Ezekiel 34:2–4
God rebukes the shepherds who did not strengthen the weak sheep
Study it word by word2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, to the shepherds, ‘Thus says Adonai YHWH: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
3The fat you eat, and with the wool you clothe yourselves; the fattened you butcher; the flock you do not feed.
4The weak you have not strengthened, and the sick you have not healed, and the broken you have not bound up, and the strayed you have not brought back, and the lost you have not sought; but with force you have ruled them, and with harshness.
In its context
1And the word of YHWH came to me, saying,
…
5And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field, and they were scattered.
6My sheep wander over all the mountains and on every high hill; and over all the face of the earth my sheep were scattered, and there is no one who inquires and no one who seeks.
Its words in the original
- בֶּןben· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam
The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).
- הִנָּבֵאhinave· prophesy
Prophesy: speak moved by the spirit of God. It is not always foretelling the future; it is saying what God gives to say.
- רוֹעֵיroe· shepherd, feed
Shepherd: tend and feed a flock; of animals, graze. Figuratively, lead a people. As a noun, "shepherd".
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- אָמַרְתָּamarta· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אֲדֹנָadona· Adonai, Lord
"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.
- יְהוִהyehvi· YHWH (with Adonai)
The four letters of God's name, YHWH (see "YHWH"). They almost always go with "Adonai"; then Jews, when reading, said "Elohim" so as not to repeat "Adonai".
- הוֹיhoy· alas, ah
Alas! An exclamation of grief or warning. It was used in the lament for a dead person ("Alas, my brother!") and, in the prophets, to announce disaster.
- הָיוּhayu· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- צֹּאןtson· flock
Flock of sheep and goats, small livestock; figuratively, a people led like a flock.
- חֵלֶבchelev· fat; best
Fat. It was considered the best part of the animal, so it also means "the best".
- תֹּאכֵלוּtochelu· eat
Eat; also consume, devour (said of fire or the sword).
- צֶּמֶרtsemer· wool
Wool.
- תִּלְבָּשׁוּtilbashu· put on, clothe
Put on clothing, wear; clothe someone.
- בְּרִיאָהberia· fat
Fat, well fed.
- תִּזְבָּחוּtizbachu· sacrifice
Sacrifice: slaughter an animal to offer it to God.
- נַּחְלוֹתnachlot· be sick; entreat
Be sick or weak. With "face", entreat: soften someone's face.
- חִזַּקְתֶּםchizaktem· be strong, seize
Be strong; take hold of firmly, seize. In other forms, strengthen, encourage, repair; said of the heart, become stubborn.
- רִפֵּאתֶםripetem· heal
Heal, cure; restore.
- נִּשְׁבֶּרֶתnishberet· break
Break, shatter; break down.
- חֲבַשְׁתֶּםchavashtem· bind; saddle
Bind, tie on; saddle an animal; bandage a wound.
- נִּדַּחַתnidachat· drive away, push
Push or drive away: move someone from his place or his path; also to be led astray or scattered.
- הֲשֵׁבֹתֶםhashevotem· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- אֹבֶדֶתovedet· perish, be lost
Perish, be ruined, be lost; wander off. In the causative, destroy.
- בִקַּשְׁתֶּםvikashtem· seek
Seek, look for; also require, demand an account.
- חָזְקָהchazka· force, harshness
Force, harshness. Almost always in a bad sense: to treat someone "with force," that is, with violence and harshness. In Jonah 3:8, to cry out "mightily."
- רְדִיתֶםreditem· rule, have dominion
Rule, have dominion over something; tread down.
- פָרֶךְfarech· harshness
Harshness, cruelty with which someone is made to work.