Ezekiel 34:6
in Ezekiel 34My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 34
Commentary
8 notes on this verseMy sheep wandered through all the mountains - They all became idolaters, and lost the knowledge of the true God. And could it be otherwise while they had such pastors? “Himself a wanderer from the narrow way; His silly sheep, no wonder that they stray!” Reader, if thou be a minister, a preacher, or a person in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, or art one pretending to holy orders, look at the qualifications of a good shepherd as laid down by the prophet. 1. He professes to be a shepherd, and to be qualified for the office.
This site's exposition
You eat the fat, wear the wool
on Ezekiel 34:3-6
The indictment is specific and material. The shepherds took the flock's wool and meat while leaving the sick unhealed, the broken unbound, the strayed unsought and the lost unfound. The consequence is named plainly, “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd”, laying the exile itself at the leaders' door.
This site's exposition
went astray on all the mountains
The mountains and every high hill were the places of Israel's idol shrines, condemned in chapter 6 and again at 18:6. Going astray there carries two senses. The flock wandered into idolatry at home and was then scattered into exile abroad.
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?)
Pursuing all earthly objects, things that glitter obviously on the face of the earth, they love them, they set their hearts on them. They do not want to die, that their life may be hidden with Christ.… Not all heretics are to be found all over the face of the earth, but still heretics are to be found all over the face of the earth. Some here, others there, but there is no lack of them anywhere.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Their case is bad who have reason to expect better treatment among strangers than in their own country. It may be meant of those of the flock that went astray from God and their duty; and the priests, that should have taught the good knowledge of the Lord, used no means to convince and reclaim them, so that they became an easy prey to seducers.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
every high hill--the scene of their idolatries sanctioned by the rulers. search . . . seek--rather, "seek . . . search." The former is the part of the superior rulers to inquire after: to search out is the duty of the subordinate rulers [JUNIUS].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִשְׁגּ֤וּ | yishgu | they wander | H7686 → | |
| צֹאנִי֙ | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | on all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים | heharim | the mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וְעַ֖ל | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גִּבְעָ֣ה | givah | hill | H1389 → | 68 times |
| רָמָ֑ה | ramah | high | H7311 → | 190 times |
| וְעַ֨ל | veal | and over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| פְּנֵ֤י | penei | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| נָפֹ֣צוּ | nafotzu | they have been scattered | H6327 → | 67 times |
| צֹאנִ֔י | tzoni | flock my | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| דּוֹרֵ֖שׁ | doresh | [is one who] searches | H1875 → | 164 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מְבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ | mevakesh | [is one who] seeks | H1245 → | 225 times |
יִשְׁגּ֤וּthey wander
yishguH7686 →
צֹאנִי֙flock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
בְּכָל־on all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הֶ֣הָרִ֔יםthe mountains
heharimH2022 →546 times
וְעַ֖לand on
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
גִּבְעָ֣הhill
givahH1389 →68 times
רָמָ֑הhigh
ramahH7311 →190 times
וְעַ֨לand over
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
פְּנֵ֤י[the] surface of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
נָפֹ֣צוּthey have been scattered
nafotzuH6327 →67 times
צֹאנִ֔יflock my
tzoniH6629 →274 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
דּוֹרֵ֖שׁ[is one who] searches
doreshH1875 →164 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
מְבַקֵּֽשׁ׃[is one who] seeks
mevakeshH1245 →225 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
1 Peter 2:25For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
- Luke 15:4–6
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds…
- Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- John 10:11–16
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
- Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
- Isaiah 53:6
Through
John 10:16I 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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:8
Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”
- John 11:52
and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
- 1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- Isaiah 56:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS 46:18; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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 and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.