“Howl, you shepherds, and cry out!” says Jehovah through Jeremiah. “And wallow about, you majestic ones of the flock, because your days for slaughtering and for your scatterings have been fulfilled, and you must fall like a desirable vessel!

26. In that prophecy, who are the “shepherds” and the “majestic ones of the flock”?

²⁶ Does that prophecy make us think of clergymen who have been called pastors or spiritual shepherds and of their church congregations who have been called “flocks”? Likely so, but Jehovah is not here addressing himself to the religious leaders of the nations. In the Hebrew Scriptures the governmental rulers are spoken of as shepherds and their peoples or subjects are called their flocks. So “the majestic ones of the flock” would be the princes or the royally favored ones of the national flock. This must be the case in Jeremiah 25:34-38, for where in the whole chapter is there any mention of priests and Levites? Those to whom Jeremiah is ordered to hand Jehovah’s “cup” are described as “kings,” “princes,” and “kingdoms.” (Jer. 25:18-26) The approaching world “calamity” and “tempest” will strike, not just the clergy and other religious leaders, but also, finally, the political governmental elements of this system of things.