מִרְעִית
𐤌𐤓𐤏𐤉𐤕
mirʻîyth
H4830 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Area or condition suitable for grazing livestock, i.e., pasturage; by extension, the pasture land or field itself where flocks are fed. In some contexts, the term can be extended metaphorically to represent sustenance or provision, centering on the concept of nourishing or supporting life, typically that of domesticated animals.
Semantic Range
grazing area, pasturage, pasture, grounds for flocks, nourishment (metaphorical); by extension, provision or sustenance for animals
Root / Etymology
From the root רעה, meaning 'to graze, feed, tend (flocks, herds)'. מִרְעִית is a noun form with the mem-prefix (מ), often indicating a place or state related to the verb. Thus, מִרְעִית refers to a location or situation of grazing or feeding.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מִרְעִית primarily refers to grazing land or pasture in pastoralist contexts, especially in narratives depicting nomadic or semi-nomadic Israelite life, such as those of the patriarchs or during the early monarchy. It denotes not just vegetation suitable for grazing but the broader idea of provision for flocks, commonly sheep and goats. In poetic or metaphorical texts (e.g., Psalms), מִרְעִית may acquire symbolic meaning, presenting images of security, abundance, and divine provision, though its lexical meaning remains that of grazing or pasture. Later translations, particularly in Christian contexts, often render it as 'pasture' or 'pastures', and sometimes 'flock', but the primary sense in Hebrew points toward the locale or condition providing nourishment. The word is to be contrasted with similar terms like דֶּשֶׁא (fresh grass, green pasture) or שָׂדֶה (field, arable land), which have related but more specific or broader meanings, respectively. מִרְעִית is not used for cultivated land but specifically for uncultivated grazing land. English translations that narrow the meaning to 'flock' only partially reflect its original range, as the word in Hebrew is much more about the act or place of grazing, not the group of animals itself. Its use diminishes in later Hebrew literature as economic patterns and land use change.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָעָה in the sense of feeding; pasturage; concretely, a flock; flock, pasture.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רעה (r-ʿ-h) — to graze, feed, tend, shepherd
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4829 | מִרְעֶה | in a grazing-place |
| H7200 | רָאָה | shepherds of |
| H7453 | רֵעַ | with his associate |
| H7454 | רֵעַ | to my intention |
| H7462 | רָעָה | in his shepherding |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4830-02 |
מַרְעִיתָֽ/ם | mareitam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their pasture | their pasturage | 3 |
H4830-04 |
מַרְעִיתִ֖/י | mareiti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my pasture | my pasturage | 2 |
H4830-03 |
מַרְעִיתֶֽ/ךָ | mareitekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your pasture | your pasturage | 2 |
H4830-05 |
מַ֭רְעִית/וֹ | mareito | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his pasture | his grazing-ground | 2 |
H4830-01 |
כְּ/מַרְעִיתָ/ם֙ | kemareitam | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp |
according to their pasture | as their pasturage | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4830-02 |
Isaiah 49:9 | מַרְעִיתָֽ/ם | mareitam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their pasture | their pasturage |
H4830-02 |
Jeremiah 10:21 | מַרְעִיתָ֖/ם | mareitam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their flocks | their pasturage |
H4830-04 |
Jeremiah 23:1 | מַרְעִיתִ֖/י | mareiti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my pasture | my pasturage |
H4830-02 |
Jeremiah 25:36 | מַרְעִיתָֽ/ם | mareitam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their pasture | their pasturage |
H4830-04 |
Ezekiel 34:31 | מַרְעִיתִ֖/י | mareiti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my pasture | my pasturage |
H4830-01 |
Hosea 13:6 | כְּ/מַרְעִיתָ/ם֙ | kemareitam | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp |
according to their pasture | as their pasturage |
H4830-03 |
Psalms 74:1 | מַרְעִיתֶֽ/ךָ | mareitekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of Your pasture | your pasturage |
H4830-03 |
Psalms 79:13 | מַרְעִיתֶ/ךָ֮ | mareitekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your pasture | your pasturage |
H4830-05 |
Psalms 95:7 | מַ֭רְעִית/וֹ | mareito | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his pasture | his grazing-ground |
H4830-05 |
Psalms 100:3 | מַרְעִיתֽ/וֹ | mareito | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of His pasture | his grazing-ground |