Introduction: Divine Shepherdhood and Covenant Reaffirmation
Ezekiel 34 concludes a rich metaphorical chapter in which YHWH critiques Israel’s failed shepherds and declares Himself the true Shepherd of His people. The final verse, 34:31, serves as a climactic reassertion of divine relationship through the use of pronouns, apposition, and verbless clauses:
וְאַתֵּ֥ן צֹאנִ֛י צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י אָדָ֣ם אַתֶּ֑ם אֲנִי֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
And you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture; you are men—I am your God—declares the Lord YHWH.
This verse employs a series of nominal (verbless) clauses and appositional constructions to establish identity and relationship. By eschewing finite verbs, the verse gains a tone of timeless affirmation, grounding Israel’s communal identity in YHWH’s own self-declaration. The grammar mirrors covenant formulae and echoes pastoral imagery used throughout the Hebrew Bible.
Grammatical Feature Analysis: Verbless Clauses and Pronouns
The opening phrase וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי (“And you are My sheep”) is a verbless clause consisting of the second person plural pronoun אַתֵּן (feminine plural) and the noun צֹאנִי (“My flock”). The feminine plural pronoun is notable; it may reflect either a stylistic variation or a collective abstraction (cf. Jer. 13:20; feminine forms sometimes used for collective groups).
The clause צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי (“the flock of My pasture”) functions in apposition to צֹאנִי, expanding and specifying the metaphor. This double appositional structure—אַתֵּן = צֹאנִי = צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי—deepens the semantic link between the people and the divine shepherd image.
The next clause אָדָם אַתֶּם (“you are men”) also lacks a verb. It functions as a contrastive clarification: although they are metaphorically sheep, they remain human. The fronting of אָדָם intensifies the dignity and responsibility inherent in their role as covenant partners.
The declaration אֲנִי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (“I am your God”) is a formulaic covenant affirmation, again without a verb. The first-person pronoun אֲנִי and the second-person plural pronominal suffix אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (“your God”) combine to reinforce the personal and corporate relationship between YHWH and Israel. The absence of a copula gives the phrase greater rhetorical weight, a device common in prophetic declarations (cf. Exod. 6:7; Lev. 26:12).
The verse ends with נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (“declares the Lord YHWH”), marking it as a prophetic oracle formula. This divine speech tag affirms that the identity statements are not only theological claims but revealed assertions of covenantal truth.
Exegetical Implications of Identity and Apposition
The sequence of nominal clauses conveys theological identity through simple but profound affirmations: you are My flock and I am your God. These statements anchor the restoration vision of Ezekiel 34 in relational terms rather than institutional or geographic ones.
By retaining both the metaphor (sheep) and the literal (man), the verse affirms human agency within divine care. The juxtaposition צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי with אָדָם אַתֶּם avoids dehumanization. The people are guided like sheep, but they remain fully responsible moral agents.
In rabbinic exegesis (e.g., Rashi), the redundancy is interpreted theologically: the sheep metaphor is one of dependence and need, while the human designation speaks to their value and purpose. The tension is maintained grammatically—neither clause dominates the other.
Cross-Linguistic and Literary Parallels
Verbless clauses are common in ancient Near Eastern literature, especially in royal inscriptions and divine declarations. In Akkadian, nominal sentences also serve to state permanent truths (e.g., “The king is my shepherd”). In Ugaritic poetry, similar appositional and nominal structures are used to define relationships between deity and people or ruler and servant.
In classical Arabic, such verbless clauses are also structurally central to declarations of identity or authority (e.g., anta rajulun, “you are a man”). The use of pronouns with possessives reinforces social hierarchy and covenant identity, similar to the Hebrew expression אֲנִי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.
Theological and Literary Significance of Covenant Syntax
The verse encapsulates the entire theology of Ezekiel 34 in one line: the people are God’s flock; He is their God. The absence of verbs paradoxically strengthens the declarations, suggesting timeless truths. The appositions build a layered image: the people are sheep—but also human—and their identity is anchored in divine ownership and pastoral care.
The structure of the verse models a liturgical affirmation, suitable for covenant renewal contexts. It affirms not only God’s sovereign role but His personal relationship with each member of the community. The syntax of possession and identity is also a polemic against idolatry and false shepherds condemned earlier in the chapter.
Nominal Syntax as Covenant Theology in Ezekiel 34:31
Through a rich interplay of pronouns, apposition, and verbless clauses, Ezekiel 34:31 declares the theological identity of Israel and their God. The simplicity of the grammar masks the depth of its meaning: identity, relationship, and restoration are affirmed without a single finite verb. The people are God’s flock; He is their God. This is not merely metaphor—it is grammar as revelation.
