HesekielKapitel 34

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The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock?

You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fattened animals, but you do not feed the flock.

You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. Instead you have ruled them with force and harshness.

So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal. They were scattered,

and my sheep wandered over all the mountains and every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the whole face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

As I live, declares the Lord GOD, because my flock has become plunder and food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but fed themselves instead of my flock—

therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD.

Thus says the Lord GOD: I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock from their hand. I will stop them from tending the flock, and the shepherds will no longer tend them. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנְנִ֨י אֶֽל־הָרֹעִ֜ים וְֽדָרַשְׁתִּ֧י אֶת־צֹאנִ֣י מִיָּדָ֗ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּים֙ מֵרְע֣וֹת צֹ֔אן וְלֹא־יִרְע֥וּ ע֛וֹד הָרֹעִ֖ים אוֹתָ֑ם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֤י צֹאנִי֙ מִפִּיהֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥יןָ לָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה׃ ס ‬

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For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.

As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

I will feed them in good pasture, and their grazing land will be on the high mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will tend my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.

As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the goats.

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?

And must my flock feed on what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied?

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Because you shove with side and shoulder and butt all the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,

I will save my flock; they will no longer be plunder. And I will judge between one sheep and another.

I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he himself will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.

I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.

I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts, so that they may live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forests.

I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will send down the rain in its season; there will be showers of blessing.

The trees of the field will yield their fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and they will live securely on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

They will no longer be plunder for the nations, nor will the wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid.

I will make for them a planting of renown, and they will no longer be consumed by famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.

Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD.

You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture; you are only human, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.

Uppslag

Sammanfattning2

Kapitel 34

Main Theme: God condemns Israel’s irresponsible shepherds and promises to become the good shepherd Himself, gathering and protecting His people.

Content: God accuses Israel’s leaders of exploiting the flock instead of caring for it—they have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, or sought out the lost. Therefore, God will take charge of His sheep Himself, gather them from among the nations, and bring them back to the land of Israel. He will also judge between the strong and the weak within the flock and raise up His servant David as one shepherd over them. God promises a covenant of peace with blessing, security, and abundance.

Key Words/Images:

Shepherd and Flock: A picture of the relationship between leaders and people—the wicked shepherds neglect the flock, but God Himself will be the good shepherd.
My Servant David: A future ruler from David’s line who will shepherd the people with justice (a messianic promise).
Covenant of Peace (בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם): God’s promise of lasting peace, security, and blessing for His people.
Judgment Between Sheep and Sheep: God will distinguish between the strong who oppress and the weak who are oppressed within the nation.

Historisk kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezekiel 34

Key Concepts

The Shepherd Image (רֹעֶה, ro'eh)

The shepherd metaphor for kings and leaders was widespread throughout the ancient Near East, where rulers were regularly called "shepherds". When Ezekiel uses this image against Israel's leaders, he accuses them of failing in their fundamental duty—to protect and provide for the flock. The accusation is sharp: instead of caring for the sheep, the leaders have "fed themselves" (v. 2), eaten the fat, and clothed themselves with the wool without tending to the flock (v. 3).

"My Servant David" (עַבְדִּי דָוִד, 'avdi David)

The promise of "one shepherd" who will be "my servant David" (vv. 23–24) points to the Davidic covenant tradition. The term nasi' (נָשִׂיא, "prince/leader") is used here instead of melek ("king"), which may reflect a deliberate distancing from the failed kings. Ezekiel consistently uses nasi' for the future leader, possibly to emphasize a different, more humble form of leadership under God's supreme rule.

The Covenant of Peace (בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם, berit shalom)

The expression "covenant of peace" (v. 25) describes an all-encompassing state of wholeness, security, and blessing. This covenant involves the removal of wild animals, abundant rain, and freedom from oppression—elements that reflect the blessings found in Leviticus 26. The concept of shalom includes far more than the absence of war; it describes a condition of total harmony between God, humanity, and creation.

Events and Customs

Shepherd Practices in Ancient Israel

The chapter's detailed description of the shepherd's neglected duties (vv. 3–4) and God's future care (v. 16) reflects actual pastoral practices: strengthening the weak, healing the sick, binding up the injured, bringing back the strays, and seeking out the lost. The contrast between fat and thin sheep (vv. 17–20), as well as the description of aggressive rams and goats butting and shoving the weak aside (v. 21), illustrates social injustice through familiar images from the flock. The wealthy in society "trampled down" resources, making them unusable for the poor (vv. 18–19).

The Context of Exile

The accusation that the sheep are "scattered" (נָפֹצוּ, nafotsu) and have become "prey for all the wild animals of the field" (vv. 5–6, 8) directly describes the condition of exile. The expression "a day of clouds and darkness" (v. 12) is language of judgment referring to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The prophecy shifts from judgment to hope: God himself will gather the scattered ones from among the nations and lands (v. 13) and bring them back to "the mountains of Israel".

Personer1

David1

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Shepherd — A leader or spiritual guide who has the responsibility to care for and protect their flock, often used as a metaphor for God's care for His people.
Flock — Members of God's people, compared to sheep in a herd, symbolizing their dependence on God and their shepherd for protection and guidance.
Lost — Describes those who have wandered away from God's path and need help to return to righteousness and salvation.
Righteousness — A concept that involves moral correctness, integrity, and obedience to God's laws.
Punishment — The consequences resulting from sin and disobedience toward God, including both physical and spiritual suffering.
Restoration — The process by which God brings His people back to righteousness and healing after periods of sin and punishment.
David — King David from the Old Testament, here used as a prophecy about the coming Messiah, who will be an ideal shepherd for God's people.