1A reproof of the shepherds of Israel. 7God's judgment against them: 11his providence over his flock. 20The blessings of Christ's kingdom.
1AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, prophesy against the 1shepherdsa 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! 2should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
1 The ecclesiastical and political governors of My people. Compare this prophecy with Jeremiah 23.
a Jer. 23:1.
2 Ought they not (being content with an honest provision) to mind mainly their own flock? As if God said: Surely, they ought totally to do so.
3Ye eat the 3fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye 4kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
3 As come from sheep milk, butter, cheese, etc. Compare Zech. 11:16.
4 See of the Hebrew word Gen. 31 on verse 54.
4The 5diseased 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 6lost; but withb7force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 Or, the weak. Understand sheep, and thus in the sequel.
6 Hebr. decaying, perishing, that is, which is at a loss, gone astray and in danger of perishing. Compare Deut. 26 on verse 5.
b 1 Peter 5:3.
7 Compare 1 Peter 5:3. Likewise verse 27; Ezek. 1:13, 14: Jer. 22:13, etc.
5And they were scattered, because there is 8no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
8 Who rightly fed and provided for them; neither spiritually, with sound and wholesome doctrine, nor corporally, by fatherly and devout government, but in all it was clean contrary; whereby the people became utterly corrupt in faith and life, and so incurred God’s severe wrath, and consequently were most pitifully plagued with all kinds of miseries; for which the wicked shepherds were most of all guilty, as follows.
6My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered 9upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
9 Or, into all the land.
7¶Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
8As I live, saith the Lord GOD, 10surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
10 This is a special abrupt kind of speech, very usual in oaths (as elsewhere often), which must be completed from verse 10. As if the Lord said: If I do not punish them! If I do not set myself against them!, etc. See Num. 14 on verse 23. The same is likewise very usual in our own language (and other languages also) both among good and bad men: If I do this or that; if I do not this or that, etc., then let me, etc. Compare also Gen. 14 on verse 23, etc.
9Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I 11am against the shepherds; and I will 12require my flock at their hand, and cause them to 13cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 See Ezek. 13:8.
12 As Ezek. 3:18. See Gen. 42 on verse 22.
13 That is, I will depose them from their office, because they have the bare name of shepherds, but are not such in the act.
11¶For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
1214As a shepherd seeketh out his flock 15in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered 16in the cloudy and dark day.
14 Hebr. According to the seeking of a shepherd, as elsewhere.
15 All such time as the flock is pitifully scattered and He comes to visit it, and to see who is missing, and where they might be, to bring them again together.
16 That is, at the time of grievous miseries, wherewith I have justly visited them. Compare Joel 2:2 with the annotation.
13And I will bring them out from the people, and gatherc them from the countries, and will bring them to their own 17land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
c Ezek. 28:25.
17 Corporally from Babel, etc., into the land of Canaan, and spiritually to My church by the Messiah, etc.
14I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the 18high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
18 Hebr. upon the mountains of the height of Israel.
15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
16I 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 19fat and the strong; I will feed them with 20judgment.
19 That is, those who by their riches and power are grown luxurious and wanton, rebelling against Me (as Deut. 32:15) and oppressing their brethren. Compare the manner of speech with Psalm 22:29; Isa. 5:17; 10:16; Amos 4:1, with the annotations, etc.
20 Or, I shall feed them aright, discreetly. Compare Jer. 10 on verse 24.
17And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between 21cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
21 Understand of sheep or goats. See Num. 15:11; Deut. 14:4; 17:1, etc. The meaning is: I will distinguish true believers from hypocrites that are in My church, and will deliver them from the power and violence of false brethren. Also verse 22. Compare Ezek. 20:37, 38; Mat. 25:32, etc.
18Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the 22deep waters, but ye must foul the 23residue with your feet?
22 Hebr. the sinking or that which is sunk of the waters, that is, the clear waters, of which the mud is settled and sunk down to the bottom. Compare Ezek. 32:14.
