Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "saying" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 575.
Radak
And it came to pass:
Malbim
And the word of the Lord came, after the Temple was destroyed and the sovereignty of the House of David was abolished, because the eyes of Zedekiah were blind and Yechanyah was in exile. He said to him: A prophecy concerning the shepherds, who caused this, because they did not shepherd the flock of the Lord in pastures of grass. And he said that the judgments of the Lord were just upon them, in that their sovereignty was abolished.
’Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Woe to the shepherds of Israel that have fed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
verse value 5510
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 94 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֨ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "ah!" (ה֤וֹי, 3 letters) and the longest is "shepherds·of·Israel" (רֹעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 58: prophesy, prophesy. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "against·shepherds·of" (עַל־רוֹעֵ֣י), "to·the·shepherds" (לָרֹעִ֜ים), "shepherds·of·Israel" (רֹעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙). The root רעה appears 6 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 17 words.
Rashi
“Concerning the shepherds of Israel.” This refers to the leaders of Israel.
“Who were shepherding them.” They were delighting themselves with the money of their companions who were under them.
Do not the shepherds graze the flock? Is it not the duty of the shepherds to graze the flock, and not to graze themselves?
Radak
"Son of man, prophesy, and say to them: 'To the shepherds:'" An additional explanation:
"the shepherds of Israel" – these are the kings. For since the verse compared the people to a flock, it compared the kings to shepherds.
“Who were shepherding them”: themselves. And similarly, “And the shepherds shepherded them” [refers to] themselves; “And he buried him in the valley” [refers to] burying himself. And likewise, Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: “Woe to the princes of Israel, who were providing for themselves! Were they not appointed as princes to provide for the people?” He said that the kings were occupied with their own benefit and did not concern themselves with the people to guide them according to justice.
Are not the shepherds to graze the flock? Should they not have grazed the flock? Why were shepherds appointed? Rather, to graze them with understanding, discernment, and insight, as it is stated regarding David, who was a faithful shepherd: “And David did justice and righteousness for all his people.” And similarly it is stated regarding Asa: “And he said to Judah: Seek the Lord, and observe the Torah and the commandments.” And it is stated regarding Jehoshaphat: “He sent his officials... to teach in the cities of Judah.” And it is stated: “And they taught in Judah, and with them was the Book of the Torah of the Lord. And they went around in all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.” And it is stated: “He appointed judges in the land.” And it is stated: “And he charged them, saying: ‘Thus you shall act with the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with a whole heart.’”
Metzudat David
“Concerning the shepherds of Israel.” They are the princes, the leaders of the people, like shepherds who lead the flock.
Woe. One should complain about the shepherds of Israel, who were shepherding themselves in order to fatten their own flesh.
"Is it not so?" That is to say the proper conduct of good shepherds is to tend the flock, and not themselves.
Metzudat Zion
Woe. The matter of calling out in distress:
Malbim
“Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel” — because this prophecy is destined to be fulfilled upon the shepherds in the future, and yet it had already begun in that generation concerning the shepherds who were then in office. Thus it says, “Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,” referring to the future, and also, “Prophesy and say to them,” addressing the shepherds who existed at that time: “Ah, you shepherds of Israel!” This implies that there are shepherds who shepherd without pay and do not benefit from the public funds; the sole purpose of their shepherding is the guidance of the flock and its welfare (as it is stated regarding David: “He chose David His servant, and took him from the folds of the sheep,” and the Midrash states that God tested him through the sheep, etc.). This is merely a shepherd of the sheep. There is another type of shepherd who receives wages, and the shearing and the milk belong to him as part of his compensation. In this case, the sheep also “shepherd” him, in that he eats their milk and wears their wool. It turns out that he shepherds them, and they also shepherd him. In earlier generations, there were “shepherds of Israel” who truly shepherded them, meaning they did not benefit from the public treasury but only shepherded the flock. Now, however, such shepherds are not to be found, for behold, the sheep shepherd the shepherds, in that you eat the milk and wear the wool, and even the healthy ones you slaughter. Although you are permitted to benefit from their shearing and milk, nevertheless, you should at least shepherd the sheep by overseeing them. But you have not shepherded the sheep, for you have not strengthened the weak ones. “The weak” refers to an animal that is not very healthy, of delicate constitution, and requires strengthening; “the sick” refers to one that is completely ill and requires healing, and you have not healed it either. Nor have you bound up the broken one, which requires binding of the fracture. Nor have you brought back the strayed one, which has been driven from its place. Nor have you sought the lost one, which is lost entirely. Thus, you have not shepherded the flock for their benefit, but rather for their detriment, for you have ruled over them with harshness and with severity, eating the flesh, not to guide them with oversight and compassion.
You did eat the fat, and you clothed you with the wool, you killed the fatlings; but you fed not the sheep.
verse value 3882
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·wool" (וְאֶת־הַצֶּ֣מֶר, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "the·fat" (אֶת־הַחֵ֤לֶב), "and·the·wool" (וְאֶת־הַצֶּ֣מֶר), "you·will·dress" (תִּלְבָּ֔שׁוּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "you·shall·eat" (root אכל, 57x in Ezekiel); "you·will·pasture" (root רעה, 34x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·slaughter', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶת־הַחֵ֤לֶב [the·fat] (446) + תֹּאכֵ֙לוּ֙ [you·shall·eat] (457) + וְאֶת־הַצֶּ֣מֶר [and·the·wool] (742) + תִּלְבָּ֔שׁוּ [you·will·dress] (738) + הַבְּרִיאָ֖ה [fat] (223) + תִּזְבָּ֑חוּ [you·shall·slaughter] (423) + הַצֹּ֖אן [the·flock] (146) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תִרְעֽוּ [you·will·pasture] (676) = 3882.
Radak
“the fat.” He said, “They eat the best of the flock.” This means that they take their property unjustly. And the Targum translated: “You eat the best, and you wear clean wool, and you slaughter fatlings, and you do not provide for the people.”
“The fat one.” [Meaning] the fat one, as in “and Eglon was a very stout man” (Judges 3:12), and “to make yourselves fat with the choicest of the offerings of Israel” (I Samuel 2:29).
Metzudat David
"You shall eat the fat. But you ate the fat of the sheep, and you plucked the wool and made it into clothing for yourselves."
The fat one. The fattest among them that you slaughtered for food:
"The flock." The rest of the flock you did not shepherd properly. This means that the princes were occupied with indulging their own desires and plundered the wealthy of the people, without caring for the welfare of the rest of the people.
Metzudat Zion
The fat one (*beriah*). The term *hashmenah* (the fat one) is akin to the phrase "and Eglon was a very fat man" (Judges 3:17), where the adjective *bari* (healthy/strong) is used.
