The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament by Kenneth E. Bailey

The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament Reviews

• 
  Bob

  Summary: A study of the theme of the good shepherd beginning with Psalm 23 and considering consecutively eight other passages in which this theme is found.
  
  We lost a giant of biblical scholarship this spring (2016) with the passing of Kenneth E. Bailey. Raised in the Middle East, he taught New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem, and Cyprus. He brought to his scholarship an intimate knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, Arabic works, and the scriptures that shed fresh light on everything from the Nativity to the dearly loved Psalm that many of us memorized as children and have clung to in our darkest hours, Psalm 23.
  
  Beginning with Psalm 23, Bailey considers eight other passages in the Old and New Testaments in which the theme is f0und of the shepherd and the sheep. These include Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ezekiel 34, Zechariah 10:2-12, Luke 15:1-10, Mark 6:7-52 (the feeding of the 5,000), Matthew 18:10-14, John 10:1-18, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Bailey contends that in these ten dramatic elements recur in most of these passages:
  
  1. The good shepherd.
  2. The lost sheep (or lost flock)
  3. The opponents of the shepherd
  4. The good host(ess?)
  5. The incarnation (promised or realized)
  6. The high cost the shepherd sustains to find and restore the lost
  7. The theme of repentance/return
  8. Bad sheep
  9. A celebration
  10. The end of the story (in a house, in the land, or with God)
  
  Bailey then exegetes each passage. Over and over he finds a “ring” or chiasmus structure in these passages and draws out the meaning of the passage cameo by cameo. Along the way, his background knowledge of the Middle Eastern setting of these passages comes in as he describes the skittishness of sheep, who will only drink at still pools of water, the mace-like rod of the shepherd with which he fights off wolves and other predators, repentance as a willingness to be found, and the supreme risk of the shepherd in John 10, who of his own volition lays down his life for his sheep. I loved this description of the good shepherd:
  
  “The good shepherd ‘leads me’; he does not ‘drive me.’ There is a marked difference. In Egypt where this is no open pasture land I have often seen shepherds driving sheep from behind with sticks. But in the open wilderness of the Holy Land the shepherd walks slowly ahead of his sheep and either plays his own ten-second tune on a pipe or (more often) sings his own unique ‘call.’ The sheep appear to be attracted primarily by the voice of the shepherd, which they know and are eager to follow” (p. 41).
  
  One often doesn’t think of the shepherd theme in the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Bailey draws out both the contrast with the evil banquet of Herod at which John the Baptist was beheaded, which precedes this miracle, and the counter-cultural statement of the feeding of the 5,000, in the green grass, by the Sea of Galilee, where the people eat their fill and are led in paths of righteousness. In contrast to decadent Herod, Jesus reveals himself as the Good Shepherd of Israel.
  
  Likewise, I and many others have puzzled over the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine for the one lost sheep. Yes, sheep are valuable. Yet so are the ninety-nine. But what would it mean to the ninety-nine, Bailey asks, that the shepherd went after the lost one? It meant that should they get lost, the shepherd would search for them as well. Every sheep mattered.
  
  This is both good scholarship and good devotional reading that leads one to praise the Great Shepherd and to aspire to be a good shepherd to the extent that God gives that opportunity. I do not know if there are further works of Bailey’s that will be published posthumously. But in this final major publication Bailey sums up a life of devotion and fine scholarship in a book that is a gift to the church and her shepherds.
• 
  Laurel Hicks

  Most interesting study of the Good Shepherd throughout the Hebrew and Greek Bible.
• 
  Maged Zakher

  Wow! Fantastic!
• 
  Jimmy Reagan

  The idea of the Good Shepherd is one of my personal favorites of Scripture. Here is a volume that really fleshes out that concept. The subtitle “A Thousand Year Journey From Psalm 23 To The New Testament” really captures what Kenneth Bailey has to say in this book published by IVP.
  
  Mr. Bailey spent 40 years living and working in the Middle East including Egypt and Lebanon. Though he taught the Bible, he had plenty of opportunity to see culture not that far removed from Bible times. Merging those two–teaching and observation–has made this book a success.
  
  His approach on the technical side is one where you will have to decide for yourself. His ideas of sequence and “step parallelism” are explained and traced in every passage he deals with. His ten themes well represent the items that we will find in shepherd passages, though all ten are rarely present in any one passage. In any event, I don’t find that the strength of the book.
  
