They will not follow someone else. Jesus is saying that the Pharisees are thieves and robbers who have seized control of the sheepfold. The people ran away from them, because they did not recognize their voice (see note on Matthew 9:36). [The Jewish authorities fulfilled the prophecies about the false shepherds (Ezekiel 34:1-6; Jeremiah 33:1-6; Zechariah 11:4-11). Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the True Shepherd (Psalms 23; Psalms 77:20; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 95:7; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:31; Micah 7:14; Isaiah 43:11).]

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Old Testament