H7473 H7473
Shepherd or herdsman, the Qal participle of ra'ah used for those who tend flocks, including God and rulers
The active participle of the verb 'to shepherd' used as a substantive noun — one who feeds and tends flocks. In its literal sense, it describes herdsmen in the patriarchal narratives, where the quarreling shepherds of Abram and Lot signal the need for the kinsmen to part ways (Gen 13:7–8). The word reaches its theological summit in Psalm 23:1, 'The LORD is my shepherd,' where the intimate care of a herdsman for his flock becomes the defining metaphor for God's relationship with his people. Prophetic literature extends it to human rulers, as when God calls Cyrus 'my shepherd' (Isa 44:28).
Senses
1. shepherd, herdsman — A shepherd or herdsman — one who pastures and tends livestock, used both literally and as a powerful metaphor. In patriarchal settings it denotes working herdsmen (Gen 13:7–8; 26:20; 1 Sam 21:8). Theologically, it becomes a title for God himself (Ps 23:1) and for rulers commissioned by God such as Cyrus (Isa 44:28) and the smitten shepherd of Zechariah 13:7. Cross-linguistic evidence is remarkably unified: Arabic رُعَاة (ru'at), Spanish 'pastores,' Korean 목자들 (mokjadeul), Hindi चरवाहे, Swahili 'wachungaji' — all converging on the shepherd image without semantic splitting. 11×
AR["الرُّعَاةِ","رَاعٍ","رَاعِيَ","رُعاةُ","رُعاةِ","رُعَاةِ","رُعَاتِكَ","رُعَاتِي","لِ-رَاعِي"]·ben["আমার-পালক","আমার-পালকদের","আমার-রাখাল","তোমার-পালকদের","পালক","পালকদের","পালকেরা","রাখালের","সেই-মেষপালকদের"]·DE["[רעי]","deinen-Hirten","den-Hirten","den-Hirten-","der-shepherds","die-Hirten","meine-Freunde","meinen-Hirten"]·EN["My-shepherd","herdsmen-of","my-herdsmen","my-shepherd","of-a-shepherd","shepherd-of","shepherds-of","the-shepherds","your-herdsmen"]·FR["[רעי]","berger","bergers-de","le-bergers","mon-bergers","shepherds-de","ton-bergers"]·heb["ה-רועים","רועי","רעי","רעי-י","רעיך-ך"]·HI["चरवहे","चरवहोम-क","चरवाहा-मेरा","चरवाहे","चरवाहे-का","चरवाहे-मेरे","चरवाहों","तेरे-चरवहे","मेरे-चरवहे"]·ID["gembala","gembala-","gembala-Ku","gembala-gembala","gembalaku","gembalamu","para-gembala"]·IT["[רעי]","herdsmen-di","il-mio-pastore","il-pastori","mio-herdsmen","shepherds-di","tuo-herdsmen"]·jav["Pangèn-Ingsun","kemah","pangon","pangon-kula","pangon-panjenengan","pangèn-Kawula","para-pangèn"]·KO["나의-목자","내-목자들","네-목자들","목자들","목자들의","목자들이","목자여","목자의"]·PT["os-pastores","pastor","pastor-de","pastor-meu","pastores-de","pastores-meus","pastores-teus"]·RU["пастуха","пастухами","пастухами-моими","пастухами-твоими","пастухи","пастухов","пастуху","пастырь-Мой","пастыря-Моего"]·ES["de-pastor","los-pastores","mi-pastor","pastor-de","pastores-de","pastores-míos","pastores-tuyos"]·SW["Mchungaji-wangu","mchungaji","mchungaji-wangu","wa-wachunga","wachunga-wa","wachungaji-wa","wachungaji-wako","wachungaji-wangu","ya-mchungaji"]·TR["cobanim","cobanin","çobanları","çobanlarımın","çobanların","çobanlarının","çobanımın","çobanına"]·urd["میرا-چرواہا","میرے-چرواہے","چرواہوں","چرواہوں-تیرے","چرواہوں-میرے","چرواہوں-کا","چرواہے","چرواہے-میرے","چرواہے-کا"]
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
I. רָעָה167 vb. pasture, tend, graze (Assyrian rêʾû vb. pasture, n. ruler, TelAm. ruh̬i (as Canaanism) WklNo. 181, 11; Arabic رَدَى, Ethiopic ርዕየ Aramaic רְעָא, ܪܥܳܐ, all = BH);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. consec. וְרָעָה Mi 5:3 +, 1 s. sf. consec. וּרְעִיתִים Ez 34:13, 3 pl. sf. consec. וְרָעוּם Je 23:4, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִרְעֶה Is 27:10 +, juss. יֵרַע Jb 20:26, sf. יִעֶנָּה ψ 80:14, וַיִּרְעֵם ψ 78:72…