'Flock' in the Bible
while Abel brought the best parts of some of the firstborn from his flock. The LORD looked favorably upon Abel and his offering,
Go to the flock and bring me two healthy young goats. I'll prepare some delicious food for your father, just the way he loves it.
But they responded, "We can't do that until all the sheep have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the opening of the well. Only then can we water the flock."
When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, accompanied by Laban's sheep, Jacob approached the well, rolled the stone from the opening of the well, and then watered his mother's brother Laban's flock.
Jacob responded, "You don't have to give me anything. Just do this for me: Let me tend your flock again and watch over it. Let me walk among your flocks today and remove every speckled or spotted sheep, along with every black lamb, and let me do the same with the speckled and spotted goats. These will be my wages.
Meanwhile, Jacob kept tending the rest of Laban's flock. Jacob took branches from white poplar trees, freshly cut almond trees, and some other trees, stripped off their bark to make white streaks, and uncovered the white part inside the branches.
Then he placed the branches that he had stripped bare in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He placed the branches in front of the flock, and they went into heat as they came to drink.
Jacob kept the lambs separate, facing the striped and entirely black ones that belonged to Laban's flock. He set his own herd by itself and would not let them be with Laban's flock.
Whenever the more vigorous of the flock came into heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the flock to make them mate by the branches.
But he didn't put the branches in front of any of the feeble members of the flock. As a result, the feeble ones belonged to Laban, but the stronger ones belonged to Jacob.
Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was
"When Laban said, "The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, "The streaked ones will be your wages,' all the flock gave birth to streaked offspring.
As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.
""Look around!' he said. "Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I've been watching everything that Laban has done to you.
Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I've been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock,
"Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die.
Some time later, his brothers left to tend their father's flock in Shechem.
And Israel instructed Joseph, "Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I'm going to send you to them." "Here I am!" he responded.
"Go and see how things are with your brothers," Israel ordered him. "And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me." Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron.
"I'm searching for my brothers," he responded. "Tell me, where are they tending the flock?"
Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.
"I'll send you a young goat from the flock," he responded. But she pressed him, asking, "What security will you put up until you've sent it?"
"Speak to the Israelis and tell them that when any person brings an offering to the LORD from among you, whether he brings on offering of animals from either cattle or flock,
"If his offering is a burnt offering from the flock, whether lamb or goat, he is to bring a male without any defect
"If his offering to the LORD is a peace offering from the flock, whether male or female, he is to bring it without defect.
and bring compensation to the LORD for the guilt that he committed: a female from the flock whether a lamb or goat for a sin offering. Then the priest is to make atonement for him."
"When a person commits a truly treacherous act and sins inadvertently concerning the sacred things of the LORD, then he is to bring a trespass offering to the LORD from the flock as compensation for his guilt. It is to be a ram without defect, estimated as to its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.
He is to bring from the flock to the priest a ram without defect, estimated as to its value in silver shekels, as a guilt offering. Then the priest is to make atonement for him concerning his inadvertent act that he committed through ignorance, and it will be forgiven him.
Now as to his guilt offering, he is to bring to the LORD a ram without defect from the flock, estimated as to its value, to the priest.
"If a person brings a peace offering sacrifice to the LORD to fulfill a vow or a free will offering from the herd or the flock, it is to be sound in order to be accepted, without any defect in it.
who will go in and out before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in so that the LORD'S community won't be like a flock without a shepherd."
He'll love you and increase your numbers. He'll bless the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your land (the grain, new wine, and oil), the offspring of your herds, and the lambs of your flock, in the land that the LORD promised your ancestors he would give you.
"You won't be allowed to eat your tithe of grain, new wine, oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, your voluntary offerings that you pledged, your free-will offerings, and the works of your hands in your own cities.
"If the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish his name is distant from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and your flock what the LORD has provided for you, as he instructed you. You may consume them in your cities as much as you please.
Then in the presence of the LORD your God, in the place where he'll choose to establish his name, you may consume the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your livestock and flock, so that you'll learn to revere the LORD your God all your life.
Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the LORD your God has blessed you, so give to them.
"Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male among your herd and flock. You must not put the firstborn of your ox to work or shear the firstborn of your flock.
Give them the first gatherings of your grain, wine, and oil, as well as wool from the shearing of your flock.
"Blessed will your children be, as well as the produce of your land, the offspring of your beasts and cattle, and the offspring of your flock.
"Cursed will your children be, as well as the produce of your land, the offspring of your beasts and cattle, and the offspring of your flock.
Your ox will be slaughtered in front of you, and you won't be able to eat it. Your donkey will be stolen from you while you watch and won't be returned to you. Your flock of sheep will be handed to your enemies, and there will be no deliverer.
Its army will consume the offspring of your animals and the produce of your soil until you are exterminated. They will leave you without your grain, wine, oil, the increase of your cattle, and the lamb of your flock, until you are completely destroyed.
He will take a tenth of your flock, and you will become his servants.
David told Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, "A lightning storm struck and incinerated the flock and the servants while they were eating. I alone escaped to tell you!"
You have led your people like a flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron. An instruction of Asaph
Yet he led out his people like sheep, guiding them like a flock in the desert.
Shepherd of Israel, listen! The one who leads Joseph like a flock, the one enthroned on the cherubim, display your glory.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the flock in his care. If only you would listen to his voice today,
Yet he lifted the needy from affliction and made them families like a flock.
Tell me, you whom I love, where do you graze your flock? Where do you make your flock lie down at noon? Why should I be considered a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?
