Ezekiel 34 explained: Bad Shepherds and a Good One

Leaders who fed themselves (vv. 1-6)

Kings and rulers in the ancient world were often called shepherds, so this targets Israel's kings, officials and priests, who took the people's wealth (the flock's milk, wool and meat) while caring for no one. It was probably spoken after Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and it blames the people's scattering into exile on harsh leaders who neglected the sick, the hurt and the lost.

God turns against them (vv. 7-10)

God swears that he will hold the leaders responsible for every missing sheep and take away their power. The flock belongs to God, not to them, and he will pull it out of their mouths.

God becomes the shepherd (vv. 11-16)

God promises to do personally everything the leaders failed to do: search for the lost, bring the exiles home, heal the injured and feed them on Israel's hills. The well fed, strong sheep he will destroy stand for people who grew rich by pushing others around, though one ancient translation reads "watch over" instead of "destroy" and scholars are unsure which is original.

Judging within the flock (vv. 17-22)

Now God speaks to the people themselves, because ordinary rich and powerful members of the community also bullied the poor. Strong sheep that eat the best grass, then trample the rest and muddy the water, picture people who take more than they need and spoil what is left for others.

One shepherd, a new David (vv. 23-24)

King David had died about four centuries earlier, so this points to a future ruler from David's family who would serve God faithfully and unite the people. Christians read this in light of Jesus, who called himself the good shepherd, while Jewish tradition reads it as a promise of a coming king from David's line.

A promise of peace (vv. 25-31)

A "covenant of peace" is a binding agreement in which God promises safety from wild animals and foreign armies, rain at the right time, good harvests, and freedom from slavery and shame. It ends where it began, with the people as God's own flock and God as their God.

Key verse: Ezekiel 34:16

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether the promises of return, land and a Davidic king are fulfilled mainly in a spiritual way through Jesus and the church, or still await a literal future fulfillment for the people of Israel.

Something to think about

In your own experience, what has it looked like when someone with power over others actually looked after the weakest people in their care, and what has it looked like when they didn't?