bible verses about the good shepherd

Bible Verses About Good Shepherd: 12

Bible verses about the good shepherd: 12 Scriptures on poimen and Jesus who lays down his life.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 2026Updated October 22, 20266 min readJohn 10:11 (NIV)

A figure with a lamp walks a ridge path as dawn light arrives among wildflowers.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

— John 10:11 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about the good shepherd want Scripture on poimēn — Jesus as the shepherd who knows and lays down his life for the sheep — not only the broader Jesus list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about God's love, Bible verses about protection, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about faith, and Bible verse of the day. Good shepherd here means poimēn in John 10 and the Lord's shepherd care in Psalm 23 and the prophets — distinct from a general Jesus titles list, and preferred over a bare "shepherd" slug this run. Christ as the door of the sheep is Bible verses about the door. The Great Shepherd list is on Bible verses about Great Shepherd. For the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, see Bible verses about the Bishop of your souls.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "shepherd" is ποιμήν poimēn (Strong's G4166; Bible Hub G4166) — a shepherd; one who tends flocks. In John 10 Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and knows them by name. Psalm 23 confesses the Lord as shepherd; Ezekiel 34 promises God himself will search for his sheep; Hebrews and 1 Peter name the great and chief Shepherd. Good shepherd in Scripture is costly care — not distant management.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 10 presses that Christ is the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep, unlike the hireling who flees (Bible Hub MHC John 10; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on John 10). On Psalm 23 he marks the Lord as shepherd who leads, restores, and comforts (Bible Hub MHC Psalm 23; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Psalm 23). (Jesus and protection lists live on those pages; this list centers poimēn / good shepherd.)

12 Bible verses about the good shepherd

  1. John 10:11. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Good shepherd — lays down his life. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  2. John 10:14-15. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep." I know my sheep — lay down my life. See Bible verses about God's love.

  3. John 10:27-28. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." My sheep listen — never perish. See Bible verses about eternal life.

  4. Psalm 23:1. "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing." The Lord is my shepherd. See Bible verses about faith. The reference page is Psalm 23.

  5. Psalm 23:2-3. "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Leads, refreshes, guides. See Bible verses about peace.

  6. Ezekiel 34:11-12. "'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.'" I myself will search for my sheep. See Bible verses about protection.

  7. Ezekiel 34:15-16. "I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice." Tend, bind up, strengthen. See Bible verses about healing.

  8. Isaiah 40:11. "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Gathers the lambs — close to his heart. See Bible verses about God's love.

  9. Hebrews 13:20. "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep," Great Shepherd of the sheep. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  10. 1 Peter 5:4. "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." Chief Shepherd appears. See Bible verses about hope.

  11. 1 Peter 2:25. "For 'you were like sheep going astray,' but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. See Bible verses about repentance.

  12. Luke 15:4-6. "'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."'" Goes after the lost — rejoice. See Bible verses about God's love.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need the good shepherd — not twelve as a grind. If you need the clear "I am" claim, start with John 10:11. If you need the Lord as shepherd, open Psalm 23:1. For the Jehovah Raah name — the Lord is my shepherd — open Bible verses about Jehovah Raah. If you need God searching for scattered sheep, open Ezekiel 34:11-12. For Jesus more broadly, open Bible verses about Jesus. For protection, open Bible verses about protection. For the vine and remaining in Christ, open Bible verses about the vine. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day. The Chief Shepherd list is on Bible verses about Chief Shepherd. For Psalm 80:1's Shepherd of Israel, see Bible verses about the Shepherd of Israel.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about the good shepherd?

John 10:11 (I am the good shepherd), Psalm 23:1 (the Lord is my shepherd), and John 10:14-15 (I know my sheep) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about the good shepherd differ from a general Jesus list?

The Jesus page centers who he is by name and titles across Scripture. A good-shepherd page centers poimēn — John 10, Psalm 23, and shepherd promises — then cross-links jesus, gods-love, and protection. See Bible verses about Jesus.

What does poimēn mean?

Greek poimēn (G4166) means a shepherd — one who tends a flock. In John 10 Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Why prefer "good shepherd" over a bare "shepherd" page?

John 10's distinctive claim is the good shepherd who dies for the sheep. This page holds that center and cross-links companions; a bare /shepherd slug is left uncreated this run to avoid near-duplicate hubs.

Where can I read more about Jesus, God's love, and protection?

Start with Bible verses about Jesus, then Bible verses about God's love, Bible verses about protection, and Bible verses about hope.

Sources

A woman with a lamp walks a ridge path at dawn.

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