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Complete Jewish Bible

Ezekiel 34:20

Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim says to them: ‘I will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   The Topic Concordance - Following;   God;   Jesus Christ;   Shepherds/pastors;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, prophet;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hospitality;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Fatlings, Fatted;   Flock;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Messiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Shepherd;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pastor;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
King James Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
English Standard Version
"Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says to them: "Behold, I, I Myself will also judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
New Century Version
"‘So this is what the Lord God says to them: I, myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.
Amplified Bible
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them, "Behold, I Myself will judge between the [well-fed] fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore thus sayth the Lorde God vnto them, behold, I, euen I wil iudge betweene the fat sheepe and the leane sheepe.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh to them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says to them: 'Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Contemporary English Version
So I, the Lord God, will separate you strong sheep from the weak.
Darby Translation
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, [it is] I, and I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the Lord God says to them: "I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep!
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore thus says the LORD God to them: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat ewe and the lean ewe.
Good News Translation
"So now, I, the Sovereign Lord , tell you that I will judge between you strong sheep and the weak sheep.
Lexham English Bible
"‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: "Look! I, even I will judge between fat sheep and between lean sheep,
Literal Translation
So the Lord Jehovah says this to them: Behold, I, even I, will even judge between the fat lamb and the lean lamb.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore, thus sayeth the LORDE God vnto them: Beholde, I will seuer the fat shepe from the leane:
American Standard Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Bible in Basic English
For this reason the Lord has said to them, Truly, I, even I, will be judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and the lean cattle.
King James Version (1611)
Therefore thus saith the Lord God vnto them, Behold, I, euen I will iudge betweene the fat cattell, and betweene the leane cattell.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therefore thus saith the Lorde God vnto them: Beholde I [euen] I wyll iudge betweene the fat cattaile and the leane cattaile,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will separate between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.
English Revised Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them: Behold, I, even I, judge between the fat cattle and the lean cattle.
World English Bible
Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis to you, Lo! Y my silf deme bitwixe a fat beeste and a leene beeste.
Update Bible Version
Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: Look, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD to them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
New English Translation
"‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
New King James Version
"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.
New Living Translation
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep.
New Life Bible
So the Lord God says to them, "I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the weak sheep.
New Revised Standard
Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, unto them: Here am I myself. Therefore will I judge between fat sheep and lean sheep,
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore thus saith the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat cattle and the lean.
Revised Standard Version
"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah to them: Lo, I -- even I, have judged between fat sheep and lean sheep.
THE MESSAGE
"‘Therefore, God , the Master, says: I myself am stepping in and making things right between the plump sheep and the skinny sheep. Because you forced your way with shoulder and rump and butted at all the weaker animals with your horns till you scattered them all over the hills, I'll come in and save my dear flock, no longer let them be pushed around. I'll step in and set things right between one sheep and another.

Contextual Overview

17 "‘As for you, my flock,' Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I will judge between sheep and other sheep, between rams and billy-goats. 18 Wasn't it enough for you to feed on the best pasture and drink from the clearest water? Did you have to trample the rest of the pasture and foul the remaining water with your feet? 19 So now my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet and drink water fouled by your feet.' 20 Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim says to them: ‘I will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. 21 Because you push them with your flanks and shoulders and butt all the weak ones with your horns, till you scatter them in every direction; 22 therefore I will save my flock; they will no longer be prey; and I will judge between sheep and other sheep. 23 "‘I will raise up one shepherd to be in charge of them, and he will let them feed — my servant David. He will pasture them and be their shepherd. 24 I, Adonai , will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, Adonai , have spoken. 25 I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will rid the land of wild animals; and they will live securely in the desert and sleep in the forests. 26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to fall when it should — there will be showers of blessing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Behold: Ezekiel 34:10, Ezekiel 34:17, Psalms 22:12-16, Matthew 25:31-46

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:17 - behold Exodus 14:17 - behold Numbers 18:6 - And I Deuteronomy 31:20 - waxen fat Judges 3:17 - a very fat Isaiah 17:4 - the fatness Jeremiah 23:39 - even I Jeremiah 25:34 - ye principal Ezekiel 7:3 - will judge Ezekiel 18:30 - I will Ezekiel 20:38 - I will purge Ezekiel 24:5 - the choice Zechariah 10:3 - and I Malachi 3:5 - I will come

