Ezekiel 34:8

8 By my life, says the Lord, truly, because my sheep have been taken away, and my sheep became food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no keeper, and my keepers did not go in search of the sheep, but the keepers took food for themselves and gave my sheep no food;

Ezekiel 34:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 34:8

As I live, saith the Lord
It is an oath, and which he swore in his wrath, being provoked with the shepherds for their misadministration: surely, because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to
every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd;
a prey to all the kingdoms of the people, being without a governor, as the Targum; or to false teachers, there being no spiritual pastors to take care of them: neither did my shepherds search for my flock;
that was scattered, and carried captive, and became a prey to others; even those that were of God's appointing, as the kings of Israel, their priests and prophets; for both their civil polity and ecclesiastical hierarchy were of God, though the ends thereof were not answered, or the persons put into office did not do their duty: but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock:
(See Gill on Ezekiel 34:2), (See Gill on Ezekiel 34:3).

Ezekiel 34:8 In-Context

6 And my sheep went out of the way, wandering through all the mountains and on every high hill: my sheep went here and there over all the face of the earth; and no one was troubled about them or went in search of them.

7 For this cause, O keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord:

8 By my life, says the Lord, truly, because my sheep have been taken away, and my sheep became food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no keeper, and my keepers did not go in search of the sheep, but the keepers took food for themselves and gave my sheep no food;

9 For this reason, O you keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord;

10 This is what the Lord has said: See I am against the keepers of the flock, and I will make search and see what they have done with my sheep, and will let them be keepers of my sheep no longer; and the keepers will no longer get food for themselves; I will take my sheep out of their mouths so that they may not be food for them.