Sheep - American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Of the Syrian sheep, according to Dr. Russell, there are two varieties; the one called Bedaween sheep, which differ in no respect from the larger kinds of sheep among us, except that their tails are somewhat longer and thicker; the others are those often mentioned by travellers on account of their extraordinary tails; and this species is by far the most numerous. The tail of one of these animals is very broad and large, terminating in a small appendage that turns back upon it. It is of a substance between fat and marrow, and is not eaten separately, but mixed with the lean meat in many of their dishes, and also often used instead of butter. A common sheep of this sort, without the head, feet, skin, and entrails, weighs from sixty to eighty pounds, of which the tail itself is usually ten or fifteen pounds, and when the animal is fattened, twice or thrice that weight, and very inconvenient to its owner.\par The sheep or lamb was the common sacrifice under the Mosaic law; and it is to be remarked, that when the divine legislator speaks of this victim, he never omits to appoint that the rump or tail be laid whole on the fire of the altar, . The reason for this is seen in the account just given from Dr. Russell; from which it appears that this was the most delicate part of the animal, and therefore the most proper to be presented in sacrifice to Jehovah.\par The innocence, mildness, submission, and patience of the sheep or lamb, rendered it peculiarly sheep and lamb, rendered it peculiarly suitable for a sacrifice, and an appropriate type of the Lamb of God, . A recent traveller in Palestine witnessed the shearing of a sheep in the immediate vicinity of Gethsemane; and the silent, unresisting submission of the poor animal, thrown with its feet bound upon the earth, its sides rudely pressed by the shearer's knees, while every movement threatened to lacerate the flesh, was a touching commentary on the prophet's description of Christ, -35 .\par There are frequent allusions in Scripture to these characteristics of the sheep, and to its proneness to go astray, . It is a gregarious animal also; and as loving the companionship of the flock and dependant of the protection and guidance of its master, its name is often given to the people of God, 80:1 . Sheep and goats are still found in Syria feeding indiscriminately together, as in ancient times, ,33 . The season of sheep shearing was one of great joy and festivity, ,8,36 .\par Sheep-cotes or folds, among the Israelites, appear to have been generally open houses, or enclosures walled round, often in front of rocky caverns, to guard the sheep from beasts of prey by night, and the scorching heat of noon, ,6 -5 . See SHEPHERD.\par

Sheep - David Cox - Plants Animals Of Bible

Sheep. Sheep are mentioned more frequently than any other animal in the Bible-- about 750 times. This is only natural since the Hebrew people were known early in their history as a race of wandering herdsmen. Even in the days of the kings, the simple shepherd's life seemed the ideal calling. The Bible makes many comparisons between the ways of sheep and human beings. In the New Testament the church is often compared to a sheepfold.

Well-suited for Palestine's dry plains, sheep fed on grass, woods, and shrubs. They could get along for long periods without water. Sheep in clusters are easily led, so a single shepherd could watch over a large flock.

Sheep today are bred for white wool. But the sheep of Bible times were probably brown or a mixture of black and white. Modern farmers clip off the tails of sheep for sanitary reasons, but fat tails were prized on biblical sheep. The Hebrews called this *the whole fat tail.* When they offered this prized part of the sheep as a burnt offering to God, they burned the *entire fat-tail cut off close by the spine* (), (NEB).

Sheep were also valuable because they provided meat for the Hebrew diet. Mutton was a nutritious food, and it could be packed away and preserved for winter. And before man learned to spin and weave wool, shepherds wore warm sheepskin jackets.

By nature, sheep are helpless creatures. They depend on shepherds to lead them to water and pasture, to fight off wild beasts, and to anoint their faces with oil when a snake nips them from the grass. Sheep are social animals that gather in flocks, but they tend to wander off and fall into a crevice or get caught in a thorn bush. Then the shepherd must leave the rest of his flock to search for the stray. Jesus used this familiar picture when He described a shepherd who left 99 sheep in the fold to search for one that had wandered off. The God of the Hebrews revealed His nurturing nature by speaking of himself as a shepherd (Psalm 23). Jesus also described Himself as the Good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep (-18).

A unique relationship existed between shepherd and sheep. He knew them by name, and they in turn recognized his voice. Sheep were models of submissiveness. Because he demonstrated purity and trustful obedience to the Father, Jesus was also called *the Lamb of God* (; ).

Wild sheep, high-spirited and independent, lived among the tall peaks of Palestine's mountains. Like their domesticated cousins, they flocked together, but their disposition more nearly resembled goats. They are referred to as mountain sheep (), (NKJV, RSV, NIV, NASB), chamois (KJV), and rock goat (NEB).

