Matthew 9:36

In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort for this verse is:

Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους, ἐσπλαγχνίσθη περὶ αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἦσαν ἐκλελυμένοι καὶ ἐρριμμένοι ὡσεὶ πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

The New International Version translates the passage as:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

The Greek word for compassion is ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, which is, "pitied them from His inmost bowels." Lapide notes that, "there is no animal so simple, careless, improvident, so exposed to be the prey of wolves and other wild beasts, and therefore so needing a keeper, as a sheep." MacEvilly comments that it appears that the Scribes and Pharisees of that time were not taking on the role of being shepherds as they should have. ^[1][2]