  The real value in this volume is the light it sheds on each passage it tackles. For example, as much as has been written on Psalm 23, he still had something to say. Check out the illustration he shares on page 42! How this shows God’s love and care for us is well drawn out.
  
  Others passages include all the chief ones on the Shepherd theme. Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ezekiel 34, Zechariah 10:2-12, Luke 15:1-10, Mark 6:7-52, Matthew 18:10-14, John 10:1-18, and I Peter 5:1-4. They were all helpful, but the New Testament passages were especially rich. The last two were my favorites.
  
  I recommend this volume.
  
  I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
• 
  Lee Harmon

  Bailey is a careful researcher whose passion and experience shines through. He spent 40 years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus. I have another of his books on my shelf, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, that I’ve skimmed and am dying to find time to read. So, given that the Good Shepherd is a topic of great interest to me, this book was a gold mine. I wish had been able to read this book before writing my own about the Gospel of John, since the Good Shepherd (as well as the bad shepherd) is an integral part of John’s theology.
  
  Bailey starts his analysis back in the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. This Psalm sets the theme for later Old Testament writers, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah, who expound on the shepherd tradition in different ways. I’ll run a comparison of these Old Testament variants on the 23rd Psalm in a later post. The tone is then set for Jesus’s arrival, and all four Gospel writers embrace the image of a shepherd to describe Jesus, particularly in matters of salvation.
  
  One of the most interesting parts of the book was Bailey’s own experience, and the experience of those he met, in tending sheep. How confidence is gained in the sheep, how they must be cared for, how they learn the voice of the shepherd, and more.
  
  This is not light reading–it’s one of those books that you actually have to study to get the full benefit–but I highly recommend making the effort.
  
  InterVarsity Press, © 2014, 288 pages
  
  ISBN: 978-0-8308-4063-2
• 
  Andrew

  Perhaps the most beloved image for Jesus in all of Scripture is that of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd provides for our needs, gives us rest, protects us, is with us at the most treacherous times of our lives. The Good Shepherd knows us and calls us by name, and lays down his life for his sheep.
  
  Yet the image as used in Psalm 23 and John 10 is just the tip of the iceberg in how the Bible draws on of this magnificent picture. It is used with twists and turns by the prophets, by Jesus and the other gospel writers, and by Peter. As Ken Bailey says in The Good Shepherd (disclosure: I work for the publisher), it is a thousand-year biblical journey with each author building on what has been written before while also giving his own take on the image to fit his particular circumstances and purposes.
  
  For almost fifty years, Middle Eastern shepherds and their flocks have been part of Bailey’s life where he also taught the New Testament. So he brings to the book not only a keen biblical mind but an imagination shaped by the practices of peasant shepherds that has changed remarkably little from the time of Jesus. Bailey helpfully explains how these practices sometimes differ from those of shepherds in North America, Africa or other parts of the world that gives a richness to the text.
  
  The Good Shepherd provides wonderful insights into four key Old and five key New Testament texts which can enrich our understanding and appreciation of Scripture. And through it all, we benefit from the supremely comforting reminder that the Lord is indeed our Good Shepherd.
• 
  Jason Milich

  Opened my eyes
  
  This book was literary enough (and perhaps far more than my intelligence deserves) to challenge my mind. And devotional enough to challenge m heart. Tracing the good shepherd through Scripture with special attention to how Eastern minds view this image was a growing experience for me.
• 
  Cindy

  The 23rd Psalm is oftentimes spoken of in funeral settings, have you ever wondered why that is, I did? After reading this book by Kenneth E. Bailey I have a new insight and appreciation for the 23rd Psalm. Did you know the 23rd Psalm is a reference in many other OT and NT scriptures? The book discusses these other scriptures and how they speak of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is explained in deeper origin versus just that the Shepherd is good. Why a Good Shepherd? Who and How is the Good Shepherd? What does a Good Shepherd believe and How does the Good Shepherd act? I think every Preacher should read this book. I think every Christian should read this book and those who oppose Christianity, full of new enlightenments on the 23rd Psalm and the Good Shepherd. Highly recommend.
• 
  Dana

