Ezekiel 34:4 - Forerunner Commentary

Ezekiel 34:4

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: ^a“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 ^aYou eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you ^bslaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

4 ^aThe weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor ^bsought what was lost; but with ^cforce and cruelty you have ruled them.

5 ^aSo they were ^bscattered because there was no shepherd; ^cand they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

6 My sheep ^awandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”

7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock ^abecame food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, ^bbut the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—

9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!

10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am ^aagainst the shepherds, and ^bI will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall ^cfeed themselves no more; for I will ^ddeliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

12 As a ^ashepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on ^ba cloudy and dark day.

13 And ^aI will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel,¹ in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 ^aI will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. ^bThere they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

Verse Comparison: Ezekiel 34:4

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American Standard Version
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them.

Amplified® Bible
The diseased {and} weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the hurt {and} crippled you have not bandaged, those gone astray you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought to find, but with force and hardhearted harshness you have ruled them.

Contemporary English Version
You have never protected the weak ones or healed the sick ones or bandaged those that get hurt. You let them wander off and never look for those that get lost. You are cruel and mean to my sheep.

Darby English Version
The weak have ye not strengthened, nor have ye healed the sick, and ye have not bound up [what was] broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought for that which was lost; but with harshness and with rigour have ye ruled over them.

Good News Bible
You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly.

King James Version
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

New American Standard Bible
"Those 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 sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

New International Version
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

New King James Version
The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Those who have become 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 sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

Revised Standard Version
The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

Young's Literal Translation
The weak ye have not strengthened, And the sick one ye have not healed, And the broken ye have not bound up, And the driven away have not brought back, And the lost ye have not sought, And with might ye have ruled them and with rigour.

New English Translation
You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness¹ you have ruled over them.

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