Ezekiel 34:18

Ezekiel 34:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
• New International Version (NIV)Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet?
• New Living Translation (NLT)Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?

Context of Ezekiel 34:18

16“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” 17‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.” 20‘Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.

Ezekiel 34:18 word by word

הַמְעַ֣ט מִכֶּ֗ם הַמִּרְעֶ֤ה הַטּוֹב֙ תִּרְע֔וּ וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ מִרְעֵיכֶ֔ם תִּרְמְס֖וּ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וּמִשְׁקַע־מַ֣יִם תִּשְׁתּ֔וּ וְאֵת֙ הַנּ֣וֹתָרִ֔ים בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם תִּרְפֹּשֽׂוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• a small thingמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
• unto you to have eaten upרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• the goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• pastureמִרְעֶהmir‛eh · pastureH4829
• but ye must tread downרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
• with your feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• the residueיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
• and to have drunkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• of the deepמִשְׁקָעmishqâ‛ · clarifiedH4950
• watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• but ye must foulרָפַשׂrâphaώ · to foulH7515
• the residueיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498

Cross-references for Ezekiel 34:18

• Ezekiel 16:20“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter,
• Genesis 30:15But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
• Numbers 16:9Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them;
• 2 Samuel 7:19And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
• Isaiah 7:13Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
• Ezekiel 34:2“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?
• Micah 2:2They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.
• Ezekiel 32:2“Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: ‘You are like a young lion among the nations, And you are like a monster in the seas, Bursting forth in your rivers, Troubling the waters with your feet, And fouling their rivers.
• Matthew 15:6then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
• Matthew 23:13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
• Luke 11:52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

Commentaries on Ezekiel 34:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Have eaten up the good pasture - Arrogate to yourselves all the promises of God, and will hardly permit the simple believer to claim or possess any token of God's favor. Ye must foul the residue with your feet? - Ye abuse God's mercies; you consume much upon yourselves, and ye spoil more, on which the poor would have been glad to feed. There are some who would rather give food to their sporting dogs than to the poor around them, who are ready to starve…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-31Verses 17-31 The whole nation seemed to be the Lord's flock, yet they were very different characters; but he knew how to distinguish between them. By good pastures and deep waters, are meant the pure word of God and the dispensing of justice. The latter verses, 23-31, prophesy of Christ, and of the most glorious times of his church on earth. Under Him, as the good Shepherd, the church would be a blessing to all around. Christ, though excellent in himself…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19The goats were the powerful, unrighteous members of the community.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-1918-19. Not content with appropriating to their own use the goods of others, they from mere wantonness spoiled what they did not use, so as to be of no use to the owners. deep waters--that is, "limpid," as deep waters are generally clear. Grotius explains the image as referring to the usuries with which the rich ground the poor (Eze 22:12; Is 24:2).Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 34:18

• Minister, Christian
• Selfishness

In the dictionaries

• Cruelty
• Ezekiel, Book of
• Foul
• 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