מִרְעֶה (mir.eh)
mir.eh
pasture
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word for pasture speaks to the basic need for sustenance and safety. In the ancient world, finding good grazing land was a matter of life and death for families who relied on their flocks. This concept reminds us that God provides not just for our spiritual needs, but for our physical comfort and security as well.
When we face times of scarcity or uncertainty, this word offers a picture of divine care. It suggests that the Creator watches over the details of daily life, ensuring that even the smallest creatures have what they need to thrive. This perspective helps us trust that He is attentive to our own struggles and provisions.
Ultimately, it points to a God who creates spaces of rest and nourishment. Whether in the mountains or in the valley, He prepares places where we can find peace and strength for the journey ahead.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pasture5×
- pasture/ its1×
- a pasture of1×
- [is] pasture1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִרְעֶ֖ה2×
- מִרְעֶה֙1×
- מִרְעֶ֥ה1×
- מִרְעֶ֗ה1×
- מִרְעֶ֔ה1×
- מִרְעֵ֥ה1×
- מִרְעֵ֑/הוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 47:4
They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
This verse highlights the practical necessity of pasture during a famine, showing how survival depended on finding land suitable for livestock.
-
Job 39:8
The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.
Here the word describes the wild donkey's freedom, illustrating that God provides sustenance even in rugged, untamed places without human intervention.
-
Lamentations 1:6
All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture. They have gone without strength before the pursuer.
The metaphor of deer finding no pasture powerfully conveys the despair and weakness experienced by Jerusalem’s leaders during its destruction.