4<\/strong>. Five classes are here mentioned, in Eze 34:16<\/em><\/span> only four, the “diseased” being wanting, and “strengthen” used here of the diseased is said there of the sick. The “broken” is the hurt or bruised; the “lost” that which has wandered away of itself, in distinction from that “driven away” by violence.<\/p>\n Verse 4<\/span>. The diseased have ye not strengthened<\/B><\/I>] No person is fit for the office of a shepherd, who does not well understand<\/I> the diseases<\/I> to which sheep are incident, and the mode of cure<\/I>. And is any man fit for the pastoral office<\/I>, or to be a shepherd of souls, who is not well acquainted with the disease of sin<\/I> in all its varieties<\/I>, and the remedy<\/I> for this disease, and the proper mode of administering it, in those various cases? He who does not know Jesus Christ as his own Saviour<\/I>, never can recommend him to others. He who is not saved, will not save.<\/P> <\/P> Neither have ye healed that which was sick<\/B><\/I>] The prophet first speaks of the general disease<\/I>; next, of the different kinds of spiritual infirmity.<\/P> <\/P> Neither have ye bound up<\/B><\/I> that which was broken<\/I>] If a sheep have broken a leg, a proper shepherd knows how to set the bones<\/I>, and splint and bind it till the bones knit and become strong. And the skilful<\/I> spiritual pastor knows, if one of the flock be overtaken in a fault, how to restore such. Those sudden falls<\/I>, where there was not a strong propensity to sin, are, to the soul, as a broken<\/I> bone<\/I> to the body.<\/P> <\/P> Neither have ye brought again<\/B><\/I>] A proper shepherd loves<\/I> his sheep: he feels interested<\/I> for their welfare; he acquaints himself with them all, so that he knows and can distinguish each. He knows also their number<\/I>, and frequently counts to see that none is missing; if one be lost<\/I> or strayed<\/I>, he goes immediately and seeks<\/I> it; and as he is constantly on the watch<\/I>, it cannot have strayed far<\/I> before he is apprised of its absence from the flock; and the less<\/I> it has strayed, the sooner<\/I> it is found and brought back to the fold.<\/P> <\/P> The shepherds of Israel knew nothing about their flock; they might have been diseased, infirm, bruised, maimed<\/I>, their limbs<\/I> broken, strayed<\/I>, and lost<\/I>; for they watched not<\/I> over them. When they got fat sheep<\/I> and wool<\/I> for their table<\/I> and their clothing,<\/I> they regarded nothing else; as they considered the flock given<\/I> them<\/I> for their own use<\/I>, and scarcely ever supposed that they were to give any thing in return for the milk and the wool.<\/P> <\/P> But with force and with cruelty<\/B><\/I>] Exacting tithes<\/I> and dues by the strong arm of the law, with the most ungodly feeling<\/I>; and with a cruelty<\/I> of disposition<\/I> that proved it was the fat<\/I> and the wool<\/I> they sought, and not the safety or comfort of the flock.<\/P> <\/p>\n The weak and languishing, <\/B>( such there are in the church and state,) with your hand, countenance, and counsel; so these metaphorical shepherds should as the other strengthen their sheep, with carrying them into good and quiet pastures. The sheep in our pastures are subject to many sicknesses, the sheep in church and state to more, and shepherds in both should be as physicians to heal them; but here these did not so. Sometimes violent and ravenous beasts break their bones, sometimes the stronger and fatter sheep bruise or break them, these should the shepherds bind up; violent oppressors in the state and in the church broke many of them, but these shepherds bound them not up. Sheep are often driven out of the pasture, frighted, hunted, and pursued by dogs, or other mischievous creatures; these the shepherd should find out, and bring back: in church and state there were many such, frighted and driven by fierce men like dogs running upon them, but the Jewish rulers took no care to inquire for them, or to bring them back to their own. country. Sheep wander and lose themselves, shepherds should seek such and bring them home; many political sheep among the Jews wandered from their country, their king, religion, and God, and these careless rulers never sought them, but ruled them with hard hand, that held fast all that should look like royal power and privilege, and rigorously executed all their grievous laws and edicts. With cruelty<\/I>, such as the Egyptians used toward the Jews, Exo 1:13<\/span>,14<\/span>; instead of acting like shepherds, these tyrants in the Jewish polity acted like merciless butchers in church and state. <\/P> <\/p>\n 4. The diseased<\/B>rather, thoseweak<\/I> from the effects of “disease,” as”strengthened” (that is, with due nourishment) requires[GROTIUS]. <\/P> broken<\/B>that is,fractures from wounds inflicted by the wolf. <\/P> brought again . . . drivenaway<\/B> (Ex 