Hebrews 13 · a question people ask

"the great shepherd of the sheep" (13:20). Who is that?

In the text

The sentence names him: "Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (13:20-21). The shepherd is "our Lord Jesus" (13:20), and the one who "brought again from the dead" him is "the God of peace" (13:20). Hebrews names no passage for "the great shepherd of the sheep" or for "the blood of an eternal covenant", and these notes give them no source and explain them no further than their words.

The verses

“Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Hebrews 13

Hebrews 13: The God of peace

Near its end, Hebrews says, "Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good work to do his will" (13:20-21). Its last verse says, "Grace be with you all." (13:25).

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Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions