Pastors

The word pastor in the New Testament is more commonly translated shepherd^[2]. Of course in the Old Testament the word we see as pastor which is Rah^[3]is translated shepherd more often than it is translated pastor. It is actually far more often translated feed.

One of the first place we see the word Pastor is in Jeremiah 2:8

"The priests said not, Where [is] the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after [things that] do not profit."

While the root word is ReishAyinHey the actual Hebrew text gives us וְהָרֹעִ֖ים or wə·hā·rō·‘îm consisting of the letters VavHeyReishAyinYodMem. This form only appears once in the Bible and is a reference to a Pastor who does not know God and His way and are seen as transgressing against Him.

If you remove the Vav you get הָרֹעִ֖ים or hā·rō·‘îm consisting of the letters HeyReishAyinYodMem. This form appears some 23 times in the Bible. It might refer to shepherds doing their job or failing to do their job in service to the people.^[4] That job is often related to feeding or tending to the needs of the people.^[5]

Whether we translate the word shepherd, pastor, herdsmen, or keep, feed or tend the people the term is referencing the manner in which someone assists the people in the practice of Pure Religion through a system of charitable welfare that strengthens the people and keeps them free souls under God.

If they provide a daily ministration in a righteous way the people will be blessed by freedom under God. If they provide for the people in some unrighteous manner (or even fail to provide for them) then they will be cursed by God as they have cursed the people.

As we see the same word translated shepherd in John 10:11^[6] is the same word translated pastor in Ephesians 4:11:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"

The early Church provided free bread for the poor through a daily ministration of Pure Religion thereby blessing the people with the wages of righteousness rather than the [[wages of unrighteousness] offered by the world. The world had provided free bread through a system of Corban that sustained the welfare of the people through a system of force making the word of God to none effect.

Jeremiah warns^[7] that "the pastors are become brutish" and is talking about when the people lose their religion of charity and take up the ways of socialism. The administers of those systems of welfare through public religion use force do not feed the people as much as they feed upon the people.^[8]

Those welfare programs that use force depend on brutish pastors of the world who feed, tend and provide for the people through a system of force which David and Paul call a "snare".

The Modern Church does not do what the early Church did because the Modern Christian is engaged in more covetous practices than fervent charity.

2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

A true pastor today would be a true and good shepherd^[6] for both temporal and spiritual needs.

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Footnotes

↑ "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:10
↑
4166 ~ποιμήν~ poimen \@poy-mane’\@ of uncertain affinity; n m AV-shepherd 15, Shepherd 2, pastor 1; 18
1) a herdsman, esp. a shepherd
1a) in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow

2) metaph.
2a) the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church; the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.} 2a1) of the overseers of the Christian assemblies 2a2) of kings and princes

The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
- -to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
- -to defend the sheep from attackers
- -to heal the wounded and sick sheep
- -to find and save lost or trapped sheep
- -to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
↑
07462 ^הער^ ra‘ah \@raw-aw’\@ (רעה) ReshAyinHei a primitive root; v; AV-feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, broken 1, company 1, devour 1, eat 1, entreateth 1, misc 10; 173
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd

1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)

1a1c) of people as flock (fig)

1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)

1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)

1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)

1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess

2) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
2a) (Qal) to associate with

