יחזקאל, פרק ל״ד, פסוק א׳

At a moment of profound historical crisis, following the destruction of the Temple, the collapse of the monarchy, and the exile of the final kings, Zedekiah and Jehoiachin, a piercing message addresses the root cause of the national disaster. A divine prophecy is directed against the nation's leaders, who are characterized as the shepherds of Israel. There is a general consensus that these kings and leaders were directly responsible for the destruction and the subsequent scattering of the people into exile. Instead of properly tending to God's flock, they focused entirely on their own personal gain and self-interest [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

The arrival of this divine communication at such a fractured time serves two primary purposes. First, it acts to justify God's judgments, demonstrating that the severe punishment and the total removal of the old monarchy were entirely just and necessary actions [מלבי״ם]. Second, the harsh rebuke directed at these leaders functions as an essential introduction to the upcoming prophecies of comfort and redemption. Before God promises to gather the exiles from all lands and establish a new, faithful leadership from the line of David, He must first make a definitive break with the past. He clarifies to the people that the corrupt kings of former times have permanently finished their roles and will never return to power. Moving forward, God Himself will step in to guide and protect His flock [אברבנאל].