Ezekiel 34 · Verse 23

Ezekiel 34:23

And 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.
Ezekiel 34:23, King James Version

Ezekiel 34:23 in other translations

BSBI will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
WEBI will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them--my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd I will put over them one keeper, and he will give them food, even my servant David; he will give them food and be their keeper.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Ezekiel 34:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
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" (2Sa 7:12); and, "Yet have I set My king on My holy hill of Zion" (Psa 2:6; compare Ac 2:30; 13:23). one shepherd--literally, "a Shepherd, one": singularly and pre-eminently one: the only one of His kind, to whom none is comparable (So 5:10). The Lord Jesus refers to this prophecy (Joh 10:14), "I am THE Good Shepherd." Also "one" as uniting in one the heretofore divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and also "gathering together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and on earth" (Ep 1:10); thus healing worse breaches than that between Israel and Judah (Col 1:20). "God by Him reconciling all things unto Himself, whether things in earth or in heaven." David--the antitypical David, Messiah, of the seed of David, which no other king after the captivity was: who was fully, what David was only in a degree, "the man after God's own heart." Also, David means beloved: Messiah was truly God's beloved Son (Is 42:1; Mt 3:17). Shepherd means King, rather than religious instructor; in this pre-eminently He was the true David, who was the Shepherd King (Lu 1:32, 33). Messiah is called "David" in Is 55:3, 4; Jr 30:9; Ho 3:5.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 I will set up one Shepherd - my servant David - David, king of Israel, had been dead upwards of four hundred years; and from that time till now there never was a ruler of any kind, either in the Jewish church or state, of the name of David. This, then, must be some typical person; and from the texts marked in the margin we understand that Jesus Christ alone is meant, as both Old and New Testaments agree in this. And from this one Shepherd all Christian ministers must derive their authority to teach, and their grace to teach effectually. By the kind providence of God it appears that he has not permitted any apostolic succession to be preserved, lest the members of his Church should seek that in an uninterrupted succession which must be found in the Head alone. The papists or Roman Catholics, who boast of an uninterrupted succession, which is a mere fable that never was and never can be proved, have raised up another head, the Pope. And I appeal to themselves, in the fear of God, whether they do not in heart and in speech trace up all their authority to him, and only compliment Christ as having appointed Peter to be the first bishop of Rome, (which is an utter falsity, for he was never appointed to such an office there, nor ever held such an office in that city, nor, in their sense, any where else); and they hold also that the popes of Rome are not so much Peter's successors as God's vicars; and thus both God and Peter are nearly lost sight of in their papal enumerations. With them the authority of the Church is all in all; the authority of Christ is seldom mentioned.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 34:17-31

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, 23-31, 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…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 34:17-31 →

Ezekiel 34:23 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.

וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨יva.ha.ki.mo.Tiand I will raise upH6965
עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם'a.lei.Hemover themH5921
רֹעֶ֤הro.'Eha shepherdH7462
אֶחָד֙'e.ChadoneH259
וְרָעָ֣הve.ra.'Ahand he will shepherdH7462
אֶתְהֶ֔ן'et.Hen<obj.> themH853
אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>H853
עַבְדִּ֣י'av.Diservant myH5650
דָוִ֑ידda.VidDavidH1732
ה֚וּאhu'heH1931
יִרְעֶ֣הyir.'Ehhe will shepherdH7462
אֹתָ֔ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
וְהֽוּא\־ve.hu'-and heH1931
יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehhe will becomeH1961
לָהֶ֖ןla.Henfor them
לְרֹעֶֽה\׃le.ro.'Eh<into> a shepherdH7462

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 34:23

  • Ezekiel 37:24-25

    And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

  • Jeremiah 30:9

    But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

  • Isaiah 40:11

    He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

  • John 10:11

    I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

  • Hosea 3:5

    Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:11

    The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

  • Isaiah 55:3-4

    Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

  • 1 Peter 5:4

    And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

  • Jeremiah 23:4-6

    And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

  • Revelation 22:16

    I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

  • Isaiah 11:1

    And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

  • Micah 5:2-5

    But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will.
Ec 12:11; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:4-6; Mic 5:2-5; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:11
Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25; 5:4
my servant.David king of Israel had been dead upwards of 400 years; and from that time till now there never has been a ruler of any kind in the Jewish nation of the name of David. By David, then, we must understand the Messiah, as the Jews themselves acknowledge, so called because descended from him, and also as being the well beloved, [o agapetos,] Son of the Father, as the name imports, and in whom all the promises made to David were fulfilled. See the references.
37:24,25; Isa 11:1; 55:3,4; Jer 30:9; Ho 3:5; Re 22:16

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

Context

  • Ezekiel 34:22

    Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

  • Ezekiel 34:23

    And 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.

  • Ezekiel 34:24

    And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

Read all of Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y despertaré sobre ellas un pastor, y él las apacentará; á mi siervo David: él las apacentará, y él les será por pastor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et je susciterai sur eux un pasteur qui les paîtra, mon serviteur David: lui les paîtra, et lui sera leur pasteur.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich werde einen Hirten über sie erwecken, und er wird sie weiden-meinen Knecht David: der wird sie weiden, und der wird ihr Hirt sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et suscitabo super eas pastorem unum qui pascat eas, servum meum David: ipse pascet eas, et ipse erit eis in pastorem.