Ezekiel 34:2

Ezekiel 34:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

Context of Ezekiel 34:2

1Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not feed the flock? 3You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. 4Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you searched for the lost; but with force and with violence you have dominated them.

Ezekiel 34:2 word by word

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנָּבֵ֖א עַל־רוֹעֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנָּבֵ֣א וְאָמַרְתָּ֩ אֲלֵיהֶ֨ם לָרֹעִ֜ים כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה ה֤וֹי רֹעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָיוּ֙ רֹעִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם הֲל֣וֹא הַצֹּ֔אן יִרְע֖וּ הָרֹעִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• prophesyנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5921
• shepherdsרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thisכֹּהkôh · thusH3541
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• have beenהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629

Cross-references for Ezekiel 34:2

• Ezekiel 33:24“Son of man, they who live in these ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, yet he possessed the land; so to us who are many the land has been given as a possession.’
• Jeremiah 2:8The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the Law did not know Me; The rulers also revolted against Me, And the prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after things that were of no benefit.
• Jeremiah 3:15“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you knowledge and understanding.
• Jeremiah 10:21For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the Lord. Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.
• Jeremiah 12:10Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, They have trampled down My field; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness.
• John 10:1“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
• Ezekiel 34:8“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “certainly, because My flock has become plunder, and My flock has become food for all the animals of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock,
• Ezekiel 13:19For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have profaned Me to My people, to put to death some who should not die, and to keep others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”
• Jeremiah 23:1“Woe to the shepherds who are causing the sheep of My pasture to perish and are scattering them!” declares the Lord.
• Micah 3:1And I said, “Hear now, you leaders of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
• Zephaniah 3:3Her leaders within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
• Zechariah 11:17Woe to the worthless shepherd Who abandons the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, And his right eye will be blind.”
• Matthew 24:48But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’
• Luke 12:42And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?
• Luke 20:46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,
• Romans 16:18For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 34:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel - The shepherds include, first, the priests and Levites; secondly, the kings, princes, and magistrates. The flock means the whole of the people. The fat and the wool, the tithes and offerings, the taxes and imposts. The reprehensible feeding and clothing with these, as to the priests and Levites, the using these tithes and offerings, not to enable them the better to fulfill the work of the ministry, but to pamper…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Shepherds - Not priests or prophets, but rulers and kings (see the Jeremiah 2:8 note). The most ancient title for “ruler” is a monogram which occurs on the oldest monuments discovered in the cuneiform character. In the Assyrian language it became riu (compare Hebrew רעה râ‛âh =shepherd). In the traditions of Berosus we find that Alorus, the first king in the world, received from the Divinity the title of Shepherd. The title, as well as the monogram, was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-6Woe to the shepherds: Israel’s leaders did not care for the weak or search for those who wandered away and were lost. They pursued their own interests, feeding themselves at the flock’s expense. They ruled the sheep with harshness and cruelty, similar to how the Egyptians treated the Israelites in the time of Moses (Exodus 1:13–14). The neglect and abuse by these cruel shepherds scattered the Lord’s flock across the earth.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-31Having in the thirty-third chapter laid down repentance as the necessary preliminary to happier times for the people, He now promises the removal of the false shepherds as preparatory to the raising up of the Good Shepherd. 2. Jr 23:1 and Zec 11:17 similarly make the removal of the false shepherds the preliminary to the interposition of Messiah the Good Shepherd in behalf of His people Israel. The "shepherds" are not prophets or priests, but rulers who…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 34:2

• Levites
• Minister, Christian
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Son of man
• Cruelty
• Ezekiel, Book of
• Require
• Seek
• Ezekiel
• Teach; Teacher; Teaching

Commentaries on Ezekiel 34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings