A flock (literally or figuratively)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
POIMNE, G4167, names a flock and appears only a handful of times in the New Testament, but its uses are weighty. It can refer to literal shepherds keeping watch at night, to sheep scattered when the shepherd is struck, to Paul's practical analogy of tending a flock, and most importantly to Jesus' promise that he has other sheep who will become one flock under one shepherd.
Reader summary
Full entry for ποίμνη (G4167) · Open the biblical lexicon
POIMNE, G4167, names a flock and appears only a handful of times in the New Testament, but its uses are weighty. It can refer to literal shepherds keeping watch at night, to sheep scattered when the shepherd is struck, to Paul's practical analogy of tending a flock, and most importantly to Jesus' promise that he has other sheep who will become one flock.
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include flock (2), [its] (1), a flock (1), flocks (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 26:31. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (2), John (1), Luke (1), Matthew (1).
POIMNE, G4167, names a flock and appears only a handful of times in the New Testament, but its uses are weighty. It can refer to literal shepherds keeping watch at night, to sheep scattered when the shepherd is struck, to Paul's practical analogy of tending a flock, and most importantly to Jesus' promise that he has other sheep who will become one flock under one shepherd.
The word should be handled with restraint because the larger shepherd theme uses related terms as well. Still, G4167 gives a clear window into Christ's gathering work, the vulnerability of disciples, and the unity of those who listen to his voice.
G4167 is a compact but important New Testament flock word. It moves from literal flocks to the scattering of disciples, the ethics of care, and Christ's promise of one flock under one shepherd.
And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Luke uses the word literally for shepherds and flocks, keeping the image grounded in actual watchful care.
Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
Jesus applies Zechariah's shepherd-struck imagery to the scattering of his disciples before the cross.
I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Jesus promises one flock and one shepherd, tying mission, voice, unity, and shepherding to himself.
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
Paul uses flock-tending as an ordinary analogy for the legitimacy of receiving provision from one's labor.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Collective term for sheep; metaphorically denotes Christ's followers as his unified pastoral responsibility.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a flock
Read versea flock
Read versea flock
Read versea flock
Read versea flock
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 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.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
ποίμνη is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
The New Testament uses the flock image with enough realism to resist both sentimentality and control. Luke 2 grounds the noun in actual shepherds keeping watch over vulnerable animals. Matthew 26 then applies Zechariah's struck-shepherd text to disciples who scatter when Jesus is arrested, showing that proximity to the Shepherd does not make the flock naturally brave.
John 10 provides the theological center: Jesus knows His sheep, gives His life, calls others who are not yet in the fold, and creates one flock under one Shepherd. Unity comes from hearing and belonging to Him, not from erasing every distinction or demanding loyalty to a human platform. First Corinthians 9 preserves the ordinary labor of tending a flock. Together these passages dignify responsible care while refusing to transfer Christ's unique authority to church leaders.
John.10.16
This noun names the flock itself. It should be distinguished from related words for sheep, fold, shepherd, and shepherding. John 10:16 speaks of one flock under one Shepherd, not one enclosure; the unity promised there is personal and Christ-centered rather than a claim about one human institution.
Israel's Scriptures describe the Lord's people as a flock, condemn shepherds who scatter them, and promise that God will gather and shepherd His own people. Jesus takes that divine-shepherd pattern up in John 10 and fulfills Zechariah's struck-shepherd word in the passion. The bridge is the canonical shepherd-and-flock theme, not a claim that every Hebrew flock noun maps directly to G4167.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain