A denominative noun meaning herdsman or cattle-keeper, famously applied to the prophet Amos who describes himself with this term. Before his prophetic calling, Amos tended herds, identifying him as a non-professional prophet from a working-class background. The term relates to boqer (cattle, herd) and distinguishes cattle-herders from shepherds of sheep and goats. Amos's self-identification emphasizes he was not from the prophetic guild but called directly by God from ordinary labor.