7471. rei
Lexical Summary
rei: Friend, companion, fellow

Original Word: רְעִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: r`iy
Pronunciation: ray-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (reh-ee')
KJV: pasture
NASB: pasture-fed
Word Origin: [from H7462 (רָעָה - To shepherd)]

1. pasture

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pasture

From ra'ah; pasture -- pasture.

see HEBREW ra'ah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from raah
Definition
a pasture
NASB Translation
pasture-fed (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
רְעִי noun [masculine] pasture; — ׳עֶשְׂרִים בָּקָר ר 1 Kings 5:3 twenty cattle (from) pasture (see Ges§ 131c; Kit בְּקַר).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Setting

רְעִי appears a single time in Scripture, within the catalogue of King Solomon’s daily provisions: “ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl” (1 Kings 4:23). The term modifies the second group of oxen, distinguishing them from stall-fattened animals and underscoring the agricultural abundance of Solomon’s reign.

Word Picture of Pasture

The word evokes open grazing lands where livestock feed naturally. Unlike stall-fed cattle, which require constant human supply, pasture-fed animals flourish on God-given vegetation. The imagery recalls the Edenic ideal of provision without toil and anticipates the shepherding motif that threads through Scripture (Genesis 2:8-9; Psalm 23:2).

Historical Context of Solomon’s Court

Archaeological and textual data indicate that royal households in the Ancient Near East maintained varied sources of meat to demonstrate prosperity and hospitality. Solomon’s ability to supply both grain-finished and pasture-raised cattle each day signals an economy operating at full strength, fulfilling the promise of peace and plenty that accompanied his wisdom (1 Kings 4:20-21). The distinction between feeding practices also suggests sophisticated herd management and land stewardship.

Theological Threads

1. Divine Provision: The juxtaposition of fattened and pasture-fed livestock mirrors God’s multifaceted care—both extraordinary blessings and everyday sustenance.
2. Covenant Fulfillment: Abundance in the united kingdom verifies the covenantal promise of blessing in the land when the nation walks in obedience (Deuteronomy 28:11).
3. Shepherd Imagery: The vocabulary echoes the root idea of grazing, foreshadowing the Lord as Shepherd (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34:15) and culminating in Jesus’ self-designation as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Stewardship: Leaders today are called to manage resources responsibly, balancing cultivated and natural provision.
• Contentment: Believers learn to appreciate both the extraordinary (fattened oxen) and the ordinary (pasture-fed oxen) gifts of God.
• Hospitality: Solomon’s table modelled open generosity; churches likewise nourish body and soul through shared meals and the Lord’s Supper.

Anticipation of the Messiah

Solomon’s reign, marked by unparalleled prosperity, serves as a type of the Messianic Kingdom. The peaceful, well-supplied pasture hints at the era when “He will be their peace” (Micah 5:5) and when “They will neither hunger nor thirst” (Isaiah 49:10).

Related Passages for Study

Psalm 23:1-3; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-16; John 6:35; John 10:7-15; Revelation 7:16-17

Forms and Transliterations
רְעִ֖י רעי rə‘î rə·‘î reI
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 4:23
HEB: וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן
NAS: twenty pasture-fed oxen,
KJV: oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred
INT: twenty oxen pasture-fed A hundred sheep

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7471
1 Occurrence


rə·‘î — 1 Occ.

7470
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