Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 34:14

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

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, but he will rescue the scattered sheep and bring them back to their home (7-10). God himself will be their new shepherd. He will feed them and care for them (11-15). While being sympathetic to those who are afflicted, he will act with strict justice against those who are oppressive (16).
Having taken the flock under his control and care, the true shepherd will remove from it those who, in their greed and selfishness, spoiled the pastures and dirtied the water for others. God will punish those who made themselves rich and powerful by trampling on the rights of their fellow citizens (17-19). When God has removed those who oppressed others for their own advantage, he will set up his Messiah to rule over his people in love and righteousness. The ideal that David wished for but never experienced will then be a reality (20-24).
Ezekiel speaks of the new relationship between God and his people as a covenant of peace. A bond of harmony exists between the good shepherd and his sheep. As the shepherd protects his flock from wild animals and gives his sheep good pastures, so God will protect his people from their enemies and give them agricultural prosperity (25-29). His people will respond with true loyalty. They will be his people, and he will be their God (30-31).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and I will seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture; and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I MYSELF SHALL BE THE SHEPHERD OF MY SHEEP, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah. I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice."

GOD HIMSELF TO BE THE GOOD SHEPHERD (Ezekiel 34:11-16)

The redemption of Israel can happen only upon that occasion when God himself shall become the shepherd of God's people. That means when God in the person of his son Jesus Christ is commissioned with "All authority in heaven and upon earth" (Matthew 28:18-20), upon that first Pentecost after the Resurrection of Christ, the glorious occasion when the first sermon of the Gospel Age was preached, and when the reign of Christ the Messiah was inaugurated upon earth.

It would be difficult indeed to find a more important chapter in the entire Old Testament than this one.

The Lord is the true and only Shepherd of Israel. "The glorious promises here were partially fulfilled in God's returning his people to Palestine and their subsequent prosperity in the times of the Maccabees."Albert Barnes' Commentary, p. 383. However, in no sense whatever were the Maccabees actually shepherds (kings of Israel). "The real fulfillment came in the ingathering of all nations into the Church of Christ the Good Shepherd (Matthew 18:11; John 10:1-18; and Romans 9:25-33).Ibid.

This whole paragraph (Ezekiel 34:11-16) is made up of "typical messianic imagery"John T. Bunn in the Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1871), p. 334. and terminology. All of the good things which will happen to Israel, expressed here in material terms will be fulfilled only in the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant. As Cooke pointed out, "There is no doubt that the dispersion evident in Ezekiel 34:13 suggests a wider dispersion than existed in the times of Ezekiel; and Torrey believed that it points to the circumstances of the Jews that took place in the third century B. C."International Critical Commentary, p. 375. If such a view is correct, then we have here a prophetic reference to yet a further scattering of God's people centuries after Ezekiel.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 34

Now in chapter 34, God speaks out against those faithless shepherds of Israel. Those men that were the spiritual leaders, those men to whom the people looked for spiritual guidance, who had left the real concept of the ministry. The Lord said to His disciples, "The heathen or the Gentiles do love to exercise lordship over each other, but it shall not be so among you. For whosoever would be chief among you, let him become the servant of all" ( Mark 10:42-44 ). You remember how when Jesus took a towel and washed His disciples' feet and then He said unto them, "You see what I have done. Now if I being your Lord am a servant, then you also should be servants." And Christ taught the servanthood of the ministry, and that's actually what the word minister means-a servant. And God intends that those who are the ministers are really the servants to the body of Christ, not lords over the body of Christ. But the servants to the body of Christ. But it is easy to get an attitude of lordship or superiority and start abusing your position and seek to exercise lordship over the people rather than to continue in that attitude of servant. Now whenever you do turn and get this lording attitude, and you begin to look at the... you begin to get greedy, really, for gain, for fancy homes and cars, and things of this nature. Then you begin to misuse that position that God has placed you in.

So the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel ( Ezekiel 34:1-2 )

Now whenever God says, "Woe," look out, because you're in trouble.

Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should they not be feeding the flock of God? ( Ezekiel 34:2 )

Men who are using the ministry for their own gain, rather than using the place of a minister to bring gain to the people. It is sad, but it is true that there are many men in the ministry today who are only fulfilling a psychological need in their own lives. They're not really called of God, and do not really have the true aspect of the ministry at heart. Woe unto those shepherds who use the ministry as a means of just feeding themselves, enriching themselves. "Should you not be feeding the flock?"

You eat the fat, you clothe yourself with wool, you kill them that are fed: but you feed not the flock ( Ezekiel 34:3 ).

Jesus said to Peter, "Feed My flock" ( John 21:15 ). Peter later writing to the elders in the church said, "Feed the flock of God which is among you" ( 1 Peter 5:2 ). The most important need in the church today is that the people be fed. "Feed the flock of God"-the commission of Jesus unto Peter.

Now the shepherds are further indicted by God because they...

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty you've ruled over them ( Ezekiel 34:4 ).

They were lording over the flock of God. They weren't caring for those that were weak or sick or broken or lost. But they had misused the position, and as the result,

[The sheep have been] scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became a prey to all of the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD ( Ezekiel 34:5-8 ),

And, again, when God begins to speak like this, you know that it's powerful. "As I live," more or less swearing by Himself because He can swear no higher. "As I live, saith the Lord God,"

surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them ( Ezekiel 34:8-10 ).

The whole religious system, the priesthood and all, was to be abolished. It's interesting, it has been abolished. And abolished because they were feeding themselves rather than the flock of God. Of course, in their history we find how it happened the sons of Eli, you remember, these evil boys. How that when people would bring their offering to the Lord, they'd take their meat hooks in and grab the best part of the meat. Anybody would object, they'd beat them up. Causing people to resent their worship of God by the greedy attitude of these men who were supposed to be God's representatives. Priests standing before God for the people, and yet, so misrepresenting God when they were standing before the people for God. And so God speaks about putting away this whole corrupted system. "They're not gonna feed off My flock anymore. My flock won't be meat to them any longer."

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and I will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks 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 of the places that they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day ( Ezekiel 34:11-12 ).

Here God says, "I will take up the job of the shepherd. I will seek out these sheep that are lost and scattered." Aren't you glad that the Lord is our shepherd? And that He has sought us out, scattered and bruised He found us, and He drew us into His fold, and He put His arms around us and said, "Hey, I love you. You're My sheep; you're My people." Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I lay down My life for the sheep" ( John 10:11 ). The sheep know the shepherd's voice and they do follow him. And you who have heard the call of the Lord, you're part of His flock. You're following Jesus Christ. It's beautiful.

And I will bring them out from the people, I will gather them from the countries, I will bring them into their own land ( Ezekiel 34:13 ),

And, of course, this is a prophecy concerning the nation Israel, but it does have also personal application, as far as that relationship of God to His people, Christ to His church. But this basically is a prophecy of Israel, the prophecy of the scattering of Israel. The scattering of Israel was precipitated by their crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which was the result of the conspiracy of the spiritual leaders of that day. Those spiritual leaders had rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and they had conspired to put Him to death, because all of the common people were hearing Him gladly. And they said, "What are we going to do? If all of the people turn to Him then we're going to lose our jobs. We're going to lose all of this loot that we've been making off the people. The Romans may even come and take away our position. We've got to put Him to death." And the high priest said, "Don't you realize it's expedient that one man should die for the whole nation?" How little did he know what he was saying.

Now, because of these shepherds, false shepherds, who were guilty of greed, who scattered the flock, Jesus speaks of His gathering together that flock. And this we get into, of course, the prophecy and we see it being fulfilled today as God is drawing the Jews back into the land and is preparing to do a work among them there.

I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, I will bring them into their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all of the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: and there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture and they shall feed upon the mountains of Israel. And I will feed my flock ( Ezekiel 34:13-15 ),

Remember that beautiful prophecy concerning Jesus, "He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the young in His arms," and so forth, "and carry them in His bosom. And gently lead those that are with young" ( Isaiah 40:11 ). Beautiful prophecy. "I will feed my flock."

I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and I will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; and I will feed them with judgment. And as for you, O my flock, saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? And to have drunk of the deep waters, but you have to foul up the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with the side and with the shoulder, and you've pushed all the diseased with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad ( Ezekiel 34:15-21 );

The way that the rich oppressed the poor. Of course, the religious leaders had become the wealthy and they pushed and scattered the flock.

But I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it ( Ezekiel 34:23-24 ).