Cross-References

Genesis 22:17
I will most certainly bless you; and I will most certainly increase your descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies,
Genesis 23:10
‘Efron the Hitti was sitting among the sons of Het, and he gave Avraham his answer in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city:
Deuteronomy 17:5
then you are to bring the man or woman who has done this wicked thing to your city gates, and stone that man or woman to death.
Ruth 4:1
Meanwhile, Bo‘az had gone up to the gate and had sat down there, when the redeemer of whom Bo‘az had spoken passed by. "Such-and-such," he said, "come over, and sit down"; so he came over and sat down.
2 Samuel 15:2
He would get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate; and if someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Avshalom would call to him and ask, "What city are you from?" and he would answer, "Your servant is from the such-and-such tribe in Isra'el."
Job 29:7
I would go out to the city gate and set up my seat in the open space;
Proverbs 31:23
נ Her husband is known at the city gates when he sits with the leaders of the land.
Amos 5:10
They hate anyone promoting justice at the city gate, they detest anyone who speaks the truth.
Amos 5:12
For I know how numerous are your crimes and how outrageous your sins — bullying the innocent, extorting ransoms pushing the poor aside at the gate.
Amos 5:15
Hate evil, love good, and uphold justice at the gate. Maybe Adonai Elohei -Tzva'ot will take pity on the survivors of Yosef.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them,.... To the rams and he goats of the flock, that use the pastures and defile the waters after this manner, and make them unfit for the lesser cattle; or that use the poor people of God after this sort:

behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. The Targum is,

"between the rich man and the poor man;''

this is repeated, and in very strong terms, for the confirmation of it: this the Lord promised to do, and he has done it by his son, to whom he committed all judgment; and who, in the days of his flesh, made a difference between those who were full of themselves, self-righteous persons; who were self-sufficient, and needed not repentance, nor any other righteousness but their own; who trusted in themselves, and despised others: and may be meant by the "fat cattle": and between those who were low and mean in their own eyes, humble and meek, weary and heavy laden, hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of another: now for judgment did Christ come, that they which see not might see, and those who saw might be made blind; he called the one, and not the other, to repentance; made known the things of the Gospel to babes, and hid them from the wise and prudent; rejected the one, and had compassion on the other; see John 5:22, and when he comes a second time, he will judge between these, and separate them; and set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left, Matthew 25:31.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yahweh having promised to be a Ruler of His people, the administration of the divine kingdom is now described, as carried on by One King, the representative of David, whose dominion should fulfill all the promises originally made to the man after God’s own heart. Ezekiel does not so much add to, as explain and develope, the original promise; and as the complete fulfillment of the spiritual blessings, which the prophets were guided to proclaim, was manifestly never realized in any temporal prosperity of the Jews, and never could and never can be realized in any earthly kingdom, we recognize throughout the Sacred Volume the one subject of all prophecy - the Righteous King, the Anointed Prince, the Son and the Lord of David.

Ezekiel 34:23

One shepherd - One, as ruling over an undivided people, the distinction between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah having been done away.

My servant David - David was a fit type of the True King because he was a true and faithful servant of Yahweh. That which David was partially and imperfectly, Christ is in full perfection (compare Matthew 12:18; John 5:30; Hebrews 10:7.)

Ezekiel 34:26

The blessings here foretold are especially those of the old covenant. The wilderness (or, pasture-country) and the woods, the places most exposed to beasts and birds of prey, become places of security. Under the new covenant Sion and the hills around are representative of God’s Church; and temporal blessings are typical of the blessings showered down upon Christ’s Church by Him who has vanquished the powers of evil.

Ezekiel 34:29

A plant - Equivalent to the “Branch,” under which name Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesy of the Messiah. The contrast in this verse to hunger seems to favor the idea that the “plant” was for food, i. e., spiritual food, and in this sense also, applicable to the Messiah (compare John 6:35.)

The shame of the pagan - The shameful reproaches with which the pagan assail them.

Ezekiel 34:31

Translate “Ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture (compare Jeremiah 23:1); ye are men, and I am your God.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 34:20. I will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. — Between the rich and the poor; those who fare sumptuously every day and those who have not the necessaries of life.


 
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