'Flock' in the Bible

But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;

Then Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock,

Go now to the flock and bring me two good and suitable young goats, and I will make them into a savory dish [of meat] for your father, the kind he loves [to eat].

When Jacob saw [his cousin] Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he came up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban, his uncle.

Laban asked, “What shall I give you?” Jacob replied, “You shall not give me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me [which I now propose], I will again pasture and keep your flock:

Let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every dark or black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and those shall be my wages.

And he put [a distance of] three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob was then left in care of the rest of Laban’s flock.

Jacob separated the lambs, and [as he had done with the peeled branches] he made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the dark or black in the [new] flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart by themselves and did not put them [where they could breed] with Laban’s flock.

Furthermore, whenever the stronger [animals] of the flocks were breeding, Jacob would place the branches in the sight of the flock in the watering troughs, so that they would mate and conceive among the branches;

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

If he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled [young]; and if he said, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked [young].

And it happened at the time when the flock conceived that I looked up and saw in a dream that the rams which mated [with the female goats] were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

He said, ‘Look up and see, all the rams which are mating [with the flock] are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not lost their young, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

These are the generations of Jacob.Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers [Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher]; the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives; and Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem.

Israel (Jacob) said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said, “Here I am [ready to obey you].”

Then Jacob said to him, “Please go and see whether everything is all right with your brothers and all right with the flock; then bring word [back] to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron Valley, and he went to Shechem.

He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “Will you give me a pledge [as a deposit] until you send it?”

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water [from the well where Moses was resting] and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Then shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.

They said, “An Egyptian saved us from the shepherds. He even drew water [from the well] for us and watered the flock.”

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro (Reuel) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God.

“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of [domestic] animals from the herd (cattle, oxen) or from the flock (sheep, goats).

‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, as a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without blemish.

If his peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer the animal without blemish.

He shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord for the sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

“If a person commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, valued by you in shekels of silver, that is, the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.

He is then to bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him regarding the error which he committed unintentionally and did not know it, and he shall be forgiven.

Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, as valued by you, as a guilt offering.

Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow to the Lord or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish in it.

For every tithe of the herd or flock, whatever passes under the [shepherd’s] staff, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.

then make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock.

He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your [olive] oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.

There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive (pledged, vowed) offerings, your freewill (voluntary) offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

You are forbidden to eat within your [city] gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.

If the place which the Lord your God chooses to put His Name (Presence) is too far away from you, then you may slaughter [animals] from your herd or flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your [city] gates whatever you wish.

You shall eat the tithe (tenth) of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses to establish His Name (Presence), so that you may learn to fear [and worship] the Lord your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] always.

You shall give him generous provisions from your flock, from your threshing floor and from your wine press; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.

“You shall consecrate (set apart) to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock. You shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

You shall sacrifice the Passover [lamb] to the Lord your God from the flock or the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His Name (Presence).

“The offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your animals, the offspring of your herd and the young of your flock will be blessed.

Butter and curds of cows, and milk of the flock,With fat of lambs,And rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats,With the finest of the wheat;And you drank wine, the blood of grapes.

But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

“Now a traveler (visitor) came to the rich man,And to avoid taking one from his own flock or herdTo prepare [a meal] for the traveler who had come to him,He took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for his guest.”

Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats numbering 30,000, all as Passover offerings, and 3,000 bulls—these were from the king’s property.

They vowed to send away their [pagan] wives, and being guilty, they each offered a ram of the flock for their offense.

“They send forth their little ones like a flock,And their children skip about.

“But now those younger than I mock and laugh at me,Whose fathers I refused to put with the sheepdogs of my flock.

Your flock found a dwelling place in it;O God, in Your goodness You provided for the poor.

You led Your people like a flockBy the hand of Moses and Aaron [to the promised goal].

But God led His own people forward like sheepAnd guided them in the wilderness like [a good shepherd with] a flock.

Hear us O Shepherd of Israel,You who lead Joseph like a flock;You who sit enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark of the covenant], shine forth!

Yet He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction,And makes their families like a flock.

“Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,Where do you pasture your flock,Where do you make it lie down at noon?For why should I be like one who is veiledBeside the flocks of your companions?”

(The Bridegroom)“If you do not know [where your lover is],O you fairest among women,Run along, follow the tracks of the flock,And pasture your young goatsBy the tents of the shepherds.

(The Bridegroom)“How fair and beautiful you are, my darling,How very beautiful!Your eyes behind your veil are like those of a dove;Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goatsThat have descended from Mount Gilead [beyond the Jordan].

“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewesWhich have come up from washing,All of which bear twins,And not one among them has lost her young.

“Turn your [flashing] eyes away from me,For they have confused and overcome me;Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goatsThat have descended from Mount Gilead.

“Your teeth are like a flock of ewesWhich have come up from their washing,All of which bear twins,And not one among them has lost her young.

He will protect His flock like a shepherd,He will gather the lambs in His arm,He will carry them in His bosom;He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young.

Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses [and they said],Where is He who brought our fathers up out of the [Red] Sea, with the shepherds of His flock [Moses and Aaron]?Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in their midst,

But if you will not listen and obey,My soul will weep in secret for your pride;My eyes will weep bitterlyAnd flow with tears,Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.

“Lift up your eyes and seeThose coming from the north.Where is the flock that was given to you [to shepherd],Your beautiful flock?

Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the Lord.

“Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply.

“Wail, you shepherds, and cry;And roll in ashes, you masters of the flock.For the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have come in full,And you will fall and be broken into pieces like a choice vessel.

“The shepherds will have no way to flee,Nor the masters of the flock any [way of] escape.

“A voice! The cry of the shepherdsAnd the wailing of the masters of the flock!For the Lord is destroying their pasture,

Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations,And declare it in the isles and coastlands far away,And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather himAnd will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”

“They will come and sing aloud and shout for joy on the height of Zion,And will be radiant [with joy] over the goodness of the Lord—For the grain, for the new wine, for the oil,And for the young of the flock and the herd.And their life will be like a watered garden,And they shall never sorrow or languish again.

Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has devised against Edom, and [hear] what He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will be dragged away, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their dwelling place desolate because of them.

Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has devised against Babylon, and hear what He has purposed against [the inhabitants of the land of] the Chaldeans: surely they will be dragged away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their habitation desolate because of them.

With you I shatter the shepherd and his flock,With you I shatter the farmer and his yoke of oxen,And with you I shatter governors and commanders.

“Take the choicest of the flock,And also pile wood under the pot.Make it boil vigorouslyAnd boil its bones in the pot.”

As a shepherd cares for his sheep on the day that he is among his scattered flock, so I will care for My sheep; and I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

“And as for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats [between the righteous and the unrighteous].

As for My flock (the righteous), they must feed on what you trample with your feet and drink what you muddy with your feet!’”

therefore, I will rescue My flock, and they shall no longer be prey; and I will judge between one sheep [ungodly] and another [godly].

‘Thus says the Lord God, “This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock.

Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the desolate cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know [with confident assurance] that I am the Lord.”’”

When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.

For seven days you shall prepare daily a goat for a sin offering; also a young bull and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be prepared.

and [you shall offer] one sheep out of every flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel—for a grain offering, for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings to make atonement for [those who brought] them,” says the Lord God.

Those who lie on [luxurious] beds of ivoryAnd lounge around out on their couches,And eat lambs from the flockAnd calves from the midst of the stall,

But the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No man, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat or drink water.

“I shall most certainly assemble all of you, O Jacob;I shall surely gather the remnant of Israel.I shall bring them together like sheep in the fold [multiplying the nation];Like a flock in the midst of its pasture.The place will swarm with many people and hum loudly with noise.

“As for you [Jerusalem], tower of the flock [of Israel],Hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem’s inhabitants),To you the former dominion shall come,The kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem [when the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled].

And He shall stand and shepherd and guide His flockIn the strength of the Lord,In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;And they shall dwell [secure in undisturbed peace],Because at that time He shall be great [extending His authority][Even] to the ends of the earth.

Shepherd and rule Your people with Your scepter [of blessing],The flock of Your inheritance and Your possessionWhich dwells alone [separate and secure from attack] in the forest,In the midst of a garden land.Let them feed in Bashan and GileadAs in the days of old [the days of Moses and Elijah].

Though the fig tree does not blossomAnd there is no fruit on the vines,Though the yield of the olive failsAnd the fields produce no food,Though the flock is cut off from the foldAnd there are no cattle in the stalls,

And the Lord their God shall save them on that dayAs the flock of His people;For they are like the [precious] jewels of a crown,Displayed and glittering in His land.

“My anger is kindled against the shepherds [who are not true shepherds],And I shall punish the male goats (leaders);For the Lord of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom),And will make them like His beautiful and majestic horse in the battle.

Thus says the Lord my God, “Pasture the flock doomed for slaughter,

So I [Zechariah] pastured the flock doomed for slaughter, truly [as the name implies] the most miserable of sheep. And I took two [shepherd’s] staffs, the one I called Favor (Grace) and the other I called Union (Bonds); so I pastured the flock.

So the covenant was broken on that day, and thus the most wretched of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord.

“Woe (judgment is coming) to the worthless and foolish shepherdWho deserts the flock!The sword will strike his armAnd his right eye!His arm shall be totally witheredAnd his right eye completely blinded.”

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,And against the Man, My Associate,”Declares the Lord of hosts.“Strike the Shepherd so that the sheep [of the flock] may be scattered;And I will turn My hand and stretch it out against the little ones [of the flock].

“But cursed is the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows [to offer] it, but sacrifices to the Lord a blemished or diseased thing! For I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is to be [reverently and greatly] feared among the nations.”