Ezekiel Chapter 34
1 The LORD's word came to me, saying,
2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, 'The Lord GOD says: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don't feed the sheep.
4 You haven't strengthened the diseased. You haven't healed that which was sick. You haven't bound up that which was broken. You haven't brought back that which was driven away. You haven't sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought."
7 " 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD's word:
8 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd. My shepherds didn't search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn't feed my sheep."
9 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD's word:
10 The Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won't feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them."
11 " 'For the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is amongst his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them with good pasture; and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on fat pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down," says the Lord GOD.
16 "I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice." '
17 "As for you, O my flock, the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats.
18 Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet?
19 As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.'
20 "Therefore the Lord GOD says to them: 'Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21 Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad;
22 therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.
24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David prince amongst them. I, the LORD, have spoken it.
25 " 'I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing.
27 The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them.
28 They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid.
29 I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 They will know that I, the LORD, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD.
31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,' says the Lord GOD."
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Ezekiel Chapter 34 Guide
The next prophecy dealt ultimately with the one Shepherd. It opened with an indictment of the false shepherds through whom all these evil things had happened to the people. Their sin had been that they had ministered to themselves. Feeding themselves and clothing themselves, they had not fed the sheep, neither had they ministered to the diseased and the sick and the broken and the needy. The result of the failure of the shepherds was that the people were scattered, and had become a prey of the beasts of the field. Because of all this, Jehovah was against the shepherds, and would deliver the sheep.
That deliverance the prophet then described in language full of beauty. Jehovah said, "I Myself, even I, will search ... and seek ... and deliver ... and bring them out ... and gather them ... bring them in ... and feed them ... and cause them to lie down ... and bind up ... and strengthen."
Continuing the same message, the prophet proceeded to declare that the action of Jehovah would be not merely delivering, but also governing. In the gracious words declaring His shepherd care, the last statement was, "I will feed them in judgment." That is explained in the following paragraph, in which the discrimination and administration of Jehovah are manifest, in that He judges between cattle and cattle, and prevents the strong from treading down the pasture to the injury of the weak.
Finally, there was the gracious and glorious promise of the one Shepherd, for the description of whom the prophet borrowed the name of the king who had most perfectly realized in the history of the people the purpose of God. In the fullness of time the one Shepherd appeared, and in a mystery of iniquity the sheep whom He would have gathered flung Him out to the beasts. The men of Israel, "by the hands of lawless men did crucify and slay," and they have been scattered more widely and terribly than ever.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezekiel Chapter 34 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- 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.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.