Ezekiel 34:3
“You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.”
What does Ezekiel 34:3 mean?
Ezekiel is speaking directly to Israel's leaders, calling out their selfishness in powerful, concrete language. They're keeping the best of everything for themselves, the fat and finest wool, while neglecting the people they're supposed to care for, like a shepherd who feasts while the flock starves. The image is deliberately harsh because the problem is serious: leaders were living lavishly off resources meant to sustain the whole community. This cuts to the heart of what leadership actually means, whether in ancient Israel or anywhere else, it's about responsibility to those under your care, not personal gain.