Ezekiel34
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
3Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep.
4The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them.
5And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
6My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them.
7Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:
8As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep;
9therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:
10Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14I will feed them with good pasture; and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah.
16I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
17And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the he-goats.
18Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24And I, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
25And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those that made bondmen of them.
28And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.
29And I will raise up unto them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.
30And they shall know that I, Jehovah, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord Jehovah.
31And ye my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 34.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The rulers reproved. (1-6). The people are to be restored to their own land. (7-16). The kingdom of Christ. (17-31).
vv1-6
The people became as sheep without a shepherd, were given up as a prey to their enemies, and the land was utterly desolated. No rank or office can exempt from the reproofs of God's word, men who neglect their duty, and abuse the trust reposed in them.
vv7-16
The Lord declared that he intended mercy towards the scattered flock. Doubtless this, in the first place, had reference to the restoration of the Jews. It also represented the good Shepherd's tender care of the souls of his people. He finds them in their days of darkness and ignorance, and brings them to his fold. He comes to their relief in times of persecution and temptation. He leads them in the ways of righteousness, and causes them to rest on his love and faithfulness. The proud and self-sufficient, are enemies of the true gospel and of believers; against such we must guard. He has rest for disquieted saints, and terror for presumptuous sinners.
vv17-31
The whole nation seemed to be the Lord's flock, yet they were very different characters; but he knew how to distinguish between them. By good pastures and deep waters, are meant the pure word of God and the dispensing of justice. The latter verses, 23-31, prophesy of Christ, and of the most glorious times of his church on earth. Under Him, as the good Shepherd, the church would be a blessing to all around. Christ, though excellent in himself, was as a tender plant out of a dry ground. Being the Tree of life, bearing all the fruits of salvation, he yields spiritual food to the souls of his people. Our constant desire and prayer should be, that there may be showers of blessings in every place where the truth of Christ is preached; and that all who profess the gospel may be filled with fruits of righteousness.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
רָעָה: to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אֲדֹנָי: the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)
Cross References
Ezekiel 34Jesus directly claims the Good Shepherd identity, fulfilling the promise of the one shepherd.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel denunciation of the false shepherds of Israel before the promise of the Messiah.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic woe pronounced on the idle, worthless shepherd who deserts and harms the flock.
Supported by JFB
Prophecy of Yahweh Himself feeding His flock, gathering lambs, and gently leading the weak.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel prophecy in Ezekiel identifying the future one king and shepherd as 'my servant David'.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Exhortation to Christian elders to feed the flock willingly, not for filthy lucre or by constraint.
Supported by JFB
Parallel description of rulers eating the flesh of the people and flaying their skin.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus' parable of the lost sheep fulfills God's promise to seek out the lost.
Supported by JFB
Jesus views the crowds with compassion because they are scattered as sheep without a shepherd.
Supported by JFB
The classic depiction of Jehovah as the Shepherd who feeds, leads, and restores His sheep.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Messianic promise of a righteous Branch raised up unto David to reign as a wise King.
Supported by JFB
The 'force' and 'cruelty' of the false shepherds echoes the Egyptian bondage of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
God promises to gather the remnant of His flock out of all countries.
Supported by JFB
Contrast of Jeshurun waxing fat and kicking, illustrating the wantonness of the strong cattle.
Supported by JFB
The Son of Man separates sheep from goats, echoing God's judgment between cattle.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel promise of an everlasting covenant of peace and a sanctuary in their midst.
Supported by Matthew Henry
A covenant making them lie down safely, free from wild beasts and war.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Covenant promise of rain in due season and the land yielding increase.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament benediction identifying Jesus as the great Shepherd of the sheep.
Supported by JFB
Christ as a tender plant out of a dry ground, relating to the plant of renown.
Supported by Matthew Henry