Wild or domestic, the male sheep is called a ram; the female is called a ewe.

Skink (See Lizard).

Skink (See Lizard).

Snail.

Snail. Snails are small, slow-crawling animals with a soft body protected by a coiled shell. They move with wave-like motions of their single foot, secreting a slime as they go to make their travel easier. The psalmist may have had this peculiar motion in mind when he spoke of the snail *which melts away as it goes* ().

The snail in () (KJV ) is probably a skink, a type of sand lizard.

Snake.

Snake. A snake is the Bible's first-- and final-- animal villain (Genesis 3; ). Throughout the Old and New Testaments, several different words for snake or serpent appear some 20 times. Scholars can only make educated guesses as to which of Palestine's many species of snakes are meant in most verses.

The asp and adder are both common in the Holy Land. The asp is a type of cobra with its familiar hood, although its hood is not as pronounced as the Indian cobra's. There is also a desert cobra, which has no hood at all. Adder and viper are two different words for the same deadly snake. A horned viper and sawscale, or carpet viper, are native to Israel. Another species mentioned in the Bible is the sand viper (), (NEB).

In the wilderness, the Israelites were plagued by fiery serpents (). *Fiery* may indicate the burning fever caused by their bite. Or it may refer to the puff adder, which has yellow, flame-like markings. The cockatrice of the KJV was a mythological monster. It had the wings and head of a cock and the tail of a dragon. According to the superstitious legend about this animal, its look could kill.

Most snakes in Palestine were non-poisonous, but the Jewish people feared and hated all snakes. In the Bible the serpent is often referred to as the symbol of evil and wrongdoing (; ).

In spite of this attitude among the Jews, some of Israel's neighbors associated serpents with health, life, and immortality. The kingdom of Lower Egypt took the cobra as its official symbol. Even Moses once lifted up a BRONZE SERPENT before the Israelites at God's command to save the people from the fiery serpents in the wilderness (). Some continued to worship that bronze serpent until King Hezekiah destroyed it generations later ().

Snakes are fascinating creatures. Scales on their undersides provide traction. Their forked tongues flick rapidly in and out to collect sensations of touch and smell. () is correct in speaking of the *deaf cobra,* since snakes have no ears to receive sound waves. Like deaf persons, they rely on physical vibrations to pick up sounds. Thus cobras are not charmed by music, but by movement.

A snake's spine may contain as many as 300 tiny vertebrae. This gives them their amazing flexibility to coil and curve. Their mouths are hinged to permit them to swallow and eat creatures much larger than themselves. Their eyes are protected by transparent lids which are always open, causing scientists to wonder if snakes ever sleep.

Sheep - DBT - Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

Psa 95:7 (a) GOD's people in their deep poverty and need must come constantly and frequently to the Lord to receive their sustenance and to enjoy His fellowship.

Psa 100:3 (a) GOD's people who dwell together in His fold, the church, rejoice in His goodness and continue in fellowship with one another, and with every need supplied.

Isa 53:7 (a) Here is a type of JESUS brought in weakness before those who were to torment Him and kill Him. He permitted them to do as they pleased with Him.

Sheep - Faussets Bible Dictionary

Gen 4:2. Abounded in the pastures of Palestine. Shepherds go before them and call them by name to follow (Joh 10:4; Psa 77:20; Psa 80:1). The ordinary sheep are the broad tailed sheep, and the Ovis aries, like our own except that the tail is longer and thicker, and the ears larger; called bedoween. Centuries B.C. Aristotle mentions Syrian sheep with tails a cubit wide. The fat tail is referred to in Lev 3:9; Lev 7:3. The Syrian cooks use the mass of fat instead of the rancid Arab butter.

The sheep symbolizes meekness, patience, gentleness, and submission (Isa 53:7; Act 8:32). (See LAMB.) Tsown means sheep*; ayil, the full-grown *ram,* used for the male of other ruminants also; rachel, the adult *ewe*; kebes (masculine), kibsah (feminine), the half grown lamb; seh, *sheep* or paschal *lamb*; char, *young ram*; taleh, *sucking lamb*; 'atod (Genesis 31 *ram*) means *he-goat*; imrin, *lambs for sacrifice.*

The sheep never existed in a wild state, but was created expressly for man, and so was selected from the first for sacrifice. The image is frequent in Scripture: Jehovah the Shepherd, His people the flock (Psa 23:1; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:1-2; Ezekiel 34). Sinners are the straying sheep whom the Good Shepherd came to save (Psa 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6; Luk 15:4-6; Joh 10:8; Joh 10:11). False teachers are thieves and wolves in sheep's clothing (Mat 7:15). None can pluck His sheep from His hand and the Father's (Joh 10:27-29).

