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Ezequiel 34

ARC · Chapter 34/48

1E veiu a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

2Filho do homem, prophetiza contra os pastores de Israel; prophetiza, e dize aos pastores: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Ai dos pastores de Israel que se apascentam a si mesmos! porventura os pastores não apascentarão as ovelhas?

3Comeis o gordo, e vos vestis de lã; degolaes o cevado; porém não apascentaes as ovelhas.

4As fracas não fortalecestes, e a doente não curastes, e a quebrada não ligastes, e a desgarrada não tornastes a trazer, e a perdida não buscastes: porém dominaes sobre ellas com rigor e dureza.

5Assim se espalharam, por não haver pastor, e ficaram para pasto de toda a besta do campo, porquanto se espalharam.

6As minhas ovelhas andam desgarradas por todos os montes, e por todo o alto outeiro; e as minhas ovelhas andam espalhadas por toda a face da terra, sem haver quem pergunte por ellas, sem haver quem as busque.

7Portanto, ó pastores, ouvi a palavra do Senhor:

8Vivo eu, diz o Senhor Jehovah, que, porquanto as minhas ovelhas foram entregues á rapina, e as minhas ovelhas vieram a servir de pasto a toda a besta do campo, á falta de pastor, e os meus pastores não perguntam pelas minhas ovelhas, e os pastores se apascentam a si mesmos, e não apascentam as minhas ovelhas;

9Portanto, ó pastores, ouvi a palavra do Senhor:

10Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Eis que eu estou contra os pastores, e demandarei as minhas ovelhas da sua mão, e os farei cessar de apascentar as ovelhas, e os pastores não se apascentarão mais a si mesmos; e livrarei as minhas ovelhas da sua bocca, e lhes não servirão mais de pasto.

11Porque assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Eis que eu, eu digo, perguntarei pelas minhas ovelhas, e as buscarei.

12Como o pastor busca o seu rebanho, no dia em que está no meio das suas ovelhas dispersas, assim buscarei as minhas ovelhas; e as farei escapar de todos os logares por onde andam espalhadas, no dia da nuvem e da escuridão.

13E as tirarei dos povos, e as congregarei das terras, e as trarei á sua terra, e as apascentarei nos montes de Israel, junto ás correntes, e em todas as habitações da terra.

14Em bons pastos as apascentarei, e nos altos montes de Israel será a sua malhada; ali se deitarão n'uma boa malhada, e pastarão em pastos gordos nos montes de Israel.

15Eu apascentarei as minhas ovelhas, e eu as farei repousar, diz o Senhor Jehovah.

16A perdida buscarei, e a desgarrada tornarei a trazer, e a quebrada atarei, e a enferma fortalecerei; mas a gorda e a forte destruirei; apascental-as-hei com juizo.

17E quanto a vós, ó ovelhas minhas, assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Eis que eu julgarei entre gado pequeno e gado pequeno, entre carneiros e bodes.

18Acaso não vos basta que pasteis o bom pasto, senão que pizeis o resto de vossos pastos a vossos pés? e que bebaes as profundas aguas, senão que enlameeis o resto com os vossos pés

19E as minhas ovelhas pastarão o que foi pizado com os vossos pés, e beberão o que tem sido turvado com os vossos pés.

20Por isso o Senhor Jehovah assim lhes diz: Eis que eu, sim, eu, julgarei entre o gado gordo e o gado magro.

21Porquanto com o lado e com o hombro daes empurrões, e com as vossas pontas escorneaes todas as fracas, até que as espalhaes para fóra,

22Portanto livrarei as minhas ovelhas, para que não sirvam mais de rapina, e julgarei entre gado miudo e gado miudo.

23E levantarei sobre ellas um só pastor, e elle as apascentará: meu servo David, este as apascentará, e este lhes servirá de pastor.

24E eu, o Senhor, lhes serei por Deus, e o meu servo David será principe no meio d'elles: eu, o Senhor, o fallei.

25E farei com elles um concerto de paz, e farei cessar a besta ruim da terra, e habitarão no deserto seguramente, e dormirão nos bosques.

26E a elles, e aos logares ao redor do meu outeiro, os porei por benção; e farei descer a chuva a seu tempo: chuvas de benção serão.

27E as arvores do campo darão o seu fructo, e a terra dará a sua novidade, e estarão seguros na sua terra; e saberão que eu sou o Senhor, quando eu quebrar as varas do seu jugo e os livrar da mão dos que se serviam d'elles.

28E não servirão mais de rapina aos gentios, e a besta fera da terra nunca mais os comerá: e habitarão seguramente, e ninguem haverá que os espante.

29E lhes levantarei uma planta de nome, e nunca mais serão arrebatados da fome na terra, nem mais levarão sobre si o opprobrio dos gentios.

30Saberão, porém, que eu, o Senhor seu Deus, estou com elles, e que elles são o meu povo, a casa d'Israel, diz o Senhor Jehovah.

31Vós pois, ó ovelhas minhas, ovelhas do meu pasto; homens sois; porém eu sou o vosso Deus, diz o Senhor Jehovah.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God condemns the bad shepherds (leaders) of Israel, who fed off the flock without caring for it, and promises to be the shepherd of his people himself, seeking out the lost sheep and appointing a single shepherd from David's line.

