“He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large.”
— Genesis 29:2 WEB
Explore Bible verses about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Discover His love, guidance, and protection for His sheep.
Verses sourced from the World English Bible (public domain). Selection follows our editorial policy. Last reviewed 2026-04-23. See all sources.
Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11, symbolizing His sacrificial love and commitment to His followers. This imagery reflects His role in guiding, protecting, and nurturing His flock, emphasizing the intimate relationship between Him and His believers, who are depicted as sheep in need of care and direction.
“I am the good shepherd.Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
A shepherd stands in the field, guiding and protecting the flock. Sheep gather around a well, waiting for water, as seen in Genesis 29:2. This image of a shepherd is woven throughout the Bible, offering a picture of care and guidance. In ancient times, shepherds played a crucial role in the community. They provided for and protected their sheep, ensuring they were safe and well-fed. This work, often unseen and humble, carried deep significance.
John 10:11 reveals Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He declares, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This profound statement shows His commitment to us. Jesus as the Good Shepherd means He knows us intimately and cares for our well-being. Like David in 1 Samuel 17:34, who protected his sheep from danger, Jesus guards us from harm. These passages illuminate His unwavering devotion and love for us, His flock.
“He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large.”
— Genesis 29:2 WEB
“These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’”
— Genesis 46:32 WEB
“who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.””
— Numbers 27:17 WEB
“David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,”
— 1 Samuel 17:34 WEB
“All sheep and cattle, yes, and the animals of the field,”
— Psalms 8:7 WEB
“Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.”
— Psalms 23:1 WEB
“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
— Psalms 23:2 WEB
“Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.”
— Psalms 28:9 WEB
“So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”
— Psalms 78:72 WEB
“for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice!”
— Psalms 95:7 WEB
“Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
— Psalms 100:3 WEB
“The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them.”
— Isaiah 11:6 WEB
“He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.”
— Isaiah 40:11 WEB
“Sharon will be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought me.”
— Isaiah 65:10 WEB
“I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
— Jeremiah 3:15 WEB
“Shepherds with their flocks will come to her. They will pitch their tents against her all around. They will feed everyone in his place.””
— Jeremiah 6:3 WEB
““Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says Yahweh.”
— Jeremiah 23:1 WEB
“I will set up shepherds over them, who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says Yahweh.”
— Jeremiah 23:4 WEB
“A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the leader of the flock, for Yahweh destroys their pasture.”
— Jeremiah 25:36 WEB
““Behold, he will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoever is chosen, I will appoint him over it. For who is like me? Who will appoint me a time? Who is the shepherd who will stand before me?””
— Jeremiah 49:19 WEB
“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.”
— Jeremiah 50:6 WEB
“Behold, the enemy will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation; for I will suddenly make them run away from it. Whoever is chosen, I will appoint him over it; for who is like me? Who will appoint me a time? Who is the shepherd who can stand before me?””
— Jeremiah 50:44 WEB
“With you I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock. With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke. With you will I break in pieces governors and deputies.”
— Jeremiah 51:23 WEB
“As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
— Ezekiel 34:12 WEB
“I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord Yahweh.”
— Ezekiel 34:15 WEB
“You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord Yahweh.””
— Ezekiel 34:31 WEB
“Yahweh says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.””
— Amos 3:12 WEB
“Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.”
— Micah 7:14 WEB
“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; For Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle.”
— Zechariah 10:3 WEB
“For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.”
““Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; and I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
— Zechariah 13:7 WEB
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassedTR reads “weary” instead of “harassed” and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.”
— Matthew 9:36 WEB
““Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
— Matthew 10:16 WEB
“Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
— Matthew 25:32 WEB
“He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”
— Matthew 25:33 WEB
“Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’Zechariah 13:7”
— Matthew 26:31 WEB
“Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.”
— Mark 6:34 WEB
“Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’Zechariah 13:7”
— Mark 14:27 WEB
“I am the good shepherd.Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
— John 10:11 WEB
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;”
— John 10:14 WEB
“even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.”
— John 10:15 WEB
“So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.””
— John 21:15 WEB
“He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.””
— John 21:16 WEB
“Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.”
— Acts 8:32 WEB
“He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherdsor, pastors and teachers;”
— Ephesians 4:11 WEB
“Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,”
— Hebrews 13:20 WEB
“For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer“Overseer” is from the Greek episkopon, which can mean overseer, curator, guardian, or superintendent. of your souls.”
— 1 Peter 2:25 WEB
“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;”
— 1 Peter 5:2 WEB
“By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
— 1 John 3:16 WEB
“for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.””
Reflect
Reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He knows each of us by name and leads us with compassion and strength. Trust in His guidance.
Pray
Dear God, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Guide us each day, and help us follow Your path. Protect us from harm and lead us to still waters. Amen.
Apply
This week, spend time in quiet reflection or prayer, asking Jesus to guide you in specific areas of your life where you need His leadership.
The Good Shepherd is a title Jesus uses to describe Himself in John 10:11. It signifies His role as a caring and protective guide for His followers. Unlike a hired hand, the Good Shepherd is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of His sheep, even willing to lay down His life for them. This title emphasizes His love, sacrifice, and personal relationship with His followers.
Jesus is our shepherd as He guides, protects, and nurtures us spiritually. John 10:14 states, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own." This relationship is personal and intimate. Jesus leads us through life's challenges, offering comfort and direction. Like a shepherd who knows each sheep, Jesus knows us intimately and shepherds us with love and care.
Being His sheep means belonging to Jesus and following His lead. In John 10:27, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." As His sheep, we trust in His guidance and protection. We listen for His voice in our lives and strive to follow His teachings. This relationship includes dependence on His provision and care, as sheep depend on their shepherd.
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