343、“牧羊的”表示实行仁之良善的人。谁都能知道这一点，因为这是新旧约中常见的人物。一个引领和教导的人被称为“牧人或牧者”，而那些被引领和教导的人被称为“羊群”。一个不引向并教导仁之良善的人不是一个真正的牧人；而一个不愿被引向良善，不学习良善的人，则不属这羊群。几乎没有必要引用圣言来证明“牧人或牧者”和“羊群”的这种含义；不过，还是引用以下经文。以赛亚书：
你撒在地里的种子，主必降雨给它，并使地产出粮食。到那日，祂必在宽阔的草场牧养你的牲畜。（以赛亚书30:23）
此处“土地产出的粮食”表示仁爱。又：
主耶和华（LordJehovih）必像牧人牧养自己的羊群；用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在怀中，又温柔地引导那乳养小羊的。（以赛亚书40:11）
诗篇：
以色列的牧者，领约瑟如领羊群的啊，求你留心听；坐在基路伯上的啊，求你发出光来。（诗篇80:1）
耶利米书：
我将锡安的女儿比作秀美娇嫩的女子；牧人和他们的羊群必到她那里，在她周围支搭帐棚；各在自己的地方放牧。（耶利米书6:2-3）
以西结书：
主耶和华如此说，我要使他们增多，如同人群，像神圣的羊群，像制定节期的耶路撒冷的羊群；荒凉的城邑必这样被人群充满。（以西结书36:37-38）
以赛亚书：
阿拉伯一切的羊群必聚集到你这里，尼拜约的公羊要服侍你。（以赛亚书60:7）
那些将羊群引向仁之良善的人，就是“聚集羊群”的；而那些不将羊群引向仁之良善的人，则是驱散羊群的；因为一切聚集和联结都是仁爱的产物，而一切驱散和分裂都是缺乏仁爱的结果。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]343. Everyone can see that a shepherd of a flock is one who does the good that charity inspires, because the image is common in the Old and New Testaments of the Word. One who leads and teaches is called a shepherd, or pastor, while those who are led and taught are termed the flock. No one who fails to lead people to do the good involved in charity or who fails to teach about that good is a true shepherd; no one who fails to follow the path to goodness or to learn about it is part of the flock.
Of course, it is unnecessary to demonstrate this symbolism of shepherd (or pastor) and flock by passages from the Word, but let me mention these anyway. In Isaiah:
The Lord will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread from the produce of the ground. He will pasture your livestock on that day, in a broad meadow. (Isaiah 30:23)
Bread from the produce of the ground is charity. In the same author:
The Lord Jehovih will pasture his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs into his arm and carry them on his chest. He will lead their new mothers gently. (Isaiah 40:11)
In David:
Shepherd of Israel, listen intently, as you lead Joseph like a flock. As you sit upon the guardian beings, shine out! (Psalms 80:1)
In Jeremiah:
I have compared the daughter of Zion to an attractive and delicate woman. Shepherds will come to her, and their flocks will pitch their tents near her all around. They will each graze their space. (Jeremiah 6:2-3)
In Ezekiel:
The Lord Jehovih said, "I will multiply them like a flock of people, like a holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem at its set [feast] times; in this way the deserted cities will be filled with a flock of people." (Ezekiel 36:37-38)
In Isaiah:
Every flock of Arabia will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will wait on you. (Isaiah 60:7)
Those who lead the flock toward neighborly kindness are those who gather the flock; those who do not lead toward neighborly kindness are those who scatter the flock. All togetherness and unity are the result of charity, while all dispersal and disjunction come from a lack of charity.
