Reference: Herd
Easton
Ge 13:5; De 7:14. (See Cattle.)
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Now, Lot also, who was going with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.
Blessed shalt thou be beyond all the peoples, - there shall not be in thee a barren male or female, nor among thy cattle;
Fausets
Cattle formed a considerable part of Israel's wealth. The full grown ox was seldom slaughtered, being more useful for plowing, threshing, and carrying burdens. The people's act, recorded in 1Sa 14:32, was one of excess. The third year was the time for breaking to service (Isa 15:5). Fattening for beef is not practiced in the East. Grazing is afforded in the South region (the Negeb), Carmel, Dothan, and Sharon. The ox ate foliage too in Bashan and Gilead (Ps 50:10). Uzziah "built towers in the desert" (wasteland) to guard the pasturing cattle.
When pasture failed "provender," Hebrew a mixture of various grains, was used. Isa 30:24, "clean (chamits, 'salted') provender," or well fermented maslin, composed of grain, beans, vetches, hay, and salt, which beasts of burden in the East relish. The Arabs say, "sweet provender is as bread to camels, salted provender as confectionery." Also chopped straw (Isa 11:7; 65:25). The sense in Mal 4:3 is, "Ye shall go forth, and grow up, as calves of the stall," which when set free from the stall disport with joy; the believer's future joy at the Lord's second coming (Isa 25:9; 61:10; 1Pe 1:8).
When harvest was over, and open pastures failed because of the heat, the ox was fed in stalls (Hab 3:17) until vegetation returned. Saul himself had herded cattle, and Doeg his chief herdsman was high in his favor (1Sa 11:5; 21:7). Joseph's brethren were assigned the office as an honourable one by Pharaoh (Ge 47:6). Hezekiah and Uzziah, when the land was less disturbed by hostile inroads, revived cattle tending which had previously declined (2Ch 26:10; 32:28-29).
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The land of Egypt, is, before thee, in the best of the land, cause thou thy father and thy brethren to dwell, - let them dwell in the land of Goshen, And if thou knowest that there are among them men of ability, then shalt thou set them as chieftains of cattle over mine.
But lo! Saul, came in, following the oxen, out of the field, and Saul said, What aileth the people, that they should weep? Then were recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.
And the people darted greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and felled them to the ground, - and the people did eat, with the blood.
Now, in that very place, was a man of the servants of Saul, on that day, detained before Yahweh, whose name, was Doeg the Edomite, - chief of the shepherds that belonged unto Saul.
And he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells, for, much cattle, had he, both in the lowland, and in the plain, - husbandmen and vinedressers, in the mountains and in the fruitful field, for, a lover of the soil, was he.
storehouses also, for the increase of corn, and new wine and oil, - and cribs for every kind of beast, and cribs for the flocks; and, cities, made he for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds, in abundance, - for God had given him exceeding great wealth.
For, mine, is every wild-beast of the forest, The cattle on the mountains, in their thousands;
And the cow, with the bear shall find pasture, Together, shall their young ones, lie down, - And, the lion, like the ox, shall eat straw;
Mine own heart, for Moab continueth to make outcry, Her fugitive, as far as Zoar, is like a heifer of three years; For the accent of Luhith, with weeping, they ascend, For by the way of Horonaim - an outcry of destruction, they excite;
So shall it he said, in that day, Lo! our God, is this! We waited for him, that he might save us, - This, is Yahweh! We waited for him, Let us exult and rejoice in his salvation.
And the oxen and the young asses that till the ground, salted provender, shall eat, which hath been winnowed with shovel or fan.
I will, greatly rejoice, in Yahweh, My soul shall exult in my God, For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, With a robe of righteousness, hath he enwrapt me, - As a bridegroom, adorneth himself with, a chaplet, And as a bride, bedecketh herself with, her jewels.
The wolf and the lamb, shall feed, in unity, And, the lion, as an ox, shall eat straw; But as for the serpent, dust, shall be his food: They shall not harm - Nor shall they destroy, In all my holy mountain, saith Yahweh.
