Ezekiel 34 · Verse 3

Ezekiel 34:3

Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
Ezekiel 34:3, King James Version

Ezekiel 34:3 in other translations

BSBYou eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.
WEBYou eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.
ASVYe eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep.
YLTThe fat ye do eat, and the wool ye put on, The fed one ye slaughter, the flock ye feed not.
DARBYYe eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool; ye kill them that are fattened: but ye feed not the flock.
BBEYou take the milk and are clothed with the wool, you put the fat beasts to death, but you give the sheep no food.
WebsterYe eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

What does Ezekiel 34:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. fat--or, by differently pointing the Hebrew, "milk" [Septuagint]. Thus the repetition "fat" and "fed" is avoided: also the eating of "fat" would not probably be put before the "killing" of the sheep. The eating of sheep's or goats' milk as food (De 32:14; Pr 27:27) was unobjectionable, had not these shepherds milked them too often, and that without duly "feeding" them [Bochart], (Is 56:11). The rulers levied exorbitant tributes. kill ... fed--kill the rich by false accusation so as to get possession of their property. feed not ... flock--take no care of the people (Joh 10:12).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Ye eat the fat - I think החלב hacheleb should be translated the milk, and so most of the Versions understand it. Or they lived on the fat sheep, and took the wool of all. "The priests," says Calmet, "ate the tithes, the first-fruits, and the offerings of the people; the princes received the tributes and imposts and instead of instructing and protecting them, the latter took away their lives by the cruelties they practiced against them: the former destroyed their souls by the poison of their doctrine, and by their bad example. The fat sheep point out the rich to whom these pastors often disguised the truth, by a cruel condescension and complaisance."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 34:1-6

The rulers reproved. (Ezek 34:1-6) The people are to be restored to their own land. (Ezek 34:7-16) The kingdom of Christ. (Ezek 34:17-31) Verses 1-6 The people became as sheep without a shepherd, were given up as a prey to their enemies, and the land was utterly desolated. No rank or office can exempt from the reproofs of God's word, men who neglect their duty, and abuse the trust reposed in them.

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 34:1-6 →

Ezekiel 34:3 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
הַחֵ֤לֶבha.Che.levthe fatH2459
תֹּאכֵ֙לוּ֙to.Khe.luyou eatH398
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַצֶּ֣מֶרha.Tze.merthe woolH6785
תִּלְבָּ֔שׁוּtil.Ba.shuyou clothe yourselvesH3847
הַבְּרִיאָ֖הha.be.ri.'Ahthe fat [sheep]H1277
תִּזְבָּ֑חוּtiz.Ba.chuyou slaughterH2076
הַצֹּ֖אןha.Tzonthe flockH6629
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תִרְעֽוּ\׃tir.'Uyou shepherdH7462

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 34:3

  • Zechariah 11:16

    For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

  • 2 Kings 21:16

    Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

  • Isaiah 1:15

    And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

  • 1 Kings 21:13-16

    And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

  • Isaiah 56:11-12

    Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

  • Micah 3:1-3

    And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

  • Jeremiah 2:30

    In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

  • Jeremiah 22:17

    But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

  • Ezekiel 33:25-26

    Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land?

  • Zechariah 11:5

    Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

  • Lamentations 4:13

    For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

  • Ezekiel 19:6

    And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
eat.
Isa 56:11,12; Zec 11:5,16
ye kill.
19:3,6; 22:25-28; 33:25,26; 1Ki 21:13-16; 2Ki 21:16; Isa 1:10,15
Jer 2:30; 22:17; La 4:13; Mic 3:1-3; Zep 3:3

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

Context

  • Ezekiel 34:2

    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 that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

  • Ezekiel 34:3

    Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

  • 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.

Read all of Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Coméis la leche, y os vestís de la lana: la gruesa degolláis, no apacentáis las ovejas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Vous mangez la graisse, et vous vous habillez de la laine; vous égorgez ce qui est engraissé; vous ne paissez pas le troupeau.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ihr esset das Fett und kleidet euch mit der Wolle, das fette Vieh schlachtet ihr; die Herde weidet ihr nicht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Lac comedebatis, et lanis operiebamini, et quod crassum erat occidebatis: gregem autem meum non pascebatis.