Read John 10 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
Joh 9:1-10:42 Chiastic Structure:
“Shepherd” is in Greek, Strong’s G4166, ποιμήν poimen, a shepherd, translated from the Hebrew Strong’s H7462, רעה ra’ah, a primary verb meaning, “to shepherd, to pasture.” The ancient pictographs are resh + ayin + hey.
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
ayin ע = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
hey ה = man with upraised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word is of the man (resh) watching over (ayin) his commission with sighing in his chest/ heart (hey), that is, invested by love and duty to succeed, for tending God’s creation was his original commission from his Creator (Gen 1:26).
In many other places in the Scripture, the verb “to shepherd” is translated as a noun:
YHVH is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psa 23:1
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those who are with young. Isa 40:11
That is to say, YHVH shepherds me, therefore I shall not lack anything essential.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek YHVH shall not lack any good thing. Psa 34:10
He watches over me invested by love and duty. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He is of a favorable character, suitable to meet our needs, who can be relied upon, according to Webster’s. He does not abandon us at the first sign of trouble, but lays His life down for us, so that we may live. And not only live, but live abundantly, in the present, and with everlasting life in the future.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Philip Keller (excerpts)
Psalm 23 Index of Studies – Christine Miller
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