroyed My vineyard
The "vineyard" is a metaphor for Israel, a common imagery used throughout the Old Testament to represent God's chosen people (Isaiah 5:1-7). The destruction implies not just physical ruin but spiritual decay. The Hebrew root for "destroyed" conveys a sense of corruption and devastation, indicating that the leaders' actions have led to the moral and spiritual downfall of the nation. This reflects the historical context of Jeremiah's time, where idolatry and injustice were rampant.

they have trampled My plot of ground
"Trampled" suggests a deliberate and careless disregard for something valuable. The "plot of ground" symbolizes the land of Israel, which was a gift from God to His people, meant to be a place of blessing and prosperity. The Hebrew imagery here evokes a sense of violation and disrespect, as the leaders have not only neglected their duty but have actively contributed to the nation's ruin. This can be seen as a reflection of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, which the leaders have broken.

They have turned My pleasant field
The "pleasant field" signifies the beauty and potential of Israel under God's care. The Hebrew word for "pleasant" conveys delight and favor, indicating how God viewed His people and the land He gave them. The transformation from a "pleasant field" to a wasteland underscores the severity of the leaders' failure. Historically, this can be linked to the consequences of the people's disobedience, leading to exile and destruction.

into a desolate wasteland
A "desolate wasteland" is the antithesis of the "pleasant field," representing complete barrenness and ruin. The Hebrew term for "desolate" often implies a state of being uninhabitable and forsaken. This imagery serves as a powerful warning of the consequences of turning away from God. In the scriptural context, it reflects the impending judgment that Jeremiah prophesied, where the land would suffer due to the people's unfaithfulness. This serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the importance of faithful leadership and adherence to God's covenant.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. He is known for his lamentations over the spiritual state of the nation.

2. Shepherds
In this context, the term "shepherds" refers metaphorically to the leaders of Israel, including kings, priests, and prophets, who were responsible for guiding the people but failed in their duties.

3. Vineyard
Symbolically represents the nation of Israel, which God cultivated to be fruitful and faithful to Him.

4. Pleasant Field
Another metaphor for Israel, indicating the beauty and potential that God intended for His people.

5. Desolate Wasteland
The result of the leaders' failure, representing the spiritual and physical ruin of the nation due to neglect and disobedience.
Teaching Points
Leadership Accountability
Leaders are accountable to God for the spiritual well-being of those they lead. Neglect and self-interest can lead to ruin.

Spiritual Stewardship
Just as a vineyard requires care, our spiritual lives need nurturing through prayer, study, and obedience to God's Word.

Consequences of Neglect
Ignoring God's commands and failing to lead righteously results in spiritual desolation, both personally and communally.

God's Expectation of Fruitfulness
God desires His people to be fruitful, reflecting His character and purposes in the world.

Hope for Restoration
Despite the desolation, God offers hope and restoration through repentance and faithful leadership, as seen in the promise of the Good Shepherd.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the metaphor of the vineyard in Jeremiah 12:10 help us understand God's expectations for His people?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are not like the negligent shepherds described in this passage?

3. How do the consequences faced by Israel's leaders serve as a warning for leaders today, both in the church and in other areas of life?

4. What steps can we take to cultivate our spiritual lives and avoid becoming a "desolate wasteland"?

5. How does the promise of Jesus as the Good Shepherd provide hope and direction for us in light of the failures of human leadership?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 5:1-7
This passage also uses the vineyard metaphor to describe Israel's failure to produce good fruit despite God's care and provision.

Ezekiel 34:1-10
God condemns the shepherds of Israel for their neglect and exploitation of the flock, similar to the leaders criticized in Jeremiah 12:10.

John 10:11-15
Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd, contrasting with the unfaithful leaders of Israel, emphasizing His care and sacrifice for His sheep.
Shepherds Where They Ought not to beD. Young Jeremiah 12:10
The Inheritance that has Lost its CharmsD. Young Jeremiah 12:7-11
The Hiding of God's FaceS. Conway Jeremiah 12:7-13
People
Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan River
Topics
Crushing, Desirable, Desolate, Desolation, Destroy, Destroyed, Destruction, Fair, Field, Foot, Heritage, Keepers, Pastors, Pleasant, Portion, Ruin, Ruined, Sheep, Shepherds, Trample, Trampled, Trodden, Turn, Unplanted, Vine-garden, Vineyard, Waste, Wasteland, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 12:10

     4538   vineyard
     7786   shepherd, king and leader

Library
Calms and Crises
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Are You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour,
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation.
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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