2b) (Hithpael) to be companions

3) (Piel) to be a special friend
- 07462 (רעה) ReshAyinHei ra`ah is also translated feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, and broken, company, devour, eat, entreateth once each and 10 miscellaneous other ways. It is defined 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed 2) to associate with, be a friend of ... It is the same three letters we see in 07463 (רעה) ReshAyinHei re`eh 1) friend, friend of the king (technical sense)
↑ Exodus 2:17, Exodus 2:19, 1 Samuel 17:40, 1 Samuel 25:7, 2 Kings 10:12, Jeremiah 10:21, Jeremiah 25:34, Jeremiah 25:35, Jeremiah 25:36 Ezekiel 34:9, Ezekiel 34:10, Zechariah 10:3, Zechariah 11:3, Zechariah 11:8
↑ 1 Chronicles 27:29, Songs 1:8, Songs 4:5, Jeremiah 23:2, Jeremiah 23:2, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 34:8, Ezekiel 34:10, Amos 1:2
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
↑ Jeremiah 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
↑ 01197 ^רעב^ ba‘ar \@baw-ar’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 263} AV-burn 41, … away 21, kindle 13, brutish 7, eaten 2, set 2, burn up 2, eat up 2, feed 1, heated 1, took 1, wasted 1; 94
1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah’s wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)
1b1) to kindle, burn

1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)

1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to kindle

1c2) to burn up

1c3) to consume (destroy)

1d) (Pual) to burn

v denom

2) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous
2a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

2b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted

2c) (Piel) to feed, graze

2d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over

[keep-1] "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:10

[2] 4166 ~ποιμήν~ poimen \@poy-mane’\@ of uncertain affinity; n m AV-shepherd 15, Shepherd 2, pastor 1; 18
1) a herdsman, esp. a shepherd
1a) in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow

2) metaph.
2a) the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church; the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.} 2a1) of the overseers of the Christian assemblies 2a2) of kings and princes

The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:

-to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep

-to defend the sheep from attackers

-to heal the wounded and sick sheep

-to find and save lost or trapped sheep

-to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.

[3] -to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep

[4] -to defend the sheep from attackers

[5] -to heal the wounded and sick sheep

[6] -to find and save lost or trapped sheep

[7] -to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.

[3] 07462 ^הער^ ra‘ah \@raw-aw’\@ (רעה) ReshAyinHei a primitive root; v; AV-feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, broken 1, company 1, devour 1, eat 1, entreateth 1, misc 10; 173
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd

1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)

1a1c) of people as flock (fig)

1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)

1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)

1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)

1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess

2) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
2a) (Qal) to associate with

2b) (Hithpael) to be companions

3) (Piel) to be a special friend

07462 (רעה) ReshAyinHei ra`ah is also translated feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, and broken, company, devour, eat, entreateth once each and 10 miscellaneous other ways. It is defined 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed 2) to associate with, be a friend of ... It is the same three letters we see in 07463 (רעה) ReshAyinHei re`eh 1) friend, friend of the king (technical sense)

[9] 07462 (רעה) ReshAyinHei ra`ah is also translated feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, and broken, company, devour, eat, entreateth once each and 10 miscellaneous other ways. It is defined 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed 2) to associate with, be a friend of ... It is the same three letters we see in 07463 (רעה) ReshAyinHei re`eh 1) friend, friend of the king (technical sense)

[4] Exodus 2:17, Exodus 2:19, 1 Samuel 17:40, 1 Samuel 25:7, 2 Kings 10:12, Jeremiah 10:21, Jeremiah 25:34, Jeremiah 25:35, Jeremiah 25:36 Ezekiel 34:9, Ezekiel 34:10, Zechariah 10:3, Zechariah 11:3, Zechariah 11:8

[5] 1 Chronicles 27:29, Songs 1:8, Songs 4:5, Jeremiah 23:2, Jeremiah 23:2, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 34:8, Ezekiel 34:10, Amos 1:2

[good-6] 6.0 ^6.1 John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

[7] Jeremiah 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

[8] 01197 ^רעב^ ba‘ar \@baw-ar’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 263} AV-burn 41, … away 21, kindle 13, brutish 7, eaten 2, set 2, burn up 2, eat up 2, feed 1, heated 1, took 1, wasted 1; 94
1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah’s wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)
1b1) to kindle, burn

1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)

1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to kindle

1c2) to burn up

1c3) to consume (destroy)

1d) (Pual) to burn

v denom

2) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous
2a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

2b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted

2c) (Piel) to feed, graze

2d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over

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Pastors

Footnotes

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