Ezekiel 34:4 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.
Ezekiel 34:4 nkjv
The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.
Ezekiel 34:4 niv
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.
Ezekiel 34:4 esv
The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
Ezekiel 34:4 nlt
You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.
Ezekiel 34 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 34 | The Lord rebukes the shepherds and promises to seek His sheep | Eze 34:1-3 |
| Psalm 23 | The Lord as the Shepherd who provides and protects | Ps 23:1-6 |
| Isaiah 40 | The Lord as a shepherd gently leading His flock | Isa 40:11 |
| Luke 15 | Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son | Lk 15:3-7 |
| John 10 | Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life | Jn 10:11, 14-16 |
| 1 Peter 2 | Believers as spiritual sheep under Christ the Shepherd | 1 Pet 2:25 |
| Hebrews 13 | Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep | Heb 13:20 |
| Acts 20 | Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders to shepherd the flock | Acts 20:28-31 |
| Matthew 18 | Jesus' emphasis on valuing the little ones | Mt 18:10-14 |
| Jeremiah 23 | Judgment on false prophets and promise of true shepherd | Jer 23:1-4 |
| Isaiah 63 | God's compassion and mercy for His people | Isa 63:7-9 |
| Hosea 3 | Hosea's commission to love an unfaithful wife | Hos 3:1-5 |
| Ezekiel 36 | God will cleanse and restore Israel | Eze 36:22-32 |
| Revelation 7 | The great multitude in white robes | Rev 7:9-10 |
| Psalm 100 | Joyful service to the Lord, our shepherd | Ps 100:3 |
| Psalm 95 | Call to worship the Lord, our shepherd | Ps 95:7 |
| Ezekiel 37 | Vision of the dry bones | Eze 37:1-14 |
| Micah 5 | Prophecy of Messiah's birth and rule | Mic 5:2-5 |
| Matthew 12 | Jesus fulfills prophecies regarding the lost | Mt 12:18-21 |
| 1 Corinthians 6 | Cleansed and redeemed by Christ | 1 Cor 6:19-20 |
Ezekiel 34 verses
Ezekiel 34 4 Meaning
This verse signifies a compassionate act of seeking and recovering the lost, broken, and weak sheep. It speaks to God's care and diligent pursuit of His people, contrasting with the negligent shepherds.
Ezekiel 34 4 Context
Ezekiel 34 directly addresses the corrupt leadership of Israel, referred to as shepherds. These leaders have failed to care for God's people, who are metaphorically described as sheep. The chapter contrasts these self-serving shepherds with the true Shepherd, God Himself, who promises to personally intervene and care for His flock. This promise is given in a context where Israel faces judgment for its unfaithfulness and the unfaithfulness of its leaders.
Ezekiel 34 4 Word Analysis
- "And I": This "I" refers to the LORD, distinct from the faithless human shepherds mentioned in previous verses.
- "will seek": Hebrew: bidásh. Implies an active, diligent search, not passive waiting. It signifies a personal and intentional effort.
- "out": English emphasis on leaving a state of being lost.
- "my sheep": Hebrew: tso’án. A collective term for the flock, representing God's people, Israel.
- "and": Conjunction connecting the action of seeking with the subsequent actions.
- "will make them": Hebrew: wehāyá luhén. This construction indicates a change or establishment of a new condition.
- "find": Hebrew: emtzá’. Similar to seeking, it implies locating and recovering what was lost.
- "out": English emphasis on rescue from a dispersed or lost state.
- "from": English indicating the source from which the sheep are delivered.
- "the places": Hebrew: mikkómót. Plural, indicating various locations where the sheep were scattered.
- "where they have been scattered": Hebrew: šám mažarě´ót. Denotes their dispersion and vulnerability due to the negligence of their former shepherds.
Word-group analysis:
- "seek out my sheep": This phrase emphasizes God's direct and active responsibility for His flock. It's a promise of intervention born out of their distress and abandonment.
- "make them find out from the places where they have been scattered": This highlights the restoration and gathering of the dispersed, underscoring God's power to rescue and re-establish His people.
Ezekiel 34 4 Bonus Section
The diligent seeking of the scattered sheep reflects the consistent pattern of God's redemptive actions throughout biblical history, from the patriarchal figures to the messianic era. This verse is foundational in understanding God's unfailing love and His commitment to His covenant people, even in their sinfulness and dispersion. The scatteredness implies a state of weakness and exposure to danger, from which God promises deliverance and reintegration into His protective fold.
Ezekiel 34 4 Commentary
The verse presents a stark contrast to the preceding denunciation of corrupt shepherds. Here, God declares His own active shepherding. He will not wait for the lost sheep to return; He will actively search for them. This implies a deep concern for those who are vulnerable, strayed, or abandoned. The divine "seeking out" signifies reclamation and salvation. The promise extends to gathering them from wherever they have been scattered, pointing to a future restoration and unification of His people under His direct care. This foreshadows Jesus' mission as the Good Shepherd, who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and whose sacrifice unifies scattered believers into one flock (John 11:52, 1 Peter 2:25).