  Kenneth Bailey is quickly becoming my favorite Bible teacher and I long to get my hands on everything I can from him! This book on the the Good Shepherd is an exposition of Psalm 23 and the retelling and reforming of this theme in 8 others passages of scripture. Illuminating and encouraging! I especially loved how he pieced together Mark 6 so I now understand it as whole instead of it feeling like pieces. He also deepened and enriched my understanding on what it means for Christ to be the Good Shepherd and all that He has done for His sheep. No wonder the early church clung to this description of Jesus! The couple pages near the end where Bailey talks about glory and suffering are also worth the price of admission.
• 
  Seth

  I greatly love and appreciate Ken Bailey and his ability to tie The Old Testament to the New. He is masterful at pointing out the assumptions and references first century audiences would have naturally made when Jesus or the Apostles were teaching. Every time I read his work it is like Christ and the New Testament as a whole become three-dimensional. This work does that for every instance whether explicit or implicit of shepherds and shepherding.
  
  I think Ken is the last of the truly regenerate mainline Christians. Though his egalitarianism and quasi-pacifism does come through in this work (and could be seen as laying the groundwork for the social justice movement in the Church) it is easy to pass over for the true gleanings He offers from Scripture.
• 
  Josiah Richardson

  One of the more difficult aspects of biblical hermeneutics is the ability to understand the Sitz Im Leben (setting in life) of the original audience. Thankfully, there have been a rise of theologians over the years that have done a lot of the difficult work for us. Kenneth Bailey is one of those theologians, and in this particular treatise he shows us how the themes of Psalm 23, specifically the idea of a good shepherd, is couched in many Old and New Testament texts. You will find a lot of illuminating thoughts throughout this work and it is worth reading.
• 
  AJ Rankin

  Dr. Ken Bailey was an expert in his field. There are very few biblical scholars who can pair the depth of research with clarity in writing the way he did. From Psalm 23 to 1 Peter 5, Bailey takes you on a journey into the shepherd passages of the Scriptures. Incredible work! I listened to this book on Audible but will have to go back and read through it as I study those particular passages. This will be a great reference/research tool for years to come for study and teaching/preaching.
• 
  Michael Boling

  The motif of God as our shepherd is perhaps one of the most familiar and beloved pictures of His interaction with us that can be found in all of Scripture. Psalm 23, an equally beloved and familiar portion of Scripture, outlines God as our shepherd, guiding and protecting us through both times of plenty and times of trial. But do we really grasp the beauty inherent in the reality of God being our shepherd and us His flock of sheep? It can be argued that the underlying meaning of that picture is not fully understood, especially in its ANE context nor in relation to how Jesus is noted as our shepherd in the New Testament. Kenneth Bailey, in his helpful and informative book The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey From Psalm 23 to the New Testament, walks the reader through Scripture and examines along the way how this shepherd motif is noted in God’s Word, what it means, and how it should be applied to our lives.
  
  Kenneth Bailey is quite skilled at bringing to life ancient themes such as what is examined in this particular book. We often forget that Scripture was written in a particular time of history, often using certain methods of describing things that can be lost in translation for modern man. Shepherds were common place in ancient Israel but not so much in our towns and neighborhoods today. Bailey rightly notes “The Bible has hundreds of verses that mention sheep, shepherds, flocks, and sheepfolds.” Thus there are many passages that uses those words as pictures of our relationship with God. Bailey focuses on nine particular periscope that utilize certain “dramatic elements” or “clusters of themes” as he puts it, specific sections that really drive home and provide a flow of thought on this Good Shepherd concept.
  
  These sections of Scripture are Psalm 23; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Ezekiel 34; Zechariah 10:2-12; Luke 15:1-10; Mark 6:7-52; Matthew 18:10-14; John 10:1-18; and 1 Peter 5:1-4. As noted earlier, most are familiar with Psalm 23; however, some of the other passages, their context, theology, and application of the concept of the Good Shepherd may not be as familiar.
  
  For example, Ezekiel 34 speaks quite clearly about God’s role as the Good Shepherd. Since far too many skip over the books of the OT prophets, I was pleased to see Bailey interact with these books as it will certainly assist the reader in appreciating what the prophets have to say on a topic of such importance as this. In regards to Ezekiel 34, Bailey aptly notes how Ezekiel utilized similar statements as did his contemporary prophet Jeremiah. One distinctive difference is the “introduction of bad sheep.” Ezekiel also discusses bad shepherds and what God was going to do to those who were leading the people astray. Shepherds had the responsibility of caring for and leading the flock. As the Good Shepherd, God will deal harshly with those who have been given the responsibility within the Assembly of God’s people to lead and care for the flock.
  
  Also of note is Bailey’s discussion of John 10:1-18, a passage where Jesus notes how a good shepherd is vigilant to fight off thieves and wolves from attaching his flock. This was a common occurrence for the shepherd during this time as thieves regularly would attempt to sneak in and steal sheep and wild animals would often attack the flock. Bailey does a marvelous job of outlining how a shepherd would position his flock, how he would station the sheepherders, and how it was the sheep recognized the voice of the shepherd. This was fascinating reading and quite frankly, this type of background commentary and information is a hallmark of Bailey’s books as a whole. He really brings to life and to our modern day understanding the how and what of such passages of Scripture, providing the reader with the ability to not only understand what it meant to deal with thieves and wolves, but also to better grasp how that ancient reality applies to how we deal with those who desire to steal and destroy within and without the body of Christ in our day.
  
  For those who want to research any of the information discussed by Bailey in his book, an excellent bibliography is provided that will assuredly give the reader the ability to dig even further into this subject matter. With that said, the information provided by Bailey in this book will keep the reader quite busy with study material for many years to come. Each chapter is replete with a wealth of information, both background and outstanding commentary on the various texts that are examined.
  
  This is a book I highly recommend. It is scholarly yet accessible and it interacts with a beloved and important picture that remains as vital for us today as it was for the original readers and hearers of Scripture. Bailey masterfully weaves historical information into the conversation while providing valuable commentary on just what God as the Good Shepherd is all about. It is a journey through Scripture worth taking.
  
  I received this book for free from IVP Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
  
• 
  Ronald J. Pauleus

  This was a very good book. I enjoyed the journey Kenneth took us on over a thousand years as we studied the Good Shepherd. My heart was warmed as I read the profound truth that was presented.
  
  
  “Hopefully the above study of the Good Shepherd biblical tradition will help us follow more perfectly the one who is able to bring out of His treasure what is new and old.”
• 
  Neil Saltmarsh

  One of the best expositions of the Shepherd motif through the Bible. Mr. Bailey has a background in the Middle East and knows the customs and brings those to life for the modern reader/christian. Very readable with loads of scholarship opening these scriptures. Benefitted from the way Mr. Bailey sets out scriptures in rings. Beats any other book on the same subject that I have read to date.
• 
  Tim

  Seems like a definitive work on an important topic. Bailey grew up in the middle east and offers great insight about shepherding and what was meant in Biblical narratives which use this metaphor. He traces the usage of terms, words, and ideas through main passages in the Bible, highlighting similarities & differences.
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  Jeremy Tabensky

  I assume Kenneth E. Bailey and his cultural touch in understanding the Bible is fast becoming the most attuned with a balanced Protestant reading in my mind. The repetition of theme, the link with the feeding of the 5000. The links across major prophets. The continuity into living epistles and the responsibility transferred. Magnificent.
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  Paul Herriott

  Using his extensive knowledge and background in the middle east and Israel, Bailey weaves together the shepherd imagery found within the Old and New Testament. This forms the identity of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Great book, astonishing how different the world of a herdsman is.
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  Zackary

  This was an excellent study on the theme of the Good Shepherd. While a little on the technical side it is very easy to follow if you take your time. I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan on Psalm 23 or the Good Shepherd parables!
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  Manuel Marbun

  It's just a meditation of a theologian having enough experience of living in the Middle East. Lack of exegesis. People might think he did an exegesis through all of the cameos. But personally I think the ring cameo is useless. It doesn't make the text more clear. It's just looking beautiful.
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  Jason

  Absolutely brilliant in my opinion. Bailey’s commentary alone on the beheading of John the Baptist and the feeding of the 5000 will open your eyes to the heart of Jesus, as He reflects the Father. Take your time and enjoy every word.
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  Bryan Neuschwander

  Insightful. I find myself falling a little more in love with Jesus, having read this one.
  
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  Debby Hallgren

  This was a thorough investigation of The Good Shepherd throughout the Old and New Testaments. The chapter on Mark 6 was life changing. I thank Eric Vess for his recommendation.
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  Katie

  Read for Thursday morning women’s study this fall - very good and deep, deep dives into the Biblical images of our Lord as Shepherd. So much to absorb, I will have to revisit this one.
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  Timothy Braun

  This reading only included several specific chapters to help with a sermon series. Superb stuff. Look forward to reading it in its entirety in the future.