The term “shepherd” gives the task description the Lord laid upon the leadership-giving men among Peter’s readers. A shepherd needs to ensure that his flock has sufficient quality food and water, needs to protect the flock from predators, sickness, cold, and whatever other dangers there may be, and needs to nurture the weak and wounded sheep (and lambs) in the flock. No shepherd seeking to survive in his trade could do less than give undivided attention, moment by moment, to the needs of his sheep. That is the instruction that Peter as apostle of Jesus Christ gives to the elders in Asia Minor in relation to the “flock of God.” It must further be noted that the term “shepherd” is plural in the Greek (and masculine), which means that the instruction to “shepherd” is given to multiple men. That Peter imagines a plurality of men shepherding one flock is no surprise (see Luke 2:8). Understandably, the larger the flock is, the more shepherds are needed.
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;