What does Ezechiel Chapter 34 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Neglected sheep and self-feeding shepherds receive rebuke. The Lord promises gathering and judgment within the flock. David, peace and provision receive distinct edition interpretation.

Chapter breakdown

Ezechiel 34 rebukes shepherds who feed themselves with milk, wool and slaughtered fat animals while neglecting the flock. They fail to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind the broken, return the driven away or seek the lost, ruling with rigor and a high hand. Scattered sheep become prey and wander mountains without anyone seeking them. The edition separately identifies these shepherds as princes, magistrates, chief priests and scribes. The Lord requires his flock at their hands, ends their self-feeding and delivers the sheep from their mouths.

The Lord himself will seek and visit the scattered flock in the cloudy and dark day, gathering it from countries into its land. Mountains, rivers and inhabited places provide pasture; fruitful pastures, green grass and rest replace wandering. He seeks the lost, returns the driven away, binds the broken and strengthens the weak. Crucially, this wording says he will preserve the fat and strong and feed them in judgment. Judgment also distinguishes cattle, rams and goats: some trample remaining pasture and trouble the water others must drink. Fat and lean cattle are judged for pushing with side, shoulder and horns and scattering the weak.

One shepherd, David, will feed them and be prince among them while the Lord is their God. The edition identifies David here with Christ of David's house. A covenant of peace removes evil beasts so wilderness inhabitants can dwell and those in forests sleep securely. Seasonal rain, fruitful trees and the earth's increase follow; broken yokes and deliverance from rulers end fear, national spoiling and beasts' devouring. A bud of renown ends famine and reproach; the edition identifies it with Christ and refers to Jeremias 33:15. The conclusion calls the flock men and affirms the Lord's presence with Israel. These announced promises are not recorded here as an already completed worldwide gathering.

The story inside

Opening: Neglected sheep and self-feeding shepherds receive rebuke. Development: The Lord promises gathering and judgment within the flock. Conclusion: David, peace and provision receive distinct edition interpretation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Neglected sheep and self-feeding shepherds receive rebuke.
2
The Lord promises gathering and judgment within the flock.
3
David, peace and provision receive distinct edition interpretation.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 94993–95008
34:2. Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds? Shepherds.... That is, princes, magistrates, chief priests, and scribes. 34:3. You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed. 34:4. The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and with a high hand.
Lines 95034–95058
34:11. For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them. 34:12. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 34:13. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of the land. 34:14. I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel. 34:15. I will feed my sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. 34:16. I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve, and I will feed them in judgment.
Lines 95080–95112
34:23. 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. David.... Christ, who is of the house of David. 34:24. And I the Lord will be their God: and my servant David the prince in the midst of them: I the Lord have spoken it. 34:25. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they that dwell in the wilderness shall sleep secure in the forests. 34:26. And I will make them a blessing round about my hill: and I will send down the rain in its season, there shall be showers of blessing. 34:27. And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be in their land without fear: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have broken the bonds of their yoke, and shall have delivered them out of the hand of those that rule over them. 34:28. And they shall be no more for a spoil to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them: but they shall dwell securely without, any terror. 34:29. And I will raise up for them a bud of renown: and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither shall they bear any more the reproach of the Gentiles. A bud of renown.... Germen nominatum. He speaks of Christ our Lord, the illustrious bud of the house of David, renowned over all the earth. See Jer. 33.15.