Isa 56:11

“And the most shameless dogs knew not satisfaction: the shepherds themselves ignored understanding: all turned aside unto their own way, each to his own greed, from the highest even unto the lowest. LXX: And impudent dogs have ignored satisfaction. And they are evil, not understanding intelligence: they have followed all their own ways. Each together from its summit. And they are not satisfied with this, those who slept in the care of the flock of the Lord, and could not bark, and loved the bed, which indicates the pleasure of the body; but among themselves, they did not know the shamelessness of their souls, who are never satisfied with their own error. Those who devour the people of the Lord like the bread, and the houses of widows: and serve their gluttony and lust. For they cannot say: The commandment of the Lord enlightens the eyes (Ps. 18:9), nor know what is written: The wisdom of a man enlightens his face (Prov. 17:24). And they are mute dogs against enemies, of whom it is written: Do not give what is holy to dogs (Matt. 7:6). And they are sleeping dogs, who do not know the commandment: Do not give sleep to your eyes, and slumber to your eyelids (Ps. 131); and again: Watch, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come (Matt. 24:42). And for this reason, giving a place to the devil, they are shameless dogs, who are never satisfied. For they vomit what they have eaten, and they return to their vomit (Prov. XXVI). Of whom Peter the Apostle also speaks: That true proverb has happened to them: The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire (II Pet. II, 22). The following discourse shows that these spies and dogs are the same as the shepherds: The shepherds themselves have neglected understanding. For the Hebrew word 'Roim' (also spelled 'Rom') which is written with four letters, 'resh' and 'ayin' and 'yod' and 'mem', if it is read as 'roim', it means shepherds; if it is read as 'raim', it sounds like the worst. We have said this to show the reasons for the various interpretations. For everyone has sought their own things, and not the things that are of God, nor have they walked in the way of the Lord (Philippians 2), of which it is written: Seek what the good way is, and walk in it (Jeremiah 6:16). But according to what is read in the Book of Judges: There was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought was right, and followed his own errors (Judges 17:6).”

“For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth, serve unto the custody of the flock by no means with the zeal of shepherds, but in the way of hirelings; since they fly when the wolf cometh if they hide themselves under silence. For hence it is that the Lord through the prophet upbraids them, saying, "Dumb dogs, that cannot bark." Hence again He complains, saying, "Ye have not gone up against the enemy, neither opposed a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."”

“And the dogs are of greedy disposition wanting to fill their stomachs [engrote talent in O.F.], sick with hunger. and they are shepherds Just as the dogs know no satiety, neither do the shepherds know to understand what will occur at the end of days. they all turned to the way of their benefit, each one to his gain, to rob the rest of the people over whom they are appointed. every last one Heb. מִקָּצֵהוּ, [lit. from its end.] Comp. (Gen. 19:4) “all the people from the end (מִקָּצֶה),” from one end of their number until its other end, they all behave in this manner.”

“עזי נפש Greedy. The word נפש is mostly used in Scripture to express the appetitive soul; comp. ונפשו מאכל תאוה and his soul (abhorreth) dainty meat (Job 33:20). All these dogs are useless; they do only harm, because of their strong, insatiable appetite, called עזות נפש greediness; they can never have enough. The words which follow contain the explanation of the figure used here. And they, the dogs mentioned here, Are the shepherds of Israel, that cannot understand. הבין Understand. It is infinitive. לבצעו For his gain, for that which brings him profit; comp. מה בצע what profit is there (Ps. 30:10). מקצהו From his quarter. Every one from his quarter.”

“In plundering their goods: and most impudent dogs, plundering their subjects of their goods as if without any bridle of shame, and they are never satisfied: they shall suffer hunger like dogs (Ps 58:7[59:6]); and as to lack in perfection of knowledge: the shepherds themselves knew no understanding, of the law and the prophets: he that understands shall possess governments (Prov 1:5); they have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness (Ps 81[82]:5). Second, the fault of the subjects, or of all of them together. And first, as to their own will, which pertains to pride: all have turned aside into their own way: every one of you walks after the perverseness of his evil heart (Jer 16:12); second, as to their desire, which pertains to avarice: every one after his own gain: from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness (Jer 6:13).”