BOOK 26 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel book home•Chapter 34 of 48•31 verses

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Ezekiel 34 Overview

The LORD condemns Israel’s shepherds for feeding themselves rather than the flock, neglecting the weak, and scattering the sheep. God promises to search for His sheep Himself, judge between sheep, and set over them “one shepherd, my servant David,” bringing a covenant of peace and secure dwelling.

EzekielBook

34Chapter

31Verses

Major ProphetsDivision

Before you read Ezekiel 34

Coming from

After the oracles against the nations, the LORD renews Ezekiel’s watchman commission and stresses individual responsibility. A fugitive then arrives with the long-awaited report, “The city is smitten.” Ezekiel confronts survivors who presume on Abraham’s land claim and exiles who enjoy hearing his words without doing them.

In this chapter

Leads into

Ezekiel prophesies against Mount Seir, representing Edom, because of ancient hatred, bloodshed, and the desire to possess Israel and Judah when they were desolate. Edom’s rejoicing over Israel’s ruin will return on its own head, and the LORD will make Mount Seir desolate.

Key understandingExplore deeper

“Shepherds” primarily refers to Israel’s rulers and leaders. Their failure is measured by how they used power: they consumed the flock’s benefits but did not strengthen, heal, seek, or protect the people.

The promise that the LORD Himself will shepherd the flock and also appoint “my servant David” creates a rich divine-Davidic expectation. Since historical David had long been dead, the language points to future Davidic rule and is naturally fulfilled in the Messiah.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Leadership exists for the good of those entrusted to it

Self-feeding shepherds are condemned because authority became a means of exploitation.

God personally seeks scattered sheep

Restoration begins with the LORD searching, gathering, feeding, and giving rest to His flock.

The future of Israel includes righteous Davidic shepherding

God’s own care and the promised Davidic shepherd belong together rather than competing.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Psalm 23

The LORD is Israel’s Shepherd who leads, feeds, protects, and restores.

John 10:11-16

Jesus identifies Himself as the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep, bringing Ezekiel’s shepherd hope into explicit messianic fulfillment.

1 Peter 5:2-4

Church elders are told to shepherd willingly and not for selfish gain under the Chief Shepherd, applying the leadership principle in a distinct New Testament setting.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not identify every “shepherd” passage directly with local church pastors.

Ezekiel’s immediate targets are Israel’s national leaders, though the leadership principles legitimately inform later pastoral teaching.

Do not reduce “David” to the historical king returning to office without considering the messianic development.

The promise is future to Ezekiel and the New Testament presents Jesus, David’s heir, as the good shepherd.

Read Ezekiel 34 watching for…

self-serving shepherds

weak and scattered sheep

the LORD saying “I myself” will seek them

judgment between sheep and sheep

the one shepherd, “my servant David”

Chapter outline3 sections

1-6Israel’s shepherds feed themselves while the flock is neglected and scattered 7-16The LORD removes the faithless shepherds and promises personally to search for, gather, and feed his flock 17-31The LORD judges between sheep, promises one shepherd David, and establishes a covenant of peace

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

I will seek that which was lost, and bring again 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 with judgment.

And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

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Ezekiel 34:3

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