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Echoes of Revelation
Revelation never quotes the Old Testament outright, yet no New Testament book refers to it more. See both texts side by side, why they don’t match, and what John does with them.
Revelation 7:17, the Lamb will be their shepherd
The Lamb shepherding his people takes the shepherd role God holds in Psalm 23 and promises to David's heir in Ezekiel 34.
Revelation 7:17, in every translation this tool compares.
A story where the smallest lamb leads the flock turns the usual roles upside down. In Psalm 23 the Lord is the shepherd who leads his sheep beside quiet waters. In Ezekiel 34 God promises one shepherd, his servant David, to tend his people. John says the Lamb, at the very heart of the throne, will shepherd them and lead them to water. The one who was slain now leads the flock.
A shepherd who tends his people and leads them to water. The Greek of Ezekiel 34:23 has poimanei autous, he will shepherd them, exactly John's words. Psalm 23:1 has the Lord shepherds me (poimainei).
In the psalm the Lord is the shepherd; in Ezekiel it is David's heir. John gives the role to a Lamb, an animal of the flock. Beale says shepherd may stand in for Isaiah's word pastured, borrowed from Ezekiel.
Beale and the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible read the Lamb as the divine shepherd. He stands where God stands in Psalm 23. Wright calls it a role reversal: the lamb becomes the shepherd, taking both the royal role and the divine one.
Not a weak leader. Keener notes lambs were the weakest in the flock, yet this Lamb stands in the middle of the throne.
Beale says the image of the Lamb shepherding comes from Isaiah 49:9-10, and that Psalm 23:1-2 may also be echoed, since there God shepherds his people and leads them to water. He suggests shepherd them (poimanei autous) replaces Isaiah's pastured because of Ezekiel 37:24 and 34:23, where David will be one shepherd over all Israel. In the vault's Septuagint, Ezekiel 34:23 reads kai poimanei autous … kai estai auton poimen, and Psalm 23:1 kyrios poimainei me. The ESV Study Bible and the CSB Study Bible's cross-references cite Psalm 23:1-2, with Ezekiel 34:23 in the cross-references; the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible cites Psalm 23:1-2 and Ezekiel 34:11-16; Wright names Psalm 23. The grade is possible: Beale says may be echoed, though Ezekiel's two words match John exactly.
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- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), comment on 7:16-17
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Revelation 7:17
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, note on Revelation 7:17
- ESV Study Bible, note on Revelation 7:15-17
- CSB Study Bible, cross-references at Revelation 7:17
- NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, note on Revelation 7:17
- N. T. Wright, Revelation for Everyone, comment on Revelation 7:9-17
- Septuagint, Psalm 23:1-2 and Ezekiel 34:23, Interlinear Greek-English Septuagint
- SBL Greek New Testament (MorphGNT), Revelation 7:17
