ποίμαινε

poimaine

Shepherd

from ποιμήν; to tend as a shepherd of (figuratively, superviser):--feed (cattle), rule.

G4165

John 21:16 · Word #20

Lexicon G4165

Lemmaποιμαίνω
Transliterationpoimaínō
Strong'sG4165
In-contextShepherd
Literalshepherd!

Morphology V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense PRS — Present — Ongoing or repeated action
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IMP — Imperative — A command or request
Person 2P — 2nd person — The one spoken to ("you")
Number SG — Singular — One

Lexical Info

Lemmaποιμαίνω
Strong'sG4165

SIBI-P1 G4165-01

be shepherding for yourself

Rootποιμαίνω (poimainō)
Core Meaningsto shepherd, to tend a flock, to pasture, to guide, to rule as a shepherd
Semantic Rangeto tend or feed livestock; to care for and guide people; to exercise oversight or rule; to govern with protective authority
Conceptual SignificanceIn biblical usage, shepherding imagery conveys covenantal leadership—care, guidance, protection, and authority modeled after God as Shepherd. Applied to leaders, it frames authority not as domination but as attentive, self-involving care for those entrusted to them.
Morphological NotesVerb, present tense (ongoing aspect), middle voice (reflexive/self-involving), imperative mood (command), second person singular.
Rendering RationaleThe verb ποιμαίνω derives from ποιμήν (shepherd) and means to act as a shepherd—tending, guiding, and ruling. The form is present middle imperative, second person singular, so "be shepherding" reflects the ongoing present command, while "for yourself" expresses the middle voice’s reflexive or self-involving force.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root ποιμαίνω (to shepherd, to tend a flock, to pasture, to guide, to rule as a shepherd)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
G4165-04 poimainonta the shepherding one (masculine singular, ongoing)
G4165-05 poimainontes the shepherding ones
G4165-07 poimanei he/she will shepherd

Word Usage (11 occurrences of G4165)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Matthew 2:6 ποιμανεῖ poimanei will shepherd
Luke 17:7 ποιμαίνοντα poimainonta tending
John 21:16 ποίμαινε poimaine Shepherd