Ezekiel 34:11-16

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

11 “For thus says the Lord God: ¹Behold, I, I ²myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on ³a day of clouds and ⁴thick darkness.

13 And I will bring them out from the peoples ⁵and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on ⁶the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 ⁷I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. ⁸There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.

15 ⁹I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, ¹⁰and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.

16 ¹¹I will seek the lost, ¹²and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and ¹³the fat and the strong I will destroy. ^[a] I will feed them in justice.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 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.

Cross References

• 1. 34:11 [Luke 19:10; John 10:11]
• 2. 34:11 [Mic. 4:6, 7]
• 3. 34:12 ch. 30:3
• 4. 34:12 Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:15
• 5. 34:13 See ch. 11:17
• 6. 34:13 See ch. 6:2
• 7. 34:14 Ps. 23:2; [John 10:9]
• 8. 34:14 [Isa. 32:18; Jer. 33:12]
• 9. 34:15 [ver. 23; Isa. 40:11]
• 10. 34:15 [See ver. 14 above]
• 11. 34:16 [ver. 4]
• 12. 34:16 Mic. 4:6
• 13. 34:16 [ver. 20; Isa. 10:16; Amos 4:1]

Footnotes

• [a] 34:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate 'I will watch over'