Lexical Summary kibsah or kabsah: Ewe lamb Original Word: כִּבְשָׂה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ewe lamb Or kabsah {kab-saw'}; feminine of kebes; a ewe -- (ewe) lamb. see HEBREW kebes NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as kebes Definition ewe lamb NASB Translation ewe lamb (3), ewe lambs (3), ewe-lamb (1), lamb (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs כִּבְשָׂה, כַּבְשָׂה noun feminine ewe-lamb; ׳כִּ 2 Samuel 12:3,6; ׳כַּ Leviticus 14:10; Numbers 6:14; construct כִּבְשַׂת 2 Samuel 12:4; plural כְּבָשׂת Genesis 21:29,30; construct כִּבְשׂת Genesis 21:28; — ewe-lambs (7) set in witness Genesis 21:28,29,30 (E); used in sacrifice Leviticus 14:10 (purification), Numbers 6:14 (Nazirite; both P, and both "" כָּבֶשׂ); for food, in Nathan's parable 2 Samuel 12:3,4,6. Topical Lexicon Essential Meaning and Symbolism The term designates a young female sheep, an animal associated with gentleness, vulnerability, and maternal instinct. Scripture employs the ewe lamb both literally—in pastoral and sacrificial settings—and figuratively, to expose sin and to foreshadow redemptive grace. Covenantal Witness in the Days of Abraham (Genesis 21:28-30) Abraham’s separation of “seven ewe lambs of the flock” served as tangible proof that he, not Abimelech, had dug the contested well at Beersheba. The gesture attached covenantal weight to a humble creature, illustrating how God often seals promises through simple, recognizable tokens. The episode also highlights restitution: Abraham yielded valuable livestock to establish peace, prefiguring the later sacrificial economy in which innocent life ratified covenantal terms. Levitical Purification and Personal Restoration (Leviticus 14:10) In the complex rite for a cleansed leper, the priest presented “one ewe lamb a year old without blemish” as a sin offering, underscoring that moral defilement accompanies physical disease. The ewe lamb, smaller and less imposing than a ram, allowed even the poorest Israelite to participate fully in the covenant community. Its inclusion demonstrates that God provides accessible means for restoration, marrying mercy to holiness. Consecration of the Nazirites (Numbers 6:14) When a Nazirite’s vow concluded, the prescribed offerings included “one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering.” Even a person who had voluntarily pursued heightened holiness required atonement, affirming that the most devout still depend on substitutionary sacrifice. The ewe lamb’s role here teaches that consecration without Christ’s ultimate sacrifice remains incomplete. Prophetic Indictment and Moral Clarity (2 Samuel 12:3-6) Nathan’s parable of the rich man who seized a poor neighbor’s cherished ewe lamb pierced David’s conscience. By likening the lamb to a daughter—“it slept in his arms; it was like a daughter to him” (2 Samuel 12:3)—Nathan magnified the atrocity of the theft. The ewe lamb became a mirror for Bathsheba and Uriah’s violated marriage and a catalyst for repentance, proving that the violation of gentle innocence exposes hardened sin. Christological Foreshadowing Every Old Testament ewe lamb that died for sin prefigured “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The gendered detail—female rather than male—adds a nuance of meekness and nurturing care, complementing the broader lamb imagery fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As the ewe lamb stood in the offerer’s place, so Christ bore “our griefs” and “carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). Pastoral and Devotional Applications 1. Covenant Faithfulness: Believers today may emulate Abraham’s willingness to make costly restitution for the sake of peace. Summary of Key References Genesis 21:28-30; Leviticus 14:10-13; Numbers 6:14; 2 Samuel 12:3-6. Each occurrence combines to portray the ewe lamb as a witness to covenant, an agent of purification, a component of consecration, and a vehicle of prophetic conviction—culminating in the ultimate Lamb whose once-for-all sacrifice secures eternal redemption. Forms and Transliterations הַכִּבְשָׂ֖ה הכבשה וְכַבְשָׂ֥ה וְכַבְשָׂ֨ה וכבשה כְּבָשֹׂ֔ת כְּבָשֹׂת֙ כִּבְשַׂת֙ כִּבְשָׂ֨ה כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת כבשה כבשת hak·kiḇ·śāh hakkiḇśāh hakkivSah kə·ḇā·śōṯ kəḇāśōṯ kevaSot kiḇ·śāh kiḇ·śaṯ kiḇ·śōṯ kiḇśāh kiḇśaṯ kiḇśōṯ kivSah kivSat kivSot vechavSah wə·ḵaḇ·śāh wəḵaḇśāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 21:28 HEB: אֶת־ שֶׁ֛בַע כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת הַצֹּ֖אן לְבַדְּהֶֽן׃ NAS: seven ewe lambs of the flock KJV: seven ewe lambs of the flock INT: Abraham seven ewe of the flock themselves Genesis 21:29 Genesis 21:30 Leviticus 14:10 Numbers 6:14 2 Samuel 12:3 2 Samuel 12:4 2 Samuel 12:6 8 Occurrences |
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