Jeremiah 3:15 — Word Study
WLCוְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֛ם רֹעִ֖ים כְּלִבִּ֑י וְרָע֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם דֵּעָ֥ה וְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃
BSAThen I will givenâthan [bestow, appoint] youʼêth shepherdsrâʻâh [pastors, leaders] My own heartlêb [according to My will, having My nature] who will feedrâʻâh [nourish, guide] you with knowledgedêʻâh [deep understanding, discernment] and understandingsâkal [prudence, wisdom]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְנָתַתִּ֥י | and I will give | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect first person common singular |
| לָכֶ֛ם | to you | Preposition, suffix |
| רֹעִ֖ים | shepherds | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine plural |
| כְּלִבִּ֑י | according to own heart my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְרָע֥וּ | and they will shepherd | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect third person common plural |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | the object marker you | Particle, suffix |
| דֵּעָ֥ה | knowledge | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃ | and insight | Conjunction, verb hiphil infinitive absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” |
| KJV | And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. |
| ASV | And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. |
| YLT | And I have given to you shepherds According to Mine own heart, And they have fed you with knowledge and understanding. |
| WEB | I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. |
| BBE | And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom. |
Where they part company is רֹעִ֖ים — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb, with three phrases describing the action and its recipients. The structure clearly lays out God's promise to provide leadership.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Jeremiah 3:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Promise of Shepherdsgenerated
Jeremiah 3:15 is part of a larger passage where God calls His people to return to Him and promises to provide them with shepherds who will lead them according to His heart. This verse emphasizes God's commitment to care for His people through appointed leaders who will guide them with wisdom and understanding, contrasting with their previous experiences of unfaithfulness.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 23:4 | I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 13:14 | But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.” |
| 3 | Isaiah 30:20–21 | The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 34:23 | I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd. |
| 5 | Ezekiel 37:24 | My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 19 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רֹעִ֖ים, ro.'Imgenerated
The Hebrew word רָעָה (ra'ah) means 'to shepherd' and is derived from a primitive root that signifies tending or pasturing a flock. It conveys the act of caring for, guiding, and ruling over others, much like a shepherd does with sheep.
In this verse, it is used as a participle to describe those who will fulfill the role of shepherds, indicating active leadership and responsibility for the well-being of the people.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb נָתַתִּ֥י, I will give, governs the whole verse, with a series of phrases hanging off it: a prepositional phrase indicating to whom the shepherds are given, a noun phrase describing the shepherds, and a clause detailing their role.
The structure emphasizes God's action in providing leaders, with the participial form of רָעָה indicating ongoing action and responsibility.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָתַן as δώσω (dōsō), which means 'I will give.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning and emphasizes God's active role in providing shepherds.
The Greek word ποιμένας is used for רֹעִ֖ים, which also means 'shepherds' and carries the same pastoral connotation found in the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Jeremiah 3:15 tells us that God will give His people shepherds who will lead them according to His heart. These shepherds will provide knowledge and understanding, ensuring that the people are cared for and guided wisely.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the leaders God provides will reflect His character and will, guiding the people with wisdom and care.
This verse highlights the importance of godly leadership, showing that leaders should nurture and guide their people with knowledge and understanding.
Knowledge and understanding are essential for effective leadership, as they enable shepherds to guide their flock wisely and compassionately.
We can look for leaders who embody the qualities described in this verse, seeking those who lead with a heart aligned with God's will and who provide spiritual nourishment.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What qualities do you think are most important for a leader to have, based on this verse?
- How can you seek knowledge and understanding in your own life to better follow God?
- In what ways can you support and encourage leaders in your community?
- How does understanding God's heart influence the way you view leadership?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 3:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd I will give you pastors according to mine heart,.... Which is to be understood not of political rulers and governors, but ministers of the word; who are "pastors" or "shepherds" under Christ the
Read John Gill on Jeremiah 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BiblePastors; either civil magistrates, which are sometimes so called, ; or rather ecclesiastical, as appears both from the reason of God’ s judgments upon Israel, viz. their pastors being generally either thieves or dumb dogs; and also from the nature of their office, in the close of the verse, and thus they are called . According to mine heart; such as I will both choose for you and approve of, and that shall faithfully and skilfully declare unto you my mind; which intimates not only a single act of deliverance, but his constant preservation of them. Which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding: this notes either the nature of their food: see . Or rather the manner of their feeding…
Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.Ver. 15. And I will give you pastors according to my heart.] God gives faithful pastors oft for the sake of but a few that are there to be converted: Et vilissimus pagus est palatium eburneum, in quo est pastor et credentes aliqui, saith Luther, The poorest village is an ivory palace, if there be but in it a pastor and some few believers. Such pastors as God here promiseth (and more largely describeth, Jeremiah 23:1-40 Ezekiel 34:1-31), are special gifts of God: "I will give you pastors." David, after he had discomfited the Amalekites, sent gifts to his friends in Judah.…
Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) Pastors.—As in Jeremiah 2:8, of kings and rulers, not of priests. Compare Jeremiah 23:1-5. The phrase “according to mine heart” brings David to our thoughts (1 Samuel 13:14). There should be a return to the true pattern of the ideal ruler. In the “knowledge and understanding” we have an echo from Isaiah 11:1-4.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. I will give you pastors according to mine heart] The pastor means either the king or the prophet; and the pastors here promised may be either kings or prophets, or both. These shall be according to God's own heart; they shall be of his own choosing and shall be qualified by himself: and in consequence they shall feed the people with knowledge, דעה deah, that Divine truth concerning the true God and the best interests of man, which was essentially necessary to their salvation; and understanding השכיל haskeil, the full interpretation of every point, that in receiving the truth they might become wise, holy, and happy.
Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BiblePastors - “Kings, rulers” (compare Jeremiah 2:8). Not military usurpers Hosea 8:4, but true servants of God, as David 1 Samuel 13:14.
Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Pastors — No matter how few and poor and scattered the flock, they shall have shepherds.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Jeremiah 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
I will give you leaders who will be faithful to me. They will lead you with knowledge and insight.
Tyndale line
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I will giue you pastours according to mine heart, which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding.
Strictly literal
And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I have given to you shepherds According to Mine own heart, And they have fed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I have given shepherds to you || According to My own heart, || And they have fed you with knowledge and understanding.
And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and intelligence.
I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and insight.
From the Latin
And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.
Simplified
I will give you shepherds who are like me who will feed you wisely and with understanding.
And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all eight words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts, indicating a consistent understanding of the promise of shepherds.
וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֛ם רֹעִ֖ים כְּלִבִּ֑י וְרָע֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם דֵּעָ֥ה וְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 3:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
Conj | V-Qal-1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect first person common singularHc/Vqq1cs
(nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi): "Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Ge 1:29; 3:6; Ex 2:9; De 18,20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (De 23:14; Isa 43:6; Ho 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Ge 30:1; 1Ch 16:28 the King James Version). In Ps 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is…
כֶם (khem) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2mp
The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12
base
רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze
Qal
trans.
intrans.
Niph. poss.
Hiph. v.
base
[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with
Qal cherish faithfulness
Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man
base
[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20
ref
H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend
7462 ra`ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;
intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);
generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a
friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat
up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,
herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,
shepherd, wander, waste.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.
Ra'ah = "pasturing"
perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd
1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)
1a1c) of people as flock (fig)
1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)
1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)
1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)
1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess
Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.
1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
1a) (Qal) to associate with
1b) (Hithpael) to be companions
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.
(Piel) to be a special friend
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine pluralHVqrmpa
- Early mention of
- Usually carried a scrip or bag
- Carried a staff or rod
- Dwelt in tents while tending their flocks
The Hebrew word לֵב (lev) means 'heart' and encompasses the inner man, mind, will, and emotions. It refers to the center of feelings, intellect, and moral character, as well as the seat of appetites and courage. The entries suggest a broad range of meanings related to human experience and thought, with a specific mention of its use in Jeremiah 51:1.
לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart
seldom of things in the midst of the sea
elsewhere of men
the inner man in contrast with the outer
the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
specific reference to mind
spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
spec. ref. to conscience
[various]
for the man himself
as seat of appetites
as seat of emotions and passions
seat of courage
base
לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.
ref
H3820a לֵב inner man, mind, will, heart . seldom of things in the midst of the sea
. elsewhere of men . the inner man in contrast with the outer
. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
. specific reference to mind
. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
. spec. ref. to conscience
. [various]
. for the man himself
. as seat of appetites
. as seat of emotions and passions
. seat of courage
H3820b לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash
3820 leb labe
a form of 3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very
widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect;
likewise for the centre of anything:--+ care for, comfortably,
consent, X considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-),
(hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart((-ed)), X
heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), X regard((-ed)), X
themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly,
wisdom.
see HEBREW for 03824
לֵב (lev) — heart.
1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
1a) inner part, midst
1a1) midst (of things)
1a2) heart (of man)
1a3) soul, heart (of man)
1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
1a6) conscience
1a7) heart (of moral character)
1a8) as seat of appetites
1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage
לֵב (lev) — Leb.
§ Leb- = "heart of"
(probably a cryptic name for Babylon by Atbash)
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12
base
רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze
Qal
trans.
intrans.
Niph. poss.
Hiph. v.
base
[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with
Qal cherish faithfulness
Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man
base
[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20
ref
H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend
7462 ra`ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;
intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);
generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a
friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat
up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,
herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,
shepherd, wander, waste.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.
Ra'ah = "pasturing"
perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd
1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)
1a1c) of people as flock (fig)
1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)
1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)
1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)
1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess
Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.
1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
1a) (Qal) to associate with
1b) (Hithpael) to be companions
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.
(Piel) to be a special friend
Conj | V-Qal-3cp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common pluralHc/Vqq3cp
shep'-erd (ro`eh, ro`i; poimen, "a feeder"): The sheep owner frequently tends the flocks himself (Ge 4:4; 30:40; compare Eze 34:12), but more often he delegates the work to his children (Ge 29:9; 1Sa 16:19; 17:15) or relatives (Ge 31:6). In such cases the sheep have good care because the keepers have a personal interest in the well-being of the animals, but when they are attended by a hireling (1Sa 17:20) the flocks may be neglected or abused (Isa 56:10,11; Eze…
Shepherd
A word naturally of frequent occurence in Scripture. Sometimes the word “pastor” is used instead (Jer. 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16). This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people (Ps. 23:1; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; 44:28; Jer. 25:34, 35; Nahum 3:18; John 10:11, 14; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4).
In a nomadic state of society every man, from the sheikh down to the slave, is more or less a shepherd. The progenitors of the Jews in the patriarchal age were nomads, and their history is rich in scenes of pastoral life. The occupation of tending the flocks was undertaken,not only by the sons of wealthy chiefs, (Genesis 30:29) ff.; Genesis37:12 ff., but even by their daughters. (Genesis 29:6,8; Exodus 2:10) The Egyptian captivity did march to implant a love of settled abode, and consequently we find the tribes which still retained a taste for shepherd life selecting their own quarters apart from their brethren in the transjordanic district. (
Or PASTOR.
Abel was a keeper of sheep, Ge 4:2, as were the greater number of the ancient patriarchs. When men began to multiply, and to follow different employments, Jabal son of Lamech was acknowledged as father, that is, founder of shepherd and nomads, Ge 4:20. A large part of the wealth of ancient patriarchs consisted in flocks and herds, the care of which was shared by their sons, daughters, and servants. Rachel the bride of Jacob was a shepherdess, Ge 29:6; his sons, the fathers of the tribes of Israel were shepherds, and so was David their king, Ps 78:70-72. The employment is highly honored in the Bible, Lu 2:8-20. In…
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
DirObjM | Suff — Particle · suffixHTo/Sp2mp
דֵּעָה (de`ah) is a feminine noun meaning 'knowledge.' It is derived from the related word דַּעַת (da`at) and specifically refers to knowledge, including knowledge of God. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning without significant disagreement.
דֵּעָה n.f. knowledge
base
H1844 דֵּעָה
1844 de`ah day-aw'
feminine of 1843; knowledge:--knowledge.
see HEBREW for 01843
דֵּעָה (de.ah) — knowledge.
knowledge (of God)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The Hebrew word שָׂכַל (*sakal*) is a primitive root meaning to be prudent or circumspect. It encompasses a range of meanings including to consider, understand, teach, and prosper. The word can also refer to laying something crosswise in its Piel form. Notably, it appears in contexts that emphasize insight and wisdom.
שָׂכַל vb. be prudent
Qal be prudent, circumspect
Hiph.
look at
give attention to, consider, ponder
have insight, comprehension
cause to consider, give insight, teach
act circumspectly, prudently
H7919a שָׂכַל be prudent .be prudent, circumspect
. . look at
. give attention to, consider, ponder
. have insight, comprehension
. cause to consider, give insight, teach
. act circumspectly, prudently
. prosper, have success
. cause to prosper
H7919b שָׂכַל Pi. lay crosswise
7919 sakal saw-kal'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make or act)
circumspect and hence, intelligent:--consider, expert,
instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful),
have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing),
wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise(- ly), guide
wittingly.
שָׂכַל (sa.khal) — be prudent.
1) to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper
1a) (Qal) to be prudent, be circumspect
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to look at or upon, have insight
1b2) to give attention to, consider, ponder, be prudent
1b3) to have insight, have comprehension
1b3a) insight, comprehension (subst)
1b4) to cause to consider, give insight, teach
1b4a) the teachers, the wise
1b5) to act circumspectly, act prudently, act wisely
1b6) to prosper, have success
1b7) to cause to prosper
Aramaic equivalent: se.khal (שְׂכַל "to contemplate" H7920)
שָׂכַל (sa.khal) — to cross hands.
(Piel) to lay crosswise, cross (hands)
Conj | V-Hiphil-Ptc — Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive absoluteHC/Vhaa