No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Jeremiah 25:35
What does Jeremiah 25:35 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jeremiah 25:35
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse powerfully reveals that even the "shepherds" – the leaders who are supposed to protect their "flock" – will find no escape. It's not just that they can't flee; the very possibility of flight will be destroyed for them. This highlights a devastating divine judgment where no earthly position or power can shield the guilty from God's wrath.
No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just declared his fierce judgment is coming upon all nations, and Jeremiah is warned that this judgment will be so overwhelming that even the leaders, metaphorically called "shepherds" and "principals of the flock," will find no escape. This divine roar of judgment will leave no refuge for those who are meant to protect and lead, signifying a total and inescapable devastation for the unrighteous.
When God's judgment comes, who is most vulnerable? It's not the weak, but those in charge.
This verse declares a stark reality: leaders, referred to as 'shepherds' and 'principals,' will have no means of escape.
The Shepherd's Failure
The term 'shepherds' here is a metaphor for rulers and leaders who are responsible for the 'flock' – the people they govern. Just as shepherds are meant to protect their sheep, leaders are entrusted with the well-being of their nation. However, when God brings judgment, their leadership roles offer no special protection.
No Escape for the Elite
'The principal of the flock' refers to the most prominent or powerful among the leaders. The verse explicitly states that even these individuals, who typically have the most resources and influence to escape danger, will find themselves cornered. Their status and power become utterly useless in the face of divine wrath.
What can stand against the power of the Almighty? Certainly not the plans of earthly rulers.
Jeremiah 25 paints a picture of God's immense power and the comprehensive nature of His judgment. The context leading up to this verse describes God's 'roar' and 'mighty shout' against all the inhabitants of the earth.
The Divine Voice
When God speaks in displeasure, His voice is like a lion's roar, shaking the foundations of nations. This divine proclamation signals an end to any semblance of security for those who have defied Him.
Ask a follow-up
The Futility of Human Schemes
In the face of such overwhelming divine power, human strategies for escape—even those devised by the most powerful leaders—are rendered completely ineffective. Their 'refuge' and 'escape' are illusions; only God's justice is assured.
Understand the original words
manos · Hebrew Noun
A place of safety or deliverance from danger; in a theological sense, the only true refuge is God Himself, whereas human attempts at security often fail under divine judgment.
Jeremiah's vivid imagery of 'shepherds' and 'lords of the flock' facing inescapable doom directly addresses the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The prophecy underscores that even the highest leaders of Judah, who should have protected the people, would find no refuge from God's judgment when they failed in their responsibilities.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Deportations
The Assyrian Empire, a dominant power in the region, began a series of systematic deportations of conquered peoples. This established a precedent for mass displacement and loss of sovereignty in the ancient Near East.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, crown prince of Babylon, defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians at Carchemish. Following this victory, he marches into Judah and deports a group of prominent citizens, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After King Jehoiachin of Judah rebels against Babylonian rule, Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. He deports another large group of Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Following a prolonged siege and further rebellion led by King Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar's forces breach Jerusalem's walls. They destroy the city and Solomon's Temple, and a final wave of Judeans are deported to Babylon. This devastating event leaves Judah as a Babylonian province and signals the end of the Davidic monarchy.
c. 580 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecy of Judgment
Jeremiah issues a sweeping prophecy of judgment against all nations, culminating in a devastating pronouncement against Judah. He declares that there will be no escape for its leaders, signifying the totality of God's wrath against their disobedience.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire, which had held the Judean exiles captive for decades, is conquered by the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great. This event ushers in a new era and eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's warning, stating that even the swiftest will not escape judgment, and the strong will find their strength useless.
Ezekiel 34:10This verse speaks of God's direct intervention to rescue His sheep from the shepherds who have failed them, highlighting God's ultimate judgment on corrupt leadership.
Lamentations 4:1Here, the prophet laments the fall of Jerusalem, describing how the precious princes and sons of Zion, once valued like gold, are now considered mere pottery, emphasizing the complete loss of status and refuge.
Luke 19:44Jesus pronounces judgment on Jerusalem, declaring that the enemies will level the city and its inhabitants, leaving them without a single stone upon another, signifying a total and inescapable destruction.
pooleJeremiah 25:35: "And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape."
In ordinary dispensations of judgment, there is some way left to escape, and if there be any way of escape, great men are likeliest to find it; but he telleth them that the greatest men should find no way to flee from or escape this terrible dispensation of God.
jfbJeremiah 25:35: "And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape."
- Literally, "Flight shall fail the shepherds … escaping (shall fail) the principal," &c. (Am 2:14). The leaders will be the first objects for slaughter; escape by flight will be out of their power.
This verse powerfully reveals that even the "shepherds" – the leaders who are supposed to protect their "flock" – will find no escape. It's not just that they can't flee; the very possibility of flight will be destroyed for them. This highlights a devastating divine judgment where no earthly position or power can shield the guilty from God's wrath.
God has just declared his fierce judgment is coming upon all nations, and Jeremiah is warned that this judgment will be so overwhelming that even the leaders, metaphorically called "shepherds" and "principals of the flock," will find no escape. This divine roar of judgment will leave no refuge for those who are meant to protect and lead, signifying a total and inescapable devastation for the unrighteous.
God has just declared his fierce judgment is coming upon all nations, and Jeremiah is warned that this judgment will be so overwhelming that even the leaders, metaphorically called "shepherds" and "principals of the flock," will find no escape. This divine roar of judgment will leave no refuge for those who are meant to protect and lead, signifying a total and inescapable devastation for the unrighteous.
"No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock." — This verse powerfully reveals that even the "shepherds" – the leaders who are supposed to protect their "flock" – will find no escape. It's not just that they can't flee; the very possibility of fl…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026