And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

EZEKIEL 34:19KJV
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Ezekiel 34:19 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 34:19 mean?

Ezekiel 34:19 describes how God’s people, pictured as His flock, are forced to eat food that has been trampled and to drink water that has been muddied by others’ feet. This verse uses the image of sheep suffering because those responsible for their care have spoiled what should have been good for them.

In this chapter, God speaks through Ezekiel to rebuke Israel’s leaders—called “shepherds”—for neglecting and mistreating the people. The verse highlights how the leaders’ selfish actions have left the people with only what is damaged or ruined, rather than what is nourishing and clean. The language paints a vivid picture of injustice and neglect.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 34:19

  • flock (צֹאן, tson): This word means a group of sheep or goats, and here it stands for the people of Israel, emphasizing their vulnerability and need for care.
  • trodden (מִרְמַס, mirmas): This word refers to something that has been trampled underfoot, stressing that the food is not just leftover but has been made dirty and unfit by careless treatment.
  • fouled (מָרַע, mara): This term means to make something bad or polluted, especially by stirring up mud in water with one’s feet, showing that even the water is ruined by those who should protect it.

Why Ezekiel 34:19 matters

  • This verse clears up that God is not just concerned with spiritual matters but also with the real, everyday well-being of His people, using physical images to show the harm caused by bad leadership.
  • Ezekiel 34:19 emphasizes the leaders’ responsibility for the suffering of the people, making it clear that neglect and selfishness have real consequences for those who depend on them.
  • The verse connects to the wider chapter, which promises that God Himself will become the true shepherd who cares for His flock, contrasting His care with the failure of human leaders.

Where else these words appear

“trodden” Hebrew H4823 · used in 7 verses

  • Isaiah 5:5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
  • Isaiah 10:6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
  • Daniel 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

“eat” Hebrew H7462 · used in 144 verses

  • Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
  • Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
  • Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.