Genesis 30:31-32Numbers 27:17Ezekiel 34:534:8Matthew 9:36Mark 6:34Psalm 100:3Jeremiah 23:3Ezekiel 34:31Hebrews 13:20John 10:111 Peter 5:4

The unity of all Christians is pictured by the image of one flock composed of many folds (John 10:16 ). Flocks can refer to individual congregations under the care of a pastor (1 Peter 5:2-3 ).

Judgment is sometimes pictured as the sorting of a flock. In Ezekiel 34:1 the fat, strong sheep (the oppressive leaders of Israel) are separated from the weak sheep that they victimized ( Ezekiel 34:16-17 ,Ezekiel 34:16-17,34:20-21 ). In Matthew 25:32-46 sheep are separated from goats on the basis of concrete acts of love shown to the needy.