23:4<\/span>). Those”driven away” by the enemy into foreign lands through God’sjudgments are meant (Jer 23:3<\/span>).A spiritual reformation of the state by the rulers would have turnedaway God’s wrath, and “brought again” the exiles. Therulers are censured as chiefly<\/I> guilty (though the people, too,were guilty), because they, who ought to have been foremost inchecking the evil, promoted it. <\/P> neither . . . sought . . .lost<\/B>Contrast the Good Shepherd’s love (Lu15:4<\/span>). <\/P> with force . . . ruled<\/B>(Exo 1:13<\/span>; Exo 1:14<\/span>).With an Egyptian bondage. The very thing forbidden by the law theydid (Le 25:43<\/span>; compare 1Pe5:3<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n The diseased have ye not strengthened<\/strong>,…. Such, in the civil polity, who were poor, and in necessitous circumstances, were not relieved; such who were injured and oppressed by others were not vindicated; and such as were forced to flee to other countries, or were carried captive, no care was taken, or methods used, to ransom them, and, bring them back; all which may be meant by this and the following metaphors, taken from the evil things that befall a flock of sheep: and such who were weak through spiritual diseases, their prophets and teachers took no care to cure them of their diseases, and to strengthen these feeble minded ones with divine cordials and spiritual food, and confirm them in the faith:<\/p>\n neither have ye healed that which was sick<\/strong>; by directing them to the great Physician of souls, and to his precious blood for healing and pardon of sin:<\/p>\n neither have ye bound up that which was broken<\/strong>; whose consciences were wounded, and hearts broken, with a sense of sin; or who had fallen to the breaking of their bones, and should be restored in a spirit of meekness and dealt gently with, as surgeons do in setting and binding up broken bones:<\/p>\n neither have ye brought again that which was driven away<\/strong>; or, “was gone astray” r; being seduced by false teachers; and yet, though it was known they were, no care nor pains were taken to reclaim and restore them:<\/p>\n neither have ye sought that which was lost<\/strong>; that wandered of their own accord, and perished for want of knowledge, and were lost for lack of a guide to direct them, and no one would do this good office to them:<\/p>\n but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them<\/strong>; in an arbitrary and tyrannical way, lording it over God, s heritage, 1Pe 5:3<\/span>.<\/p>\n r “vagam aut errantem”, Bochartus, and some in Vatablus.<\/p>\n Eze 34:4<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Driven away<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> Gone astray: <\/em>and so Eze 34:16<\/span>. <\/p>\n Eze 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.<\/p>\n Ver. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened.<\/strong> ] Five sorts of sheep are here reckoned up that needed the shepherd’s best care and cure, but nothing was done; or, if anything, it was overdone, for with force and cruelty they ruled over them. See 1Pe 5:3<\/span> .<\/p>\n neither. Note the Figure of speech Paradiastole (App-6), emphasising the five counts. <\/p>\n oruelty = rigour. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 1:13, Exo 1:14. Lev 25:46, Lev 25:53, its only other occurrences). <\/p>\n diseased: Eze 34:16, Isa 56:10, Jer 8:22, Zec 11:15, Zec 11:16, Mat 9:36, Heb 12:12 <\/p>\n sought: Mat 10:6, Mat 18:12, Mat 18:13, Luk 15:4-6 <\/p>\n but with: Exo 1:13, Exo 1:14, Jer 22:13, Mat 21:35, Mat 24:49, 2Co 1:24, Jam 5:1-6, 1Pe 5:2, 1Pe 5:3, Rev 13:14-17, Rev 17:5, Rev 17:6 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Deu 22:1 – Thou shalt 1Ki 22:17 – as sheep Job 13:4 – physicians Jer 50:6 – their shepherds Zec 11:5 – and their Mat 25:36 – was sick Luk 12:45 – to beat Luk 15:24 – he Rom 14:1 – weak Jam 5:19 – and one<\/p>\n Eze 34:4. A good shepherd would look after the sheep and administer whatever services their condition might require. But fnstead of thus guarding and assisting them, these leaders bad been harsh and overbearing. It was because of this genera! corrupt life led by these leaders that even the things they did that would otherwise have been acceptable were rejected by the Lord. On this subject the reader should see the long note quoted at Isa 1:10 in volume 3 of this Commentary.<\/p>\n 34:4 The {c} diseased ye have 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.<\/p>\n (c) He describes the office and duty of a good pastor who ought to love and comfort his flock and not be cruel toward them.<\/p>\n 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. 4. Five classes are … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 34:4”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21328\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"