מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash)
mig.rash
pasture
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 43 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mig rash refers to the open land surrounding a settlement, specifically the pasture or common area where livestock were driven to graze. While it can simply mean open country, its most significant usage in Scripture designates the grazing lands attached to the cities allotted to the Levites. This distinction ensured that these priestly towns had sufficient space for their flocks and herds, separate from the agricultural fields of the other tribes.
The word appears frequently in the detailed city lists of Joshua 21, where it is paired with every Levite town to define their property boundaries. It also features in Numbers 35, which outlines the rights of those seeking refuge in these cities, emphasizing that the surrounding open space was an integral part of the town’s territory. In Ezekiel’s vision of the restored temple land, mig rash helps define the sacred zones around the city and the sanctuary.
Etymologically, the term relates to the idea of driving or casting out, reflecting the practice of moving animals from enclosed areas into the open fields for feeding. Translators often render it as "suburbs" or "open country," but these English words can imply residential zones rather than functional agricultural space. The Hebrew concept highlights a practical division of land, ensuring that urban centers remained supported by their immediate pastoral surroundings.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mig rash points to the open grazing land surrounding a city, specifically those areas reserved for the Levites. In ancient Israel, this was not merely empty space but vital pasture for livestock, ensuring that the priestly families had the means to sustain themselves without relying on agricultural produce. This arrangement highlighted a practical division of resources, where urban centers were supported by their immediate pastoral surroundings.
For your faith life, this concept reminds us that God provides for His servants in tangible ways. Just as the Levites depended on these designated pastures, we can trust that God supplies what is necessary for our daily walk. The land was a perpetual possession, reflecting God's enduring care and provision for those set apart for service.
When we consider the Levites' dependence on these open fields, it encourages us to look beyond immediate needs to God's long-term faithfulness. His provision is not accidental but intentional, designed to sustain those who serve Him. This assurance allows us to rest in His care, knowing that He attends to every detail of our lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 43 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pasture lands/ its49×
- and/ pasture lands/ their7×
- pasture lands/ their5×
- [the] pasture lands of2×
- [the] pasture land of2×
- and/ pasture lands/ its1×
- and/ pasture land1×
- and/ [the] pasture lands of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִגְרָשֶׁ֑/הָ20×
- מִגְרָשֶׁ֔/הָ14×
- מִגְרָשֶֽׁ/הָ\׃11×
- מִגְרָשֶׁ֖/הָ2×
- מִגְרְשֵׁי/הֶֽן\׃2×
- וּ/מִגְרְשֵׁי/הֶֽן\׃\ \ס2×
- מִגְרָשֶׁ֙/הָ֙1×
- מִגְרָשֶׁ֗/הָ1×
- מִגְרַ֥שׁ1×
- מִגְרַ֤שׁ1×
- מִגְרְשֵׁי/הֶם֙1×
- מִגְרְשֵׁי/הֶ֑ן1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 25:34
But the field of the pasture lands of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.
This verse establishes the permanent nature of these pastures, showing they could not be sold and remained a perpetual possession for the Levites.
-
Numbers 35:4
“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.
Here the specific measurement is given, defining the pasture lands as extending one thousand cubits from the city wall in every direction.
-
Joshua 21:8
The children of Israel gave these cities with their pasture lands by lot to the Levites, as Yahweh commanded by Moses.
This occurrence shows the fulfillment of God's command through Moses, where the Israelites allocated these cities and their pastures to the Levites by lot.