Ezekiel 34:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, 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?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →God condemns the strong for consuming the best resources while spoiling the rest for the weak.
The Context of Ezekiel 34:18
The strong consume the best and destroy the rest out of spite.
What Does Ezekiel 34:18 Mean?
The rhetorical question exposes the greed and spite of the powerful within Israel. They not only consume the good pasture but trample and spoil the remainder, making it unusable for others. They drink clean water but foul the rest, showing malice rather than mere selfishness. Their actions poison community resources beyond what they need for themselves.
This describes a society in which the powerful have given themselves permission to destroy what they cannot use, preventing the weak from surviving. It is injustice compounded by vindictiveness, and it explains why Israel's community has fractured.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezekiel 34:18
What does Ezekiel 34:18 mean?
God condemns the strong for consuming the best resources while spoiling the rest for the weak.
What is the context of Ezekiel 34:18?
The strong consume the best and destroy the rest out of spite.