23 When ye have drunk enough pure and clear water yourselves, then to foul the rest for others? As if the Lord said: It is intolerable that ye, enjoying My blessing in such great plenty, are yet not contend therewith, but ye must needs also spoil and waste that little remainder that would be for your poor and weak fellow brethren.
19And as for 24my flock, they eat that 25which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
24 It is spoken with detestation of the injustice.
25 Hebr. the treading down of your feet. Likewise the fouling of your feet.
20¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD 26unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the 27fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
26 Or, of.
27 See verse 16.
21Because ye have 28thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
28 Hebr. push, that is, hurt them by pushing and crushing them, that they are not able to subsist near you.
22Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23And I will set up one shepherdd over them, and he shall feed them, even my 29servante David;f he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
d Isa. 40:11; John 10:11.
29 The Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David according to the flesh, and the Father’s Servant according to His office of Mediatorship. See Isa. 42 on verse 1 and further 2 Sam. 22 on verse 51; Jer. 23 on verse 5; 30:9. Compare Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 37:24; John 10:11, etc.; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4.
e Isa. 42:1; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11.
f Jer. 30:9.
24And I the LORD will be their 30God, and my servant David a 31princeg32among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
30 That is, Savior. See Gen. 17 on verse 7; Lev. 18 on verse 2; and that by His Son, Whom He has given unto us to be our Prophet, Priest and King.
31 Or, Ruler. Compare Joshua 5:14, 15; Isa. 9:6; Acts 5:31.
g Isa. 55:4.
32 Compare Mat. 18:20; 28:20; Rev. 1:13.
25And I will make with them a 33covenant of 34peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell 35safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
33 See Jer. 31:31.
34 See also Gen. 37 on verse 14; Judges 6 on verse 24. Compare Isa. 11:6, 9; 35:9; Jer. 33:6, 9; Ezek. 37:26; Hosea 2:18.
35 Hebr. in safety, or confidence, as verses 27 and 28 and elsewhere often.
26And I will make 36them and the places round about my hill a 37blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
36 Namely, the wilderness and woods, in which My sheep lie down,, unto which the foregoing and the following words seem to refer; or, them, namely, the sheep.
37 That is, so abundantly grace them with My Divine blessing, that they shall be as a pure blessing and a pattern thereof. Compare Gen. 12:2, with the annotation. The spiritual blessings are here represented by the corporal. Compare Joel 2 on verse 23.
27And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her 38increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the 39bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that 40served themselves of them.
38 Compare Lev. 26:4.
39 See Jer. 27 on verse 2, and understand here the spiritual yoke of bondage under sin and Satan.
40 Or, that compelled them to serve. See Jer. 22:13; 25:14, with the annotations.
28And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29And I will raise up for them a 41plant of 42renown, and they shall be no more 43consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear theh44shame of the heathen any more.
41 The Lord Jesus Christ. Compare Jer. 23:5, with the annotation.
42 That is, famous, of name. Compare the manner of speech with Gen. 6:4. Or, a plant for a name, that is, Who shall be for a name, that is, for a renown and glory. Compare Deut. 26:19; Jer. 33:9; Ezek. 39:13, with the annotation.
43 Hebr. properly: gathered. See of such use of the Hebrew word Psalm 26 on verse 9. Other, taken away.
h Ezek. 36:6, etc.
44 Or, reproach, blushing, which is afflicted upon you by the Gentiles. Compare Ezek. 36:6, 7, 15.
30Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am 45with them, and 46that they, even 47the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.
45 See Gen. 21 on verse 22.
46 Understand (from the previous words): they (the sheep) shall know that they are My people. See Deut. 7 on verse 6.
47My true church. See Gal. 6:16, etc.
31And ye myi flock, the flock of my pasture, are 48men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.
i John 10:11, etc.
48 In order that the substantial inequality, which is between the great God and us poor, empty, vain men, may not frighten us, nor the conscience and experience of our own impotency make us afraid, thus God assures us here by a gracious and loving speech that He, notwithstanding all this, will perfect the promised work of grace in His sheep, as if He said: Be comforted, be of good cheer, ye My beloved sheep, I am and remain your Savior. Compare John 10:28, 29.