And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
They were scattered, because there is no shepherd - i:e., none worthy of the name, though there were some called shepherds (1 Kings 22:17; Matthew 9:36). Compare Matthew 26:31, where the sheep were scattered on the true Shepherd being smitten ("I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad").
Meat to all ... beasts - they became a prey to the Syrians, Ammon, Moab, and Assyria.