Now this, of course, is not a reference to king David being resurrected and becoming king again, but even as Jesus promised to David that there should never cease one from him ruling over the people, that prophecy to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So it is a reference to that righteous branch that shall come out of David, even Jesus. And in Jeremiah 23:0 you have Jeremiah giving the same prophecy in Jerusalem to the inhabitants there and he speaks about how the righteous branch out of David shall come and reign as king over them. As he indicts the false shepherds there and speaks of the glorious true Shepherd that shall come.

In Isaiah we read, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, to order it, and to establish it in righteousness and in judgment from henceforth even forever. For the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this" ( Isaiah 9:6-7 ). So Christ, as Paul said in Romans 1 , "Of the seed of David according to the flesh, but declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit," will come and sit upon the throne of David, and as David again shepherding over the people, or ruling over the people with a shepherd's heart.

Now people wonder, how could God say, "Well, David was a man after My own heart"? When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and David was a very violent man in many situations, and he had Uriah put to death. And yet, God says that David was a man after My own heart. How can that be? And that was because David had the heart of a shepherd. And when David ruled the people, he ruled them with a shepherd's heart. And that's what God desires. That those who rule have the heart of a shepherd where their concern and their care is for the sheep, not for themselves. But they are thinking of the sheep. And David had the shepherd's heart, and he ruled with the heart of a shepherd. Saul was lifted up in pride when God put him upon the throne, and that's why Saul was brought down and his family did not follow in the throne. But David, a man after God's own heart.

And so the prophecy concerning Christ and His coming and shepherding.

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land ( Ezekiel 34:25 ):

The Kingdom Age, the beasts will be tame. The lion will lie down with the lamb, and a little child will lead them. I've always thought what a tremendous pet a lion could make. Wouldn't that be exciting for a kid to have a lion for a pet? Man, to jump on its back, grab hold of the mane and just take off. The Kingdom Age when God restores, then there will be peace, the covenant of peace among the animal kingdom, among men. Beautiful Kingdom Age, the evil beasts will cease out of the land.

and they will dwell safely in the wilderness, and they'll sleep in the woods ( Ezekiel 34:25 ).

There will be no fear.

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; and there shall be showers of blessing ( Ezekiel 34:26 ).

Now we sing that in the church, but actually we're only borrowing from what God is declaring is going to happen when Israel is restored.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and they shall know that I am the LORD when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that serve themselves of them ( Ezekiel 34:27 ).

And so as God brings His people back again they will know that He is the Lord, when He establishes His reign.

And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen ( Ezekiel 34:28 ),

Look at how the Jews have been persecuted among the nations, wherever they have gone. They've been a persecuted people. They've been a curse and a byword. Anti-Semitism, and it is rising again throughout the world. You read of bombings of Jewish synagogues in Europe. There's again rising in Germany strong sentiment against the Jews, and even here in the United States we're beginning to see more and more anti-Semitism. The unfortunate things that are happening up in the Hollywood area even against the Jewish community. But, "They'll be no more a prey to the heathen."

neither shall the beast of the land devour them ( Ezekiel 34:28 );

The animals will be all docile.

but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown ( Ezekiel 34:28-29 ),

That plant of renown, of course, is none other than Jesus Christ.

and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more ( Ezekiel 34:29 ).

They won't be cursed or bear that shame among the heathen.

We were talking with our Jewish guide who grew up in Argentina. And we were seeking to witness to him about Christianity, and he said, "Do you want to know what my first impression of Christians were?" And we said, "Sure." He said, "Well, every day going home from school I would have to run as fast as I could or else those boys who said they were Christians would beat me up and call me a Jesus killer." And he said, "They would throw rocks at me and they would beat me up every chance they got, calling me a Jesus killer." And he said, "That was my first impression of Christians." And no wonder it's hard to witness to them if that's what has been represented by Christianity to them. And it is indeed sad and tragic that much of the anti-Semitism has had its origins in the church. But we as Christians owe a great debt to Israel, to the Jews. After all, they gave us our Messiah.

Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture, and you are men, [ye the flock the flock of my pasture are men] and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD ( Ezekiel 34:30-31 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

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.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

He would lead them out from among the peoples where they had gone and bring them back to their own land (cf. Ezekiel 34:4-6). He would nourish them on the mountains, beside the streams, and in the best (inhabited) places of the land (cf. Psalms 23:1; John 4; John 6:31-35). They would enjoy good pasture and would experience rest in good grazing ground, the richest pasture in the land.