Explanation

Kings and leaders were often called 'shepherds' in the ancient Near East, an image of caring responsibility, not selfish domination. The charge that the shepherds 'feed themselves' instead of the flock (v. 2) sums up the prophets' entire social critique of corrupt leaders. The promise that God himself would seek out the lost sheep, and of a 'servant David' who would be the one shepherd (v. 23), points toward a messianic hope that Jesus would take up explicitly by calling himself the 'good shepherd' (John 10:11). The application about leadership that serves rather than exploits remains highly relevant in any era.

Fun facts

  • The reference to a new 'David' as shepherd (vv. 23-24) does not mean the literal resurrection of the ancient king, but a descendant of his line — a messianic interpretation confirmed by the New Testament in relation to Jesus.
  • The image of God going out to seek lost sheep 'in the day of clouds and thick darkness' (v. 12) is echoed almost directly in the parable of the lost sheep told by Jesus in Luke 15.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezequiel 34:1The formula that opens a new section of the book, this time about the ‘shepherds’ of Israel — a common image of the day for the people’s leaders and kings.
  2. Ezequiel 34:2The ‘shepherds’ are the leaders of Israel, accused of looking after themselves, eating the fat and wearing the wool, instead of caring for the flock — political criticism using the pastoral language common in the Near East to talk about kings and rulers.
  3. Ezequiel 34:3The chapter’s central accusation: the shepherds (leaders) take advantage of the flock — eating the meat, using the wool — without actually caring for the sheep.
  4. Ezequiel 34:4A specific list of neglect: not strengthening the weak, not healing the sick, not bringing back the strayed — instead, ruling them with harshness.
  5. Ezequiel 34:5The result of that neglect: the sheep scatter and become easy prey for wild animals, for lack of anyone who truly cares for them.
  6. Ezequiel 34:6It reinforces the image: the people, compared to sheep, wander scattered over every mountain, with no one who cares or goes searching for them.
  7. Ezequiel 34:7A transitional formula calling the shepherds’ attention, setting up the announcement of judgment that follows.
  8. Ezequiel 34:8It formally repeats the accusation: the shepherds looked after themselves, not the flock they had been put in charge of protecting.
  9. Ezequiel 34:9It repeats the attention-getting formula from v.7, a device common in the book for marking the start of an important pronouncement.
  10. Ezequiel 34:10The announcement of judgment: God will strip these shepherds of their responsibility, stopping them from continuing to take advantage of the flock.
  11. Ezequiel 34:11The chapter’s central announcement: unlike the human shepherds who failed, God Himself promises to go personally in search of the sheep.
  12. Ezequiel 34:12A direct comparison: just as a true shepherd seeks out the scattered flock, God would rescue the scattered people ‘in the cloudy and dark day’ — language recalling the fall of Jerusalem.
  13. Ezequiel 34:13It details the rescue: bringing the people back from the other nations to Israel’s own land, feeding them on the mountains and by the springs of water.
  14. Ezequiel 34:14A promise of rich, safe pasture on the high mountains of Israel — an image of abundance and rest, a direct contrast with the neglect described earlier.
  15. Ezequiel 34:15After condemning the bad shepherds, God promises to personally take on the role of shepherd Himself, seeking the lost sheep and caring for the weak — a direct contrast with the neglect described at the start of the chapter.
  16. Ezequiel 34:16It sums up the care the leaders failed to give: seeking the lost, bringing back the strayed, healing the injured — but now with a new detail, stopping those who abused the weaker ones.
  17. Ezequiel 34:17God will also judge among the sheep themselves, distinguishing the strong from the weak — the neglect did not come only from the leaders, but also from powerful members of the people themselves.
  18. Ezequiel 34:18An accusation against the strong sheep: it was not enough to eat the good pasture, they still trampled the rest and fouled the water that would have been left for the others.
  19. Ezequiel 34:19The practical consequence: the weak sheep were left with only the trampled pasture and the fouled water, the leftovers spoiled by the stronger ones.
  20. Ezequiel 34:20It repeats the announcement of judgment between the fat sheep and the lean sheep — accountability also within the people themselves, not only the leadership.
  21. Ezequiel 34:21It details the physical abuse: pushing with the body and butting the weak with horns until driving them out of the group — an image of the strong exploiting the most vulnerable.
  22. Ezequiel 34:22The conclusion of this part: God promises to free the weak sheep from this internal exploitation, judging among them too, not only against the former leaders.
  23. Ezequiel 34:23‘My servant David’ here is not King David resurrected, but a way of speaking about a future ruler from the same line — different traditions read this promise in different ways, but the text ties it to a ‘covenant of peace’ and to the end of violence.
  24. Ezequiel 34:24It details the new arrangement: God continues being the people’s God, but ‘David’ governs as prince — a human leadership subordinate to the divine leadership.
  25. Ezequiel 34:25It promises ‘a covenant of peace’: an end to dangerous animals and safety even in places once hostile, like the wilderness and the woods.
  26. Ezequiel 34:26The promised blessing involves even nature: rain at the right time, ensuring the harvest and the land’s abundance.
  27. Ezequiel 34:27The practical result of that peace: trees bear fruit, the land produces, and the people live in safety, free from the yoke of those who once enslaved them.
  28. Ezequiel 34:28It reinforces: they would never again be plundered by other nations nor be food for wild animals — the promise is one of total safety, with no more threats.
  29. Ezequiel 34:29It promises a land of good reputation and the final end of the hunger and humiliation the people suffered before other nations.
  30. Ezequiel 34:30The promise’s conclusion: the people would recognize that God is with them, confirming once and for all their identity as ‘my people.’
  31. Ezequiel 34:31The chapter’s poetic close: the people are compared to sheep of a pasture that belongs to God, and God declares Himself their God.

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