4830. marith
Lexical Summary
marith: Rebellion, defiance

Original Word: מִרְעִית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mir`iyth
Pronunciation: mah-REETH
Phonetic Spelling: (meer-eeth')
KJV: flock, pasture
NASB: pasture, flock
Word Origin: [from H7462 (רָעָה - To shepherd) in the sense of feeding]

1. pasturage
2. (concretely) a flock

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flock, pasture

From ra'ah in the sense of feeding; pasturage; concretely, a flock -- flock, pasture.

see HEBREW ra'ah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from raah
Definition
a pasturing, shepherding, pasturage
NASB Translation
flock (1), pasture (9).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[מַרְעִית] noun feminine pasturing, shepherding, pasturage (always figurative); — suffix מַרְעִיתִי Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:31, מַרְעִיתֶ֑ךָ Psalm 74:1; Psalm 79:13, etc.; —

1 pasturing, shepherding, צאֹן מַרְעִיתִי, of Israel as flock of ׳י, Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:31, compare Psalm 74:1; Psalm 79:13; Psalm 100:3 + Psalm 95:7(read וְעַם יָדוֺ ׳מ ׳צ, compare Hup-Now Che).

2 pasturage, Hosea 13:6 (Now כִּרְעוֺתָם), Isaiah 49:9; Jeremiah 25:36.

3 by meton. = flock Jeremiah 10:21.

Topical Lexicon
Pasture and Grazing Ground

Mirʾith designates the grassy range where sheep and goats feed. In an agrarian society that relied on covenant land grants, good pasture symbolized life, security, and divine favor. Because Israel’s landscape oscillates between arable valleys and semi-arid hills, shepherds constantly sought such “places of rest” (cf. Psalm 23:2). Scripture therefore employs mirʾith both literally and metaphorically to portray the Lord’s provision, the people’s dependence, and the ethical demands placed on their leaders.

Usage in the Psalms

Psalm 74:1; 79:13; 95:7; and 100:3 set the pattern by coupling Israel’s covenant identity with the image of pasture:

• “We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
• “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care” (Psalm 95:7).

These songs arose out of corporate worship, reminding Israel that their national existence was no accident of history; it was the outworking of divine shepherding. The term thus undergirds assurance during crisis (Psalm 74:1), fuels thanksgiving (Psalm 100:3), and prompts obedience—“Today, if you hear His voice” (Psalm 95:7).

Prophetic Warnings Against Unfaithful Shepherds

Mirʾith becomes a focal point of judgment when leaders neglect their charge.

Jeremiah 10:21 – “The shepherds are senseless; they have not sought the LORD; therefore they have no prosperity, and all their flock is scattered.”

Jeremiah 23:1 – “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!”

Ezekiel 34:31 – “You are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, and I am your God.”

The prophets condemn kings, priests, and prophets who exploited rather than protected the flock. Loss of pasture—whether through exile, famine, or foreign invasion—served as an enacted curse of the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:31). Mirʾith, once a sign of blessing, becomes the measure by which leadership is weighed.

Judgment Echoed Through National Disaster

Jeremiah 25:36 and Hosea 13:6 extend the warning. After Israel “became satisfied and their hearts were filled, they forgot Me” (Hosea 13:6), the Lord threatens the collapse of their grazing places. The destruction of pasture pictures societal upheaval: ruined cities, displaced populations, and silenced worship. Such passages highlight the moral dimension of mirʾith: prosperity without faithfulness mutates into idolatry, requiring divine correction.

Promise of Restoration

Even in judgment, God’s covenant faithfulness shines. Isaiah 49:9 envisions exiles returning under divine escort: “They will feed along the pathways, and every barren height will be their pasture.” The same word that signified loss now heralds renewal. The Shepherd will re-establish safe grazing, reversing the curse and proving His steadfast love.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Ownership – Mirʾith underscores that the Lord, not Israel, owns the flock and the pasture (Psalms 95:7; 100:3).
2. Covenant Care – Provision of pasture fulfills promises to the patriarchs (Genesis 48:15).
3. Leadership Accountability – Kings and priests act as under-shepherds; failure incurs woe (Jeremiah 23:1).
4. Eschatological Hope – Future restoration incorporates abundant grazing (Isaiah 49:9; Ezekiel 34:31).

Historical Background

Ancient Near Eastern treaties often portrayed deities as shepherds granting pasture to vassals. Israel’s Scriptures appropriate that motif yet transform it: the one true God personally tends His people. This image resonated with daily life; from the highlands of Judah to the Transjordan steppe, flocks followed seasonal routes. Secure pasture meant peace; barren hills foretold doom. The prophets leveraged this lived reality to expose spiritual conditions invisible to the naked eye.

Ministry Significance

Pastoral ministry derives its very title from this word. Elders are called to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Peter 5:2). Mirʾith reminds leaders that the church is not their possession; it belongs to the Chief Shepherd. Genuine ministry therefore aims at feeding, guiding, and guarding, not exploiting. Congregations, in turn, cultivate hearts that graze on sound doctrine (John 21:15-17).

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). He provides spiritual pasture—“I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). His self-sacrifice secures eternal nourishment, fulfilling every Old Testament anticipation bound up in mirʾith. The eschatological vision concludes with “springs of living water” where the Lamb shepherds His people (Revelation 7:17), a fitting climax to the theme first voiced in Israel’s pastures.

Key Insights for Discipleship

• Dependence – Like sheep, believers thrive only within the boundaries the Shepherd appoints.
• Gratitude – Provision should lead to worship, not complacency (Hosea 13:6).
• Vigilance – Leaders must guard against scattering influences: false teaching, pride, and neglect.
• Hope – Even in seasons of loss, the promise of restored pasture stands secure in Christ.

Thus mirʾith gathers together God’s provision, people, and purpose into one enduring image: a flock cared for by the faithful Shepherd who never abandons His pasture.

Forms and Transliterations
כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ כמרעיתם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ מַרְעִיתִ֖י מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃ מַרְעִיתֶךָ֮ מַרְעִיתָ֖ם מַרְעִיתָֽם׃ מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃ מרעיתו מרעיתו׃ מרעיתי מרעיתך מרעיתך׃ מרעיתם מרעיתם׃ kə·mar·‘î·ṯām kəmar‘îṯām kemariTam mar‘îṯām mar‘îṯeḵā mar‘îṯî mar‘îṯōw mar·‘î·ṯām mar·‘î·ṯe·ḵā mar·‘î·ṯî mar·‘î·ṯōw mariTam mariTecha mariTi marito
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 74:1
HEB: אַ֝פְּךָ֗ בְּצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃
NAS: against the sheep of Your pasture?
KJV: against the sheep of thy pasture?
INT: anger the sheep flock

Psalm 79:13
HEB: עַמְּךָ֨ ׀ וְצֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתֶךָ֮ נ֤וֹדֶ֥ה לְּךָ֗
NAS: and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks
KJV: and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks
INT: your people and the sheep of your pasture will give forever

Psalm 95:7
HEB: וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ
NAS: And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep
KJV: and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep
INT: we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand

Psalm 100:3
HEB: עַ֝מּ֗וֹ וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃
NAS: and the sheep of His pasture.
KJV: and the sheep of his pasture.
INT: his people and the sheep of his pasture

Isaiah 49:9
HEB: וּבְכָל־ שְׁפָיִ֖ים מַרְעִיתָֽם׃
NAS: they will feed, And their pasture [will be] on all
KJV: in the ways, and their pastures [shall be] in all high places.
INT: all bare and their pasture

Jeremiah 10:21
HEB: הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־ מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֽוֹצָה׃ ס
NAS: And all their flock is scattered.
KJV: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
INT: prospered and all their flock is scattered

Jeremiah 23:1
HEB: אֶת־ צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה׃
NAS: the sheep of My pasture! declares
KJV: the sheep of my pasture! saith
INT: and scattering the sheep of my pasture declares the LORD

Jeremiah 25:36
HEB: יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־ מַרְעִיתָֽם׃
NAS: is destroying their pasture,
KJV: hath spoiled their pasture.
INT: is destroying the LORD their pasture

Ezekiel 34:31
HEB: צֹאנִ֛י צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י אָדָ֣ם אַתֶּ֑ם
NAS: the sheep of My pasture, you are men,
KJV: the flock of my pasture, [are] men,
INT: my sheep the sheep of my pasture are men you

Hosea 13:6
HEB: כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ שָׂבְע֖וּ
NAS: As [they had] their pasture, they became
KJV: According to their pasture, so were they filled;
INT: their pasture became satisfied

10 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4830
10 Occurrences


kə·mar·‘î·ṯām — 1 Occ.
mar·‘î·ṯām — 3 Occ.
mar·‘î·ṯe·ḵā — 2 Occ.
mar·‘î·ṯî — 2 Occ.
mar·‘î·ṯōw — 2 Occ.

4829
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