מִרְעֶה (H4829) — Hebrew Lexicon

מִרְעֶה

𐤌𐤓𐤏𐤄

mirʻeh

H4829 noun

SILEX Entry

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

רעה (Raah) — to feed, to graze, to tend (flocks or herds)

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

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4830	מִרְעִית	as their pasturage
H7453	רֵעַ	with his associate
H7454	רֵעַ	to my intention
H7462	רָעָה	in his shepherding
H7463	רֵעֶה	See!
H7464	רֵעָה	her female companions
H7466	רְעוּ	Reu
H7468	רְעוּת	to her female companion
H7469	רְעוּת	and craving of
H7470	רְעוּת	according to desire-of
H7471	רְעִי	grazing-place
H7473	רֹעִי	the tending-ones
H7475	רַעְיוֹן	inner striving of

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4829-03`	מִרְעֶ֖ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	grazing place	7
`H4829-06`	וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה	umireeh	`HC/Ncmsa`	and pasture	grazing-place	and a grazing-place	2
`H4829-01`	בְּ/מִרְעֶה	bemireeh	`HR/Ncmsa`	in good pasture	in a grazing-place	in a good grazing-place	1
`H4829-02`	הַ/מִּרְעֶ֤ה	hamireeh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the pasture	the grazing-place	the pasture	1
`H4829-04`	מִרְעֵ֑/הוּ	mireehu	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	is his pasture	his grazing-place	his grazing-place	1
`H4829-05`	מִרְעֵי/כֶ֔ם	mireeykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	of your pastures	your grazing-places	your pastures	1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4829-03`	Genesis 47:4	מִרְעֶ֗ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	pasture
`H4829-03`	Isaiah 32:14	מִרְעֵ֥ה	mireeh	`HNcmsc`	pasture	grazing place	grazing place
`H4829-01`	Ezekiel 34:14	בְּ/מִרְעֶה	bemireeh	`HR/Ncmsa`	in good pasture	in a grazing-place	in a good grazing-place
`H4829-06`	Ezekiel 34:14	וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה	umireeh	`HC/Ncmsa`	and pasture	grazing-place	and a grazing-place
`H4829-02`	Ezekiel 34:18	הַ/מִּרְעֶ֤ה	hamireeh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the pasture	the grazing-place	the pasture
`H4829-05`	Ezekiel 34:18	מִרְעֵי/כֶ֔ם	mireeykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	of your pastures	your grazing-places	your pastures
`H4829-03`	Joel 1:18	מִרְעֶ֖ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	pasture
`H4829-06`	Nahum 2:12	וּ/מִרְעֶ֥ה	umireeh	`HC/Ncmsa`	and the feeding place	grazing-place	and grazing-place
`H4829-04`	Job 39:8	מִרְעֵ֑/הוּ	mireehu	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	is his pasture	his grazing-place	his grazing-place
`H4829-03`	Lamentations 1:6	מִרְעֶ֔ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	grazing place
`H4829-03`	1 Chronicles 4:39	מִרְעֶ֖ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	grazing place
`H4829-03`	1 Chronicles 4:40	מִרְעֶה֙	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	grazing place
`H4829-03`	1 Chronicles 4:41	מִרְעֶ֥ה	mireeh	`HNcmsa`	pasture	grazing place	pasture

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