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Sheep

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G4263

πρόβατον

probaton — sheep

πρόβατον, -ου, τό (προβαίνω), [in LXX chiefly for צֹאן, also for שֶׂה, more rarely for כֶּבֶשׂ (כֶּשֶׂב), רָחֵל ;] 1. in Hom., Hdt., cattle, esp. of small cattle, sheep and goats. 2. In NT, as in Attic writers generally (cf. MM, xxi), a sheep: Mat.7:15, Mrk.6:34, al.; πρόβατα σφαγῆς, Rom.8:36 (LXX). Metaphorical (in cl. of timidity, stupidity or idleness), of the followers of a leader or master, esp. of those who are subject to the care of the Good Shepherd: Mat.10:6 15:24 26:31" (LXX) Mrk.14:27 (LXX), Jhn.10:7-8, 15-16 10:26-27 21:16-17 (WH txt., προβάτια), Heb.13:20; opposite to ἐρίφια, Mat.25:33. προβάτιον, -ου, τό, dimin. of πρόβατον (used as a term of endearment, see El., § 27, 4), a little sheep: Jhn.21:16-17 (πρόβατα, WH, mg.).† (AS)

37 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7716

שֶׂה

seh — sheep

1) one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat 1a) sheep, goat 1b) flock (collective) Also means: zeh (זֶה "lamb" H2089)

35 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6629

צֹאן

tson — flock

1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks 1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats) 1b) of multitude (simile) 1c) of multitude (metaphor)

227 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4735

מִקְנֶה

miq.neh — livestock

1) cattle, livestock 1a) cattle, livestock 1a1) in general of a purchasable domestic animal 1b) cows, sheep, goats (in herds and flocks)

62 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5116

נָוֶה

na.veh — pasture

1) abode, habitation, abode of shepherds or flocks, pasture 1a) abode (of sheep) 1b) abode (of shepherds) 1c) meadow 1d) habitation

32 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8476

תַּ֫חַשׁ

ta.chash — leather

1) a kind of leather, skin, or animal hide 1a) perhaps the animal yielding the skin 1a1) perhaps the badger or dugong, dolphin, or sheep, or a now extinct animal

13 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G833

αὐλή

aulē — palace/courtyard

αὐλή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for חָצֵר ;] 1. in Hom., an open courtyard before a house, hence, an enclosure in the open, a sheepfold: Jhn.10:1, 16 2. the court, courtyard, round which a house is built: Mat.26:3, 58 26:69, Mrk.14:54, 66 15:16 Luk.11:21 22:55, Jhn.18:15; τ. ναοῦ, Rev.11:2. a dwelling, a palace (so, accusative to Grimm-Th., see word): Mat.26:3, 58, Mrk.14:54 15:16, Luk.11:21, Jhn.18:15 (but see MM, see word; cf. also DB, ii, 25, 287).† (AS)

12 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G1287

διασκορπίζω

diaskorpizō — to scatter

δια-σκορπίζω [in LXX for פּוּץ, זָרָה, etc. ;] to scatter abroad, disperse: of sheep, Mat.26:31 = Mrk.14:27" (LXX) ; of persons, Luk.1:51, Act.5:37, opposite to συνάγω, Jhn.11:52; of winnowing grain, Mat.25:24, 26; metaphorically, of property, to squander, waste: Luk.15:13 16:1.† (AS)

9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4168

ποίμνιον

poimnion — flock

ποίμνιον, -ου, τό, = ποίμνη, which see [in LXX chiefly for צֹאן, also for עֵדֶר, etc. ;] a flock, prop., of sheep. Metaphorical, of Christians: Luk.12:32, Act.20:23, 28, 1Pe.5:3; τ. θεοῦ, ib. 1Pe.5:2.† (AS)

5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4167

ποίμνη

poimnē — flock

ποίμνη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX: Gen.32:16 (17) (עֵדֶר), Zec.13:7 A * ;] a flock, prop., of sheep: Mat.26:31, Luk.2:8, 1Co.9:7. Metaphorical, of Christ's followers, Jhn.10:16.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G2751

κείρω

keirō — to shear

κείρω [in LXX chiefly for גָּזַז, Isa.53:7, al. ;] to cut short the hair, shear: a sheep, Act.8:32 (Isa, l.with). Mid., to have one's hair cut off, be shorn: absol., 1Co.11:6; τ-. κεφαλήν, Act.18:18.† (AS)

3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3374

μηλωτή

mēlōtē — sheepskin

μηλωτή, -ῆς, ἡ (μῆλον, a sheep or goat) [in LXX for אַדֶּרֶת, 3Ki.19:13 19:19, 4Ki.2:8 2:13-14 * ;] a sheepskin: Heb.11:37.† (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4262

προβατικός

probatikos — Sheep Gate

προβατικός, -ή, -όν (πρόβατον) [in LXX (π. πύλη): Neh.3:1, 32 12:39 (צֹאן)* ;] of sheep: ἡ π. (sc. πύλη, see supr.), the sheep-gate, Jhn.5:2.† (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1178

בַּ֫עַל חָצוֹר

ba.al cha.tsor — Baal-hazor

§ Baal-hazor = "lord of the village" a town on the border between Ephraim and Benjamin, apparent location of a sheep farm of Absalom and location of Amnon's murder

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

Are of different varieties. Probably the flocks of Abraham and Isaac were of the wild species found still in the mountain regions of Persia and Kurdistan. After the Exodus, and as a result of intercourse with surrounding nations, other species were no doubt introduced into the herds of the people of Israel. They are frequently mentioned in Scripture. The care of a shepherd over his flock is referred to as illustrating God’s care over his people (Ps. 23:1, 2; 74:1; 77:20; Isa. 40:11; 53:6; John 10:1-5, 7-16). “The sheep of Palestine are longer in the head than ours, and have tails from 5 inches broad at the narrowest part to 15 inches at the widest, the weight being in proportion, and ranging generally from 10 to 14 lbs., but sometimes extending to 30 lbs. The tails are indeed huge masses of fat” (Geikie’s Holy Land, etc.). The tail was no doubt the “rump” so frequently referred to in the Levitical sacrifices (Ex. 29:22; Lev. 3:9; 7:3; 9:19). Sheep-shearing was generally an occasion of great festivity (Gen. 31:19; 38:12, 13; 1 Sam. 25:4-8, 36; 2 Sam. 13:23-28).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Sheep in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →