Ezekiel 34:4

4 Ye made not firm that that was unsteadfast, and ye made not whole that that was sick; ye bound not (up) that that was broken, and ye brought not again that that was cast away, and ye sought not that that perished; but ye commanded to them with sternness, and with power.

Ezekiel 34:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 34:4

The diseased have ye not strengthened
Such, in the civil polity, who were poor, and in necessitous circumstances, were not relieved; such who were injured and oppressed by others were not vindicated; and such as were forced to flee to other countries, or were carried captive, no care was taken, or methods used, to ransom them, and, bring them back; all which may be meant by this and the following metaphors, taken from the evil things that befall a flock of sheep: and such who were weak through spiritual diseases, their prophets and teachers took no care to cure them of their diseases, and to strengthen these feeble minded ones with divine cordials and spiritual food, and confirm them in the faith: neither have ye healed that which was sick;
by directing them to the great Physician of souls, and to his precious blood for healing and pardon of sin: neither have ye bound up that which was broken;
whose consciences were wounded, and hearts broken, with a sense of sin; or who had fallen to the breaking of their bones, and should be restored in a spirit of meekness and dealt gently with, as surgeons do in setting and binding up broken bones: neither have ye brought again that which was driven away;
or, "was gone astray" ^F18; being seduced by false teachers; and yet, though it was known they were, no care nor pains were taken to reclaim and restore them: neither have ye sought that which was lost;
that wandered of their own accord, and perished for want of knowledge, and were lost for lack of a guide to direct them, and no one would do this good office to them: but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them;
in an arbitrary and tyrannical way, lording it over God, s heritage, ( 1 Peter 5:3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (txdnh) "vagam aut errantem", Bochartus, and some in Vatablus.

Ezekiel 34:4 In-Context

2 Son of man, prophesy thou of the shepherds of Israel, prophesy thou; and thou shalt say to the shepherds, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed himself [that fed themselves]; whether flocks be not fed of shepherds? (Son of man, prophesy thou against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy thou; and thou shalt say to the shepherds, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves; should not the shepherds feed the flock?)

3 Ye ate [the] milk, and were covered with [the] wools, and ye killed that that was fat (and ye killed what was fat); but ye fed not my flock.

4 Ye made not firm that that was unsteadfast, and ye made not whole that that was sick; ye bound not (up) that that was broken, and ye brought not again that that was cast away, and ye sought not that that perished; but ye commanded to them with sternness, and with power.

5 And my sheep were scattered, for no shepherd was; and they were made into devouring of all beasts of the field, and they were scattered. (And my sheep were scattered, for there was no shepherd; and they were made into food for all the beasts of the field, and they were scattered.)

6 My flocks erred in all mountains, and in each high hill, and my flocks were scattered on all the face of earth, and none was that sought. (My flock wandered on all the mountains, and on each high hill, yea, my flock was scattered over all the face of the earth, and there was no one who sought them.)