Ezekiel 34 · Verse 16

Ezekiel 34:16

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.

Ezekiel 34:16, King James Version

Ezekiel 34:16 in other translations

BSB	I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
WEB	“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 will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’
ASV	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 will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
YLT	The lost I seek, and the driven away bring back, And the broken I bind up, and the sick I strengthen, And the fat and the strong I destroy, I feed it with judgment.
DARBY	I will seek the lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up the broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong: I will feed them with judgment.
BBE	I will go in search of that which had gone wandering from the way, and will get back that which had been sent in flight, and will put bands on that which was broken, and give strength to that which was ill: but the fat and the strong I will give up to destruction; I will give them for their food the punishment which is theirs by right.
Webster	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.

What does Ezekiel 34:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. In contrast to the unfaithful shepherds (Eze 34:4). The several duties neglected by them I will faithfully discharge. fat ... strong--that is, those rendered wanton by prosperity (De 32:15; Jr 5:28), who use their strength to oppress the weak. Compare Eze 34:20, "the fat cattle" (Is 10:16). The image is from fat cattle that wax refractory. with judgment--that is, justice and equity, as contrasted with the "force" and "cruelty" with which the unfaithful shepherds ruled the flock (Eze 34:4).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 I will destroy the fat and the strong - I will destroy those cruel and imperious shepherds who abuse their authority, and tyrannize over the flock.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 34:7-16

The Lord declared that he intended mercy towards the scattered flock. Doubtless this, in the first place, had reference to the restoration of the Jews. It also represented the good Shepherd's tender care of the souls of his people. He finds them in their days of darkness and ignorance, and brings them to his fold. He comes to their relief in times of persecution and temptation. He leads them in the ways of…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 34:7-16 →

Ezekiel 34:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הָאֹבֶ֤דֶתha.'o.Ve.detthe lost [one]H6

אֲבַקֵּשׁ֙'a.va.KeshI will seekH1245

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853

הַנִּדַּ֣חַתha.ni.Da.chatthe strayed [one]H5080

אָשִׁ֔יב'a.ShivI will bring backH7725

וְלַנִּשְׁבֶּ֣רֶתve.la.nish.Be.retand <to> the broken [one]H7665

אֶחֱבֹ֔שׁ'e.che.VoshI will bind upH2280

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853

הַחוֹלָ֖הha.cho.Lahthe sick [one]H2470

אֲחַזֵּ֑ק'a.cha.ZekI will make strongH2388

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853

הַשְּׁמֵנָ֧הha.she.me.Nahthe fat [one]H8082

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853

הַחֲזָקָ֛הha.cha.za.Kahthe strong [one]H2389

אַשְׁמִ֖יד'ash.MidI will destroyH8045

אֶרְעֶ֥נָּה'er.'E.nahI will shepherd itH7462

בְמִשְׁפָּֽט\׃ve.mish.Patwith justiceH4941

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 34:16

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Ezekiel 34:4
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 34:11
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Luke 15:4-7
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Micah 4:6-7
In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Ezekiel 39:18
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
Isaiah 5:17
Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
Isaiah 10:16
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
Jeremiah 10:24
O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

seek that.
4,11; Isa 40:11; 61:1-3; Mic 4:6,7; Mt 15:24; 18:11-14; Mr 2:17
Lu 5:31,32; 15:4-7; 19:10
but I.
39:18; De 32:15; Isa 5:17; 10:16; Jer 50:11; Am 4:1-3
I will feed.
Isa 49:26; Jer 9:15; 10:24; 23:15; Mic 7:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ezekiel 34:15
I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
Ezekiel 34:16
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.
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.

Read all of Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Yo buscaré la perdida, y tornaré la amontada, y ligaré la perniquebrada, y corroboraré la enferma: mas á la gruesa y á la fuerte destruiré. Yo las apacentaré en juicio.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La perdue, je la chercherai, et l’égarée, je la ramènerai, et la blessée, je la banderai, et la malade, je la fortifierai; mais je détruirai la grasse et la forte. Je les paîtrai avec jugement.
German Elberfelder 1871	Das Verlorene will ich suchen und das Versprengte zurückführen, und das Verwundete will ich verbinden, und das Kranke will ich stärken; das Fette aber und das Starke werde ich vertilgen: nach Recht werde ich sie weiden. -
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quod perierat requiram, et quod abjectum erat reducam, et quod confractum fuerat alligabo, et quod infirmum fuerat consolidabo, et quod pingue et forte custodiam: et pascam illas in judicio.