shepherd

The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”

Philip Saunders (2004, p. 231) explains:

“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”

Other translations include:

  • Chuj: “carer” (there was no single word for “shepherd”) (source: Ronald Ross)
  • Muna: “sheep guard” (dhagano dhumba) (there was no immediate lexical equivalent) (source: René van den Berg),
  • Mairasi: “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: “sheep worker” (kookendjeriyang-yakina) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kwakum: “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post )
  • Cherokee: “deer-watcher” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)

See also I am the good shepherd, complete verse (Psalm 23:1), and sheep / lamb.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Shepherds in the Bible .

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 2:34

Therefore I say to you, O nations that hear and understand: Because the Jews rejected Ezra, he addresses non-Jews who are willing to listen to him. This quote frame introduces his words to them in verses 34b-41. In this context the Latin word for nations refers to those who are not Jews (compare verse 28). Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this clause, saying “That is why I am speaking to you Gentiles. You are ready to listen and understand.”

Await your shepherd: The shepherd is Jesus Christ (see John 10.11; Heb 13.20; 1 Peter 2.25). This metaphor is used to describe Jesus as someone who takes care of his people like a shepherd does for his sheep.

He will give you everlasting rest: Compare Matt 11.29. We may render this clause as “He will let you rest forever” or “He will give you rest that will never end.”

Because he who will come at the end of the age is close at hand: The Latin word translated age (saeculum) can also mean “world”, so a possible model for this clause is “He will come at the end of the world, and that time is very near [or, not far off].”

We suggest combining and reordering the material in verses 33-34 to make it clearer to the reader what is happening in these two verses. The following model does this:

• Hear me, peoples of the world! I am Ezra, and I was on Mount Sinai when the Lord ordered me to go to the people of Israel. I did so, but they rejected me and refused to listen to what the Lord had commanded. So this is what I have to say to you peoples who will hear me and understand what I say: “Wait for your shepherd, who will give you eternal rest. He will come at the end of this age [or, world], and that time is not far off.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.