Ezekiel 34:6

Eze 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them].

Ver. 6. My sheep wandered.] Through the shepherd’s supine negligence, or bloody truculence. Surely, as the herd of deer forsake and push away the wounded deer from them, so did these cruel shepherds, being non pastores sed impostores, non episcopi sed aposcopi, non praelati sed Pilati, as Bernard wittily; sheep biters rather than shepherds; "greedy dogs"; {Isa 56:10-11} "grievous wolves." {Act 20:29}

And none did search or seek after them.] Nec erat qui quaereret aut requireret.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

every high hill--the scene of their idolatries sanctioned by the rulers.

search . . . seek--rather, "seek . . . search." The former is the part of the superior rulers to inquire after: to search out is the duty of the subordinate rulers [JUNIUS].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. My sheep wandered through all the mountains] They all became idolaters, and lost the knowledge of the true God. And could it be otherwise while they had such pastors?

"Himself a wanderer from the narrow way;

His silly sheep, no wonder that they stray!"

Reader, if thou be a minister, a preacher, or a person in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, or art one pretending to holy orders, look at the qualifications of a good shepherd as laid down by the prophet.

1. He professes to be a shepherd, and to be qualified for the office.

2. In consequence he undertakes the care of a flock. This supposes that he believes the great Bishop of souls has called him to the pastoral office; and that office implies that he is to give all diligence to save the souls of them that hear him.

HIS QUALIFICATIONS

1. He is skilful; he knows the disease of sin and its consequences; for the Eternal Spirit, by whom he is called, has convinced him of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

2. He knows well the great remedy for this disease, the passion and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. He is skilful, and knows how to apply this remedy.

4. The flock over which he watches is, in its individuals, either, - 1. Healthy and sound. 2. Or, in a state of convalescence, returning to health. 3. Or, still under the whole power of the general disease. 4. Or, some are dying in a state of spiritual weakness. 5. Or, some are fallen into sin, and sorely bruised and broken in their souls by that fall. 6. Or, some have been driven away by some sore temptation or cruel usage. 7. Or, some have wandered from the flock, are got into strange pastures, and are perverted by erroneous doctrines. Or, 8. Some wolf has got among them, and scattered the whole flock. Now, the true shepherd, the pastor of God's choosing, knows-

1. How to keep the healthy in health; and cause them to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2. How to nourish, feed, and care for the convalescent, that they may be brought into a state of spiritual soundness.

3. How to reprove, instruct, and awaken those who are still under the full power of the disease of sin.

4. How to find out and remove the cause of all that spiritual weakness of which he sees some slowly dying.

5. How to deal with those who have fallen into some scandalous sin, and restore them from their fall.

6. How to find out and turn aside the sore temptation or cruel usage by which some have been driven away.

7. How to seek and bring back to the fold those who have strayed into strange pastures, and have had their souls perverted by erroneous doctrines; and knows also how, by a godly discipline, to preserve him in the flock, and keep the flock honourably together.

8. How to oppose, confound, and expel the grievous wolf, who has got among the flock, and is scattering them from each other, and from God. He knows how to preach, explain, and defend the truth. He is well acquainted with the weapons he is to use, and the spirit in which he is to employ them.

In a word, the true shepherd gives up his life to the sheep; spends and is spent for the glory of God; and gives up his life for the sheep, in defence of them, and in labouring for their welfare. And while he is thus employed, it is the duty of the flock to feed and clothe him; and see that neither he nor his family lack the necessaries and conveniencies of life. The labourer is worthy of his meat. He who does not labour, or, because of his ignorance of God and salvation, cannot labour, in the word and doctrine, deserves neither meat nor drink; and if he exact that by law, which he has not honestly earned by a proper discharge of the pastoral function, let him read this chapter, and learn from it what a fearful account he shall have to give to the chief Shepherd at the great day; and what a dreadful punishment shall be inflicted on him, when the blood of the souls lost through his neglect or inefficiency is visited upon him! See Clarke on Eze 3:17, &c.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) My sheep wandered.—In the pronouns, my sheep and my flock, God again claims the people for His own. Without proper guides, they have indeed strayed far away from Him, and there has been none to inquire after or seek them out in their lost condition. The two words search and seek refer, the former to asking or inquiring, the latter to searching after.

In such a state of things, plainly the first act of mercy to the flock must be the removal of the unfaithful shepherds. This is promised (Eze_34:7-10), but, after Ezekiel’s manner, with reiterated declaration of the unfaithfulness of the shepherds.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill,.... As sheep do, when gone astray, go from mountain to hill; so the people of Israel fled from place to place, through the cruelty of their rulers, or through the force of the enemy, being carried captive into many kingdoms and nations, signified by mountains; and perhaps there is some allusion, to their worshipping of idols on hills and mountains, being drawn into it by the false prophets:

yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth; so great and general was the dispersion by the several captivities: the Lord has sheep, or some of his elect, some that belong to his flock, in all parts of the world:

and none did search or seek after them; but he will himself, as in Eze 34:11, for he will lose none of them; but this does not excuse the shepherds.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

My sheep: these shepherds forgot the flock was not their property, but God will not lose his property in them, nor shall shepherds find at last they were more than God’s stewards, and accountable.

Through all the mountains; when endangered, affrighted, pursued, they got upon the mountains by their own choice, or carried away by enemies; or it may refer to their wandering after idols worshipped in high places, or perhaps to kingdoms and states and great cities, compared to mountains, that there they might find what they could not at home, quiet and safety.

Upon every high hill; the same thing in like words.

My flock; they were, if any among the Jews could be called so, my flock that were so used; not the swine, and goats, and unclean beasts, that by whole herds rested undisturbed. It was Baruch and Jeremiah were fain to hide.

Scattered upon all the face of the earth; they were dispersed through maladministration to all parts of the known world; it is a hyperbole that speaks a mighty scattering.

None did search; the shepherds were contented, nay, glad they were rid of them, neither principal officers searched nor inferior sought after them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

My flock strayed They wander astray over the face of all the mountains; i.e., they are going free for anyone to do to them as he wishes, and you did not reprove them and did not judge between a man and his fellow.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.