Ezekiel 34

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

¹The 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?

³You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.

⁴You 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.

⁵They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.

⁶My 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, and my shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep,

⁹therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD’s word!”

¹⁰The 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.

¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among 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.

¹³I 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.

¹⁴I 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 rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

¹⁵I 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.”’

The Good Shepherd and the Covenant of Peace

¹⁷“As for you, O my flock, the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats.

¹⁸Does 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?

¹⁹As 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.

²¹Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad,

²²therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.

²³I 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.

²⁴I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David prince among 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.

²⁶I 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.

²⁷The 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.

²⁸They 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.

²⁹I 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.

³⁰They 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.

³¹You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Previous Ezekiel 33

Next Ezekiel 35

Ezekiel 34 presents God's scathing indictment of Israel's corrupt leaders, metaphorically called 'shepherds' who exploited rather than cared for God's people. The chapter condemns these leaders for their self-serving neglect that led to Israel's scattering and suffering. In response, God promises to personally shepherd His people, gathering them from exile, providing good pasture, and establishing a covenant of peace under the leadership of a Davidic shepherd.

Context

This chapter follows the restoration promises of chapter 33 and precedes the judgment on Edom in chapter 35, marking a pivotal shift from judgment to restoration themes.

Key Themes

Outline

1-6
Indictment of Israel's Shepherds God condemns the leaders who exploited the people instead of caring for them, leading to Israel's scattering.
7-10
Divine Judgment on Corrupt Leaders God declares His opposition to the shepherds and promises to remove them from leadership.
11-16
God as the True Shepherd The Lord promises to personally search for, gather, and care for His scattered sheep with justice.
17-22
Judgment Between the Sheep God will judge between the strong sheep who oppress the weak and establish justice among His flock.
23-31
The Davidic Shepherd and Covenant of Peace God promises to raise up a Davidic ruler and establish an eternal covenant bringing security and blessing.

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34:1–34:16

prophecy rebuke wrathful

A prophetic condemnation of Israel's corrupt leaders who exploited rather than cared for God's people. God promises to personally shepherd His scattered flock and deliver them from negligent leaders.

person_contrast

Ezekiel, typically God's herald of judgment and exile, here uniquely promises divine compassion as God declares "I myself will search for my sheep" (v.11), reversing his usual proclamations of punishment.

The Good Shepherd and the Covenant of Peace

34:17–34:31

prophecy exhortation hopeful

God promises to establish David as shepherd over His people and make a covenant of peace. The passage describes future blessings of security, prosperity, and divine protection for the restored flock.

person_contrast

Ezekiel's characteristic vocabulary of judgment ("mishpat") transforms into covenant language ("berit shalom"), marking one of only two passages where the prophet shifts from condemnation to restoration promises.

Insight Character Study

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Ezekiel 34:2 4 references

Lexicals 4

Jeremiah 23:1 Lexical

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD.

Ezekiel 34

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

The Good Shepherd and the Covenant of Peace

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

The Good Shepherd and the Covenant of Peace

Insights

Cross-References

Ezekiel 34:2 4 references

Ezekiel 34:4 5 references

Ezekiel 34:8 5 references

Ezekiel 34:10 5 references

Ezekiel 34:11 1 reference

Ezekiel 34:12 5 references

Ezekiel 34:14 3 references

Ezekiel 34:15 3 references

Ezekiel 34:16 2 references

Ezekiel 34:17 2 references

Ezekiel 34:19 1 reference

Ezekiel 34:20 1 reference

Ezekiel 34:27 5 references

Ezekiel 34:31 2 references

Interlinear

Historical Context