If you don't know, most beautiful of women, go out after the flock and graze your young goats beside the shepherd's tents.
My beloved belongs to me and I belong to him. He is the one who shepherds his flock among the lilies.
Look at you! You are beautiful, my darling. Look at you! You are so beautiful. Your eyes behind your veil are doves, your hair is like a flock of goats coming down from Mt. Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep about to be sheared, who are coming up from being washed. All of them are twins, not one has lost her young.
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to graze his flock in the gardens and gather lilies.
I belong to my beloved, and my beloved belongs to me. He is the one who grazes his flock among the lilies.
Turn your eyes from me, for they excite me. Your hair is like a flock of goats coming down from Mt. Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming up from being washed. All of them are twins, not one has lost her young.
Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep."
Then they remembered the days of old, of Moses his servant. Where is the one who brought up out of the sea the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,
Shepherds and their flocks will come against her. They'll pitch their tents all around her, and every one will tend his flock in his own place.
Because the shepherds are stupid and don't seek the LORD, therefore, they don't prosper, and their flock is scattered.
If you don't listen, I'll cry secretly because of your pride. My eyes will cry bitterly, flowing tears, because the LORD's flock has been taken captive.
"Look up and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you your beautiful sheep?
Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Israel says about the shepherds who are shepherding my people, "You have scattered my flock and driven them away. You haven't taken care of them, and now I'm about to take care of you because of your evil deeds," declares the LORD.
"I'll gather the remnant of my flock from all the countries where I've driven them, and bring them back to their pasture where they'll be fruitful and increase in numbers.
I'll raise up shepherds over them, and they'll shepherd them. My flock will no longer be afraid or terrified, and none will be missing," declares the LORD.
"You are to prophesy all these things against them, and you are to say to them, "The LORD roars from his high place, from his holy dwelling he lifts his voice. He roars loudly against his flock, and against all who live on the earth; he shouts like those treading grapes.
"Scream, you shepherds! Cry out! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! Indeed, the time for your slaughter and your dispersion has arrived, and you will break like a choice vessel.
Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, as will be escape for the leaders of the flock.
A sound it's the cry of the shepherds and the scream of the leaders of the flock because the LORD is destroying their pastures.
Nations, listen to this message from the LORD, and declare it in the distant coastlands. Say, "The one who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock."
Judah and all its towns will live together in the land, along with farmers and those who follow the flock.
Therefore, hear the plan that the LORD has made against Edom, and the strategy that he devised against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely he will drag the little ones of the flock away. Surely their pasture will be desolate because of them.
Move away from the middle of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans. Be like male goats at the head of the flock.
"Israel is a scattered flock, driven out by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria, and then afterward King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gnawed his bones.
Therefore, hear the plan that the LORD has made against Babylon, and the strategy that he devised against the land of the Chaldeans. Surely they'll drag the little ones of the flock away. Surely their pasture will be desolate because of them.
I'll smash the shepherd and his flock with you. I'll smash the farmer and his team of oxen with you. I'll smash governors and officials with you.
Take the best bones from the flock, pile wood under the pot for the bones, bring it to a boil, and then cook the bones in it."'"
"As certainly as I'm alive and living, my sheep have truly become victims, food for all of the wild animals because there are no shepherds. My shepherds did not go searching for my flock. Instead, the shepherds fed themselves, and my flock they would not feed!'
"This is what the Lord GOD says: "Watch out, I'm coming after you shepherds! I'm going to demand my sheep back from them and fire them as shepherds. The shepherds won't be shepherds anymore when I snatch my flock right out of their mouths so they can't be eaten by them anymore."'"
"This is what the LORD says: "Watch me! I'm going to search for my flock. I'll watch over them myself.
Just as a shepherd looks after his flock during the day time while he is with them, so also I'm going to watch over my sheep, delivering them from every place where they've been scattered during the times of gloom and doom.
"Now as for you, my flock, this is what the Lord GOD says: "Watch out! I'm going to judge between one sheep and another, and between the rams and the goats.
My flock is grazing on what you've been treading down with your feet and they're drinking what you've been making muddy with your feet!'
"And as for you, my sheep, the flock that I'm pasturing, you are mankind, and I am your God,' declares the Lord GOD."
"This is what the Lord GOD has to say: "I'm going to allow the house of Israel to ask anything they want from me, including this: I'm going to increase their population as a shepherd increases his flock.
After you've finished the cleansing, you are to present a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect.
"Every day for a week, you are to prepare a goat for a sin offering, a young bull, and a ram from the flock, each without defect.
The sheep quota is to be one from each flock of 200 taken from the pastures of Israel. From all of these you are to present grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them," declares the Lord GOD.
lying on ivory beds, stretching out on your couches, eating lambs from the flock, and fattened calves from the stall,
But the LORD took me from tending the flock and the LORD kept saying to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'
No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water. Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence.
"Jacob, how I will surely gather all of you! How I will gather the survivors of Israel! I will gather them together like sheep in a pen, like the flock in the midst of the sheepfold. There will be a great commotion because of all the people.
"And you, watchtower of the flock, you stronghold of the daughter of Zion, it will happen even to you: The former dominion, even the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem, will come.
Use your rod to shepherd your people, the flock that belongs to you, that lives alone in the forest of Carmel. Let them find pasture in Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago.
Even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vines; even if the olive harvest fails, and the fields produce nothing edible; even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold, and there is no herd in the stalls
The LORD their God will save them at that time as his very own flock of people, because they are his crown jewels, exalted throughout his land.
"Against the shepherds my anger rises I am punishing the leaders also, because the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.