Ezekiel 34:17

And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. AS FOR YOU, O MY FLOCK - passing from the rulers to the people. BEHOLD, I JUDGE BETWEEN CATTLE AND CATTLE, [ seh (H7716) laaseh (H7716)] - rather, sheep and sheep; margin, small cattle, or flocks of lambs and kids - i:e., I judge between one class of citizens and another, so as to award what is right to each. BETWEEN THE RAMS AND THE HE-GOATS. He next defines the class about to be punitively 'judged,' namely, "the rams and he-goats," or great he-goats (cf. Isaiah 14:9, "the chief ones of the ea...

17-31 The whole nation seemed to be the Lord's flock, yet they were very different characters; but he knew how to distinguish between them. By good pastures and deep waters, are meant the pure word of God and the dispensing of justice. The latter verses, Ezekiel 34:23, prophesy of Christ, and of the most glorious times of his church on earth. Under Him, as the good Shepherd, the church would be a blessing to all around. Christ, though excellent in himself, was as a tender plant out of a dry ground. Being the Tree of life, bearing all the fruits of salvation, he yields spiritual food to the souls of his people. Our constant desire and prayer should be, that there may be showers of blessings in every place where the truth of Christ is preached; and that all who profess the gospel may be filled with fruits of righteousness....

Verse Ezekiel 34:17. _AND_ AS FOR _YOU, O MY FLOCK_] After having spoken to the _shepherds_, he now addresses the _flock_. _I JUDGE BETWEEN CATTLE AND CATTLE_] Between _false_ and _true_ professors; between them that have only the _form_ and them that have the _power_ of godliness; between the _backslider in heart_ and the _upright man_....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 34:1 AND THE WORD OF THE LORD, etc. As no date is given, we may infer that what follows came as an almost immediate sequel to that which precedes it. The kernel of the chapter is found in the Messianic prophecies of Ezekiel 34:23, Ezekiel 34:24, as the first stage in the restoration of Israel which is beginning to open to the prophet's gaze. We can hardly avoid seeing in it the deliberate expression of words that had been spoken by Ezekiel's master (Jeremiah 23:1), and which in his case also were followed by a directly Messianic announcement. In...

AND AS FOR YOU, O MY FLOCK, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Having done with the shepherds, and the complaint against them, the Lord proceeds to take notice of the flock, or the people themselves, and the evils that were among them; for in the Lord's own flock, in the nation and church of Israel, as now in the visible congregated churches of Christ, there were two sorts of persons, some good, others bad; some that behaved well, and others ill; some were sheep, and others goats: BEHOLD, I JUDGE BETWEEN CATTLE AND CATTLE, BETWEEN THE RAMS AND THE HE GOATS: between the smaller and weaker cattle, the sheep and the lambs; and the larger and stronger cattle, the rams and he goats; by which latter may he meant persons of superior power and authority, of greater wealth and riches, and of more wisdom and knowledge, at least in their own conceits; and who were oppressive and injurious to the poor an...

Ezekiel 34:11. _For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in 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 in the cloudy and dark day._ What a glorious promise! Christ's elect run hither and thither, in the darkness of their ignorance, into sin of every kind, but he will find every one of them out. There is no jungle so thick but Christ will track his own through it; There are no bogs of sin so dangerous but Christ will traverse them and find every lamb of his flock. And if through your backslidings, O people of God, you have wandered far from him, yet he perceives you with that eye which sees in the dark as well us in the light; and he will follow after you and bring you back. Bles

Ezekiel 34:1. The shepherds of Israel were the kings and princes and all who had authority over them. The prophet Jeremiah had received a similar message Jeremiah 23:1. These shepherds of Israel were responsible for the deplorable condition of the flock. Utterly selfish, they cared not for the sheep of His pasture; they feared not God nor did they have a heart for God's people. The flock was scattered and spoiled. Such was the sad condition of the people Israel. And when the Lord Jesus appeared in their midst to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He found them as sheep without a shepherd, and He had compassion upon them Mark 6:34. But they rejected Him and the Shepherd was smitten. Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled

But among the flock there were differences too, the strong (_i.e._ the rich) treating the weak with selfishness and brutality. This too will end....

CATTLE AND CATTLE: i.e. between the sheep and the goats: rams being the sheep, while the he-goats are set in contrast....

Not only shall the cruel shepherds be removed and the flock delivered out of their hands and fed by the Lord himself, the injuries inflicted by members of the flock on each other shall no more prevail. The strong shall no more push the weak or drive them from the good pasture. _between cattle and cattle_ between SHEEP AND SHEEP, even THE RAMS AND THE HE-GOATS. The "rams" and "he-goats" explain the second word "sheep." Jehovah will judge between one class (the poor and weak) and another (the rams). Cf. Ezekiel 22:27; Ezekiel 22:29; Amos 2:7; Amos 3:9; Amos 4:1.