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Ezekiel 34:18

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 34:18 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
Ezekiel 34:18 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 34

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord Jehovah.
16I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
17And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the he-goats.
18Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21Because ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
← Ezekiel 34:17Ezekiel 34:19 →
← Full Chapter 34 Ezekiel Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, &c.] This is directed to the rams and he goats, to the people of power and wealth, or who had the key of knowledge and instruction; who, by their conduct, showed as if it was not enough for them to eat and drink the best of things themselves, to enjoy their wealth and riches, and keep their posts of honour and profit, and the revenues of them, in church and state: but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? but they must oppress the poor, by taking away from them that little they have; or by making their lives…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Not content with appropriating to their own use the goods of others, they from mere wantonness spoiled what they did not use, so as to be of no use to the owners. deep waters--that is, "limpid," as deep waters are generally clear. GROTIUS explains the image as referring to the usuries with which the rich ground the poor (Eze 22:12; Isa 24:2).”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“But ye must tread down - You great ones, eat the fat, and sweet; and what you cannot eat, you waste and spoil. The deep waters - Which are sufficient for all. Ezekiel 34:20”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“a small: Eze 16:20, Eze 16:47; Gen 30:15; Num 16:9, Num 16:13; Sa2 7:19; Isa 7:13 to have: Eze 34:2, Eze 34:3; Mic 2:2, bread, Eze 32:2; Mat 15:6-9, Mat 23:13; Luk 11:52 Ezekiel 34:20”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 34 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification