Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Ezekiel 34:5

And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Minister, Christian;   The Topic Concordance - Israel/jews;   Shepherds/pastors;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Shepherd;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Destroy, Destruction;   Lamb, Lamb of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Micaiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Flock;   Pastor;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Shepherd;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pastor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Sheep;   Shepherd;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered.
Hebrew Names Version
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
King James Version
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
English Standard Version
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
New American Standard Bible
"They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered.
New Century Version
The sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal.
Amplified Bible
"They were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the predators of the field.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they were scattered without a shepherde: and when they were dispersed, they were deuoured of all the beastes of the fielde.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.
Legacy Standard Bible
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.
Berean Standard Bible
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild beasts.
Contemporary English Version
They strayed in every direction, and because there was no shepherd to watch them, they were attacked and eaten by wild animals.
Complete Jewish Bible
So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered.
Darby Translation
And they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Easy-to-Read Version
"‘And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal, so they were scattered.
George Lamsa Translation
And my sheep were scattered because they had no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts of the field.
Good News Translation
Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them.
Lexham English Bible
And they were scattered without a shepherd, and they were as food for all the animals of the field when they were scattered.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus are they scatred here and there without a shepherde: yee all the beastes off the felde deuoure them, and they go astraye.
American Standard Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Bible in Basic English
And they were wandering in every direction because there was no keeper: and they became food for all the beasts of the field.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
King James Version (1611)
And they were scattered because there is no shepheard: and they became meate to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They are scattered without a shephearde, yea all the beastes of the fielde deuour them, and they go astray.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And my sheep were scattered, because there were no shepherds: and they became meat to all the wild beasts of the field.
English Revised Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
World English Bible
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And my scheep weren scaterid, for no sheepherde was; and thei weren maad in to deuouryng of alle beestis of the feeld, and thei weren scaterid.
Update Bible Version
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became food to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
New English Translation
They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast.
New King James Version
So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
New Living Translation
So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal.
New Life Bible
They went everywhere because they had no shepherd. And they became food for every animal of the field.
New Revised Standard
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; And they became food for every wild beast of the field. So were they scattered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd and they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Revised Standard Version
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts.
Young's Literal Translation
And they are scattered from want of a shepherd, And are for food to every beast of the field, Yea, they are scattered.

Contextual Overview

1 And the Word of Jehovah was to me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, to the shepherds, So says the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who are feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you sacrifice the fat ones, and you do not feed the flock. 4 You have not made the weak strong; and you have not healed the sick, and you have not bound up the broken. And the banished have not been brought back, and you have not sought the lost, but you rule them with force and with harshness. 5 And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd. And they became food to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill. And My sheep were scattered on all the face of the earth, and none searched, and none sought for them .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they were: Ezekiel 34:6, Ezekiel 33:21, Ezekiel 33:28, 1 Kings 22:17, 2 Chronicles 18:16, Jeremiah 23:2, Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 50:17, Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 9:36

because there is no shepherd: or, without a shepherd, and so Ezekiel 34:8, Zechariah 10:2, Zechariah 10:3

and they became: Ezekiel 34:8, Isaiah 56:9, Jeremiah 12:9-12, John 10:2, Acts 20:29-31

Reciprocal: Numbers 27:17 - as sheep Jeremiah 10:21 - their Matthew 15:24 - I am not Matthew 26:31 - and the

Cross-References

Genesis 30:35
And he turned out in that day all the striped and spotted lambs, and all the speckled and spotted goats, every one which had white, and every black one among the lambs. And he gave them into the hands of his sons.
Genesis 34:13
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor, speaking with deceit because he had defiled their sister Dinah.
Genesis 34:14
And they said to them, We are not able to do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised. For it is a reproach to us.
Leviticus 10:3
And Moses said to Aaron, It is that which Jehovah has spoken, saying, I will be sanctified by those drawing near to Me; and I will be honored before all the people. And Aaron was silent.
1 Samuel 10:27
But the sons of worthlessness said, How can this one deliver us? And they despised him and did not bring a gift to him. But he was as one keeping silent.
1 Samuel 16:11
And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There yet remains the youngest; and behold, he is feeding the flock. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him, for we will not sit until he comes here.
1 Samuel 17:15
And David went and returned from Saul, to feed his father's flock at Bethlehem.
2 Samuel 13:22
But Absalom did not speak either good or evil with Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.
Psalms 39:9
I was mute; I did not open my mouth, because You had done it .
Luke 15:25
But the older son was in a field. And having come, as he drew near to the house, he heard music and dances.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they were scattered because there is no shepherd,.... No good one; there were shepherds, but they were idol shepherds, good for nothing, and it was all one as if there were none: so, in Christ's time, there were the Scribes and Pharisees; yet, since these did not feed the people with wholesome doctrine, they are said to be as sheep without a shepherd, and scattered abroad, as here from the fold, and from one another; dispersed here and there, seeking food, and none, which moved his compassion, Matthew 9:36, in the political sense it may refer to their captivity, and their dispersion among the nations, having no king: So the Targum,

"and they were scattered without a governor.''

And they became meat to all beasts of the field when they were scattered; the Targum is,

"and they were delivered to all the kingdoms of the people to be consumed;''

such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Ammonites, Moabites, and others; and may be applied to false teachers, those grievous wolves, which spare not the flock, into whose hands members of churches, professors of religion, fall, when neglected by their shepherds.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 34:5. And they were scattered — There was no discipline kept up; and the flock, the Church, became disorganized, and separated from each other, both in affection and fellowship. And the consequence was, the grievous wolves, false and worldly interested teachers, seized on and made a prey of them. Of the communion of saints such shepherds know nothing, farther than that it makes a part of the common creed.


 
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