Ezekiel 34:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They shall dwell in your land without fear, filled with the hope of peace—the land of the living, the land of the humble, where it is declared, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” By prospering in all aspects, they will come to know that He is the Lord, who will shatter the chains or iron confines of their bondage, which have weighed upon them with great force, and rescue them from the power of their oppressors. For one becomes a servant to the one who conquers him.

Furthermore, not only that, but we ourselves have the firstfruits of the Spirit; we groan within ourselves, eagerly desiring adoption, the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23). He then emphasizes what is most essential. They will recognize that I am the Lord when I break the chains of their burden and set them free from those who have oppressed them. The beasts of the field shall not subject them, nor will any creature bring them into bondage. The prophecy is indeed specific: one aspect pertains to the Jews, and another to all humanity; for God freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity and liberated all of us from the torment of sin. The burdens of servitude refer to the necessity of slavery, and the tongues and beasts symbolize, for the Jews, the brutal adversaries, and for us, the various demonic forces that, like ferocious beasts, prey upon humanity. Hope in Him is the invincible weapon provided. To dwell with hope means they shall not be frightened by them. It is better to trust in the Lord than to place hope in man (Psalm 117:8); whoever possesses this hope proclaims, ‘All the nations surround me, but in the name of the Lord I will cut them off’ (Psalm 117:10).