A frequent misinterpretation limits this verse to modern church pastors alone, ignoring its historical context as a condemnation of ancient Judah's corrupt kings, priests, and prophets whose failures contributed to the Babylonian exile, or it is wrongly used to vilify all leaders indiscriminately without considering the broader oracle's promise of restoration through a righteous shepherd like the coming Messiah.
Jeremiah 23:1
King James Version (1769)
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.
God pronounces woe upon the leaders of Israel, metaphorically called pastors or shepherds, who have betrayed their responsibility by destroying and scattering His people rather than protecting and guiding them, highlighting divine judgment on negligent authorities and the sacred duty to care for those entrusted to one's charge.