Ezekiel 34:8
in Ezekiel 34‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep;
KJV
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;
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This verse in Ezekiel 34
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThose that will not hear the word of the Lord giving them their direction shall be made to hear the word of the Lord reading them their doom. How much displeased God is at the shepherds. Their crimes are repeated,
This site's exposition
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word
on Ezekiel 34:7-10
The double summons, “hear the word of the LORD”, frames the sentence: God declares Himself against the shepherds and will “demand from them My flock”. They will be removed from tending the flock entirely, and the flock is delivered “from their mouths” and will no longer be food for them.
This site's exposition
As surely as I live
The LORD swears by His own life, the strongest oath in the prophets, since there is no one greater to swear by. The verse gathers the charges of verses 5 and 6 into the formal ground of a court sentence. The flock and the shepherds both belong to Him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Chapter 34.) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds (or to the shepherds) of Israel, prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves. (Or: O shepherds of Israel, do the shepherds not feed themselves?) Do not the flocks feed on the shepherds? (Or do the sheep not feed the shepherds?)
But which shepherds are dead? Those who seek their own advantage, not that of Jesus Christ. So will there be shepherds, and will they be found, who do not seek their own advantage but that of Jesus Christ? There certainly will be, and they will certainly be found; they are not lacking, and they won't be lacking. So let us see what the Lord has to say, who says he lives; whether he says he is going to take the sheep away from the bad shepherds, who feed themselves, not the sheep, and give them to good shepherds, who feed the sheep, not themselves.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
How much concerned God is for the flock; he speaks as if he were the more concerned for them because he saw them thus neglected, for with him the fatherless finds mercy. Precious promises are made here upon the occasion, which were to have their accomplishment in the return of the Jews out of their captivity and their re-establishment in their own land.
As I live, saith the Lord,....
A gracious promise that God would take care of his flock, though they did not, and that it should not always suffer as it had done by their mal-administrations,
The words behind it
31 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| אָ֜נִי | ʾani | of me | H589 → | 874 times |
| נְאֻ֣ם׀ | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַ֣עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | 99 times |
| הֱיֽוֹת־ | heyot- | has become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| צֹאנִ֣י׀ | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| לָבַ֡ז | lavaz | <into> prey | H957 → | 25 times |
| וַתִּֽהְיֶינָה֩ | vatihyeinah | and they have become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| צֹאנִ֨י | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| לְאָכְלָ֜ה | leokhlah | <into> food | H402 → | 18 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | for every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חַיַּ֤ת | chaiyat | <the> animal of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶה֙ | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| מֵאֵ֣ין | meein | from not | H369 → | 789 times |
| רֹעֶ֔ה | roeh | shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| דָרְשׁ֥וּ | dareshu | they have searched for | H1875 → | 164 times |
| רֹעַ֖י | roai | shepherds my | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צֹאנִ֑י | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וַיִּרְע֤וּ | vaiyiru | and they have shepherded | H7462 → | 177 times |
| הָֽרֹעִים֙ | haroim | the shepherds | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> themselves | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צֹאנִ֖י | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רָעֽוּ׃ ס | rau | they have shepherded | H7462 → | 177 times |
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
אָ֜נִיof me
ʾaniH589 →874 times
נְאֻ֣ם׀[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַ֣עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →99 times
הֱיֽוֹת־has become
heyot-H1961 →3559 times
צֹאנִ֣י׀flock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
לָבַ֡ז<into> prey
lavazH957 →25 times
וַתִּֽהְיֶינָה֩and they have become
vatihyeinahH1961 →3559 times
צֹאנִ֨יflock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
לְאָכְלָ֜ה<into> food
leokhlahH402 →18 times
לְכָל־for every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
חַיַּ֤ת<the> animal of
chaiyatH2416 →498 times
הַשָּׂדֶה֙the field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
מֵאֵ֣יןfrom not
meeinH369 →789 times
רֹעֶ֔הshepherd
roehH7462 →177 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
דָרְשׁ֥וּthey have searched for
dareshuH1875 →164 times
רֹעַ֖יshepherds my
roaiH7462 →177 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
צֹאנִ֑יflock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
וַיִּרְע֤וּand they have shepherded
vaiyiruH7462 →177 times
הָֽרֹעִים֙the shepherds
haroimH7462 →177 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> themselves
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
צֹאנִ֖יflock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
רָעֽוּ׃ סthey have shepherded
rauH7462 →177 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jude 1:12These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after…
it leads to
- Philippians 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:17–20
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
- Matthew 15:13
But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
- Philippians 3:19
Through
Ezekiel 34:31‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
it leads to
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
- Psalms 78:52
He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
- Psalms 100:3
Through
2 Peter 2:13The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with…
it leads to
- Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
- Romans 13:13
Through
Acts 20:33I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to…
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS 46:19; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.