Ezekiel 34:4
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
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.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- 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.
- BLB
- Those being weak you⁺ have not strengthened, and those being sick you⁺ have not healed, and those being broken you⁺ have not bandaged, and those driven off you⁺ have not returned, and those being lost you⁺ have not sought, and you⁺ have ruled them with force and with harshness.
- ÅB
- Det svake har dere ikke styrket, og det syke har dere ikke legt, og det sønderbrutte har dere ikke forbundet, og det bortdrevne har dere ikke ført tilbake, og det fortapte har dere ikke oppsøkt, men med vold og med hårdhet har dere hersket over dem.
- OTB
- Dere har ikke styrket de svake, helbredet de syke, eller forbundet de skadde. Dere har ikke hentet tilbake de bortkomne eller lett etter de tapte. I stedet har dere hersket over dem med makt og hardhet.
- B1930
- Det svake har I ikke styrket, og det syke har I ikke lægt, og det sønderbrutte har I ikke forbundet, og det bortdrevne har I ikke ført tilbake, og det fortapte har I ikke opsøkt, men med vold og med hårdhet har I hersket over dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Matthew 18:12–13
How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Read in contextMatthew 9:36
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Read in contextEzekiel 34:16
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Read in contextMatthew 10:6
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Read in contextZechariah 11:15–16
And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
Read in context1 Peter 5:2–3
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Read in contextExodus 1:13–14
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Read in contextHebrews 12:12
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Read in context