ποιμαίνω G4165
To shepherd, tend a flock; figuratively, to guide, rule, or pastorally care for people
Drawn from the everyday world of Palestinian shepherding, this verb carries a rich double life in the New Testament. In its literal sense it describes the work of tending and pasturing sheep (Luke 17:7; 1 Cor 9:7). Far more often, however, it is pressed into service as a metaphor for spiritual leadership and messianic rule. Jesus commissions Peter to 'shepherd my sheep' (John 21:16), and Revelation portrays the risen Christ shepherding the nations with an iron rod (Rev 2:27; 19:15). Multilingual renderings consistently mirror this duality: Spanish 'pastorear,' French 'paitre,' and German 'weiden' all carry both the agricultural and the governmental overtone.
Senses
1. shepherd/rule (spiritual/messianic) — Spiritual or messianic shepherding: guiding, governing, or pastorally caring for people under divine authority. Christ is prophesied as the one who will 'shepherd my people Israel' (Matt 2:6), and he commissions Peter likewise (John 21:16). In Revelation, this sense intensifies into sovereign rule—shepherding the nations with a rod of iron (Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). Paul urges Ephesian elders to 'shepherd the church of God' (Acts 20:28), and Peter echoes the charge (1 Pet 5:2). Spanish 'pastorear' and German 'weiden' capture the same pastoral-governance range. 8×
AR["ارعَوا", "ارْعَ", "سَيَرعاهُم", "سَيَرْعاهُمْ", "سَيَرْعَى", "لِتَرْعَوْا", "يَرعى"]·ben["চরাও", "তৃণভূমি-করবে", "পালন-কর", "পালন-করতে", "পালন-করবেন", "শাসন-করতে", "শাসন-করবেন"]·DE["weiden", "weidet"]·EN["he-will-shepherd", "shepherd", "to-shepherd", "will-shepherd"]·FR["paître"]·heb["יִרְעֶה", "לִרְעוֹת", "רְעֵה", "רְעוּ"]·HI["चरवाही-कर", "चरवाही-करेगा", "चरवाही-करो", "चराएगा", "चराने", "चराने-को", "वह-चराएगा"]·ID["Gembalakanlah", "akan-menggembalakan", "dia-akan-menggembalakan", "gembalalah", "menggembalakan"]·IT["pascere", "poimaine", "poimanei"]·jav["Angonana", "badhe-ngengon", "badhé-ngèngon", "ngangon", "ngemban", "ngenana"]·KO["다스리겠다", "다스리려고", "다스릴-것이다", "목양하라", "목양할-것이다", "치라", "치리실-것이다"]·PT["Pastoreia", "apascentar", "apascentará", "para-apascentar"]·RU["Паси", "будет-пасти", "пасите", "пасти"]·ES["Pastorea", "para-pastorear", "pastoread", "pastorear", "pastoreará"]·SW["Chunga", "atawachunga", "atayachunga", "kuchunga", "lichungeni"]·TR["Güt", "güdecek", "güdün", "gütmek"]·urd["چراؤ", "چرائے-گا", "چرانا", "چرانے-کو", "چروائی-کر"]
2. shepherd/tend (literal) — Literal animal husbandry: herding, tending, or pasturing sheep and livestock. In Luke 17:7 a servant returns from 'shepherding' in the field, and Paul's rhetorical question in 1 Corinthians 9:7 appeals to the common right of a shepherd to drink the flock's milk. Jude 1:12 uses the participle of those who 'shepherd only themselves,' twisting the literal image into rebuke. French 'paissant' and Spanish 'apacentando' preserve the concrete agricultural sense. 3×
amh["የሚጠብቁ"]·AR["يرعون", "يَرعى", "يَرْعى"]·ben["পালন-করা", "পালন-করে", "প্রতিপালনকারী"]·ces["pasoucí"]·dan["vogterne;"]·DE["weiden", "weidend", "weidet"]·ell["ποιμαίνοντες·"]·EN["shepherding", "shepherds"]·FR["paissant;", "paître"]·guj["ચરાવતાં;"]·hat["bay-manje"]·hau["suna-kiwata"]·heb["רוֹעֶה", "רועים"]·HI["चरवाहा-करने-वाला", "चरवाही-करता-है", "चराते-हुए"]·hun["legeltetők"]·ID["menggembalakan", "sambil-menggembalakan"]·IT["pascendo", "pascere", "poimainonta"]·jav["ngangon", "ngengon,", "nggembala"]·JA["養っている者たち"]·KO["목양하며", "목침하는", "친다"]·mar["पोसणारे;"]·mya["ကျွေးမွေးလျက်"]·nld["weidende"]·nor["fostrende"]·pnb["چران-والے"]·pol["pasący"]·PT["apascenta", "apascentando"]·ron["păscându-se;"]·RU["пасущего", "пасущие", "пасёт"]·ES["apacentando", "pastorea"]·SW["akichunga", "anayechunga", "wakijilisha"]·swe["vaktande"]·tam["மேய்க்கிறவர்கள்"]·tel["మేపుకొనుచున్నారు"]·tgl["pinapakain"]·TH["เลี้ยงดู"]·TR["güdecek", "güdenleri;", "sürü güder"]·ukr["пасучи"]·urd["چراتا-ہے", "چرانے-والے", "چرواہی-کرتا"]·VI["chăn"]·yor["tí-wọ́n-ń-bọ́;"]·yue["牧養"]·ZH["牧养着"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ποιμαίνω, Epic dialect imperfect ποιμαίνεσκεν Refs 8th c.BC+: (ποιμήν):—herd, tend, μῆλα Refs 8th c.BC+; πρόβατα variant in Refs 5th c.BC+; ποιμαίνειν ἐπ᾽ ὄεσσι to be shepherd over sheep, Refs 8th c.BC+: absolutely, act as shepherd, tend flocks, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, to be herded, roam the pastures, of flocks, Refs 8th c.BC+middle, with ὕπνος (l. Refs __2 πᾶς πεποίμανται τόπος every country…