Ezekiel 34:18-28

18 Isn't it enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Or [isn't it enough] that you drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
19 Yet My flock has to feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied.
20 "Therefore, this is what the Lord God says to them: See, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21 Since you have pushed with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak ones with your horns until you scattered them all over,
22 I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey for you. I will judge between one sheep and another.
23 I will appoint over them a single shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd.[a]
24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David[b] will be a prince among them.[c] I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 "I will make a covenant of peace[d] with them and eliminate dangerous animals[e] in the land, so that they may live securely[f] in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.[g]
26 I will make them and the area around My hill a blessing: I will send down showers in their season[h]-showers[i] of blessing.
27 The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslave them.[j]
28 They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the wild animals of the land will not consume them. They will live securely, and no one will frighten [them].

Ezekiel 34:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 34

In the former chapter the prophet prophesies against the people of the Jews, both those of the captivity, and those who were not; and here against the shepherds of Israel. This he is bid to do, Eze 34:1,2, whose cruelty to the flock, negligence and unfaithfulness are exposed, Eze 34:3-6, for which reasons they are threatened to be deprived of their office, Eze 34:7-10, and the Lord promises to take the care of the flock upon himself, to seek out his sheep, and feed them, and do every kind office to them, Eze 34:11-16 and then the strong of the flock, that oppressed the weak, are threatened with punishment, Eze 34:17-22 and the promise of the Messiah, as the shepherd of the flock, is made, under whom all prosperity and happiness might be expected, Eze 34:23-31.

Footnotes 10

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