As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep: The Hebrew noun for seeks out and the verb for seek out render the same root translated “seek … out” in the previous verse (see the comments there) and carries the same two possible meanings as there. The Hebrew word for flock refers to a large group of sheep in this context. As the footnote in Revised Standard Version indicates, when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad does not follow the Hebrew text. Other translations change the Hebrew here in the same way as Revised Standard Version; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “when some [animals] in his flock have gotten separated,” and Revised English Bible has “when his flock is scattered from him in every direction.” With this reading the whole sentence means God will look for his sheep in the same way that a shepherd goes to look for his sheep when he discovers that some of them have become separated from the flock and have wandered away alone. This reading requires one small change to the Hebrew text. The beginning of this verse in Hebrew reads literally “As a shepherd looks after his flock on the day when he is in the middle of his sheep which have been scattered” (compare New International Version “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them” and Today’s New International Version “Shepherds look after their scattered flocks when they are with them”). Grammatically this reading is more difficult, but it still makes sense. Either reading is acceptable. A possible model for this whole sentence is “A shepherd goes looking for his sheep when they have become scattered far and wide. In the same way I will search for my sheep.”

And I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness: For rescue see verse 10. All places where they have been scattered refers to the hills, the mountains, and the whole earth in verse 6. The verb scattered may refer to the people wandering off, as sheep do, but it also reminds the reader of the way God scattered the people by sending them into exile in many different countries. A day of clouds and thick darkness refers to the darkness that people traditionally thought accompanied any great disaster (see the comments on 30.3). In 30.3 it refers to a coming day of disaster for Egypt, while here it refers back to the disastrous day on which Jerusalem was destroyed. The Hebrew word for thick darkness refers to really black darkness, when it is very, very dark. A day of clouds and thick darkness renders a strong, vivid Hebrew phrase, which Good News Translation translates well with “that dark, disastrous day.” Renderings such as “a cloudy and dark day” (New Century Version, New King James Version ) and “a time of cloud and fog” (Christian Community Bible) are much too weak. This whole sentence may be rendered “They were scattered to many places on that dark and terrible day, but I will rescue them from all those places.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .