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Monday, June 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 5 / Ordinary 10
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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible (1995)

Ezekiel 34:23

"Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   David;   Gospel;   Jesus Continued;   Minister, Christian;   Righteous;   Thompson Chain Reference - Feeding the Flock;   Leaders;   Ministers;   Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Following;   God;   Jesus Christ;   Shepherds/pastors;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Christ, the Shepherd;   Jews, the;   Shepherds;   Titles and Names of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   King;   Messiah;   Prophecy, prophet;   Shepherd;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - David;   Hospitality;   Jesus Christ, Name and Titles of;   Philippians, Theology of;   Predestination;   Zechariah, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Israel;   Shepherd;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   David;   Election;   Ezekiel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of God;   Messiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - David;   Messiah;   Rufus;   Shepherd;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Christ;   Flock;   Pastor;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;   Names titles and offices of christ;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Shepherd;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Prophecy;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Messiah;   Prophecy;   Shepherd;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Messiah;   Shemoneh 'Esreh;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd.
Hebrew Names Version
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.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
New American Standard Bible
"Then I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.
New Century Version
Then I will put over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and tend them and be their shepherd.
Amplified Bible
"Then I will appoint over them one shepherd and he will feed them, [a ruler like] My servant David; he will feed them and be their shepherd.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I wil set vp a shepherd ouer them, and he shall feede them, euen my seruant Dauid, he shal feede them, and he shalbe their shepherd.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Then I will establish over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them; he will shepherd them himself and be their shepherd.
Berean Standard Bible
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
Contemporary English Version
After that, I will give you a shepherd from the family of my servant King David. All of you, both strong and weak, will have the same shepherd, and he will take good care of you.
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘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.
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
George Lamsa Translation
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them and shall be their shepherd.
Good News Translation
I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them.
Lexham English Bible
And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; that is, my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd.
Literal Translation
And I will raise up over them one Shepherd. And He shall feed them. My servant David, He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I wil rayse vp vnto them one only shepherde: euen my seruaunt Dauid, he shal fede the, and he shal be their shepherde.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And 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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And I will set vp one shepheard ouer them, and hee shall feede them, euen my seruant Dauid; he shall feede them, and hee shall be their shepheard.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I wyll set vp ouer them a shepheard, and he shall feede them, euen my seruaunt Dauid, he shall feede them, & he shalbe their shepheard.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall tend them, even my servant David, and he shall be their shepherd;
English Revised Version
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.
World English Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y schal reise on tho o sheepherde, my seruaunt Dauid, that schal fede tho; he schal fede tho, and he schal be `in to a sheepherde to hem.
Update Bible Version
And I will set up another shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my slave David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd.
New King James Version
I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them--My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
New Living Translation
And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.
New Life Bible
Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
New Revised Standard
I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And I will raise up over them one shepherd And he shall tend them, Even my servant David, - Hell will tend them, And libel will become to them a shepherd;
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
Young's Literal Translation
And have raised up over them one shepherd, And he hath fed them -- my servant David, He doth feed them, and he is their shepherd,
THE MESSAGE
"‘I'll appoint one shepherd over them all: my servant David. He'll feed them. He'll be their shepherd. And I, God , will be their God. My servant David will be their prince. I, God , have spoken.

Contextual Overview

17 "As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 'Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? 19 'As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!'" 20 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 "Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, 22 therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.24 "And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken. 25 "I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 "I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will: Ecclesiastes 12:11, Isaiah 40:11, Jeremiah 23:4-6, Micah 5:2-5, Zechariah 13:7, John 10:11, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 2:25, 1 Peter 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, ן בדבנחפןע, Son of the Father, as the name imports, and in whom all the promises made to David were fulfilled. See the references. Ezekiel 37:24, Ezekiel 37:25, Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 55:3, Isaiah 55:4, Jeremiah 30:9, Hosea 3:5, Revelation 22:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:13 - the children Numbers 11:12 - Carry them Numbers 27:16 - set a man 1 Samuel 2:35 - I will raise 2 Samuel 5:2 - feed 2 Samuel 7:7 - feed 2 Samuel 24:17 - these sheep Psalms 23:1 - my Psalms 28:9 - feed Psalms 72:6 - like Psalms 78:71 - feed Psalms 80:1 - O Shepherd Psalms 89:3 - made Song of Solomon 6:2 - feed Isaiah 1:26 - And I will Isaiah 11:11 - set his hand Isaiah 49:9 - They shall feed Isaiah 49:10 - he that Isaiah 52:13 - my servant Jeremiah 3:15 - And I Jeremiah 30:21 - governor Jeremiah 33:14 - General Ezekiel 21:27 - until Ezekiel 37:22 - and one Ezekiel 48:21 - the residue Hosea 1:11 - the children of Judah Amos 9:11 - raise Micah 2:13 - their Zephaniah 3:13 - they Zechariah 3:8 - my Zechariah 11:4 - Feed Zechariah 12:8 - he Matthew 2:6 - rule Matthew 11:3 - Art Matthew 15:24 - I am not Matthew 22:42 - The Son Mark 11:10 - the kingdom Luke 1:32 - give Luke 1:69 - in Luke 24:27 - and all Luke 24:44 - in the prophets John 10:2 - the shepherd John 10:16 - one shepherd John 21:15 - Feed Acts 3:19 - when Acts 13:22 - he raised Acts 13:32 - how Acts 13:34 - the sure Acts 26:6 - the promise Philippians 2:7 - the form 1 Peter 5:2 - Feed Revelation 7:17 - feed

Cross-References

Genesis 34:4
So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young girl for a wife."
Genesis 34:5
Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in.
Genesis 34:6
Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
Genesis 34:10
"Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it."
Genesis 34:12
"Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage."
Genesis 34:13
But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
Genesis 34:24
All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
Genesis 34:26
They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went forth.
Genesis 34:27
Jacob's sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I will set up one shepherd over them,.... Or governor, as the Targum; an excellent one of a thousand, the only one; in comparison of whom others are not to be named; for though there are under shepherds, as magistrates and ministers of the word, he is the principal one; that is, Christ, called the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, and the chief Shepherd, and the only one; and who became so by the constitution and appointment of Jehovah the Father; who chose him, called him, and intrusted him with all his sheep: who sent him to seek and save his lost sheep; for whom he died, rose again, and is accountable: he is more particularly called the one Shepherd, with respect to Jew and Gentile; see John 10:16:

and he shall feed them; the flock, even the poor of the flock, thrust at and pushed by others: he shall feed them by his ministers, as under shepherds in his churches, where his word is preached, and his ordinances are administered; he shall feed them with himself, the bread of life; with his flesh and blood, which are meat and drink indeed; with covenant grace, blessings, and promises; with the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; he feeds his babes with milk, his strong men with meat, and all with the wholesome words of faith and good doctrine, whereby he nourishes them up to everlasting life; and this he

shall do, not by force, but willingly: it denotes the certainty of it; it may be depended on:

even my servant David; not David himself literally; who though a shepherd, and the servant of the Lord, yet had been dead many years before this prophecy was delivered; nor Zerubbabel, who was of his seed; for though a servant of the Lord, and a prince or governor of Judah, yet not a king, and much less a king or prince for ever; as this person is said to be, Ezekiel 37:24, but the Messiah, as is expressly owned by Kimchi; who says, this is the Messiah that shall arise from his seed in the time of salvation: he is called David because his name agrees with him, which signifies "beloved", he being beloved of God and man; and because the son of David, of his seed according to the flesh; and because David was an eminent type of him, in his person, offices, afflictions, wars, victories, and exaltation; and because he was David's Lord and representative, and in whom his everlasting kingdom is established. The same is called the servant of the Lord, as he often is in Scripture, being so in his office capacity as Mediator; and because he took upon him the form of a servant; did the work of one; and was of the Lord's choosing, calling, supporting, and glorifying:

he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd; which is repeated for the greater confirmation of it.

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 34:23. 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.


 
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