Though, the fig-tree, should not blossom, and there be no sprouting in the vines, the yield of the olive, should have deceived, and, the fields, not have brought forth food, - the flock, have been consumed out of the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls,
And ye shall tread down the lawless, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, - in the day when I am working with effect, saith Yahweh of hosts.
Hastings
Smith
(a collection of cattle), Herdsmen. The herd was greatly regarded in both the patriarchal and the Mosaic period. The ox was the most precious stock next to horse and mule. The herd yielded the most esteemed sacrifice,
also flesh meat, and milk, chiefly converted probably, into butter and cheese.
De 32:14; 2Sa 17:29
The agricultural and general usefulness of the ox in ploughing, threshing, and as a beast of burden,
made a slaughtering of him seem wasteful. Herdsmen, etc., in Egypt were a low, perhaps the lowest, caste; but of the abundance of cattle in Egypt, and of the care there bestowed on them, there is no doubt.
So the plague of hail was sent to smite especially the cattle,
the firstborn of which also were smitten.
The Israelites departing stipulated for,
and took "much cattle" with them. ch.
Cattle formed thus one of the traditions of the Israelitish nation in its greatest period, and became almost a part of that greatness. The occupation of herdsman was honorable in early times.
Ge 47:6; 1Sa 11:5; 1Ch 27:29; 28:1
Saul himself resumed it in the interval of his cares as king, also Doeg was certainly high in his confidence
Pharaoh made some of Joseph's brethren "rulers over his cattle." David's herd-masters were among his chief officers of state. The prophet Amos at first followed this occupation.
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The land of Egypt, is, before thee, in the best of the land, cause thou thy father and thy brethren to dwell, - let them dwell in the land of Goshen, And if thou knowest that there are among them men of ability, then shalt thou set them as chieftains of cattle over mine.
The land of Egypt, is, before thee, in the best of the land, cause thou thy father and thy brethren to dwell, - let them dwell in the land of Goshen, And if thou knowest that there are among them men of ability, then shalt thou set them as chieftains of cattle over mine.
So they brought in their cattle unto Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses and for the cattle of the flock and for the cattle of the herd, and for the asses, - and he provided them with bread for all their cattle, throughout that year.
and Yahweh will make a difference between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of the Egyptians, - so that there shall not die from among all that pertaineth to the sons of Israel, a thing!
He that feared the word of Yahweh, among the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee, under shelter:
Moreover also, our own cattle, shall go with us - there shall not be left behind, a hoof, for thereof, must we take, to serve Yahweh our God, - even we ourselves, cannot know wherewith we must serve Yahweh, until we have come in thither.
And it came to pass, at midnight, that Yahweh, smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat upon his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive who was in the pit of his prison, - and every firstborn of beasts.
Moreover also, a mixed multitude, came up with them, - flocks also, and herds, exceeding much cattle,
yea then brought they in as their offering, before Yahweh - six covered waggons, and twelve oxen, a waggon for every two of the princes and an ox for each one, - yea they brought them near before the habitation.
Curds of kine and milk of sheep, - With fat of well-fed lambs, Yea rams bred in Bashan, and he-goats, With the white of the kernels of wheat, - And, the blood of the grape, thou didst drink as it foamed.
Now, in that very place, was a man of the servants of Saul, on that day, detained before Yahweh, whose name, was Doeg the Edomite, - chief of the shepherds that belonged unto Saul.
Moreover also, they who were near of kin unto them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing bread, on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, meal-food, cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep - in abundance, - for there was joy Israel.
So shall it be more pleasing to Yahweh than a bullock of the herd, Showing horn and divided hoof.
When he gave up, to hail-storms, their beasts, And their cattle, to pestilent fevers;
Bel, hath crouched, Nebo, is cowering, Their images, are delivered up to beast and to cattle, - The things ye carried about, are become a load, A burden, to the weary!
He that slaughtereth an ox, is as one who smiteth a man, He that sacrificeth a lamb, is as one who beheadeth a dog, he that causeth a meal-offering to ascend, offereth it with the blood of swine, He that maketh a memorial of frankincense, is as one who blesseth iniquity: They indeed, have chosen their own ways, And in their own abominations, their soul hath found delight;