Potts(1905-1910) 343
343. That a "shepherd of the flock" is one who exercises the good of charity, must be obvious to everyone, for this is a familiar figure in the Word of both Old and New Testaments. He who leads and teaches is called a "shepherd" and those who are led and taught are called the "flock." He who does not lead to the good of charity and teach it, is not a true shepherd; and he who is not led to good, and does not learn what is good, is not of the flock. It is scarcely necessary to confirm this signification of "shepherd" and "flock" by quotations from the Word; but the following passages may be cited. In Isaiah:
The Lord shall give the rain of thy seed, wherewith thou sowest the ground, and bread of the increase of the ground; in that day shall He feed thy cattle in a broad meadow (Isa. 30:23), where "bread of the increase of the ground" denotes charity. Again:
The Lord Jehovih shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs into His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young (Isa. 40:11). In David:
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest on the cherubim, shine forth (Ps. 80:1). In Jeremiah:
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman; the shepherds and their flocks shall come unto her, they shall pitch tents near her round about, they shall feed everyone his own space (Jer. 6:2, 3). In Ezekiel:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, I will multiply them as a flock of man, as a hallowed flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed times; so shall the waste cities be filled with the flock of man (Ezek. 36:37-38). In Isaiah:
All the flocks of Arabia shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee (Isa. 60:7). They who lead the flock to the good of charity are they who "gather the flock;" but they who do not lead them to the good of charity "scatter the flock;" for all gathering together and union are of charity, and all dispersion and disunion are from want of charity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 343
343. 'A shepherd of the flock' means someone who practises good flowing from charity. Anyone can know this, for it is a recurrent feature of the Old Testament and of the New. He who leads and teaches is called the Shepherd, those who are led and taught are called the flock. One who does not lead to good flowing from charity, and does not teach that good is not a true shepherd; and one who is not being led to good and learning it is not the flock. Really it is superfluous to confirm from the Word that this is the meaning of the Shepherd and flock; but even so let the following be referred to: In Isaiah,
The Lord will give rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the produce of the ground. On that day, He will pasture your cattle in a broad grassland. Isa 30:23.Here 'bread, the produce of the ground' means charity. In the same the prophet, The Lord Jehovih will pasture His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs into His arm, and will carry them in His bosom: He will gently lead those that are with young.a Isa 40:11.
In David,
Harken, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock. You who are seated on the cherubim, shine forth. Ps 80:1.
In Jeremiah,
I have likened the daughter of Zion to one comely and delicately bred. Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents near her round about; they will pasture each in his own space. Jer 6:2,3.
In Ezekiel,
The Lord Jehovah has said, I will multiply them like the flock of mankind, like the flock of holy things, like the flock of Jerusalem, in her appointed seasons. Thus will the deserted cities be filled with the flock of mankind. Ezek 36:37, 38.
In Isaiah,
The whole flock of Arabia will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you. Isa 60:7
Those who lead the flock to the good of charity are those who 'gather the flock together', but those who do not lead to such good are those who scatter it, for all bringing together and unity is the product of charity, while all scattering and disunity result from the lack of it.
Latin(1748-1756) 343
343. Quod 'pastor gregis' sit qui exercet bonum charitatis, unicuivis notum esse potest, nam hoc familiare in Verbo Veteris et Novi Testamenti; qui ducit et docet, appellatur 'pastor'; qui ducuntur et docentur, appellantur 'grex'; qui non ducit ad bonum charitatis, et qui non docet bonum charitatis, non est verus pastor; et qui non ducitur ad bonum et discit bonum, non est grex. Quod pastor et grex significent illa, quidem superfluum est ex Verbo confirmare, sed usque sint haec quae apud Esaiam, Dominus dabit pluviam seminis tui, quo seminas humum, et panem proventus humi,...{1} pascet pecora tua in die illo, prato lato, xxx 23;ubi 'panis proventus humi' est charitas: apud eundem, Dominus Jehovih, sicut pastor gregem suum pascet, in brachium suum colliget agnos, et in gremio suo portabit, fetas leniter ducet, xl 11:
apud Davidem, Pastor Israelis ausculta, ducens sicut gregem Josephum; insidens cherubis, effulge, Ps. lxxx 2[A.V. 1]:
apud Jeremiam, Formosae et delicatae assimilavi filiam Zionis, ad eam venient pastores, et greges eorum figent prope eam tentoria circumcirca, pascent quisque spatium suum, vi 2, 3:
apud Ezechielem, Dixit Dominus Jehovih, Multiplicabo eos sicut gregem hominis, sicut gregem {2} sanctificatorum, sicut gregem Hierosolymae, in {3} temporibus statis ejus, sic erunt urbes desertae plenae grege hominis, xxxvi 37, 38:
apud Esaiam, Omnis grex Arabiae congregabuntur tibi, arietes Nebaioth ministrabunt tibi, lx 7. Qui gregem ducunt ad bonum charitatis, sunt 'qui congregant gregem, at vero qui non ad bonum charitatis, sunt 'qui dispergunt'; nam omnis congregatio et unio ex charitate, et omnis dispersio et disunio ex non charitate. @ 1 Heb. is singular, but in n. 5201, 6049, S. has pascent as Sch.$ @ 2 I has sanctificatum, but Heb. has genitive plural. These two endings are often very similar in S's handwriting.$ @ 3 Sch. has festis: Heb. has both meanings.$