The Meaning of Ezekiel 34:8 Explained

Ezekiel 34:8

KJV: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

YLT: I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, If not, because of My flock being for a prey, Yea, My flock is for food to every beast of the field, Because there is no shepherd, And My shepherds have not sought My flock, And the shepherds do feed themselves, And My flock they have not fed.

Darby: As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, verily because my sheep have been a prey, and my sheep have been meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds searched not for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock,

ASV: As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[As] I live,  saith  the Lord  GOD,  surely because my flock  became a prey,  and my flock  became meat  to every beast  of the field,  because [there was] no shepherd,  neither did my shepherds  search  for my flock,  but the shepherds  fed  themselves, and fed  not my flock; 

What does Ezekiel 34:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezekiel 34:1-16 - Selfish Shepherds
The shepherds of this chapter were not the religious leaders of the people, but rulers who sought in their government not the good of the people but their own selfish ends. But the statements made by the prophet may be rightly applied to rapacious priests who care more for the fleece than for the flock. Pastors are required to lead the flock of God not for filthy lucre but as examples for the sheep, 1 Peter 5:2-3. It is their duty, also, to strengthen the spiritually diseased, heal the sick, bind up the broken in heart, and seek the lost.
Notice the tender manner in which the Lord Jesus Himself supplies the deficiencies of His unfaithful servants. In beautiful contrast to their selfish cruelty and rapacity, He sets Himself in cloudy and dark days to gather and tend His people, though they had been as scattered sheep, each taking his own way. When the ministers of His Church fail in their duty, the Lord hastens to supply their lack. Without doubt these gracious promises refer primarily to the Lord's Second Advent, when He will seek out and deliver His Chosen People, and bring them to their own land. But surely we must not limit the reference thus. We are His sheep, by purchase and by choice. He knows us, as we know Him. He has sought and saved us. He feds us and causes us to lie down beside the waters of rest. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 34

1  A reproof of the shepherds
7  God's judgment against them
11  His providence over his flock
20  The kingdom of Christ

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 34:8 mean?

live [as] I says the Lord GOD surely not because became My flock a prey and became My flock food for every beast of the field because [there] [was] no shepherd and nor did search for My shepherds - My flock but fed the shepherds themselves and My flock did feed -
חַי־ אָ֜נִי נְאֻ֣ם ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִם־ לֹ֣א יַ֣עַן הֱיֽוֹת־ צֹאנִ֣י ׀ לָבַ֡ז וַתִּֽהְיֶינָה֩ צֹאנִ֨י לְאָכְלָ֜ה לְכָל־ חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ מֵאֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֔ה וְלֹֽא־ דָרְשׁ֥וּ רֹעַ֖י אֶת־ צֹאנִ֑י וַיִּרְע֤וּ הָֽרֹעִים֙ אוֹתָ֔ם וְאֶת־ צֹאנִ֖י רָעֽוּ ס

חַי־  live 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אָ֜נִי  [as]  I 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
נְאֻ֣ם ׀  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֗ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יַ֣עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
הֱיֽוֹת־  became 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
צֹאנִ֣י ׀  My  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
לָבַ֡ז  a  prey 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּז  
Sense: spoil, booty, robbery, spoiling.
וַתִּֽהְיֶינָה֩  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
צֹאנִ֨י  My  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
לְאָכְלָ֜ה  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָכְלָה  
Sense: food.
לְכָל־  for  every 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיַּ֤ת  beast  of 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
מֵאֵ֣ין  because  [there]  [was]  no 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
רֹעֶ֔ה  shepherd 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
וְלֹֽא־  and  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
דָרְשׁ֥וּ  did  search  for 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
רֹעַ֖י  My  shepherds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צֹאנִ֑י  My  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וַיִּרְע֤וּ  but  fed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
הָֽרֹעִים֙  the  shepherds 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
אוֹתָ֔ם  themselves 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צֹאנִ֖י  My  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
רָעֽוּ  did  feed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation