Ezekiel 34

1 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

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.)

7 Therefore, shepherds, hear ye the word of the Lord;

8 I live, saith the Lord God, for why for that that my flocks be made into raven, and my sheep into devouring of all beasts of the field, for that that no shepherd was, for the shepherds sought not my flock(s), but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks; (As I live, saith the Lord God, because my flock was made into spoils, and my sheep into food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, for the shepherds sought not my flock, but the shepherds fed only themselves, and fed not my flock;)

9 therefore, shepherds, hear ye the word of the Lord,

10 The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I myself am over [the] shepherds; I shall seek my flock of the hand of them, and I shall make them to cease, that they feed no more my flock, and that the shepherds feed no more themselves. And I shall deliver my flock from the mouth of them, and it shall no more be into meat to them. (The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I am against the shepherds; I shall take my flock out of their hands, and I shall make them cease, that they do not feed my flock, but that these shepherds only feed only themselves. And I shall rescue my flock from their mouths, and they shall no more be their food.)

11 For the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I myself shall seek (out) my sheep, and I shall visit them (and I shall search for them).

12 As a shepherd visiteth his flock, in the day when he is in the midst of his sheep that be scattered, so I shall visit my sheep; and I shall deliver them from all places in which they were scattered, in the day of cloud, and of darkness. (Like a shepherd searcheth for his flock, on the day when he is in the midst of his sheep that be scattered, so I shall search for my sheep; and I shall rescue them from all the places in which they were scattered, on the day of cloud, and of darkness.)

13 And I shall lead them out of peoples, and I shall gather them from lands, and I shall bring them into their land, and I shall feed them in the hills of Israel, in rivers, and in all seats of earth (And I shall lead them out from the nations, and I shall gather them from other lands, and I shall bring them back to their own land, and I shall feed them on the hills of Israel, by the rivers, and on all the green fields.)

14 I shall feed them in most plenteous pastures, and the pastures of them shall be in the high hills of Israel; there they shall rest in green herbs, and in fat pastures they shall be fed on the hills of Israel. (I shall feed them in most plentiful pastures, and their pastures shall be on the high hills of Israel; they shall rest there on green grass, and they shall feed in plentiful pastures, on the hills of Israel.)

15 I shall feed my sheep, and I shall make them to lie (down, or to rest), saith the Lord God.

16 I shall seek that that perished, and I shall bring again that that was cast away; and I shall bind (up) that that was broken, and I shall make strong that that was sick; and I shall keep that that is fat and strong; and I shall feed them in doom (and I shall feed them with justice);

17 forsooth ye be my flocks. The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I deem betwixt beast and beast, and a wether and a buck of goats. (for ye be my flock. The Lord God saith these things, Lo! I judge between beast and beast, and a ram and a goat-buck.)

18 Whether it was not enough to you to devour good pastures? Furthermore and ye defouled with your feet the remnants of your pastures, and when ye drank clearest water, ye disturbed the residue with your feet. (Was it not enough for some of you to devour the good pastures? But furthermore, ye defiled the remnants of your pastures with your feet, and after that ye drank of the clearest water, then ye disturbed the residue with your feet.)

19 And my sheep were fed with these things that were defouled with your feet; and they drank these things, that your feet had troubled.

20 Therefore the Lord God saith these things to you, Lo! I myself deem betwixt a fat beast and a lean beast.

21 For that that ye hurled with (your) sides, and shoulders, and winnowed with your horns all sick beasts (and winnowed all the sick, or all the weak, beasts with your horns), till those were scattered withoutforth,

22 I shall save my flock, and it shall no more be into raven. And I shall deem betwixt beast and beast; (I shall save my flock, and they shall no more be spoils. And I shall judge between beast and beast;)

23 and I shall raise on those one shepherd, my servant David, that shall feed those; he shall feed them, and he shall be a shepherd to them. (and I shall raise upon them one shepherd, my servant David, who shall feed them; yea, he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.)

24 Forsooth I the Lord shall be into God to them, and my servant David shall be prince in the midst of them; I the Lord spake. (And I the Lord shall be their God, and my servant David shall be their leader in their midst; I the Lord spoke.)

25 And I shall make with them a covenant of peace, and I shall make [the] worst beasts to cease from [the] earth; and they that dwell in desert, shall sleep secure in forests. (And I shall make a covenant of peace with them, and I shall make evil, or wild, beasts to cease to exist in the land; and then my sheep shall live with security in the field, and shall sleep with peace in the forests.)

26 And I shall set them [a] blessing in the compass of my little hill, and I shall lead down rain in his time. And rains of blessing shall be, (And I shall place them all around my little hill for a blessing, and I shall lead down rain in its time. Yea, there shall be blessed rains/Yea, there shall be rains of blessing,)

27 and the tree of the field shall give his fruit, and the earth shall give his seed. And they shall be in their land without dread; and they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall all-break the chains of their yoke, and shall deliver them from the hand of them that command to them. (and the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its seed. And they shall live in their land without any fear; and they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall all-break the chains of their yoke, and shall rescue them from the hands, or from the power, of those who commanded to them.)

28 And they shall no more be into raven into heathen men, neither the beasts of [the] earth shall devour them, but they shall dwell trustily without any dread. (And they shall no more be spoils for the heathen, nor shall the beasts of the field devour them, but they shall live with trust, and without any fear.)

29 And I shall raise to them a just burgeoning named; and they shall no more be made less for hunger in earth, and they shall no more bear the shame of heathen men. (And I shall raise up for them a burgeoning justly named; and they shall no more be made less because of famine in the land, and they shall no more bear the shame of the heathen.)

30 And they shall know, that I am their Lord God with them, and they be my people, the house of Israel, saith the Lord God. (And they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, be my people, saith the Lord God.)

31 Forsooth ye my flocks be men, the flocks of my pasture; and I am your Lord God, saith the Lord God. (For ye people be my flock, the flock of my pasture; and I am the Lord your God, saith the Lord God.)

Ezekiel 34 Commentary

Chapter 34

The rulers reproved. (1-6) The people are to be restored to their own land. (7-16) The kingdom of Christ. (17-31)

Verses 1-6 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.

Verses 7-16 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.

Verses 17-31 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.

Chapter Summary

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.