What does ποιμήν · πρόβατον · μέγας mean in the Bible?
ποιμήν · πρόβατον · μέγας is a Greek phrase meaning "great Shepherd of the sheep".
Greek · G4166, G4263, G3173
ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν
A shepherd (literally or figuratively) · sheep · big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application)
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
ποιμήνG4166a shepherd (literally or figuratively)
Pronunciationpoimḗn
Shepherd metaphor emphasizes protective, personal care for a flock; applied to Christ and church leaders.
Open lexicon entry →πρόβατονG4263sheep
Pronunciationpróbaton
In NT metaphor, denotes Christ's vulnerable followers dependent on their shepherd's protective care and guidance.
Open lexicon entry →μέγαςG3173big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application)
Pronunciationmégas
Describes size, intensity, rank, or importance—applies broadly across physical, moral, and spiritual dimensions
Open lexicon entry →What does ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν (poimena tōn probatōn ton megan) mean in the Bible?
ποιμήν · πρόβατον · μέγας is a Greek phrase meaning "great Shepherd of the sheep".
Full entry for ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν (G4166, G4263, G3173) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for G4166, G4263, G3173?
G4166, G4263, G3173 is connected to 18 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Greek phrase. great Shepherd of the sheep
Source Gloss
great Shepherd of the sheep
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns5Aligned forms18Case patternNominative (10)Number patternSingular (13)
Nominative · Singular · MasculineMatt 25:32 · John 10:2 · John 10:11 · John 10:12 · John 10:14 · John 10:167×
Nominative · Plural · MasculineLuke 2:8 · Luke 2:15 · Luke 2:203×
Genitive · Plural · MasculineLuke 2:181×
Accusative · Singular · MasculineMatt 9:36 · Matt 26:31 · Mark 6:34 · Mark 14:27 · Heb 13:20 · 1 Pet 2:256×
Accusative · Plural · MasculineEph 4:111×
Word Origins
ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.