Table of Contents
New theory: The biblical view of a simple shepherd caring for his livestock (sheep) may be false. Alternatively, the people (humans) are the flock, and the shepherd (caretaker/overseer) is the (earthly) medium between the humans and the ‘divine.’
In the Bible – Old Testament
Abel
- Verse: Genesis 4:2 (NASB)
- English: “Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”
- Hebrew: “וַיְהִי־הֶבֶל רֹעֵה צֹאן וְקַיִן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה׃”
- Literal Translation: “”And she brought forth Abel (Et-Hevel), his brother. Abel became Guardian of the flocks, but Cain (Qayin) became a cultivator of the earth.””
Abraham
- Verse: Genesis 13:2, 13:7 (NASB)
- English: “Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.” / “And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.”
- Hebrew: “וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב” / “וַיְהִי־רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־לוֹט”
- Literal Translation: “Now Abram (Avram) was extremely prosperous, possessing much livestock, along with silver and gold.” / “And it happened that a conflict arose between the keepers of Abram’s livestock and Lot’s livestock, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites, who were at that time settled in that territory.”
Isaac
- Verse: Genesis 26:12-14 (NASB)
- English: “Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.”
- Hebrew: “וַיִּזְרַע יִצְחָק בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא וַיִּמְצָא בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ יְהוָה׃”
- Literal Translation: Verse 12: “Isaac cultivated in that land and, during that year, gained a hundredfold, and was blessed.”Verse 13: “He grew wealthy, and he progressed to grow in wealth until he became exceedingly wealthy.”Verse 14: “He possessed herds of sheep, cattle, and many servants, and the Philistines begrudged him.”
Jacob
- Verse: Genesis 30:31-36 (NASB)
- English: “So Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock.'”
- Hebrew: “וַיֹּאמֶר מַה־אֶתֶּן לָךְ וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב לֹא־תִתֵּן לִי מְאוּמָה אִם־תַּעֲשֶׂה־לִּי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אָשׁוּב אַרְעֶה צֹאנְךָ אֶשְׁמֹר”
- Literal Translation: “And Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything. If you do this thing for me, I will again shepherd your flock and keep it.'”
Moses
- Verse: Exodus 3:1 (NASB)
- English: “Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.”
- Hebrew: “וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת־צֹאן יִתְרוֹ חֹתְנוֹ כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן וַיִּנְהַג אֶת־הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵבָה”
- Literal Translation: “Now Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he took them beyond the desert to the sacred mountain of God, called Horeb.”
David
- Verse: 1 Samuel 16:11 (NASB)
- English: “And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all the children?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.'”
- Hebrew: “וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־יִשַׁי הֲתַמּוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד שָׁאַר הַקָּטָן וְהִנֵּה רֹעֶה בַּצֹּאן וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־יִשַׁי שִׁלְחָה וְקָחֶנּוּ כִּי לֹא־נָסֹב עַד־בֹּאוֹ פֹה”
- Literal Translation: “And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all the young men here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, shepherding the flock.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.'”
Amos
- Verse: Amos 1:1 (NASB)
- English: “The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds from Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.”
- Hebrew: “דִּבְרֵי עָמוֹס אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה בַנֹּקְדִים מִתְּקוֹעַ אֲשֶׁר חָזָה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וּבִימֵי יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנָתַיִם לִפְנֵי הָרָעַשׁ”
- Literal Translation: “These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds from Tekoa. He received visions concerning Israel during the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the great earthquake.”
Hebrew words for Shepherd
In Hebrew, there are several words that can be translated as “flock,” depending on the context. Here are some of the most common Hebrew words used to refer to a flock:
צֹאן (Tson)
- Meaning: Refers generally to a flock of small livestock, such as sheep and goats.
- Example: Genesis 4:2 – “וַיְהִי־הֶבֶל רֹעֵה צֹאן וְקַיִן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה׃” (“Abel was a keeper of flocks [צֹאן], but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”)
עֵדֶר (Eder)
- Meaning: Refers to a herd or flock, often of sheep, but can also be used for other animals in certain contexts.
- Example: Genesis 33:13 – “וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲדֹנִי יֹדֵעַ כִּי־הַיְלָדִים רַכִּים וְהַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר עָלוֹת עָלַי” (“And he said to him, ‘My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks [הַצֹּאן] and the herds [הַבָּקָר] with me are nursing.'”)
מִקְנֶה (Mikneh)
- Meaning: Refers to livestock or cattle, which can include a flock of sheep or goats as part of a larger group of animals.
- Example: Genesis 13:2 – “וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב” (“And Abram was very rich in livestock [בַּמִּקְנֶה], in silver, and in gold.”)
עֵדֶר צֹאן (Eder Tson)
- Meaning: Literally “flock of sheep,” a compound phrase emphasizing a group of sheep.
- Example: Micah 2:12 – “אָסֹף אֲאַסֵּף יַעֲקֹב כֻּלָּךְ קַבֵּץ אֲקַבֵּץ שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל יַחַד אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ כְּצֹאן בָּצְרָה כְּעֵדֶר בְּתוֹךְ הַדָּבְרוֹ כְּתוֹךְ עֵדֶר צֹאן רַב בְּתוֹךְ דָּבְרוֹ” (“I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like the sheep of Bozrah, like a flock [עֵדֶר] in the midst of their pasture [צֹאן].”)
דָּבֵר (Daber)
- Meaning: This term is used in some instances for a flock, particularly in a poetic context, though it is less common.
- Example: Micah 4:8 – “וְאַתָּה מִגְדַּל־עֵדֶר עֹפֶל בַּת־צִיּוֹן עָדֶיךָ תֵּאתֶה וּבָאָה הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הָרִאשֹׁנָה מַמְלֶכֶת לְבַת־יְרוּשָׁלָיִם” (“And you, O tower of the flock [מִגְדַּל־עֵדֶר], the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”)
The New Testament (Greek)
The Shepherds at Jesus’ Birth
- Verse: Luke 2:8 (NASB)
- English: “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.”
- Literal Translation: “In the same region, there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
Jesus Christ (The Good Shepherd)
- Verse: John 10:11 (NASB)
- English: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
- Literal Translation: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
[109b] Once upon a time the gods were taking over by lot the whole earth according to its regions,—not according to the results of strife1: for it would not be reasonable to suppose that the gods were ignorant of their own several rights, nor yet that they attempted to obtain for themselves by means of strife a possession to which others, as they knew, had a better claim. So by just allotments they received each one his own, and they settled their countries; and when they had thus settled them, they reared us up, even as herdsmen
Plato Critias
Zeus gave it to Hermes, slayer of Argos, guide, and guardian. King Hermes gave it to Pelops, the mighty charioteer, and Pelops to Atreus, shepherd of his people.
Illiad, Homer
