Lexical Summary
seh: Lamb, sheep, goat
Original Word:שֶׂה
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:seh
Pronunciation:seh
Phonetic Spelling:(seh)
KJV: (lesser, small) cattle, ewe, goat, lamb, sheep
NASB:sheep, lamb, sheep and another, flock, lambs, sheep and one
Word Origin:[probably fromH7582 (שָׁאָה - devastated) through the idea of pushing out to graze]
1. a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
lesser, small cattle, ewe, goat, lamb, sheep
Or sey {say}; probably fromsha'ah through the idea of pushing out to graze; a member of a flock, i.e. A sheep or goat -- (lesser, small) cattle, ewe, goat, lamb, sheep. Comparezeh.
see HEBREWsha'ah
see HEBREWzeh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionone of a flock, a sheep (or goat)
NASB Translationflock (1), lamb (15), lambs (1), sheep (22), sheep and another (2), sheep and one (1), sheep* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 30:32 and (less often)
Jeremiah 50:17 (Assyrian
šuju, Arabic
plural
,
, etc. (also
wild ox), compare Egyptian
sau,
sheep Bondi
65, compare Id
Ba NB§ 2 b ); — absolute
Genesis 30:32 +, construct
Isaiah 43:23 +; suffix
Deuteronomy 22:1,
1 Samuel 14:34; not in plural; —
a sheep, orgoat, noun of individual meaning of : as propertyGenesis 32:32 (twice in verse) (J; + collective, , ),Exodus 21:37 (twice in verse) (+ , collective),Exodus 22:3 (+ , , V:8 (id.), V:9 (id; all E);Deuteronomy 22:1 (+ ),1 Samuel 17:34 ( Kt van d. H. erroneous, see Baer Dr), roaming pastureIsaiah 7:25, strayingPsalm 119:176 (simile), slaughteredIsaiah 53:7 (in simile); + ,Judges 6:4;1 Samuel 22:19;Joshua 6:21 (J), + id. +1 Samuel 15:3; as sacrificeGenesis 22:7,8 (J),Exodus 13:13;Leviticus 5:12;Leviticus 12:8;Numbers 15:11 ( ; all P),Deuteronomy 18:3 (+ ),Isaiah 43:23;Isaiah 66:3 (+ ),Ezekiel 45:15; compareExodus 34:19 (+ ),20 (J),Leviticus 26 (P; + ); fit for sacrificeLeviticus 22:28 (H); unfit23 (H),Deuteronomy 17:1 (both + ); as food1 Samuel 14:34 (+ ),Deuteronomy 14:4 (+ id.); for PassoverExodus 12:3 (twice in verse);Exodus 12:4 (twice in verse);Exodus 12:5 (P); figurative of IsraelEzekiel 34:17 (twice in verse) ("" , ),Ezekiel 34:20;Ezekiel 34:20;Ezekiel 34:22;Ezekiel 34:22.
collectiveflock:Jeremiah 50:17 (=Jeremiah 50:6).
Topical Lexicon
Terminology and Range of Meaningשֶׂה denotes a young member of the small-livestock flock—either a lamb or a kid—viewed not primarily for its zoological identity but for its covenantal and pastoral usefulness. Whether in sacrificial liturgy, parabolic speech, or household economy, the word consistently carries overtones of vulnerability, innocence, and ready availability for service.
Occurrences and Distribution
Appearing forty-seven times in the Hebrew canon, the term is concentrated in the Pentateuch (especially Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers), surfaces in historical narrative (Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Chronicles), wisdom literature (Proverbs), and is richly developed by the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). The occurrences cluster around three main settings: sacrificial instruction, pastoral economy, and prophetic imagery.
Sacrificial and Covenant Significance
1. Passover. Exodus anchors the term to Israel’s founding redemption. “Your lamb must be an unblemished male, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or the goats” (Exodus 12:5). The שֶׂה is to be kept four days, scrutinized for flaw, slain at twilight, and its blood applied to the doorposts—forming a paradigm of substitutionary atonement and covenant protection.
2. Daily, Festal, and Consecration Offerings. InExodus 29:38-42 two שֶׂה are offered each day, morning and evening, establishing a rhythm of perpetual mediation.Numbers 28-29 prescribes scores of שֶׂה for Sabbath, New Moon, and pilgrimage festivals, culminating in seventy on the Feast of Tabernacles, emphasizing both abundance and gradation of holiness.
3. Priestly Ordination and Purification.Leviticus 9:3 andNumbers 6:14 employ שֶׂה in consecratory rites, uniting priestly service and Nazirite devotion with the same imagery of spotless surrender.
Narrative Portrayals
•Genesis 22:7-8 records Isaac’s query, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” and Abraham’s prophetic reply, “God Himself will provide the lamb,” foreshadowing divine provision both immediate (the ram) and ultimate (the Messiah).
• Gideon, inJudges 6:19, presents a cooked שֶׂה as part of his improvised offering, signaling his fledgling faith under oppression.
• Young David keeps his father’s שֶׂה (1 Samuel 17:34), displaying the protective shepherd heart that later informs his psalms and kingship.
Prophetic Imagery
Isaiah adopts שֶׂה to depict both judgment and salvation. The nation is likened to errant sheep (Isaiah 53:6), yet the Servant is “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) in silent, willing submission.Jeremiah 11:19 echoes this innocence betrayed, whileEzekiel 34 contrasts faithful and abusive shepherds, promising a future Davidic caretaker who will guard the flock. Thus the word becomes a lens through which leadership, repentance, and messianic hope are simultaneously viewed.
Messianic Foreshadowings and New Testament Fulfillment
Though שֶׂה itself is Hebrew, its theological freight crosses into the New Testament. John the Baptist’s declaration, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) rests on the Passover andIsaiah 53 trajectories. Peter affirms that believers are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Revelation’s climactic scenes revolve around a Lamb who was slain yet reigns (Revelation 5:6-13), gathering the dispersed flock into eternal pasture. The unity of Old and New Covenants thus hinges on the typology inaugurated by the שֶׂה.
Pastoral and Ethical Applications
Proverbs 27:26 observes, “The lambs will provide you with clothing,” illustrating responsible stewardship and God’s provision through ordinary husbandry. Shepherding imagery summons leaders to feed, protect, and seek the lost (Ezekiel 34;John 21:15-17). Believers are called to imitate the Lamb’s meekness (Matthew 11:29) while resisting the folly of straying (1 Peter 2:25).
Worship and Ministry Usage
• Preaching: Shaping sermons on atonement, substitution, and divine provision.
• Liturgy: Passover reenactments and Lord’s Supper meditations draw directly from שֶׂה theology.
• Counseling: The Lamb’s innocence and suffering offer comfort to the oppressed and a model for patient endurance.
• Missions: The universality of the Lamb’s redemption energizes proclamation “to every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Summary
From the blood-marked doorways of Egypt to the throne-centered worship of Revelation, שֶׂה threads a single redemptive story: God secures His people through a flawless, sacrificial substitute and then commissions them to shepherd others in His name.
Forms and Transliterations
בְשֶׂ֔ה בשה הַשֶּֽׂה׃ הַשֶּׂ֖ה הַשֶּׂ֛ה הַשֶּׂה֙ השה השה׃ וְשֵׂ֥ה וְשֶׂ֥ה וְשֶׂה־ וָשֶֽׂה׃ וָשֶׂ֖ה וָשֶׂ֗ה וָשֶׂ֛ה ושה ושה־ ושה׃ כְּשֶׂ֣ה כַּשֶּׂה֙ כשה לַשֶּׂ֥ה לָשֶֽׂה׃ לָשֶׂ֔ה לשה לשה׃ מִשֶּׂה֒ משה שְׂיֵ֗הוּ שֵׂ֣ה שֵׂ֥ה שֵׂיוֹ֙ שֶֽׂה׃ שֶׂ֑ה שֶׂ֔ה שֶׂ֖ה שֶׂ֛ה שֶׂ֣ה שֶׂ֣ה ׀ שֶׂ֥ה שֶׂ֧ה שֶׂ֨ה שֶׂה֒ שֶׂה־ שה שה־ שה׃ שיהו שיו ḇə·śeh ḇəśeh haś·śeh hasSeh haśśeh kaś·śeh kasSeh kaśśeh kə·śeh keSeh kəśeh lā·śeh laś·śeh laSeh lāśeh lasSeh laśśeh miś·śeh misSeh miśśeh śə·yê·hū śê·yōw seh śeh śêh śeh- seYehu śəyêhū seYo śêyōw vaSeh veSeh wā·śeh wāśeh wə·śeh wə·śêh wə·śeh- wəśeh wəśêh wəśeh-
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