Ezekiel 34:31

31 You are my dear flock, the flock of my pasture, my human flock, And I am your God. Decree of God, the Master.'"

Ezekiel 34:31 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 34:31

And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men
This is observed, to show that all that had been said in this chapter concerning sheep, and a flock of sheep, was to be understood, not in a literal sense, but in a figurative one, of such as were rational and spiritual persons; a set of men whom the Lord had chosen, and separated from others, as his peculiar flock; and whom he took a special care of, and led them to, and fed them in, green pastures of his own providing; they are the souls of men that Christ is the Shepherd and Bishop of, ( 1 Peter 2:25 ) . The Talmudists F21 frequently make use of this text, to prove that Israelites are only called men, and not the Gentiles; see ( Matthew 15:26 ) and I am your God, saith the Lord God;
which is often repeated for the certainty of it, because a blessing of the greatest importance, and which includes all others in it; see ( Ezekiel 34:24 Ezekiel 34:30 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 61. 1. Bava Metzia, fol. 114. 2. & Ceritot, fol. 6. 2.

Ezekiel 34:31 In-Context

29 I'll give them rich gardens, lavish in vegetables - no more living half-starved, no longer taunted by outsiders.
30 "'They'll know, beyond doubting, that I, God, am their God, that I'm with them and that they, the people Israel, are my people. Decree of God, the Master:
31 You are my dear flock, the flock of my pasture, my human flock, And I am your God. Decree of God, the Master.'"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.