Ezekiel 34:13
in Ezekiel 34I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 34
Commentary
8 notes on this verseI will - feed them upon the mountains - When I bring back the people from their captivity, I will raise up to them a holy and diligent priesthood, who shall in all places give them sound instruction. But this, and some of the following promises, belong to the Christian Church, as we shall find below.
This site's exposition
I Myself will search for My flock
on Ezekiel 34:11-16
What the shepherds failed to do, God announces He will do Himself. He will seek the scattered, bind the broken, strengthen the weak. The unit ends on a harder note, “the sleek and strong I will destroy”, naming that some had grown strong by preying on the weak.
This site's exposition
bring them into their own land
The verbs bring out, gather and bring in follow the order of the exodus from Egypt. Commentators place the fulfilment in the return from Babylon, in a gathering of Israel still to come, or in both. The flock feeds on the mountains of Israel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
He established the mountains of Israel, the authors of the divine Scriptures. Feed there, in order to feed without a qualm. Whatever you hear from that source, let that taste good to you; anything from outside, spit it out. In order not to go astray in the fog, listen to the voice of the Shepherd. Gather yourselves to the mountains of holy Scripture. There you will find your heart's desire, there is nothing poisonous there, nothing unsuitable; they are the richest pastures.
There, life is wisdom, through which all these things come into being, both those that have been and those that will be. Yet, it is not made but is as it was, and thus it will be forever. Or rather, to have been in the past or to be in the future does not pertain to it, but simply to be, for it is eternal. To be in the past or to be in the future is not to be eternal.
(Verse 11 onwards) For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his dispersed sheep (or when there is darkness and clouds among his separated sheep), so will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land,....
They shall not return one by one, clandestinely stealing away, but they shall return in a body: " I will gather them from the countries into which they are dispersed, not only the most considerable families of them, but every particular person. I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away, "
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
separated when they are scattered, and he walks among them and gathers them back together.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣ים | vehotzetim | and I will bring out them | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעַמִּ֗ים | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְקִבַּצְתִּים֙ | vekibatztim | and I will gather them | H6908 → | 127 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת | haaratzot | the lands | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַהֲבִיאֹתִ֖ים | vahaviotim | and I will bring them | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַדְמָתָ֑ם | ʾadmatam | own land their | H127 → | 225 times |
| וּרְעִיתִים֙ | ureitim | and I will shepherd them | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָרֵ֣י | harei | [the] mountains of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בָּאֲפִיקִ֕ים | baafikim | in the ravines | H650 → | 19 times |
| וּבְכֹ֖ל | uvekhol | and in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מוֹשְׁבֵ֥י | moshevei | [the] habitable places of | H4186 → | 44 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣יםand I will bring out them
vehotzetimH3318 →1067 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעַמִּ֗יםthe peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
וְקִבַּצְתִּים֙and I will gather them
vekibatztimH6908 →127 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹתthe lands
haaratzotH776 →2504 times
וַהֲבִיאֹתִ֖יםand I will bring them
vahaviotimH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַדְמָתָ֑םown land their
ʾadmatamH127 →225 times
וּרְעִיתִים֙and I will shepherd them
ureitimH7462 →177 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָרֵ֣י[the] mountains of
hareiH2022 →546 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בָּאֲפִיקִ֕יםin the ravines
baafikimH650 →19 times
וּבְכֹ֖לand in all
uvekholH3605 →5413 times
מוֹשְׁבֵ֥י[the] habitable places of
mosheveiH4186 →44 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 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
Ezekiel 11:17Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 28:25
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of…
- Jeremiah 3:18
In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers…
- Ezekiel 36:24
For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
- Jeremiah 24:5
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land…
- Isaiah 11:11–16
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and…
- Ezekiel 28:25
Through
Psalms 106:47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:35–36
Then cry out: ‘Save us, O God of our salvation; gather and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.’
- 2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
- Revelation 7:10–12
And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
- 1 Chronicles 16:35–36
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 46:24; Augustine of Hippo, Confessions 10.24; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel and Patrick Fairbairn, Ezekiel and the Book of His Prophecy.