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.
Behold, I Myself will search for My flock:
The imagery of God as a shepherd is prevalent throughout the Bible, notably in Psalm 23 and John 10. Here, God promises personal involvement in seeking His people, contrasting with the negligent shepherds (leaders) criticized earlier in the chapter. This reflects God's intimate care and commitment to His covenant people, Israel, who are often depicted as sheep in need of guidance and protection.
and seek them out:
This phrase indicates a proactive and intentional effort by God to find His scattered people. Historically, this refers to the Israelites who were exiled and dispersed due to their disobedience and the failure of their leaders. Theologically, it foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who seeks and saves the lost (Luke 19:10). This also connects to the prophetic promise of restoration and regathering of Israel, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 31:10 and Isaiah 40:11.
- Ezekiel frames every word as direct revelation. This is not a prophet’s opinion but divine decree, echoing passages like Isaiah 55:11 where God assures that His word “will not return to Me void.”
- Because the LORD speaks, the promise is certain; compare Numbers 23:19, which reminds us God “does not lie or change His mind.”
- “Behold” draws attention, inviting us to pause and marvel. Scripture often uses it to spotlight God’s surprising acts, as in Luke 1:31 (“Behold, you will conceive”).
- The word cues expectancy: something gracious is about to happen to a people who had suffered under negligent shepherds (Ezekiel 34:1-10).
- God stresses personal involvement, distinguishing His care from failed human leaders. Similar emphasis appears in Isaiah 40:11, “He tends His flock like a shepherd.”
- The phrase assures us there will be no delegation; Psalm 23:1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd,” underscoring direct, intimate oversight.
- Searching pictures active pursuit, not passive waiting. Luke 15:4-7 mirrors this when the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep.
- The verb signals determination; 2 Chronicles 16:9 speaks of the LORD’s eyes “roaming throughout the earth” to show Himself strong for His people.
- “My” highlights ownership and covenant loyalty. Exodus 19:5 calls Israel “My treasured possession,” affirming God’s unbroken claim even in exile.
- By labeling them “flock,” God emphasizes vulnerability and the need for guidance, resonating with John 10:11 where Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd.”
- “Seek them out” adds depth: God will locate every individual, not just the group. Zephaniah 3:17 celebrates this personal rescue—He “will rejoice over you with singing.”
- The double action of searching and seeking promises restoration, fulfilled initially in Israel’s return from exile (Ezekiel 34:13) and ultimately in Christ gathering Jew and Gentile into one fold (Ephesians 2:13-16).
Ezekiel 34:11 pledges that God Himself—personally, powerfully, lovingly—will intervene where human shepherds have failed. He publicly declares His intent, urges us to behold it, affirms His own hands-on pursuit, and guarantees He will find every one who belongs to Him. The verse anchors our confidence that the Lord never abandons His people; He actively seeks, gathers, and shepherds them into safety and flourishing.
(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.).