Ezekiel 34:11
New International Version
“’For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.

New Living Translation
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep.

English Standard Version
“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

Berean Standard Bible
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

King James Bible
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

New King James Version
‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

New American Standard Bible
For the Lord GOD says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them.

NASB 1995
For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

NASB 1977
For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

Legacy Standard Bible
For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I Myself will seek My sheep and care for them.

Amplified Bible
For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

Christian Standard Bible
“ ‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I Myself will search for My flock and look for them.

American Standard Version
For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD God then said: I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself,

English Revised Version
For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
" 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will search for my sheep myself, and I will look after them.

Good News Translation
"I, the Sovereign LORD, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them

International Standard Version
"This is what the LORD says: 'Watch me! I'm going to search for my flock. I'll watch over them myself.

Majority Standard Bible
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

NET Bible
"'For this is what the sovereign LORD says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.

New Heart English Bible
"'For thus says the Lord GOD: "Look, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

Webster's Bible Translation
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I even I, will both search for my sheep, and seek them out.

World English Bible
“‘For the Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I—even I, have required My flock, "" And I have sought it out.

Young's Literal Translation
For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I -- even I, have required My flock, And I have sought it out.

Smith's Literal Translation
For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Behold me. I also sought my sheep, and I searched them out.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will seek my sheep, and I myself will visit them.

New American Bible
For thus says the Lord GOD: Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them.

New Revised Standard Version
For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For thus says the LORD God: Behold, I, even I, will search for my sheep and seek them out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS: ‘Behold, I seek my sheep and I care for them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, here am I, and I will search for My sheep, and seek them out.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will seek out my sheep, and will visit them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Good Shepherd
11For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. 12As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.…

Cross References
John 10:14-16
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, / just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. / I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Luke 15:4-7
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? / And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, / comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ ...

Matthew 18:12-14
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? / And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. / In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Psalm 23:1-4
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. / He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. / He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ...

Jeremiah 23:3-4
Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply. / I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Matthew 9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

John 10:27-28
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. / I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

Hebrews 13:20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Micah 5:4
He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 10:2
For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Jeremiah 31:10
Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.


Treasury of Scripture

For thus said the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

I

Ezekiel 5:8
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.

Ezekiel 6:3
And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

search

Psalm 23:1-3
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…

Psalm 80:1
To the chief Musician upon ShoshannimEduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

Psalm 119:176
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

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Flock Required Search Searching Seek Sheep Sought Sovereign Tend
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Flock Required Search Searching Seek Sheep Sought Sovereign Tend
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














For this is what the Lord GOD says
This phrase introduces a divine declaration, emphasizing the authority and sovereignty of God. The Hebrew term for "Lord GOD" is "Adonai Yahweh," which underscores God's supreme authority and covenantal relationship with Israel. Historically, this reflects God's direct communication with His people, often through prophets, to guide, correct, and comfort them.

Behold
The word "behold" is a call to attention, urging the listener or reader to pay close attention to the significant message that follows. In Hebrew, "hinneh" is used, which often introduces a divine revelation or important announcement. It serves to highlight the importance and immediacy of God's promise to His people.

I Myself
This phrase emphasizes God's personal involvement and initiative. It is not delegated to another; God Himself will take action. This reflects the intimate and personal nature of God's care for His people, contrasting with the neglect of the human shepherds (leaders) of Israel. It underscores God's commitment to His covenant and His direct intervention in the lives of His people.

will search for My flock
The imagery of God as a shepherd is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew word for "search" is "darash," which implies a diligent and thorough seeking. This reflects God's relentless pursuit of His people, akin to a shepherd who seeks out each lost sheep. Historically, this would resonate with the Israelites, who were familiar with the pastoral lifestyle and the dedication required of a shepherd.

and seek them out
The phrase "seek them out" further emphasizes God's active role in restoring His people. The Hebrew word "baqash" is used, which means to search or seek diligently. This conveys God's determination to find and restore His scattered people, offering hope and assurance of His unfailing love and commitment. In the broader scriptural context, this reflects the theme of redemption and restoration that runs throughout the Bible, culminating in the New Testament with Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.

(11) Behold, I, even I.--The rich promises of the following verses are all essentially contained in this, that Jehovah Himself will be the Shepherd of His flock. It is the same assurance as that given by the Saviour in John 10, and here, as there, must necessarily be understood spiritually. In the following verses many promises are given of an earthly and temporary character, and these were fulfilled partly in the. restoration from exile, partly in the glorious deliverance of the Church from its foes under the Maccabees. But these deliverances themselves were but types of the more glorious Messianic deliverance of the future, and necessary means whereby it was secured. The promise of that deliverance could only be brought at all within the comprehension of the people by setting it forth in earthly language, just as even now it is impossible for us to understand the glories of the Church triumphant, except by the aid of the sensible images in which Scripture has portrayed them. Far less was it possible to this people, so much behind us in spiritual education and enlightenment.

Verse 11. - Behold, I, even I, etc. The words, as the last reference shows, and as we find in vers. 23-31, do not exclude, rather they imply, human instrumentality, just us our Lord's do in Matthew 18:12 and Luke 15:4-7; but they reveal the truth that Jehovah is the true Shepherd of his people. Not the sweet psalmist of Israel only, but the lowest outcast, might use the language of Psalm 23, and say, "The Lord is my Shepherd." He will gather the sheep that have been scattered in the "cloudy and dark day," the day of the Lord's judgment (Ezekiel 30:3). For the prophet the words pointed to that vision of a restored Israel, which was dominant in the expectations both of Isaiah (or the Deutero-Isaiah) in Ezekiel 40-48, and in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 33:12-18), which floated before the minds of the apostles (Acts 1:6), and to which even St. Paul looked forward as the solution of the great problems of the world's history (Romans 9-11.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

this is what
כֹּ֥ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

says:
אָמַ֖ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Behold,
הִנְנִי־ (hin·nî-)
Interjection | first person common singular
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

I Myself
אָ֕נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

will search for
וְדָרַשְׁתִּ֥י (wə·ḏā·raš·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship

My flock
צֹאנִ֖י (ṣō·nî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

and seek them out.
וּבִקַּרְתִּֽים׃ (ū·ḇiq·qar·tîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1239: To plough, break forth, to inspect, admire, care for, consider


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 34:11 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 34:10
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