"If the scattering were literal, and no one is foolhardy as to deny this, then the regathering must be equally so." [Note: Feinberg, p. 197.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I will feed them in a good pasture,.... Or with good food, as the Targum: such as the fulness of grace in Christ, where believers go in and out, and find pasture; and where they may feed to the full, have bread enough, and to spare; and may draw water with joy out of the full wells of salvation: this is good food; food indeed, in opposition to that which was typical, or is imaginary; this is spiritual food, suitable to the spirits of men, brought by the Spirit of God, and relished by a spiritual man; this is savoury food, soul satisfying and soul strengthening food; this is nourishing food, and what will endure to everlasting life: and such is the Gospel, the promises and doctrines of it, in which there is a variety of food; milk for babes, and meat for strong men; sweet to the taste, and health to the bones; salutary and nourishing, and which makes glad the heart; and of the same kind are the ordinances of the Gospel, the breasts of consolation, the goodness and fatness of the Lord's house; which he makes his people partakers of, and satisfies them with.

And upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold; of the same nature and use are the churches of Christ as a fold is to the sheep; as that they are separated, divided, and distinguished from others; as into a fold, the sheep of Christ are gathered into churches; where they lie together, are united and knit together in love, and where they have communion with one another, and keep each other warm, and stir up one another to love and good works; whereby the vitals of religion are preserved; here they are kept in the night season, and fed in the winter; these like a fold are a sort of fence unto them, and a preservation of them from wolves and bears; and here they lie down, and have spiritual rest, ease, and safety: and as in a fold there are lambs, and sheep, and goats, so in churches there are different sorts folded together, weaker and stronger Christians; and some only nominal ones, who will be separated at the last day. A fold may be taken down, and removed from place to place, and so may visible congregated churches; the candlestick may be removed out of its place, the word and ordinances; and so a Gospel church state may be carried from place to place; and there is but one fold for Jews and Gentiles, and this is a good one; see John 10:16.

And in a fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel; on the feast of fat things there, and so become fat and flourishing;

John 10:16- :.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;   8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;   9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;   10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.   11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.   12 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.   13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.   14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.   15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.   16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

      Upon reading the foregoing articles of impeachment drawn up, in God's name, against the shepherds of Israel, we cannot but look upon the shepherds with a just indignation, and upon the flock with a tender compassion. God, by the prophet, here expresses both in a high degree; and the shepherds are called upon (Ezekiel 34:7; Ezekiel 34:9) to hear the word of the Lord, to hear this word. Let them hear how little he regards them, who made much of themselves, and how much he regards the flock, which they made nothing of; both will be humbling to them. Those that will not hear the word of the Lord giving them their direction shall be made to hear the word of the Lord reading them their doom. Now see here,

      I. How much displeased God is at the shepherds. Their crimes are repeated, Ezekiel 34:8; Ezekiel 34:8. God's flock became a prey to the deceivers first that drew them to idolatry, and then to the destroyers that carried them into captivity; and these shepherds took no care to prevent either the one or the other, but were as if there had been no shepherds; and therefore God says (Ezekiel 34:10; Ezekiel 34:10), and confirms it with an oath (Ezekiel 34:8; Ezekiel 34:8), I am against the shepherds. They had a commission from God to feed the flock, and made use of this name in what they did, expecting he would stand by them. "No," says God, "so far from that, I am against them." Note, It is not our having the name and authority of shepherds that will engage God for us, if we do not the work enjoined us, and be not faithful to the trust reposed in us. God is against them, and they shall know it; for, 1. They shall be made to account for the manner in which they have discharged their trust: "I will require my flock at their hands, and charge it upon them that so many of them are missing." Note, Those will have a great deal to answer for in the judgment-day who take upon them the care of souls and yet take no care of them. Ministers must watch and work as those that must give account,Hebrews 13:17. 2. They shall be deprived officio et beneficio--both of the work and of the wages. They shall cease from feeding the flock, that is, from pretending to feed it. Note, It is just with God to take out of men's hands that power which they have abused and that trust which they have betrayed. But, if this were all their punishment, they could bear it well enough; therefore it is added, "Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more, for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, which, instead of protecting, they had made a prey of." Note, Those that are enriching themselves with the spoils of the public cannot expect that they shall always be suffered to do so. Nor will God always permit his people to be trampled upon by those that should support them, but will find a time to deliver them from the shepherds their false friends, as well as from the lions their open enemies.

      II. How much concerned God is for the flock; he speaks as if he were the more concerned for them because he saw them thus neglected, for with him the fatherless finds mercy. Precious promises are made here upon the occasion, which were to have their accomplishment in the return of the Jews out of their captivity and their re-establishment in their own land. Let the shepherds hear this word of the Lord, and know that they have no part nor lot in the matter. But let the poor sheep hear it and take the comfort of it. Note, Though magistrates and ministers fail in doing their part, for the good of the church, yet God will not fail in doing his; he will take the flock into his own hand rather than the church shall come short of any kindness he has designed for it. The under-shepherds may prove careless, but the chief Shepherd neither slumbers nor sleeps. They may be false, but God abides faithful.

      1. God will gather his sheep together that were scattered, and bring those back to the fold that had wandered from it: "I, even I, who alone can do it, will do it, and will have all the glory of it. I will both search my sheep and find them out (Ezekiel 34:11; Ezekiel 34:11) as a shepherd does (Ezekiel 34:12; Ezekiel 34:12), and bring them back as he does the stray-sheep, upon his shoulders, from all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day." There are cloudy and dark days, windy and stormy ones, which scatter God's sheep, which send them hither and thither, to divers and distant places, in quest of secresy and safety. But, (1.) Wherever they are the eye of God will find them out; for his eyes run to and fro through the earth, in favour of them. I will seek out my sheep; and not one that belongs to the fold, though driven ever so far off, shall be lost. The Lord knows those that are his; he knows their work and where they dwell (Revelation 2:13), and where they are hidden. (2.) When his time shall come his arms will fetch them home (Ezekiel 34:13; Ezekiel 34:13): I will bring them out from the people. God will both incline their hearts to come by his grace and will by his providence open a door for them and remove every difficulty that lies in the way. They shall not return one by one, clandestinely stealing away, but they shall return in a body: "I will gather them from the countries into which they are dispersed, not only the most considerable families of them, but every particular person. I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away," Ezekiel 34:16; Ezekiel 34:16. This was done when so many thousand Jews returned triumphantly out of Babylon, under the conduct of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others. When those that have gone astray from God into the paths of sin are brought back by repentance, when those that erred come to the acknowledgment of the truth, when God's outcasts are gathered and restored, and religious assemblies, that were dispersed, rally again, upon the ceasing of persecution, and when the churches have rest and liberty, then this promise has a further accomplishment.

      2. God will feed his people as the sheep of his pasture, that had been famished. God will bring the returning captives safely to their own land (Ezekiel 34:13; Ezekiel 34:13), will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, and that is a good pasture, and a fat pasture (Ezekiel 34:14; Ezekiel 34:14); there shall their feeding be, and there shall be their fold; and it is a good fold. There God will not only feed them, but cause them to lie down (Ezekiel 34:15; Ezekiel 34:15), which denotes a comfortable rest after they had tired themselves with their wanderings, and a constant continuing residence; they shall not be driven out again from these green pastures, as they have been, nor shall they be disturbed, but shall lie down in a sweet repose and there shall be none to make them afraid.Psalms 23:2, He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Compare this with the like promise (Jeremiah 23:3; Jeremiah 23:4), when God restored them not only to the milk and honey of their own land, to the enjoyment of its fruits, but to the privileges of his sanctuary on Mount Zion, the chief of the mountains of Israel. When they had an altar and a temple again, and the benefit of a settled priesthood, then they were fed in a good pasture.

      3. He will succour those that are hurt, will bind up that which was broken and strengthen that which was sick, will comfort those that mourn in Zion and with Zion. If ministers, who should speak peace to those who are of a sorrowful spirit, neglect their duty, yet the Holy Ghost the Comforter will be faithful to his office. But, as it follows, the fat and the strong shall be destroyed. He that has rest for disquieted saints has terror to speak to presumptuous sinners. As every valley shall be filled, so every mountain and hill shall be brought low,Luke 3:5.