H2835 H2835
little flocks, small detachments; groups separated or stripped off from a larger body
This construct plural form, appearing in 1 Kings 20:27, describes Israel's troops as 'two little flocks of goats' compared to the vast Aramean army. The term suggests small, segregated groups. Ancient versions support the rendering 'flocks,' though the root etymology is uncertain. The image emphasizes Israel's vulnerability and sets the stage for God's deliverance against overwhelming odds.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In 1 Kings 20:27, Israel's forces are compared to 'two little flocks of goats,' highlighting their smallness and vulnerability before the Aramean multitude that 'filled the land.' The construct phrase 'flocks of goats' uses pastoral imagery to depict military detachments. Spanish 'rebaños' (flocks), French 'troupeaux,' and English 'flocks' all preserve the pastoral metaphor of small, segregated groups facing a massive enemy. 1×
AR["صَغيرَيْنِ"]·ben["পাল"]·DE["Herden-von"]·EN["flocks-of"]·FR["troupeaux-de"]·heb["חשיפי"]·HI["झुण्ड"]·ID["kelompok-kecil"]·IT["greggi-di"]·jav["pèngèn-pèngèn"]·KO["작은-떼들-의"]·PT["rebanhinhos-de"]·RU["стада"]·ES["rebaños"]·SW["makundi-madogo-ya"]·TR["sürüleri"]·urd["جھنڈ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חָשִׂיף] n.m. only pl. cstr. כִּשְׁנֵי חֲשִׂפֵי עִזִּ��ם 1 K 20:27 𝔊 𝔙 𝔗 and most, two little flocks of goats (חשׂיף = segregatum, strictly what is stripped off), but this without other evidence than authority of the Vrss; Klo proposes בַּשְּׁפִי מִשְׁפַּט עִזִּים on the bare height, after the manner of goats.