The weak have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought back that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force have you ruled over them and with rigour.
verse value 9343
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 93 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֨א, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·weak" (אֶֽת־הַנַּחְלוֹת֩, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: not, not, not, not. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "the·weak" (אֶֽת־הַנַּחְלוֹת֩), "you·strengthened" (חִזַּקְתֶּ֜ם), "not·you·healed" (לֹֽא־רִפֵּאתֶ֗ם). The root לא appears 4 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "you·brought·back" (root שוב, 61x in Ezekiel); "you·strengthened" (root חזק, 22x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חלה ("the·weak") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root רפא ("not·you·healed") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·sought', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
“The inheritances.” The weak ones, those lacking strength—“dolroshey” in the vernacular—which require strengthening to be supported by hand.
"You did not bind up." To bind the broken pieces of the bone together, one to another, as is the practice of physicians.
"And the outcast." That is, she who is cast out from within the flock to the outside.
"You have ruled." You have disciplined:
Radak
“The diseased ones.” Its root is ח־ל־ה, from the nifal construction, and the meaning of “the diseased ones” is that they are in pain in one of their limbs, and they require strengthening.
“And the sick.” [This refers to those] who have an illness that requires medical treatment.
“And for a broken one.”—That is, when one of its bones is broken.
"And the stray one." This refers to the one that separated itself from the others, and a person knows its location, yet they did not trouble themselves to return it along with the rest of its companions.
"And the lost one." That which was cast aside and lost, and its location is not known. All of this is an allegory for the poor of Israel: the healthy and the sick, over whom they did not keep watch, and likewise the captives and the exiles, regarding whom they did not care to redeem them and bring them back.
Metzudat David
“Concerning the ailing ones.” These are those that are painful in one of their limbs and require strengthening; behold, you did not strengthen them.
And regarding those that are broken: As for the one that is broken by hand or by foot, behold, you have not bound it with a bandage.
“The one who is driven away.” From the flock:
"You did not bring it back." – to the flock:
"The lost one: that which is not known where it is."
You did not seek her. To find her:
And by force. You oppressed them with a strong hand, and in making them perform hard labor, meaning: you did not strengthen the poor and the stumbling ones to take their due from the oppressors, and you merely took advantage of them to perform your work, without caring to guide them on the straight path and to remove from them their distorted notions.
Metzudat Zion
The ailing/sick ones. This means: a pain in one of the limbs.
“חבשתם” (You have bound). The meaning is tying, wrapping the cloth around the fracture, as it says above (30:21): “and behold, it was not bound.”
“Who are rejected.” From the language of rejection:
"You have ruled" – a matter of dominion and governance:
“And with harsh labor.” This refers to hard work that is grueling and breaks the body, as in: “You shall not rule over him with harshness” (Leviticus 25:53).
So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
verse value 3035
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "for·food" (לְאׇכְלָ֛ה) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "pasturing" (רֹעֶ֑ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·scattered" (וַתְּפוּצֶ֖ינָה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 647: and·they·scattered, and·they·scattered. The root פוץ appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·became" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "to·all·beast·of" (root כל, 129x in Ezekiel); "pasturing" (root רעה, 34x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pasturing', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַתְּפוּצֶ֖ינָה [and·they·scattered] (647) + מִבְּלִ֣י [for·lack·of] (82) + רֹעֶ֑ה [pasturing] (275) + וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָה [and·they·became] (486) + לְאׇכְלָ֛ה [for·food] (86) + לְכׇל־חַיַּ֥ת [to·all·beast·of] (498) + הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה [field] (314) + וַתְּפוּצֶֽינָה [and·they·scattered] (647) = 3035.
Radak
“And they shall be scattered among all the beasts of the field.” The meaning of the parable is as its Targum: “And they shall be delivered to destruction to all the kingdoms of the nations, and they shall be cast about.” And in another textual tradition it is written: “to be destroyed by all the kingdoms,” etc.
Metzudat David
"ותפוצינה" – And the flocks were scattered, due to their being without a shepherd who watched over them properly.
"And they became." And because of their being scattered, they became food for all the beasts of the field, for they came to the place of the predatory beasts; and on account of this, they scattered even more, fleeing here and there from the beasts.
Metzudat Zion
And they shall be scattered. The meaning of "scattered":
Malbim
And they were scattered: behold, the flock requires gathering, and the shepherd guards their assembly; due to the lack of a shepherd, they were scattered; and because they were scattered, they became prey for every beast of the field; and through the beasts that came upon them, they were scattered even more.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, indeed, upon all the face of the earth were My sheep scattered, and there was none that did search or seek.
verse value 3318
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "and·upon" (וְעַ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·all·the·mountains" (בְּכׇל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 151: my·flock, my·flock. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·shall·err" (יִשְׁגּ֤וּ), "in·all·the·mountains" (בְּכׇל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים), "all·face·of" (כׇּל־פְּנֵ֤י). The root צאן appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·upon" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "in·all·the·mountains" (root כל, 129x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rising', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
"My sheep have gone astray." They wander errant over all the mountains, meaning: they have become ownerless, so that each person does as he pleases, and you did not admonish them, nor did you judge between a man and his neighbor.
Radak
They shall err. It is clear:
Metzudat David
"My sheep have gone astray." And this is why they wander in the mountains and hills, not knowing where they are going.
And there is no one who seeks to gather them together.
"And there is no one who seeks the lost one" means: Because of this, they went into exile, and the idolaters destroyed them, and behold, they wander about homeless and destitute, with no one to restore them to their good state so that they might be saved.
Metzudat Zion
"Yeshagu." The matter is one of straying on the path, like "mishgeh," which means to cause the blind to stray on the path (Deuteronomy 26).
Malbim
"They have strayed, My flock" — it was still possible that they would return on their own to their place and gather together. But through the scattering, they strayed to go up to the mountains, and from there to the hill beneath them, as it is written (Jeremiah 50:6): "My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to stray, turning them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place." For through their going up to the mountain and descending to the hill, their place was forgotten by them. And therefore, "My flock is scattered over all the land, for they have forgotten their resting place," and "there is no one who inquires, no one who seeks." For when the sheep are lost, the shepherd goes to seek them; and when he does not find them, he begins to inquire of the people, if perhaps someone will find them, provide identifying marks, and return them to him. And not only is there no one who inquires of the finder of the lost item, but there is also no one who seeks the lost item at all.
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Hashem:
verse value 1469
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 20 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1469 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of" (אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "the·word·of" (אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "the·word·of" (root דבר, 101x in Ezekiel); "therefore" (root כן, 80x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: לָכֵ֣ן [therefore] (100) + רֹעִ֔ים [shepherds] (320) + שִׁמְע֖וּ [hear] (416) + אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר [the·word·of] (607) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1469.
As I live, says the Lord Hashem, surely forasmuch as My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My sheep;
verse value 6293
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 109 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "becoming·My·sheep" (הֱיֽוֹת־צֹאנִ֣י, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "becoming·My·sheep" (הֱיֽוֹת־צֹאנִ֣י), "and·not·searched" (וְלֹא־דָרְשׁ֥וּ), "and·fed" (וַיִּרְע֤וּ). The root רעה appears 5 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "becoming·My·sheep" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·sheep', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 6 words.
Rashi
"And the shepherds fed them." [The phrase] "them" refers to themselves:
Radak
"I live." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"If not." This is a matter of an oath; He made a threat but did not state it. And it is like one who says, "If it shall not be so, then may this and this befall me."
