Ezekiel 34

Eze 34:1-31.

REPROOF OF THE

FALSE

SHEPHERDS;

PROMISE OF THE

TRUE AND

GOOD

SHEPHERD.

Having 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.

Jer 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 sought in their government their own selfish ends, not the good of

the people ruled. The term was appropriate, as David, the first king

and the type of the true David

(Eze 34:23, 24),

was taken from being a shepherd

(2Sa 5:2;

Ps 78:70, 71);

and the office, like that of a shepherd for his flock, is to guard and

provide for his people. The choice of a shepherd for the first

king was therefore designed to suggest this thought, just as Jesus'

selection of fishermen for apostles was designed to remind them

of their spiritual office of catching men (compare

Isa 44:28;

Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 23:1, 2).

3. fat--or, by differently pointing the Hebrew, "milk"

[Septuagint]. Thus the repetition "fat" and "fed" is avoided: also

the eating of "fat" would not probably be put before the "killing" of

the sheep. The eating of sheep's or goats' milk as food

(De 32:14;

Pr 27:27)

was unobjectionable, had not these shepherds milked them too often, and

that without duly "feeding" them [BOCHART],

(Isa 56:11).

The rulers levied exorbitant tributes.

kill . . . fed--kill the rich by false accusation so as to get

possession of their property.

feed not . . . flock--take no care of the people

(Joh 10:12).

4. The diseased--rather, those weak from the effects of "disease,"

as "strengthened" (that is, with due nourishment) requires

[GROTIUS].

broken--that is, fractures from wounds inflicted by the wolf.

brought again . . . driven away--

(Ex 23:4).

Those "driven away" by the enemy into foreign lands through God's

judgments are meant

(Jer 23:3).

A spiritual reformation of the state by the rulers would have turned

away God's wrath, and "brought again" the exiles. The rulers are

censured as chiefly guilty (though the people, too, were

guilty), because they, who ought to have been foremost in checking the

evil, promoted it.

neither . . . sought . . . lost--Contrast the Good Shepherd's love

(Lu 15:4).

with force . . . ruled--

(Ex 1:13, 14).

With an Egyptian bondage. The very thing forbidden by the law they did

(Le 25:43;

compare

1Pe 5:3).

5. scattered, because . . . no shepherd--that is, none

worthy of the name, though there were some called shepherds

(1Ki 22:17;

Mt 9:36).

Compare

Mt 26:31,

where the sheep were scattered when the true Shepherd was smitten. God

calls them "My sheep"; for they were not, as the shepherds

treated them, their patrimony whereby to "feed themselves."

meat to all . . . beasts--They became a prey to the Syrians, Ammon,

Moab, and Assyria.

6. 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].

10. I will require my flock--

(Heb 13:17),

rather, "I require," &c., for God already had begun to do so, punishing

Zedekiah and the other princes severely

(Jer 52:10).

11. I . . . will . . . search--doing that which the so-called shepherds

had failed to do, I being the rightful owner of the flock.

12. in the day that he is among--in the midst of (Hebrew) His

sheep that had been scattered. Referring to Messiah's second advent,

when He shall be "the glory in the midst of Israel"

(Zec 2:5).

in the cloudy . . . day--the day of the nation's calamity

(Joe 2:2).

13. And I will bring them out from the people,

&c.--

(Eze 28:25;

36:24; 37:21, 22;

Isa 65:9, 10;

Jer 23:3).

14. good pasture--

(Ps 23:2).

high mountains of Israel--In

Eze 17:23; 20:40,

the phrase is "the mountain of the height of Israel" in the

singular number. The reason for the difference is: there

Ezekiel spoke of the central seat of the kingdom, Mount Zion, where the

people met for the worship of Jehovah; here he speaks of the

kingdom of Israel at large, all the parts of which are regarded as

possessing a moral elevation.

16. In contrast to the unfaithful shepherds

(Eze 34:4).

The several duties neglected by them I will faithfully

discharge.

fat . . . strong--that is, those rendered wanton by prosperity

(De 32:15;

Jer 5:28),

who use their strength to oppress the weak. Compare

Eze 34:20,

"the fat cattle"

(Isa 10:16).

The image is from fat cattle that wax refractory.

with judgment--that is, justice and equity, as contrasted with the

"force" and "cruelty" with which the unfaithful shepherds ruled the

flock

(Eze 34:4).

17. you, . . . my flock--passing from the rulers to the people.

cattle and cattle--rather, "sheep and sheep"; Margin, "small

cattle," or "flocks of lambs and kids," that is, I judge between one

class of citizens and another, so as to award what is right to each. He

then defines the class about to be punitively "judged," namely, "the

rams and he-goats," or "great he-goats" (compare

Isa 14:9,

Margin;

Zec 10:3;

Mt 25:32, 33).

They answer to "the fat and strong," as opposed to the "sick"

(Eze 34:16).

The rich and ungodly of the people are meant, who imitated the bad

rulers in oppressing their poorer brethren, as if it enhanced their own

joys to trample on others' rights

(Eze 34:18).

18, 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;

Isa 24:2).

19. they eat--scantily.

they drink--sorrowfully.

20. fat . . . lean--the rich oppressors . . .

the humble poor.

21. scattered them abroad--down to the time of the carrying away to

Babylon [GROTIUS].

22. After the restoration from Babylon, the Jews were delivered in

some degree from the oppression, not only of foreigners, but also of

their own great people

(Ne 5:1-19).

The full and final fulfilment of this prophecy is future.

23. set up--that is, raise up by divine appointment; alluding to the

declaration of God to David, "I will set up thy seed after thee"

(2Sa 7:12);

and, "Yet have I set My king on My holy hill of Zion"

(Ps 2:6;

compare

Ac 2:30; 13:23).

one shepherd--literally, "a Shepherd, one": singularly and

pre-eminently one: the only one of His kind, to whom none is

comparable

(So 5:10).

The Lord Jesus refers to this prophecy

(Joh 10:14),

"I am THE Good Shepherd." Also "one" as uniting in

one the heretofore divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and also

"gathering together in one all things in Christ, both which are in

heaven and on earth"

(Eph 1:10);

thus healing worse breaches than that between Israel and Judah

(Col 1:20).

"God by Him reconciling all things unto Himself, whether things in

earth or in heaven."

David--the antitypical David, Messiah, of the seed of David, which

no other king after the captivity was: who was fully, what David was

only in a degree, "the man after God's own heart." Also, David means

beloved: Messiah was truly God's beloved Son

(Isa 42:1;

Mt 3:17).

Shepherd means King, rather than religious instructor; in this

pre-eminently He was the true David, who was the Shepherd King

(Lu 1:32, 33).

Messiah is called "David" in

Isa 55:3, 4;

Jer 30:9;

Ho 3:5.

24. my servant--implying fitness for ruling in the name of God, not

pursuing a self-chosen course, as other kings, but acting as the

faithful administrator of the will of God; Messiah realized fully this

character

(Ps 40:7, 8;

Isa 42:1; 49:3, 6; 53:11;

Php 2:7),

which David typically and partially represented

(Ac 13:36);

so He is the fittest person to wield the world scepter, abused by all

the world kings

(Da 2:34, 35, 44, 45).

25. covenant of peace . . . evil beasts . . . to cease . . . dwell

safely--The original promise of the law

(Le 26:6)

shall be realized for the first time fully under Messiah

(Isa 11:6-9; 35:9;

Ho 2:18).

26. them and the places round about my hill--The Jews, and Zion,

God's hill

(Ps 2:6),

are to be sources of blessing, not merely to themselves, but to the

surrounding heathen

(Isa 19:24; 56:6, 7; 60:3;

Mic 5:7;

Zec 8:13).

The literal fulfilment is, however, the primary one, though the

spiritual also is designed. In correspondence with the settled reign of

righteousness internally, all is to be prosperity externally,

fertilizing showers (according to the promise of the ancient covenant,

Le 26:4;

Ps 68:9;

Mal 3:10),

and productive trees and lands

(Eze 34:27).

Thus shall they realize the image of

Eze 34:14;

namely, a flock richly pastured by God Himself.

27. served themselves of them--availed themselves of their services,

as if the Jews were their slaves

(Jer 22:13; 25:14;

compare

Ge 15:13;

Ex 1:14).

28. dwell safely--

(Jer 23:6).

29. plant of renown--Messiah, the "Rod" and "Branch"

(Isa 11:1),

the "righteous Branch"

(Jer 23:5),

who shall obtain for them "renown." FAIRBAIRN less

probably translates, "A plantation for a name," that is, a flourishing

condition, represented as a garden (alluding to Eden,

Ge 2:8-11,

with its various trees, good for food and pleasant to the sight), the

planting of the Lord

(Isa 60:21; 61:3),

and an object of "renown" among the heathen.

31. ye my flock . . . are men--not merely an explanation of the image,

as JEROME represents. But as God had promised many things which mere

"men" could not expect to realize, He shows that it is not from man's might their

realization is to be looked for, but from GOD, who would

perform them for His covenant-people, "His flock"

[ROSENMULLER]. When

we realize most our weakness and God's power and faithfulness to His

covenant, we are in the fittest state for receiving His blessings.