H7353 H7353
ewe, female sheep
This noun denotes a female sheep, often paired with rams, goats, or used in simile. The term appears in patriarchal narratives describing flocks, in prophetic imagery of the suffering servant, and in poetic comparison. Ewes represented valuable livestock and carried symbolic weight in sacrifice and metaphor.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Designates female sheep. Genesis 31:38 lists 'your ewes and goats' (רְחֵלֶיךָ וְעִזֶּיךָ) in Laban's flocks that didn't miscarry under Jacob's care. Genesis 32:14 (32:15 Eng.) details 200 ewes in Jacob's gift to Esau. Song 6:6 compares teeth to 'a flock of ewes' (כְּעֵדֶר הָרְחֵלִים) coming up from washing. Isaiah 53:7 uses 'like an ewe before her shearers' (וּכְרָחֵל) in the suffering servant's silence. Multilingual glosses distinguish gender: Spanish 'ovejas' (general or female), French 'brebis' (ewe), German 'Mutterschafe' (mother sheep)—all marking the female specificity that distinguishes this from general sheep (צֹאן) or rams (אֵילִים). 4×
AR["نِعاجًا", "نِعاجُ-كَ", "هَ-رْحِيلِيم", "وَ-كَـ-نَعْجَةٍ"]·ben["-এবং-মেষের-মতো", "-ভেড়াদের", "তোমার-মেষগুলি", "মেষ"]·DE["Mutterschafe", "[הרחלים]", "[וכרחל]", "deine-Mutterschafe"]·EN["and-like-ewe", "ewes", "the-ewes", "your-ewes"]·FR["[וכרחל]", "de-brebis", "ewes", "ton-ewes"]·heb["ה-רחלים", "ו-כ-רחל", "רחליך-ך", "רחלים"]·HI["और-भेड़ीकी-तरह", "तेरी-भेड़ें", "भेड़ियों-के", "भेड़ें"]·ID["-domba-betina", "dan-seperti-induk-domba", "domba-betina", "domba-domba-betina-mu"]·IT["[וכרחל]", "ewes", "il-il-ewes", "tuo-ewes"]·jav["lan-kados-mènda-èstri", "menda-èstri", "menda-èstri-panjenengan", "wedhus-gèmbèl"]·KO["그-암양들-의", "그리고-암양같이-", "당신의-암양들과", "암양"]·PT["as-ovelhas", "e-como-ovelha", "ovelhas", "ovelhas-tuas"]·RU["и-как-овца", "овец", "овцы-твои"]·ES["las-ovejas", "ovejas", "ovejas-tuyas", "y-como-oveja"]·SW["kondoo-jike", "kondoo-jike-zako", "la-kondoo", "na-kama-kondoo"]·TR["koyunlar", "koyunlarin", "koyunların", "ve-koyun-gibi"]·urd["اور-بھیڑ-کی-طرح", "بھیڑوں-کے", "بھیڑیں", "تیری-بھیڑیں"]
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
† I. רָחֵל n.f. Is 53:7 ewe;—abs. ר׳ Is 53:7; (in sim., ‖ שֶׂה); pl. רְחֵלִים Gn 32:15 (E; + עִזִּים, אֵילִים), Ct 6:6 (in sim.); sf. רְחֵלֶיךָ וְעִזֶּיךָ Gn 31:38 (E).