Ezekiel 34:3

3 N'est-ce pas le troupeau que les pasteurs doivent paître? Vous mangiez la graisse, et vous vous revêtiez de la laine; vous tuiez ce qui était gras, vous ne paissiez point le troupeau!

Ezekiel 34:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 34:3

Ye eat the fat
The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it, "the milk"; the words for fat and milk differ only in the points; and this was not unlawful, for who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
( 1 Corinthians 9:7 ) , provided it was done with moderation, that they ate some, but not all; but these rulers milked their subjects too much, oppressed them with heavy taxes, and got their substance into their own hands. The Targum is,

``ye eat the good;''

they got possessed of the best of their substance; as did also their ecclesiastical rulers, who were greedy shepherds, that could never have enough; they looked for their gain from their quarter, and even devoured widows' houses, ( Isaiah 56:11 ) ( Matthew 23:14 ) : ye clothe you with the wool:
the pure wool, as the Targum, the finest of it; they fleeced the flock, and stripped the people of their riches; and minded nothing but their own backs and bellies: ye kill them that are fed;
or, that "are fat" ^F17; the richest of the people they brought accusations and charges against for capital crimes; and so put them to death under a colour of justice, that they, might get their estates into their hands: but ye feed not the flock;
did not govern the people well, by doing justice and judgment among men, as became civil magistrates; did not deliver out words of faith and sound doctrine, to feed the souls of men with, which is the duty of those that preside in the church of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (hayrbh) "quod pingue est", Vatablus, Bochartus; "pinguem", Cocceius, Starckius. So Ben Melech.

Ezekiel 34:3 In-Context

1 La parole de l'Éternel me fut adressée en ces termes:

2 Fils de l'homme, prophétise contre les pasteurs d'Israël; prophétise et dis-leur, aux pasteurs: Ainsi a dit le Seigneur, l'Éternel: Malheur aux pasteurs d'Israël, qui ne paissaient qu'eux-mêmes!

3 N'est-ce pas le troupeau que les pasteurs doivent paître? Vous mangiez la graisse, et vous vous revêtiez de la laine; vous tuiez ce qui était gras, vous ne paissiez point le troupeau!

4 Vous n'avez pas fortifié les faibles, vous n'avez pas guéri les malades, vous n'avez point bandé les blessées; vous n'avez pas ramené les égarées, et n'avez pas cherché les perdues; mais vous les avez dominées avec dureté et rigueur.

5 Faute de pasteurs, elles se sont dispersées; elles ont été exposées à devenir la proie de toutes les bêtes des champs; elles se sont dispersées.