“For want of a shepherd.” Because of their being without a shepherd who oversees them properly.
"Them." They themselves grazed in order to fatten their flesh.
Metzudat Zion
To plunder: from the language of plunder and spoil.
Malbim
"I live," this is a legal principle that there is an oath with Him that it shall not be torn, because My flock has become plunder, etc., from the absence of evil, for the judgment of armed robbers and wild beasts is like that of an unavoidable accident. But if he entered the city at a time when it is not customary to enter, his beginning is in negligence and his end in an unavoidable accident, and he is liable. This is especially so here, since what became plunder and what became food [for beasts] is due to the absence of evil, and it is as if he led them to a place of bands of wild beasts and robbers, for which he is liable (as stated in Bava Metzia, page 93). And they did not interpret "they have not pastured My flock" to mean that he was supposed to save them by hiring shepherds and staffs, especially since their status is like that of paid guardians, for "and the shepherds have afflicted them"—they afflicted themselves. And why [does it say] "and My flock they have not pastured"? Also, he said this in contrast to what was stated, "from the absence of a shepherd." Do not say that you have withdrawn from guarding them and did not wish to be shepherds anymore, for behold, "and the shepherds have afflicted them," and they stretched out their hand against them. If so, why [does it say] "and My flock they have not pastured"?
therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Hashem:
verse value 1073
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵן֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְּבַר־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "therefore" (root כן, 80x in Ezekiel); "hear" (root שמע, 52x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: לָכֵן֙ [therefore] (100) + הָרֹעִ֔ים [the·shepherds] (325) + שִׁמְע֖וּ [hear] (416) + דְּבַר־יְהֹוָֽה [word·of·Hashem] (232) = 1073.
Radak
Therefore. The verse repeated itself to strengthen the matter, and it did not change any word in it, except that the first instance says "shepherds" and the second "the shepherds," and the first says "et the word of the Lord" (with the object marker et) and the second "the word of the Lord" (without it). And the Targum introduced a new element by adding: "Wicked princes, return to the Torah, and I am destined to have mercy on you; listen to the teaching of the Torah and receive the utterance of the Lord."
Metzudat David
Therefore, etc. Because the matter was lengthened by His saying, "As I live," etc., therefore He said again, "Therefore, therefore, the shepherds," etc. And such is the manner of Scripture.
Malbim
Therefore, the shepherds: that is to say, “Therefore you have no excuse for having withdrawn from being shepherds; rather, you are the shepherds.” And hear the decree of the Lord against you.
Thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver My sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
verse value 6729
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 105 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "flock" (צֹ֔אן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·be" (וְלֹא־תִֽהְיֶ֥יןָ, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "against·the·shepherds" (אֶֽל־הָרֹעִ֜ים), "from·their·hand" (מִיָּדָ֗ם), "and·I·will·cause·them·to·cease" (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּים֙). The root צאן appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "thus·says" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·not·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'themselves', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
And the shepherds shall no longer feed them. Themselves:
Radak
Thus said, and I have inquired. That I will punish them for not having shepherded them:
“And I will cause them to cease from pasturing the sheep.” This means that I will take the kingship from their hands, and the shepherds will no longer pasture them; that is to say, they will no longer rule over them. And the Targum translates: “And their leaders will no longer sustain their livelihoods.”
Metzudat David
Behold, I am turning to the shepherds to repay them according to their deeds.
“And I will inquire...” – This means that I will punish them for the loss of the flock, and I will make them cease from being shepherds of the flock any longer, and they will no longer fatten themselves with the milk of the flock. This means that I will take from them their authority, and they will no longer delight in the oppression of the poor.
Metzudat Zion
"And I will inquire." This term is used in the context of the payment of recompense, and likewise, "I will surely inquire of them" (ibid. 18:19).
"And the Sabbaths." The matter is one of cessation and prohibition.
Malbim
“Behold, I am against the shepherds”: This is in response to the fact that my flock was plundered and devoured; for this I will demand restitution from the shepherds, who are liable to pay because they sinned in their duty of guarding them. And in response to what is written, “the shepherds did not seek after my flock,” the punishment is that they will be removed from shepherding the flock—meaning that kingship and authority will be taken from their hands—so that the shepherds will no longer shepherd them. And in response to what is written, “the shepherds fed themselves,” since they fed themselves, I will save my flock from their mouths.
For thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, here am I, and I will search for My sheep, and seek them out.
verse value 2793
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "behold·I" (הִנְנִי־אָ֕נִי, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·seek·them·out" (וּבִקַּרְתִּֽים). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּ֛י [for] (30) + כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + הִנְנִי־אָ֕נִי [behold·I] (176) + וְדָרַשְׁתִּ֥י [and·I·will·resort·to] (920) + אֶת־צֹאנִ֖י [my·sheep] (552) + וּבִקַּרְתִּֽים [and·I·will·seek·them·out] (758) = 2793.
Rashi
And I will attend to them. This is the language of visiting the sick.
Radak
"For thus says the Lord: Behold, I am He. Since the shepherds have transgressed against them, I will seek them out and bring them forth from their exile."
Metzudat David
Behold, I am He. This is akin to saying: Although the shepherds may be able [to act as they please], behold, I will fulfill My words, and I will seek out My flock, and I will inquire after them.
Metzudat Zion
“V’v’k’r’tam.” The meaning is investigation and inquiry, like “the priest shall not examine” (Leviticus 13:36).
Malbim
For thus says the Lord: This means, do not think that now they will have no shepherd at all and will be ownerless; not so, for I, after I have removed the shepherds whom I appointed over them, I Myself will be the One who shepherds them. And I will seek out My flock, and I will inspect them; the inspection is to know their number, and to watch over the missing ones, to see where they are.
As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are separated, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness.
verse value 7647
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 87 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֖ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·day·of·his·being" (בְּיוֹם־הֱיוֹת֤וֹ, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "a seeking" (כְּבַקָּרַת֩), "his·flock" (עֶדְר֜וֹ), "in·the·day·of·his·being" (בְּיוֹם־הֱיוֹת֤וֹ). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "in·the·day·of·his·being" (root יום, 112x in Ezekiel); "in·midst·of·his·sheep" (root תוך, 111x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·sheep', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Rashi
“Nifrotshot.” When they are scattered, and He goes among them and gathers them together.
"On the day of cloud and thick darkness." For such is the way of the flock to scatter on a cloudy day.
Radak
"As the tending [of a shepherd]"; "nifrashot" is like "separated," for then he tends them the more carefully, and Jonathan translated and explained: "and He will make them distinct for them."
"On the day of cloud and darkness." For the exile was a day of darkness for you. And the allegory is that the flock scatters on a cloudy day.
Metzudat David
Like the inspection [of a shepherd]. Just as a shepherd inspects his flock during the day while it is among his sheep, when they are scattered, for then it is his custom to inspect in order to know if any of them are missing, so I will inspect My flock and I will rescue them from the mishaps of all the places where they were scattered on the day that the bitter and dark day came upon them. And since He compared them to sheep, He used the term that is applied to them, for their custom is to scatter on a day of cloud and gloom.
