one shepherd = one ruler. Compare Isaiah 40:11 . Joh 10:11 . My servant David. Occurs only here, Ezekiel 34:24 ; Eze 37:24 , 1 Kings 11:32 , 1 Kings 11:34 , and Ezekiel 14:8 . Compare Jeremiah 30:9 . Hosea 3:5 . David. Either David the king, or Messiah, of Whom he was the type. read more
Ezekiel 34:23. And I will set up one shepherd— That is, Jesus Christ, the true shepherd, who has given himself this name both in the Prophets and in the Gospel; and who has perfectly fulfilled all the duties, the characters whereof have been before described. He is called David, because our Saviour sprung from David according to the flesh; because he possessed eminently and really all those qualities which the Scripture gives to David as the type of the Messiah; and because he was the person in... read more
23. set up—that is, raise up by divine appointment; alluding to the declaration of God to David, "I will set up thy seed after thee" ( :-); and, "Yet have I set My king on My holy hill of Zion" (Psalms 2:6; compare Acts 2:30; Acts 13:23). one shepherd—literally, "a Shepherd, one": singularly and pre-eminently one: the only one of His kind, to whom none is comparable (Acts 13:23- :). The Lord Jesus refers to this prophecy (Acts 13:23- :), "I am THE Good Shepherd." Also "one" as uniting in one... read more
The Lord’s intervention for Israel 34:11-24"If any passage was at the heart of Ezekiel’s contribution to the ongoing promise [to Israel], it was Ezekiel 34:11-31 . . ." [Note: Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology, p. 240.] read more
The Lord promised to set over His sheep one shepherd, His servant David, who would personally feed them (cf. John 10:9; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Yahweh would be their God, and His servant David would be prince (Heb. nasi’, namely, king) among them. This the Lord assuredly promised (cf. Ezekiel 37:22-26). As mentioned before, Ezekiel customarily used nasi’ in place of melek, the normal Hebrew word for "king," to stress the fact that someone had put the nasi’ on his throne."The term ’prince’ is... read more
The Good Shepherd of IsraelIn this chapter Israel is described as God’s flock. Its former kings were evil shepherds who sought their own selfish ends and were careless what became of the sheep. The flock had become the prey of wild beasts (the heathen nations). God would judge the evil shepherds and deliver the sheep from them. He would Himself be the Shepherd of His people, gathering the scattered and lost, caring for the sick and wounded, feeding the flock in security (Ezekiel 34:1-16). The... read more
(23) Set up one shepherd.—He is one both with reference to the many evil rulers who have gone before (and this implies the perpetuity of His rule), and also with reference to the two kingdoms of Israel, which are hereafter to be for evermore united in the one Church of God. Obviously this prophecy can find its accomplishment in no merely human ruler.My servant David.—The name of David is here put simply, as in Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 37:24-25; Jeremiah 30:9; Hosea 3:5, instead of the more usual... read more
Ezekiel 34:12 The keen sarcasms of Erasmus, the insolent buffoonery of Hutton, were lavished on the 'lovers of darkness' and of the cloister. In England Colet and More echoed with greater reserve the scorn and invective of their friends. As an outlet for religious enthusiasm, indeed, monasticism was practically dead. The friar, now that his fervour of devotion and his intellectual energy had passed away, had sunk into the mere beggar. The monks had become mere landowners. Most of their houses... read more
THE MESSIANIC KINGDOMEzekiel 34:1-31The term "Messianic" as commonly applied to Old Testament prophecy bears two different senses, a wider and a narrower. In its wider use it is almost equivalent to the modern word "eschatological." It denotes that unquenchable hope of a glorious future for Israel and the world which is an all but omnipresent feature of the prophetic writings, and includes all predictions of the kingdom of God in its final and perfect manifestation. In its stricter sense it is... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 34:1-31
Rulers past and future (34:1-31)The leaders of Israel, whether of the northern kingdom or the southern, were supposed to be shepherds, but instead of caring for the people they exploited them. Their sole concern was for themselves (34:1-4). Because of their neglect of the flock, the sheep were attacked and scattered. Because of the corruption of its leaders, Israel was destroyed by hostile nations and its people taken captive into foreign countries (5-6).God will therefore punish the shepherds,... read more