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מִרְעֶה

𐤌𐤓𐤏𐤄

mirʻeh

H4829 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רעה to feed, to graze, to tend (flocks or herds)

Definition

A locale where livestock graze; pasture or grazing land. Also refers more generally to any area suitable for feeding flocks or herds, and by extension to the sustenance or provision afforded by such a place. In poetic and metaphorical contexts, can denote sustenance or provision (often spiritually or existentially, especially in psalms).

Semantic Range

pasture, grazing place, feeding ground, open range, provision (by extension), habitat (for wild animals), sustenance (metaphorically)

Root / Etymology

From the root רעה (r-ʿ-h), meaning 'to pasture, tend, feed (flocks or herds)'. The noun form מִרְעֶה is a place noun (pattern miqtal), indicating location or result associated with the root action—here, the locale of grazing or the result of shepherding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מִרְעֶה is used throughout the Hebrew Bible to designate physical pastures for domesticated animals, especially sheep and goats, which were key components of ancient Israelite pastoral economy. While the English 'pasture' captures the primary sense, מִרְעֶה is often broader, sometimes indicating all resources accessed by or needed for flocks, including water sources and open fields. In poetic and metaphoric texts, especially Psalms (notably Psalm 23), the term can imply spiritual sustenance, tranquility, or divine provision, but its base sense pertains to the actual and tangible places where animals graze. The term can also denote the haunts or habitation of wild animals (cf. Job 39:8), showing that its application is not limited to domesticated livestock. Over time, while agriculture became more prominent, מִרְעֶה retained its metaphorical use for abundance and well-being. Greek translations often render the term as νομή (pasturage, grazing land).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָעָה in the sense of feeding; pasture (the place or the act); also the haunt of wild animals; feeding place, pasture.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעה (r-ʿ-h) — to feed, to graze, to tend (flocks or herds)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4830 מִרְעִית as their pasturage
H7200 רָאָה shepherds of
H7453 רֵעַ with his associate
H7454 רֵעַ to my intention
H7462 רָעָה in his shepherding

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4829-03 מִרְעֶ֗ה mireeh HNcmsa pasture grazing place 7
H4829-06 וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה umireeh HC/Ncmsa and pasture grazing-place 2
H4829-02 הַ/מִּרְעֶ֤ה hamireeh HTd/Ncmsa the pasture the grazing-place 1
H4829-04 מִרְעֵ֑/הוּ mireehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms is his pasture his grazing-place 1
H4829-01 בְּ/מִרְעֶה bemireeh HR/Ncmsa in good pasture in a grazing-place 1
H4829-05 מִרְעֵי/כֶ֔ם mireeykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp of your pastures your grazing-places 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4829-03 Genesis 47:4 מִרְעֶ֗ה mireeh HNcmsa pasture grazing place
H4829-03 Isaiah 32:14 מִרְעֵ֥ה mireeh HNcmsc pasture grazing place
H4829-01 Ezekiel 34:14 בְּ/מִרְעֶה bemireeh HR/Ncmsa in good pasture in a grazing-place
H4829-06 Ezekiel 34:14 וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה umireeh HC/Ncmsa and pasture grazing-place
H4829-02 Ezekiel 34:18 הַ/מִּרְעֶ֤ה hamireeh HTd/Ncmsa the pasture the grazing-place
H4829-05 Ezekiel 34:18 מִרְעֵי/כֶ֔ם mireeykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp of your pastures your grazing-places
H4829-03 Joel 1:18 מִרְעֶ֖ה mireeh HNcmsa pasture grazing place
H4829-06 Nahum 2:12 וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה umireeh HC/Ncmsa and the feeding place grazing-place
H4829-04 Job 39:8 מִרְעֵ֑/הוּ mireehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms is his pasture his grazing-place
H4829-03 Lamentations 1:6 מִרְעֶ֔ה mireeh HNcmsa pasture grazing place
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