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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #4263 - πρόβατον
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- any four footed, tame animal accustomed to graze, small cattle (opp. to large cattle, horses, etc.), most commonly a sheep or a goat
- a sheep, and so always in the NT
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πρόβᾰτον, τό,
freq. in pl. πρόβατα (but also in sg., Cratin. 43, Pl. Euthd. 302a, etc.); heterocl. dat. πρόβασι Hdn.Gr. 1.414, Hsch.: —
used (among the Ionians and Dorians) of all four-footed cattle, Hdt. 2.41, etc.; πάντων τῶν π. βόες μάλιστα ἀτονέουσι Hp. Art. 8; τὰ ἄλλα π. καὶ ἵππους μάλιστα Hdt. 4.61, cf. Pi. Fr. 316, IG 12(1).677.31 (Rhodes, iv/iii B.C. ); of Europa's bull, Simon. 28: in Hom. generally of cattle, flocks and herds, Il. 14.124, 23.550, h.Merc. 571, cf. IG 12(7).62.35 (Amorgos, iv B.C. ); τὰ π. καὶ καρταίποδα Leg.Gort. 4.35; opp. ἄνθρωποι, Hes. Op. 558, Hdt. 1.203; τὰ λεπτὰ τῶν π. small cattle, i.e. sheep and goats, ib. 133, 8.137; τὸ μὲν μέζον π. . ., τὸ δὲ μεῖον IG 5 (2).3.14 (Tegea, iv B.C. ); so later, π. ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων λήψεσθε LXX Exodus 12:5 : but in Att. Prose and Com. (never in Trag.) almost invariably of sheep, Ar. Av. 714, Th. 2.14, IG 22.1672.289, etc.; ὥσπερ π. βῆ βῆ λέγων βαδίζει Cratin. 43; so in later Boeot., IG 7.3171.39,44 (Orchom. Boeot. ):
generally, animals for slaughter, whether for sacrifices, Hdt. 6.56; or for food, Id. 1.207; cf. Antipho 5.29 .
2. prov. of stupid, lazy people, ἀριθμός, πρόβατ' ἄλλως Ar. Nu. 1203, cf. V. 32: Com. Comp., προβάτου προβάτερον more sheepish than a sheep, dub. cj. in Sophr. 122; χρυσοῦν π., = Lat. pecus aurea, as nickname, D.C. 59.8: in other provs., τοὺς γευομένους κύνας τῶν π. κατακόπτειν φασὶ δεῖν D. 25.40; λέων ἐν προβάτοις Plu. Cleom. 33, cf. Plb. 5.35.13 .
II name of a sea-fish, Opp. H. 1.146, 3.139, Ael. NA 9.38 . (Orig. of small cattle, sheep and goats, which in primitive mixed herds walk in front ( προβαίνει ) of the larger animals.)
πρόβατον, προβάτου, τό (from προβαίνω, properly, 'that which walks forward'), from Homer down, the Sept. chiefly for צֹאן, then for שֶׂה, sometimes for כֶּבֶשׂ and כֶּשֶׂב (a lamb), properly, any four-footed, tame animal accustomed to graze, small cattle (opposed to large cattle, horses, etc.), most common a sheep or a goat; but especially a sheep, and so always in the N. T.: Matthew 7:15; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 12:11; Mark 6:34; Luke 15:4, 6; John 2:14; John 10:1-4, 11f.; Acts 8:32 (from Isaiah 53:7); 1 Peter 2:25; Revelation 18:13; πρόβατα σφαγῆς, sheep destined for the slaughter, Romans 8:36. metaphorically, πρόβατα, sheep, is used of the followers of any master: Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27 (from Zechariah 13:7); of mankind, who as needing salvation obey the injunctions of him who provides it and leads them to it; so of the followers of Christ: John 10:7f, 15f, 26; John 21:16 (R G L Tr text WH marginal reading),
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πρόβατον , -ου , τό
(< προβαίνω ),
[in LXX chiefly for H6629, also for H7716, more rarely for H3532 (H3775), H7353;]
1. in Hom., Hdt., cattle, esp. of small cattle, sheep and goats.
2. In NT, as in Attic writers generally (cf. MM, xxi), a sheep: Matthew 7:15, Mark 6:34, al.; πρόβατα σφαγῆς , Romans 8:36 (LXX). Metaph. (in cl. of timidity, stupidity or idleness), of the followers of a leader or master, esp. of those who are subject to the care of the Good Shepherd: Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24; Matthew 26:31 (LXX) Mark 14:27 (LXX), John 10:7-8; John 10:15-16; John 10:26-27; John 21:16-17 (WH txt., προβάτια ), Hebrews 13:20; opp. to ἐρίφια , Matthew 25:33.
* προβάτιον , -ου , τό ,
dimin. of πρόβατον (used as a term of endearment, v. El., § 27, 4), a little sheep: John 21:16-17 (πρόβατα , WH, mg.).†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
For the literal meaning ";fall upon"; in Matthew 7:25 see s.v. προσπαίω, and for the derived sense ";fall at one) s feet,"; ";supplicate,"; cf. the Christian amulet BGU III. 9543.30 (vi/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 134) ἅγιε Σέρηνε, πρόσπεσε ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα τελείως ὑγιανῶ.
The verb is common in our sources =";befall,"; ";happen,"; e.g. PSI VI. 614.13 (iii/B.C.) γράφε δὲ καὶ Ἡραγόραι, ἐάν τί σοι προσπίπτηι τῶν καθ᾽ αὑτόν, ἐπιμελῶς, ib. IV. 340.12 (B.C. 257–6) ὥ [στε ] μηδεμίαν ὑποψίαν ἐκείνωι γε προσπεσεῖν, P Hib I. 78.4 (B.C. 244–3) ὅταν λειτουργία προσπέσηι ἀπολ ̣υ ̣ειν αὐτούς, ";to release them when service falls to their lot,"; P Par 39.9 (B.C. 161) (= UPZ i. p. 143) καθότι προσπίπτει μοι, BGU IV. 1206.16 (B.C. 28) ἐάν τι ἄλλο προσπέσῃ, σημανῶι σοι, and ib. III. 1011ii. 12 (ii/A.D.) κἄν τί σοι προσπίπτηι περὶ τῶν ἐναντίων. In P Cairo Zen 59031.7 (B.C. 258) reference is made to some iron its a necessary part of a boat’s equipment—τὸ [ν σί ]δη [ρ ]ον ὃν [ἀ ]ναγκαῖον ἦν ὑπάρχειν ἐν τῶι πλοίωι πρὸς τὰς προσπιπτο ̣ύσας χρείας. P Petr II. 38 verso (c).46 (Ptol.) τὰ προσπ [ίπτ ]ον [τα describes cases ";falling"; to a judge to decide.
An interesting use of the verb shows it = ";come to my ears or to my knowledge,"; e.g. P Par 63.30 (B.C. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 20) ἡμῖν προσπέπτωκεν, Witkowski.2 p. 96.8 (B.C. 131–0) (= P Revill Mél p. 295, Archiv ii. p. 518) προσπέπτωκεν <γὰρ > Παὼν ἀναπλεῖν ἐν τῶ τῦβι <μ (ηνί)>, and P Oxy VII. 1027.7 (i/A.D.) προσέπεσέν μοι.
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