Difference between revisions of "Sheep"

<div> '''1: '''''Πρόβατον''''' ''' (Strong'S #4263 — Noun Neuter — probaton — prob'-at-on ) </div> <p> from probaino, "to go forward," i.e., of the movement of quadrupeds, was used among the [[Greeks]] of small cattle, sheep and goats; in the NT, of "sheep" only (a) naturally, e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 12:11,12; (b) metaphorically, of those who belong to the Lord, the lost ones of the house of Israel, &nbsp;Matthew 10:6; of those who are under the care of the Good Shepherd, e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 26:31; &nbsp;John 10:1 , lit., "the fold of the sheep," and &nbsp;John 10:2-27; &nbsp;21:16,17 in some texts; &nbsp; Hebrews 13:20; of those who in a future day, at the introduction of the millennial kingdom, have shown kindness to His persecuted earthly people in their great tribulation, &nbsp;Matthew 25:33; of the clothing of false shepherds, &nbsp;Matthew 7:15; (c) figuratively, by way of simile, of Christ, &nbsp;Acts 8:32; of the disciples, e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 10:16; of true followers of Christ in general, &nbsp;Romans 8:36; of the former wayward condition of those who had come under His Shepherd care, &nbsp;1—Peter 2:25; of the multitudes who sought the help of Christ in the days of His flesh, &nbsp;Matthew 9:36; &nbsp;Mark 6:34 . </p> <div> '''2: '''''Πρόβατον''''' ''' (Strong'S #4263 — Noun Neuter — probation — prob'-at-on ) </div> <p> a diminutive of No. 1, "a little sheep," is found in the best texts in &nbsp;John 21:16,17 (some have No. 1); distinct from arnia, "lambs" (ver. 15), but used as a term of endearment. </p> &nbsp;Luke 17:7Cattle.

<p> &nbsp;Genesis 4:2. Abounded in the pastures of Palestine. Shepherds go before them and call them by name to follow (&nbsp;John 10:4; &nbsp;Psalms 77:20; &nbsp;Psalms 80:1). The ordinary sheep are the broad tailed sheep, and the '''''Οvis Aries''''' , like our own except that the tail is longer and thicker, and the ears larger; called '''''Bedoween''''' . Centuries B.C. [[Aristotle]] mentions Syrian sheep with tails a cubit wide. The fat tail is referred to in &nbsp;Leviticus 3:9; &nbsp;Leviticus 7:3. The Syrian cooks use the mass of fat instead of the rancid Arab butter. </p> <p> The sheep symbolizes meekness, patience, gentleness, and submission (&nbsp;Isaiah 53:7; &nbsp;Acts 8:32). (See [[Lamb]] .) '''''Τsown''''' means sheep"; '''''Ayil''''' , the full-grown "ram," used for the male of other ruminants also; '''''Rachel''''' , the adult "ewe"; '''''Kebes''''' (masculine), '''''Kibsah''''' (feminine), the half grown lamb; '''''Seh''''' , "sheep" or paschal "lamb"; '''''Char''''' , "young ram"; '''''Taleh''''' , "sucking lamb"; ''''''Atod''''' (Genesis 31 "ram") means "he-goat"; '''''Imrin''''' , "lambs for sacrifice." </p> <p> The sheep never existed in a wild state, but was created expressly for man, and so was selected from the first for sacrifice. The image is frequent in Scripture: [[Jehovah]] the Shepherd, His people the flock (&nbsp;Psalms 23:1; &nbsp;Isaiah 40:11; &nbsp;Jeremiah 23:1-2; Ezekiel 34). [[Sinners]] are the straying sheep whom the Good Shepherd came to save (&nbsp;Psalms 119:176; &nbsp;Isaiah 53:6; &nbsp;Jeremiah 50:6; &nbsp;Luke 15:4-6; &nbsp;John 10:8; &nbsp;John 10:11). False teachers are thieves and wolves in sheep's clothing (&nbsp;Matthew 7:15). None can pluck His sheep from His hand and the Father's (&nbsp;John 10:27-29). </p>

<p> ''''' shēp ''''' : </p> 1. Names: <p> The usual Hebrew word is צאן , <i> ''''' cō'n ''''' </i> , which is often translated "flock," e.g. "Abel ... brought of the firstlings of his flock" (&nbsp; Genesis 4:4 ); "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:14 ). The King James Version and the English Revised Version have "milk of sheep." Compare Arabic <i> ''''' ḍa'n ''''' </i> . The Greek word is πρόβατον , <i> ''''' próbaton ''''' </i> . For other names, see notes under Cattle; [[Ewe]]; Lamb; [[Ram]] . </p> 2. Zoology: <p> The origin of domestic sheep is unknown. There are 11 wild species, the majority of which are found in Asia, and it is conceivable that they may have spread from the highlands of Central Asia to the other portions of their habitat. In North [[America]] is found the "bighorn," which is very closely related to a Kamschatkan species. One species, the <i> urial </i> or <i> sha </i> , is found in India. The Barbary sheep, <i> Ovis tragelaphus </i> , also known as the aoudad or arui, inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northwest Africa. It is thought by Tristram to be <i> ''''' zemer ''''' </i> , English [[Versions]] of the Bible "chamois" of &nbsp; Deuteronomy 14:5 , but there is no good evidence that this animal ranges eastward into Bible lands. Geographically nearest is the Armenian wild sheep, <i> Ovis gmelini </i> , of Asia Minor and Persia. The [[Cyprian]] wild sheep may be only a variety of the last, and the <i> ''''' mouflon ''''' </i> of [[Corsica]] and [[Sardinia]] is an allied species. It is not easy to draw the line between wild sheep and wild goats. Among the more obvious distinctions are the chin beard and strong odor of male goats. The pelage of all wild sheep consists of hair, not wool, and this indeed is true of some domestic sheep as the fat-rumped short-tailed sheep of Abyssinia and Central Asia. The young lambs of this breed have short curly wool which is the astrachan of commerce. Sheep are geologically recent, their bones and teeth not being found in earlier deposits than the pleiocene or pleistocene. They were, however, among the first of domesticated animals. </p> 3. Sheep of Palestine: <p> The sheep of Syria and Palestine are characterized by the possession of an enormous fat tail which weighs many pounds and is known in Arabic as <i> ''''' 'alyat ''''' </i> , or commonly, <i> ''''' lı̄yat ''''' </i> . This is the אליה , <i> ''''' 'alyāh ''''' </i> , "fat tail" (the King James Version "rump") (&nbsp; Exodus 29:22; &nbsp;Leviticus 3:9; &nbsp;Leviticus 7:3; &nbsp;Leviticus 8:25; &nbsp;Leviticus 9:19 ), which was burned in sacrifice. This is at the present day esteemed a great delicacy. Sheep are kept in large numbers by the Bedouin, but a large portion of the supply of mutton for the cities is from the sheep of [[Armenia]] and Kurdistan, of which great droves are brought down to the coast in easy stages. Among the [[Moslems]] every well-to-do family sacrifices a sheep at the feast of <i> ''''' al ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' 'adḥa' ''''' </i> , the 10th day of the month <i> ''''' dhû ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' l ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' ḥijjat ''''' </i> , 40 days after the end of <i> ''''' ramaḍân ''''' </i> , the month of fasting. In Lebanon every peasant family during the summer fattens a young ram, which is literally crammed by one of the women of the household, who keeps the creature's jaw moving with one hand while with the other she stuffs its mouth with vine or mulberry leaves. Every afternoon she washes it at the village fountain. When slaughtered in the fall it is called <i> ''''' ma‛lûf ''''' </i> , "fed," and is very fat and the flesh very tender. Some of the meat and fat are eaten at once, but the greater part, fat and lean, is cut up fine, cooked together in a large vessel with pepper and salt, and stored in an earthen jar. This, the so-called <i> ''''' ḳauramat ''''' </i> , is used as needed through the winter. </p> <p> In the mountains the sheep are gathered at night into folds, which may be caves or enclosures of rough stones. [[Fierce]] dogs assist the shepherd in warding off the attacks of wolves, and remain at the fold through the day to guard the slight bedding and simple utensils. In going to pasture the sheep are not driven but are led, following the shepherd as he walks before them and calls to them. "When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice" (&nbsp;John 10:4 ). </p> 4. Old [[Testament]] References: <p> The sheepfolds of [[Reuben]] on the plain of [[Gilead]] are referred to in &nbsp;Numbers 32:16 and &nbsp; Judges 5:16 . A cave is mentioned in &nbsp;1 Samuel 24:3 in connection with the pursuit of David by Saul. The shepherd origin of David is referred to in &nbsp; Psalm 78:70 : </p> <p> "He chose David also his servant, </p> <p> And took him from the sheepfolds." </p> <p> Compare also &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:8 and &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 17:7 . </p> <p> The shearing of the sheep was a large operation and evidently became a sort of festival. [[Absalom]] invited the king's sons to his sheep-shearing in Baal-hazor in order that he might find an opportunity to put [[Amnon]] to death while his heart was "merry with wine" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 13:23-29 ). The character of the occasion is evident also from the indignation of David at [[Nabal]] when the latter refused to provide entertainment at his sheep-shearing for David's young men who had previously protected the flocks of Nabal (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:2-13 ). There is also mention of the sheep-shearing of Judah (&nbsp;Genesis 38:12 ) and of [[Laban]] (&nbsp;Genesis 31:19 ), on which occasion Jacob stole away with his wives and children and his flocks. </p> <p> Sheep were the most important sacrificial animals, a ram or a young male being often specified. Ewes are mentioned in &nbsp;Leviticus 3:6; &nbsp;Leviticus 4:32; &nbsp;Leviticus 5:6; &nbsp;Leviticus 14:10; &nbsp;Leviticus 22:28; &nbsp;Numbers 6:14 . </p> <p> In the Books of Chronicles we find statements of enormous numbers of animals consumed in sacrifice: "And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 7:5 ); "And they sacrificed unto [[Yahweh]] in that day (in the reign of Asa)...seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 15:11 ); at the cleansing of the temple by [[Hezekiah]] "the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren the [[Levites]] did help them" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 29:33 f); and "Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep" (&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 30:24 ). In the account of the war of the sons of Reuben and their allies with the Hagrites, we read: "And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 5:21 ). [[Mesha]] king of [[Moab]] is called a "sheep-master," and we read that "he rendered unto the king of [[Israel]] the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams" (&nbsp;2 Kings 3:4 ). </p> 5. Figurative: <p> Christ is represented as the Lamb of God (&nbsp;Isaiah 53:7; &nbsp;John 1:29; &nbsp;Revelation 5:6 ). Some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible represent God as a shepherd: "From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel" (&nbsp;Genesis 49:24 ); "Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want" (&nbsp;Psalm 23:1; compare &nbsp;Isaiah 40:11; &nbsp;Ezekiel 34:12-16 ). Jesus said "I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me ... and I lay down my life for the sheep" (&nbsp;John 10:14 f). The people without leaders are likened to sheep without a shepherd (&nbsp; Numbers 27:17; &nbsp;1 Kings 22:17; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 18:16; &nbsp;Ezekiel 34:5 ). Jesus at the Last Supper applies to Himself the words of &nbsp;Zechariah 13:7; "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad" (&nbsp;Matthew 26:31; &nbsp;Mark 14:27 ). The enemies of Yahweh are compared to the fat of the sacrifice that is consumed away in smoke (&nbsp;Psalm 37:20 ). God's people are "the sheep of his pasture" (&nbsp;Psalm 79:13; &nbsp;Psalm 95:7; &nbsp;Psalm 100:3 ). In sinning they become like lost sheep (&nbsp;Isaiah 53:6; &nbsp;Jeremiah 50:6; &nbsp;Ezekiel 34:6; &nbsp;Luke 15:3 ff). In the mouth of [[Nathan]] the poor man's one little ewe lamb is a vivid image of the treasure of which the king David has robbed [[Uriah]] the Hittite (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 12:3 ). In &nbsp;Song of Solomon 6:6 , the teeth of the bride are likened to a flock of ewes. It is prophesied that "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb" (&nbsp;Isaiah 11:6 ) and that "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together" (&nbsp;Isaiah 65:25 ). Jesus says to His disciples, "I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves" (&nbsp;Matthew 10:16; compare &nbsp;Luke 10:3 ). In the parable of the Good Shepherd we read: "He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth" (&nbsp;John 10:12 ). </p>