Isaiah 56:11
“Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.”
What does Isaiah 56:11 mean?
Isaiah is painting a picture of leaders who have completely abandoned their calling to care for others. He's using "dogs" and "shepherds" as images for people in positions of authority, and he's saying they're so absorbed in padding their own pockets that they've lost sight of why they were put in charge in the first place. The "greedy" dogs and shepherds who "can't understand" represent leaders who are disconnected from the real needs of the people they're supposed to be serving. This word would have hit hard for Isaiah's original audience, who were watching their own leaders fail them, and it still speaks to us today whenever we see power misused or self-interest put before care for others.