#15Servant & Character
The Good Shepherd
God would place one shepherd over his people: his servant David, a prince among them.
The Prophecy
Ezekiel 34:23-24
~580 BCE
I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them.
Manuscript Attestation
Qumran Ezekiel fragments; all codices.
Ancient Jewish Interpretation
Since David was long dead by Ezekiel's time, "David" here was understood as a future Davidic descendant — the Messiah. The Targum on Ezekiel applies this to messianic times.
The Fulfillment
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Narrative Context
Jesus claimed the title "Good Shepherd" for himself, directly echoing Ezekiel's prophecy and identifying himself as the promised Davidic shepherd.
The Evidence
Ezekiel wrote during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), long after David's death. The only way to read "my servant David" is as a future figure — a messianic descendant. Ezekiel fragments from Qumran confirm the text's antiquity.