What does רָעָה · צֹאן mean in the Bible?
רָעָה · צֹאן is a Hebrew phrase meaning "shepherd of flocks".
Hebrew · H7462, H6629
רֹעֵה צֹאן
To tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule ; by extension, to associate with (as a friend) · a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
רָעָה H7462 to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule ; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)
Pronunciation rō‘î
Shepherd metaphor foundational to kingship and covenantal care; moves from literal pasturing to ruling to companionship.
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צֹאן H6629 a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
Pronunciation ṣōʾn
Collective term for livestock herds; metaphorically denotes God's people as vulnerable dependents needing shepherding.
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What does רֹעֵה צֹאן (ro'eh tson) mean in the Bible?
רָעָה · צֹאן is a Hebrew phrase meaning "shepherd of flocks".
Full entry for רֹעֵה צֹאן (H7462, H6629) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H7462, H6629?
H7462, H6629 is connected to 438 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. shepherd of flocks
Source Gloss
shepherd of flocks
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 82
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 80×
Participle active 1Kgs 22:17 · 1Sam 16:11 · 1Sam 17:34 · 1Sam 25:16 · 2Chr 18:16 · Exod 3:1 · Ezek 34:2 · Ezek 34:5 · Ezek 34:7 · Ezek 34:8 · Ezek 34:12 · Ezek 34:23 · Gen 4:2 · Gen 29:9 · Gen 30:36 · Gen 37:2 48×
Imperfect Ezek 34:2 · Ezek 34:10 · Isa 49:9 · Isa 65:25 · Mic 7:14 · Prov 10:21 · Zeph 3:13 · Ezek 34:23 · Isa 27:10 · Isa 30:23 · Isa 40:11 · Prov 15:14 · Ezek 34:14 · Ezek 34:15 · Gen 30:31 · Zech 11:9 25×
Sequential imperfect Mic 7:14 · Zech 11:4 · Gen 29:7 3×
Jussive Exod 34:3 · Jonah 3:7 2×
Perfect Ezek 34:8 · Jer 6:3 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Perfect Judg 14:20 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 1×
Jussive Prov 22:24 1×
Word Origins
רֹעֵה צֹאן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
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