Metzudat Zion
"נפרשות" – from the root meaning separation and division.
Malbim
"As a shepherd checks his flock, so shall I check My flock". Just as a shepherd checks his flock when it is his own—if he is tending sheep of his own, he then watches over them carefully during the day while he is among his flock—if they scatter due to darkness, and the sheep disperse and scatter, then immediately on that very day he checks to ascertain their number and their condition; so too, I will check My flock and save them from all the places where they were scattered due to the darkness and the blindness of the leaders and the led during the time of exile and slaughter.
And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the habitable places of the country.
verse value 5727
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "all" (וּבְכֹ֖ל, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·them" (וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֖ים, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·bring·them·out" (וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣ים), "and·I·will·gather·them" (וְקִבַּצְתִּים֙), "and·I·will·bring·them" (וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֖ים). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·mountains·of" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "from·the·lands" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·bring·them" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·their·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣ים [and·I·will·bring·them·out] (558) + מִן־הָעַמִּ֗ים [from·the·peoples] (255) + וְקִבַּצְתִּים֙ [and·I·will·gather·them] (648) + מִן־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת [from·the·lands] (792) + וַהֲבִיאוֹתִ֖ים [and·I·will·bring·them] (480) + אֶל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם [to·their·land] (516) + וּרְעִיתִים֙ [and·I·will·pasture·them] (736) + אֶל־הָרֵ֣י [to·the·mountains·of] (246) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + בָּאֲפִיקִ֕ים [in·the·channels] (243) + וּבְכֹ֖ל [all] (58) + מוֹשְׁבֵ֥י [settlements·of] (358) + הָאָֽרֶץ [the·land] (296) = 5727.
Radak
“And I will bring them out to the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the dwellings of the land.” For the goats are better when they graze in the mountains, while the sheep and ewes [graze] in the valleys and in the ravines. And behold, Israel will return to their land and dwell in every good dwelling place, in the mountains and in the valleys.
Metzudat David
“ba’afikim” – in the waterways, in the place of the waters, and in the inhabited and choice place:
Metzudat Zion
“ba’afikim.” So too, the places where waters flow through a cut channel are called “afikim,” as it is said, “like channels in the Negev” (Psalms 126:4).
Malbim
“And I will bring them out,” because many had gone into captivity among the nations, as it is stated, “Because My flock has become prey” (Ezekiel 34:8); and many had scattered from the nations into the lands, as it is stated, “And My flock has become food for all the beasts of the field” (Ezekiel 34:8). From the nations under whose dominion they are, I will bring them out; and from the lands into which they are scattered, I will gather them. “And I will bring them into their land, and I will feed them.”
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
verse value 5632
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 76 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "height·of·Israel" (מְרֽוֹם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·pasture·good" (בְּמִרְעֶה־טּוֹב֙), "and·in·mountains·of" (וּבְהָרֵ֥י), "height·of·Israel" (מְרֽוֹם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל). The root מרעה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "to·the·mountains·of" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "Israel" (root ישראל, 154x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root מרעה ("in·pasture·good") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·habitation', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Radak
“With good pasture, and on the heights of Israel.” This refers to Jerusalem, which is higher than all the Land of Israel. And likewise, Israel will have a dwelling place in Jerusalem in the future, as it is written at the end of this book:
Metzudat David
"In a good pasture" means that He bestows upon them abundant goodness, and He repeats the matter many times, in proportion to the abundance of the goodness and the flow of divine influence.
Metzudat Zion
Their fold. Their dwelling place:
"Let them lie down." The matter of lying down to rest:
Malbim
Regarding "in the pasture," the sheep require a place of pasture to graze during the day, and a place of lying down to rest there at night, which is called a sheepfold. He said that the pasture should be good, and the sheepfold should be in the mountains, where they are safe from wild beasts and robbers. And even though in the mountains the pasture is not lush and the sheepfold is not good, because it is difficult to ascend to the mountain, he said that the sheepfold should be good, for there they shall lie down, and there they shall graze, and they will not need to descend from there to the pasture, for also on the mountain the pasture will be lush.
I will feed My sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Hashem.
verse value 1080
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1080 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·will·make·them·lie·down" (אַרְבִּיצֵ֔ם, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "I·will·make·them·lie·down" (אַרְבִּיצֵ֔ם). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel); "I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). Full calculation: אֲנִ֨י [I] (61) + אֶרְעֶ֤ה [I·will·pasture] (276) + צֹאנִי֙ [my·flock] (151) + וַאֲנִ֣י [and·I] (67) + אַרְבִּיצֵ֔ם [I·will·make·them·lie·down] (343) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1080.
Radak
"I will pasture, and I will lay them down to rest." For the shepherd pastures the flock until midday, and at midday he lays them down to rest, as it is written: "How will you pasture? How will you lay them down to rest at midday?"
Metzudat David
"I will pasture them." This means: I Myself will attend to their welfare.
Malbim
And do not think that there they will be without a shepherd, for I will watch over them and I will pasture them, meaning that I will oversee them at the time of grazing during the day and at the time of lying down at night, as it is stated: “By day I was consumed by wormwood, and at night I sought for those who had perished” (Jeremiah 9:19), and also, “I will restore those who were driven away from their place, etc.” (as explained above, page 4, regarding how the shepherds acted in the opposite manner). And I will judge the fat and the strong; not only will I protect them from lions and robbers, but I will also execute judgment among the flock themselves, so that the fat and the strong—namely, the wealthy who take all the abundance through their wealth, and the mighty who seize by force—I will destroy. For I will pasture them with justice, so that there will be grazing for all the flock equally.
I 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; and the fat and the strong I will destroy, I will feed them in justice.
verse value 6730
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "will·I·seek" (אֲבַקֵּשׁ֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·the·driven·away" (וְאֶת־הַנִּדַּ֣חַת, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "the·lost" (אֶת־הָאֹבֶ֤דֶת), "I·will·tie" (אֶֽחֱבֹ֔שׁ), "I·will·harden" (אֲחַזֵּ֑ק). The root חזק appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·bring·back" (root שוב, 61x in Ezekiel); "in·judgment" (root משפט, 43x in Ezekiel); "I·will·feed·them" (root רעה, 34x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·harden', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֶת־הָאֹבֶ֤דֶת [the·lost] (813) + אֲבַקֵּשׁ֙ [will·I·seek] (403) + וְאֶת־הַנִּדַּ֣חַת [and·the·driven·away] (874) + אָשִׁ֔יב [I·will·bring·back] (313) + וְלַנִּשְׁבֶּ֣רֶת [and·the·broken] (988) + אֶֽחֱבֹ֔שׁ [I·will·tie] (311) + וְאֶת־הַחוֹלָ֖ה [and·the·sick] (461) + אֲחַזֵּ֑ק [I·will·harden] (116) + וְאֶת־הַשְּׁמֵנָ֧ה [and·the·fat] (807) + וְאֶת־הַחֲזָקָ֛ה [and·the·strong] (532) + אַשְׁמִ֖יד [I·will·destroy] (355) + אֶרְעֶ֥נָּה [I·will·feed·them] (326) + בְמִשְׁפָּֽט [in·judgment] (431) = 6730.
Rashi
“And the fat one and the strong one.” The one that pushes away and drives off its companions:
Radak
"The lost, and the sick I will strengthen." A sick person who says, "Behold, I am in place of the injured ones," and a sick person who said above, "I will strengthen," which includes both, for healing is to strengthen health.
"And the fat and the strong." I will destroy the fat and the strong, who push the weak away from the pasture; I will destroy their strength.
“Ar’ena b’mishpat” – “I will shepherd with justice.” This means judging fairly, so that the weak are not oppressed beyond what is proper for them. The verse serves as an allusion to the oppressors and the strong among Israel who used to oppress the poor and the weak. And the Targum translates it: “I will destroy the sinners and the guilty, and I will sustain My people with justice.”
Metzudat David
I will return. To the flock:
“And the fat one and the strong one.” The one that strengthens itself against its companion to push it away and strike it, I will destroy, and I will shepherd it with the fitting and proper judgment; that is to say, I will take vengeance on those who oppress the poor.
And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, even the rams and the he-goats.
verse value 2863
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·he-goats" (וְלָעַתּוּדִֽים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "judging" (שֹׁפֵט֙), "to·the·rams" (לָאֵילִ֖ים), "and·to·the·he-goats" (וְלָעַתּוּדִֽים). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·the·rams" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root שה ("to·lamb") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאַתֵּ֣נָה [and·you] (462) + צֹאנִ֔י [my·flock] (151) + כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + הִנְנִ֤י [they] (115) + שֹׁפֵט֙ [judging] (389) + בֵּֽין־שֶׂ֣ה [between·cattle] (367) + לָשֶׂ֔ה [to·lamb] (335) + לָאֵילִ֖ים [to·the·rams] (121) + וְלָעַתּוּדִֽים [and·to·the·he-goats] (566) = 2863.
Rashi
Between one sheep and another; between the strong and the weak:
Radak
"And I will give" – between one sheep and another, between the strong one and the weak one.
“to the mighty and to the he-goats.” For they are the strongest of the flock. And Jonathan rendered it in the sense of the parable, “between man and man, to the guilty and to the condemned.”
Metzudat David
“Between one lamb and another”: Between the weakling lamb and the strong lamb.
"to rams and to he-goats": Whether from the rams or from the he-goats.
Metzudat Zion
And I will give. Like “And I will give.”
Malbim
Behold, I am interpreting against the fat ones, who are the wealthy who take all the abundance and leave nothing for the poor. It says: “Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats,” for the rams and he-goats, in their strength, take all the pasture and leave nothing for the poor of the flock.
Seems it a small thing to you to have fed upon the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the settled waters, but you must foul the residue with your feet?
verse value 7420
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (מִכֶּ֗ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·settled·waters" (וּמִשְׁקַע־מַ֣יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 305: your·feet, your·feet. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "pasture" (הַמִּרְעֶ֤ה), "the·good" (הַטּוֹב֙), "your·pastures" (מִרְעֵיכֶ֔ם). The root מרעה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·you" (root מן, 47x in Ezekiel); "you·will·pasture" (root רעה, 34x in Ezekiel); "your·feet" (root רגל, 22x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·feet', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
“Is it a small thing for you”—those who are strong among you graze in the good pasture; and would that you did not trample the remainder under your feet, so that the rest of My flock might eat it; but instead, even the remainder of your pasture you trample with your feet. And it is not enough for you that you drink water, but the residue you muddy with your feet.
“Who settles the waters.” The clear waters in which the mud has settled and which are not muddied by footsteps. The example is like its Targumic rendering: “The small ones among you, if you earn a good livelihood, the residue of your earnings you tread upon with your feet, and you drink of what is good; but the excess remains at your feet, and you tread upon it.”
Radak
“המעט” – The explanation of the parable is according to its Targum: “Is it a small thing for you that you are supported by good sustenance; and the surplus of your earnings, you trample under your feet; and the pleasant drink that you drink, the excess of it you trample under your feet.”
"And the settled water." The clear waters, as we explained in the verse "Then I will settle their waters."
Metzudat David
"המעט" – as if He were speaking to the strong ones: "Is it a small thing for you, you who graze on the good pasture,; yet even the rest of the pasture, you shall trample underfoot, so that the rest of the flock shall not benefit from it."
And the settled water. Clear water in which the mud has settled: they shall drink it, and the residue you shall trample with your feet to make it turbid.
Metzudat Zion
Trample. The matter of treading with the foot:
"umashe'ach" – the meaning is the falling of something into depth, as in "and it sank, the Nile of Egypt" (Amos 8:8).
tarpeishon. The meaning is treading and trampling, as in "a spring trodden down" (Proverbs 25:26):
Malbim
(18-19) “Is it a small matter for you to eat the good pasture, that you must also trample the remainder of your pasture with your feet? And is it a small matter for you to drink the deep water, that you must also muddy the remainder with your feet?” Therefore, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherd; and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock, that the sheep shall no longer be eaten by them; and I will deliver My flock, that they shall not be a prey.”
And as for My sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.
verse value 3629
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "trampling place" (מִרְמַ֤ס, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·feet" (רַגְלֵיכֶם֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 303: your·feet, your·feet. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·my·flock" (וְצֹאנִ֑י), "trampling place" (מִרְמַ֤ס), "and·befouled" (וּמִרְפַּ֥שׂ). The root רגל appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·pasture" (root רעה, 34x in Ezekiel); "and·my·flock" (root צאן, 26x in Ezekiel); "your·feet" (root רגל, 22x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·my·flock', dividing the verse into phrases of 1 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְצֹאנִ֑י [and·my·flock] (157) + מִרְמַ֤ס [trampling place] (340) + רַגְלֵיכֶם֙ [your·feet] (303) + תִּרְעֶ֔ינָה [they·will·pasture] (735) + וּמִרְפַּ֥שׂ [and·befouled] (626) + רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם [your·feet] (303) + תִּשְׁתֶּֽינָה [they·will·drink] (1165) = 3629.
Rashi
“And My flock, the trampling of your feet,” etc. “And My people,” that is, they eat the surplus of what their attendants eat, and drink the surplus of what their attendants drink.
Radak
And my flock. And my people: Jonathan the Targumist translated “and my people” as “the leftover food which is drawn to eat,” implying that they are permitted to consume food, and “the leftover water which is drawn to drink,” implying that they are permitted to drink. “Tirposun” (that which you have muddied).
And "merapes." It is written with a shin, and it refers to the matter of trampling in water and stirring up the mud.
Metzudat David
“And my sheep.” This means that the rest of the flock, against their will, will eat the pasture trampled under your feet, and they will spoil the waters crushed under your feet. This refers to the rulers of the people, who took for themselves the best of the land and spoiled the remainder that was to be allotted to the poor.
Therefore thus says the Lord Hashem to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and the lean cattle.
verse value 2693
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "behold·I" (הִנְנִי־אָ֕נִי, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "fat" (בִרְיָ֔ה), "secret" (רָזָֽה). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֗ן [therefore] (100) + כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֛ר [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם [to·them] (86) + הִנְנִי־אָ֕נִי [behold·I] (176) + וְשָֽׁפַטְתִּי֙ [and·I·decide] (805) + בֵּֽין־שֶׂ֣ה [between·cattle] (367) + בִרְיָ֔ה [fat] (217) + וּבֵ֥ין [and·between] (68) + שֶׂ֖ה [lamb] (305) + רָזָֽה [secret] (212) = 2693.
Rashi
A healthy sheep. Strong:
"Lean." "Maigre," in the vernacular.
Radak
Therefore, "beriah" – like "beriah" (creation), and its meaning is "fat" – as the Targum renders it: "between a wealthy man and a poor man."
Metzudat David
“Behold, I am He.” This means: Here I am, the One who rules over all, and I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean one.
Metzudat Zion
A living being. It is written as a full word, like “and Eglon was a very heavy man” (Judges 3:17).
Lean. Wasted, as in "and the fatness of his flesh becomes lean" (Isaiah 17:4).
Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad;
verse value 4486
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·your·horns" (וּבְקַרְנֵיכֶ֥ם, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·side" (בְּצַ֤ד), "and·in·shoulder" (וּבְכָתֵף֙), "you·will·thrust" (תֶּהְדֹּ֔פוּ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "to·the·outside" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "because" (root יען, 40x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·weak', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: יַ֗עַן [because] (130) + בְּצַ֤ד [in·side] (96) + וּבְכָתֵף֙ [and·in·shoulder] (508) + תֶּהְדֹּ֔פוּ [you·will·thrust] (495) + וּבְקַרְנֵיכֶ֥ם [and·in·your·horns] (428) + תְּנַגְּח֖וּ [you·push] (467) + כׇּל־הַנַּחְל֑וֹת [all·the·weak] (549) + עַ֣ד [until] (74) + אֲשֶׁ֧ר [that] (501) + הֲפִיצוֹתֶ֛ם [you·have·scattered] (631) + אוֹתָ֖נָה [them] (462) + אֶל־הַחֽוּצָה [to·the·outside] (145) = 4486.
Radak
"Because" – Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered [in the Targum]: "Because you acted wickedly, and with the arm you oppressed, etc."
Metzudat David
“On the side and on the shoulder.” You, the fat and strong ones, shall push on the side and on the shoulder, and gore with the horn the weak ones, until you scatter them to flee outward.
Metzudat Zion
And the shoulder. It is the breadth of the hand above, at the place where it joins the body.
They shall push. The meaning is pushing and striking, as it is written: “Whom the wind driveth away” (Psalms 1:4).
The ailing ones. The pains that are felt in one of the limbs:
Malbim
"Because" (now he says, in opposition to the strong one) that they pushed away the feeble ones until they were forced to go outside. This is an allegory for the tyrants who oppress the poor and the weak, seizing their inheritance and plundering their portion.
therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
verse value 3121
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "lamb" (שֶׂ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·be" (וְלֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ינָה, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·my·flock" (לְצֹאנִ֔י), "and·not·be" (וְלֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ינָה). The root שה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "between" (root בין, 145x in Ezekiel); "anymore" (root עוד, 49x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root ישע ("and·I·will·save") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·spoil', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּ֣י [and·I·will·save] (797) + לְצֹאנִ֔י [to·my·flock] (181) + וְלֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ינָה [and·not·be] (517) + ע֖וֹד [anymore] (80) + לָבַ֑ז [to·spoil] (39) + וְשָׁ֣פַטְתִּ֔י [and·I·decide] (805) + בֵּ֥ין [between] (62) + שֶׂ֖ה [lamb] (305) + לָשֶֽׂה [to·lamb] (335) = 3121.
Radak
And I will deliver. It is explained:
Metzudat David
"And I will save My flock." I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be prey for you; and I will judge between the strong sheep and the weak sheep.
Malbim
"And I will deliver My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge." And there shall also be judgment between the oppressor and the oppressed.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
verse value 3428
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָד֙) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "pasturing" (רֹעֶ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·will·be" (וְהֽוּא־יִהְיֶ֥ה, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·he·shall·feed" (וְרָעָ֣ה), "David" (דָוִ֑יד), "he·will·feed" (יִרְעֶ֣ה). The root רעה appears 4 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "over·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "one" (root אחד, 104x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
My servant David. A king from his offspring:
Radak
"And I will establish My servant David." This refers to the Messiah, who will arise from his lineage in the time of salvation.
Metzudat David
"And I will establish." I will appoint over them one shepherd, and he will shepherd them with the due judgment, and I will raise up My servant David, and he is the King Messiah who will come from the seed of David.
"He shall feed them, and He shall be their shepherd." The duplication of the matter occurs many times to indicate that He alone will be the ruler and sovereign over them.
Malbim
“And I will establish for them a shepherd” – after the Lord has judged and will Himself pasture them, then the sovereignty of the House of David will be revealed, and he will be the shepherd under the Lord. And this will occur in three stages: first, he will pasture them, meaning that a man from the House of David will arise to lead Israel, compelling them to perform justice and righteousness; afterwards, he will be a shepherd to them, meaning that they will accept his guidance and learn from him, until he becomes their shepherd by their own will; and afterwards, “I, the Lord, will be their God” – they will accept upon themselves the sovereignty of Heaven, and the sovereignty of the Lord will be revealed until He becomes their God. And “My servant David” – he will ascend from the rank of shepherd to the rank of prince, for he will be the Messiah King. “I, the Lord, have spoken” – meaning that I have already spoken this through the prophets who prophesied concerning the Messiah (as it is stated, “There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse”), and I have already spoken and explained the matter of the Messiah at length through every prophet and every seer.
And I Hashem will be their God, and My servant David prince among them; I Hashem have spoken.
verse value 1943
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·god" (לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "I·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·midst', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַאֲנִ֣י [and·I] (67) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶֽהְיֶ֤ה [I·will·be] (21) + לָהֶם֙ [to·them] (75) + לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים [to·god] (116) + וְעַבְדִּ֥י [and·my·servant] (92) + דָוִ֖ד [David] (14) + נָשִׂ֣יא [chieftain] (361) + בְתוֹכָ֑ם [in·their·midst] (468) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + דִּבַּֽרְתִּי [I·have·spoken] (616) = 1943.
Radak
And I. It is clear:
Metzudat David
To God. To save and to deliver:
"And My servant David" – this refers to the Messiah King, who will descend from his lineage.
"I am the Lord, I have spoken." Thus, surely it shall be so.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
verse value 4431
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·banish" (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֥י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "beast·evil" (חַיָּֽה־רָעָ֖ה), "and·they·will·sleep" (וְיָשְׁנ֖וּ), "in·the·forests" (בַּיְּעָרִֽים). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "and·they·will·dwell" (root ישב, 64x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְכָרַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·cut] (636) + לָהֶם֙ [to·them] (75) + בְּרִ֣ית [covenant] (612) + שָׁל֔וֹם [peace] (376) + וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֥י [and·I·will·banish] (723) + חַיָּֽה־רָעָ֖ה [beast·evil] (298) + מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ [from·the·land] (386) + וְיָשְׁב֤וּ [and·they·will·dwell] (324) + בַמִּדְבָּר֙ [in·the·wilderness] (248) + לָבֶ֔טַח [to·safety] (49) + וְיָשְׁנ֖וּ [and·they·will·sleep] (372) + בַּיְּעָרִֽים [in·the·forests] (332) = 4431.
Rashi
“And they lay down in the forests.” The Targum renders: “And they will move about in the forest,” and there is one who explains it in the sense of sleep:
Radak
“And I will cut off” (vekarati), and “sleeping” (ve-yishnu) in the forests. For they shall not fear the beasts of the field. And there is a matter of sleep:
Metzudat David
And I will cut. Then I will make a covenant of peace with them, so that they may dwell securely in tranquility.
"And I will remove..." – This means that the beasts of the field will not harm them, as it is stated: "They shall not hurt nor destroy" (Isaiah 11:9).
"And they dwelled in the wilderness." Even in the wastelands and in the forests, the places of wild beasts, they dwelt in security and slept there, and their sleep was pleasant to them, for no creature would terrify them.
Malbim
"And I will cut" – because they would be afraid to leave the sheep in the wilderness during the day due to robbers, and in the forests at night due to wild beasts, He said that He would cut a covenant of peace, so that the foot of an enemy or robber would not pass through, and He would cause wild beasts to cease. And by means of His cutting a covenant of peace, they will dwell in the wilderness securely and not be afraid of the sword of the robber; and by means of His causing wild beasts to cease, they will sleep at night in the forests.
And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there shall be showers of blessing.
verse value 4579
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "them" (אוֹתָ֛ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·round·about" (וּסְבִיב֥וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 227: blessing, blessing. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·round·about" (וּסְבִיב֥וֹת), "my·hill" (גִּבְעָתִ֖י), "and·I·will·bring·down" (וְהוֹרַדְתִּ֤י). The root ברכה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "and·round·about" (root סביב, 112x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root ברכה ("blessing") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'blessing', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֥י [and·I·will·give] (866) + אוֹתָ֛ם [them] (447) + וּסְבִיב֥וֹת [and·round·about] (486) + גִּבְעָתִ֖י [my·hill] (485) + בְּרָכָ֑ה [blessing] (227) + וְהוֹרַדְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·bring·down] (631) + הַגֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ [rain] (348) + בְּעִתּ֔וֹ [in·his·time] (478) + גִּשְׁמֵ֥י [rain] (353) + בְרָכָ֖ה [blessing] (227) + יִֽהְיֽוּ [they·will·be] (31) = 4579.
Rashi
“And I will place them around My hill.” Let this “placing” be with blessing; “I will place” is akin to “I will cause to dwell.”
Radak
"And I will set them and the surroundings of My hill as a blessing." I will make them a blessing, following the pattern of "and you shall be a blessing," and the surroundings of My hill—I will make them a blessing. This refers to all of the Land of Israel, which surrounds the Temple, for the Temple is in the center of the Land of Israel. And the Temple is called a mountain and a hill, as it is written: "Let the mountain of the House of the Lord be established as the chief of the mountains, and let it be exalted above the hills." And Targum Jonathan translates: "And blessed shall they be, surrounding My Temple, and they shall bless," and he rendered [the word] "rain" as "the first rain."
Metzudat David
"And I will set them." I will place them in their proper place, and in all the surroundings of My hill I will bestow blessing.
“in its time.” At the time when there is a need for it:
May they be rains of blessing. For they will greatly quench the thirst of the land.
Metzudat Zion
“Givatay.” This is the Land of Israel, which is higher than all the lands.
Malbim
"And I will give"—because the flock will still fear when there is no grass, He said that He will give them, namely, the desert and the forests, and the surroundings of my hills, including the regions surrounding the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, and there will be blessing there. And I will cause rain to fall in its season, in a manner that will cause fodder to sprout for the cattle; they will be rains of blessing. This means: do not think that this will be a curse (as it is stated that if the rains cease on Rosh Hashanah and they have sinned, the Lord causes them to fall in the deserts and forests). Rather, it will not be so, for they will be for a blessing, for the rain will not be diminished from the inhabited areas because of this.
And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her produce, and they shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those that made bondmen of them.
verse value 6079
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "tree" (עֵ֨ץ, 2 letters) and the longest is "on·their·land" (עַל־אַדְמָתָ֖ם, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "his·fruit" (אֶת־פִּרְי֗וֹ), "will·give" (תִּתֵּ֣ן), "her·produce" (יְבוּלָ֔הּ). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "their·yoke" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·safety', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 10 words.
Radak
And He shall give. It is clear:
Metzudat David
For I am the Lord. The One who is faithful in His word:
“Bars of the yoke.” This refers to the fact that the Babylonians imposed heavy burdens upon them, and the verse alludes to this through the image of an ox, upon which the beams of the yoke are placed to plow the earth.
Metzudat Zion
Yibulah. The meaning of "tsemach" (sprout), and likewise "the land has yielded its produce" (ibid. 67):
“Poles.” They are the beams of the yoke, and the word is derived from the root *matteh* (pole).
Malbim
Until the trees of the field yield their fruit. And behold, these blessings are already found in the Torah, where it states, “I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce,” etc., and “you shall dwell securely in your land.” And afterwards it says, “I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will remove evil beasts from the land.” And behold, He reckons that He will abolish from them their harsh judges, which are the evil beast, the sword, and famine, and they shall know that I am the Lord. Initially, He characterizes them as sheep, saying that they will dwell securely in the wilderness and in the forests. Afterwards, He characterizes them as human beings, that the trees of the field will yield their fruit. In the first instance, He depicts that they will dwell securely in the land of the nations, whereby the dominion of the kingdoms will be abolished, and He will remove from them the hardship of servitude. In this way, they are depicted as sheep dwelling securely in the wilderness, which refers to the lands of the nations, which He called above “the wilderness of the nations” (Ezekiel 20:25). Afterwards, He depicts that they will be like human beings and dwell securely upon their own soil. Now, he explains in response to the initial statement that they will dwell securely in the land of the nations, whereby the dominion of the kingdoms will be abolished, saying, “and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the yoke of their bondage,” which initially they were under the yoke of the nations and served them through them, and this will be ceased.
And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beast of the earth devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
verse value 2190
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "spoil" (בַּז֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·they·shall·be" (וְלֹא־יִהְי֨וּ, 7 letters). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not·they·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·eat·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְלֹא־יִהְי֨וּ [and·not·they·shall·be] (68) + ע֥וֹד [anymore] (80) + בַּז֙ [spoil] (9) + לַגּוֹיִ֔ם [to·the·nations] (89) + וְחַיַּ֥ת [and·beast·of] (424) + הָאָ֖רֶץ [the·land] (296) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תֹאכְלֵ֑ם [will·eat·them] (491) + וְיָשְׁב֥וּ [and·they·will·dwell] (324) + לָבֶ֖טַח [to·safety] (49) + וְאֵ֥ין [and·nothing] (67) + מַחֲרִֽיד [one·who·frightens] (262) = 2190.
Radak
"And they shall not be, and the beasts of the earth shall not devour them." The parable is as its Targum: "And the kingdom of the earth shall not destroy them."
Metzudat David
"And the beast of the land." This means the tyrannical Babylonians, the cruel ones among them; or it may refer to the harmful wild beasts, that they shall no longer graze [destructively] nor cause devastation.
Malbim
And no, rather, in contrast to the fact that they were prey for some of the nations, who plundered their property, and some of them were at the level of wild beasts that ate the flock themselves, He said that they would no longer be prey, and also the wild beasts, which are the wild nations, would not devour them; and they would dwell securely, meaning that they would dwell among the nations in security and tranquility.
And I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.
verse value 2977
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. Verse gematria: 2977 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֛ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·they·shall·be" (וְלֹא־יִהְי֨וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: anymore, anymore. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "place or act of planting" (מַטָּ֖ע), "gathered·of" (אֲסֻפֵ֤י). The root עוד appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not·they·shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·name', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י [and·I·will·establish] (561) + לָהֶ֛ם [to·them] (75) + מַטָּ֖ע [place or act of planting] (119) + לְשֵׁ֑ם [to·name] (370) + וְלֹא־יִהְי֨וּ [and·not·they·shall·be] (68) + ע֜וֹד [anymore] (80) + אֲסֻפֵ֤י [gathered·of] (151) + רָעָב֙ [famine] (272) + בָּאָ֔רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וְלֹא־יִשְׂא֥וּ [and·not·bear] (354) + ע֖וֹד [anymore] (80) + כְּלִמַּ֥ת [disgrace] (490) + הַגּוֹיִֽם [the·nations] (64) = 2977.
Rashi
From the verse "For a name." This is to fulfill the requirement that it be for an everlasting name.
“Those swept away by famine.” Hidden ones of famine—on account of the shame of hunger and poverty.
Radak
"And I will raise up for them a planting." Just as it is stated, "And I will plant them in their land."
“Leshem.” In order that their name should go forth among the nations; and the Targum [renders it] as to be established:
“Gathering of famine in the land.” The matter of destruction is like “Gather, I will gather them,” and the Targum [renders it] as “wanderers due to famine,” for when there was famine in the Land of Israel, they would move to Egypt and other lands, and there they would bear there the shame of the nations, as it is stated regarding the Patriarchs: “They sojourned” when they went to Egypt and to the land of the Philistines; and it is stated regarding Abimelech: “to sojourn in the fields of Moab”; and it is stated regarding the Shunammite woman: “and she sojourned in the land of the Philistines.”
Metzudat David
“Planting for a name.” A fine and glorious planting, to be for a name, a glory among the nations.
"And there shall be no more..." This means that people who suffer from the devastation of famine will no longer be found in the land.
"And they shall not bear." They shall no longer endure the disgrace from the gentiles, for they will no longer need to enter the lands of the gentiles for the sake of bread, thus bearing the shame as one who comes in need to a foreign land.
Metzudat Zion
Metza. The word is from the root "planting":
Asufi. The matter of destruction is like [the verse]: “I have gathered them” (Jeremiah 8:13).
They shall bear. From the root of "burden" and "load":
Malbim
"And I will establish" — and afterward they will dwell in the Land of Israel, and there they will be planted in the land in a good planting, so that they will be established there, that they will never be uprooted from there again. And also, there will be satiety there, so that they will no longer be carried off by famine, and they will no longer bear the disgrace of the nations in that they will be exiled a second time.
And they shall know that I Hashem their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord Hashem.
verse value 2056
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·God" (אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: their·God, utterance. The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel); "I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְיָדְע֗וּ [and·they·shall·know] (96) + כִּ֣י [that] (30) + אֲנִ֧י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם [their·God] (91) + אִתָּ֑ם [with·them] (441) + וְהֵ֗מָּה [and·they] (56) + עַמִּי֙ [my·people] (120) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2056.
Radak
And they shall know. It is explained:
Metzudat David
"And they shall know." Then they will know that I am with them, and they are My people, dear to Me.
Malbim
“And they shall know,” and then they shall all know that I, the Lord, am their God, who is with them, in that the indwelling of the Divine Presence, the miracles, and the prophecy cleave to them, and they are My people, cleaving to My service. And then they shall ascend from the rank of sheep to the rank of human beings. This is what is stated: “And you, My sheep, are human,” meaning that you shall elevate yourselves above your previous value, just as the rank of the rational being is higher than that of the living creature. For the rank of one who serves the Lord in relation to the rational being is like the rank of the rational being in relation to the living being.
And you My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, says the Lord Hashem.’
verse value 2314
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2314 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "flock·of" (צֹ֥אן, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·pasture" (מַרְעִיתִ֖י, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "my·pasture" (מַרְעִיתִ֖י). The root צאן appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel); "and·you" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאַתֵּ֥ן [and·you] (457) + צֹאנִ֛י [my·flock] (151) + צֹ֥אן [flock·of] (141) + מַרְעִיתִ֖י [my·pasture] (730) + אָדָ֣ם [man] (45) + אַתֶּ֑ם [you] (441) + אֲנִי֙ [I] (61) + אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם [your·God] (106) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2314.
Rashi
"You are human beings. You are not like beasts in My eyes:"
Radak
“And My cattle, the cattle of My pasture, are You men.” When you shall be the cattle of My pasture, whom I shall feed with knowledge, understanding, and discernment, then you shall be called “men,” not “cattle” or “beasts.” For when a person is seduced by the desires of this world, behold, he is a beast, not a man, because in his corporeality man shares with the beast; he and his donkey eat from the same manger. But when the good which God, blessed be He, has destined for us shall come to pass, and the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God, and all the other good matters and promises—to love the Lord and to serve Him with a whole heart, and we shall occupy ourselves with intellectual matters—then we shall be called “men,” so that the human portion within us shall be distinguished, and we shall be separated from beasts and from those human beings who resemble them. And the Targum translates: “And you, My people, a people who are called by My name, are you, the House of Israel.” And in this manner our Sages of blessed memory said: “You are called ‘men,’ but the nations of the world are not called ‘men.’”
Metzudat David
"And You are My flock." And He repeats and explains: "My flock," meaning the flock that I shepherd. Know that you are human beings; that is to say, you are not in My eyes like beasts, but rather esteemed and treated as human beings. And I will sanctify My Name upon you, to be called your God. And I would not have sanctified My Name upon you if you were in My eyes like beasts.
Radak
Malbim