"They were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd."—Matt. 9:36.

[Bible Speaks]

"They were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd."—Matt. 9:36.

???????

SHEEP

One of the principal animals of pastoral life. (Ge 24:35; 26:14) Sheep are ruminants, or cud chewers. As is the case today, the predominant variety of ancient Palestine may have been the broad-tailed sheep, distinguished by its prominent fatty tail, generally weighing about 5 kg (11 lb) or more. (Compare Ex 29:22; Le 3:9.) 

???????

Generally sheep were white in color (Ca 6:6), though there were also dark-brown and parti-colored ones. (Ge 30:32) In a pastoral society men of great wealth, such as Job, had thousands of sheep. (Job 1:3, 16; 42:12) The Israelites probably kept some lambs as pets.—2Sa 12:3; Jer 11:19.

???????

Without a shepherd, domestic sheep are helpless and fearful. They get lost and scattered and are at the complete mercy of their enemies. (Nu 27:16, 17; Jer 23:4;Eze 34:5, 6, 8; Mic 5:8) Sheep allow themselves to be led, and they faithfully follow their shepherd. They can learn to recognize his voice and to respond to him alone. (Joh 10:2-5) 

???????

Illustrating this is a passage from Researches in Greece and the Levant, by J. Hartley (London, 1831, pp. 321, 322):

“Having had my attention directed last night to the words [in] John x. 3 . . . I asked my man if it was usual in Greece to give names to the sheep. He informed me that it was, and that the sheep obeyed the shepherd when he called them by their names. This morning I had an opportunity of verifying the truth of this remark. Passing by a flock of sheep, I asked the shepherd the same question which I had put to my servant, and he gave me the same answer. I then bade him to call one of his sheep. He did so, and it instantly left its pasturage and its companions, and ran up to the hand of the shepherd, with signs of pleasure, and with a prompt obedience which I had never before observed in any other animal. It is also true of the sheep in this country, that a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him . . . The shepherd told me, that many of his sheep are still wild; that they had not yet learned their names; but that, by teaching, they would all learn them.”

???????

Under unfaithful shepherds or leaders, the Israelites as God’s sheep suffered greatly. Through his prophet Ezekiel, Jehovah presents a most pathetic picture of neglect: “The flock itself you do not feed. The sickened ones you have not strengthened, and the ailing one you have not healed, and the broken one you have not bandaged, and the dispersed one you have not brought back, and the lost one you have not sought to find, but with harshness you have had them in subjection, even with tyranny. And they were gradually scattered because of there being no shepherd, so that they became food for every wild beast of the field.” (Eze 34:3-5) By contrast, Jesus’ sheep, both the “little flock” and the “other sheep,” who follow his lead, are well cared for. (Lu 12:32; Joh 10:4, 14,16; Re 7:16, 17) 

???????

Jesus compared those doing good toward the least of his brothers to sheep, whereas those refusing to do so he likened to goats.—Mt 25:31-45.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003981

[Jack Ryan]

[Space Merchant]

@Jack Ryan Apostle Paul was have been well fed if you think of it as such. That being said the passage said what it said in a figurative tone, which is referring to maltreated, harassed, wounded.