Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 34

Shepherds of Israel. This is a common Scriptural expression for rulers, and the whole context shows that these are the persons intended here. In the passage in Jeremiah 23:1, they are treated under this name separately from the prophets and priests; and also in Jeremiah 2:8, they are distinguished from prophets and priests. The name itself is a particularly appropriate one and seems to have been in use throughout the East, but especially in Israel, from the time when David was taken from the care of the flocks to feed the Lord’s people (Compare to 2 Samuel 5:2; Psalms 78:70–71).

That do feed themselves. This selfishness is characteristic of the unfaithful shepherd and is enlarged upon in Ezekiel 34:3-4. The history shows that for a long time it had been eminently true of the rulers, and especially of the kings of Israel.

They were scattered, because ...—The calamities of the people are attributed to the fault of the rulers, not because the people themselves were free from sin—the contrary has already been abundantly asserted in this book—but because the people’s sins were largely due to the evil example, the idolatries, the oppressions, and the disobedience of their rulers.

My sheep wandered.— In the pronouns, my sheep and my flock, God again claims the people for His own. Without proper guides, they have indeed strayed far away from Him, and there has been no one to inquire about or search for them in their lost condition. The two words search and seek refer, the former to asking or inquiring, the latter to searching for.

In such a state of things, plainly the first act of mercy to the flock must be the removal of the unfaithful shepherds. This is promised (Ezekiel 34:7–10), but, after Ezekiel’s manner, with a repeated declaration of the unfaithfulness of the shepherds.

Behold, I, even I.— The rich promises of the following verses are all essentially contained in this, that Jehovah Himself will be the Shepherd of His flock. It is the same assurance as that given by the Savior in John 10:0, and here, as there, must necessarily be understood spiritually. In the following verses many promises are given of an earthly and temporary character, and these were fulfilled partly in the restoration from exile, partly in the glorious deliverance of the Church from its foes under the Maccabees.

But these deliverances themselves were only types of the more glorious Messianic deliverance of the future, and necessary means by which it was secured. The promise of that deliverance could only be brought at all within the comprehension of the people by setting it forth in earthly language, just as even now it is impossible for us to understand the glories of the Church triumphant, except by the aid of the tangible images in which Scripture has portrayed them. Far less was it possible for this people, so much behind us in spiritual education and enlightenment.

Bring them to their own land.— It is not to be forgotten that this is a part of the same figurative language with the cloudy and dark day of the preceding verse, and that they must be explained in the same way. God’s people have wandered in the gloom, and they shall be gathered back to Him again.