Sheep - Fleming, Don - Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

From earliest times people have kept sheep, whether for their meat or for their wool (Gen 4:2). In the dry semi-desert regions around Palestine, many of the Arabs and other tribal people moved with their flocks from place to place, looking for pastures and water (Gen 26:12-22; Exo 3:1; Isa 13:20). In other lands, where there was a better supply of grass and water, people who settled down permanently in one area kept sheep as part of their farming activity. After settling down in Canaan, the Israelites, on the whole, belonged to this latter category (Deu 7:13; 1Sa 17:15; 1Sa 25:2).

Israelites kept sheep mainly for their wool, which they used to make clothing (Gen 38:13; Lev 13:47-48; Pro 27:26). Apart from those ceremonial sacrifices where worshippers ate the meat of the sheep in a ritual meal, Israelites killed sheep for meat only on special occasions (Lev 7:15; Deu 12:21; 1Sa 25:18; Amo 6:4; see also LAMB).

A well known characteristic of sheep was that they were easily led astray and soon became lost. Because of this, people who were easily led astray were sometimes likened to sheep (Isa 53:6; Mat 10:6; Mat 18:12). Sheep needed a shepherd to protect and lead them, and in the same way people need God to care for them and give them the right leadership in life (Num 27:17; Mat 10:16; Joh 10:11; Joh 10:27; Joh 21:15-17; 1Pe 5:1-4; see SHEPHERD).

Sheep - Hawker Poor Man Commentary Dictionary

See Lambs.

Sheep - Jeff A. Benner - Ancient Hebrew Dictionary

A mammal related to the goat domesticated for its flesh and wool. [masc] [AHLB: 2273 (N)] [Strong's: H3532, H3775]

Sheep - Kitto, John - Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature

Fig. 317—Syrian Sheep

The normal animal, from which all or the greater part of the western domestic races of sheep are assumed to be descended, is still found wild in the high mountain regions of Persia, and is readily distinguished from two other wild species bordering on the same region. What breeds the earliest shepherd tribes reared in and about Palestine can now be only inferred from negative characters; yet they are sufficient to show that they were the same, or nearly so, as the common horned variety of Egypt and continental Europe: in general white, and occasionally black, although there was on the upper Nile a speckled race; and so early as the time of Aristotle the Arabians possessed a rufous breed, another with a very long tail, and above all a broad-tailed sheep, which at present is commonly denominated the Syrian. Flocks of the ancient breed, derived from the Bedouins, are now extant in Syria, with little or no change in external characters, chiefly the broad-tailed and the common horned white, often with black and white about the face and feet, the tail somewhat thicker and longer than the European. The others are chiefly valued for the fat of their broad tails, which tastes not unlike marrow; for the flesh of neither race is remarkably delicate, nor are the fleeces of superior quality. Sheep in the various conditions of existence wherein they would occur among a pastoral and agricultural people, are noticed in numerous places of the Bible, and furnish many beautiful allegorical images, where purity, innocence, mildness, and submission are portrayed—the Savior himself being denominated 'the Lamb of God,' in twofold allusion to his patient meekness, and to his being the true paschal lamb, 'slain from the foundation of the world' (). Some commentators affirm that the Hebrew word kesitah, which occurs only in , and , and is in the Authorized Version rendered money, literally means sheep or lambs, and should be so translated. Others, with greater probability, suppose that it refers to a piece of coined money bearing the figure of a sheep; and it is certain that Phoenicia had sheep actually impressed on a silver coin.

Fig. 318—Supposed Kesitah

Sheep - Old Testament People, Places, Plants and Animals

In Animals.

The sheep is considered to be kosher and clean according to a central dietary rule (see Leviticus 11:3 ). The sheep is a wool producing ruminant.

Diet: Herbivorous

Habitat: Worldwide.

Sheep - Smiths Bible Dictionary

Sheep. Sheep were an important part of the possessions of the ancient Hebrews and of eastern nations generally. The first mention of sheep occurs in . They were used in the sacrificial offering, both the adult animal, , and the lamb. ; ; . Sheep and lambs formed an important article of food. . The wool was used as clothing. . *Rams skins dyed red* were used as a covering for the Tabernacle. . Sheep and lambs were sometimes paid as tribute. .

It is very striking to notice the immense numbers of sheep that were reared in Palestine in biblical times. (Chardin says he saw a clan of Turcoman shepherds whose flock consisted of 3,000,000 sheep and goats, besides 400,000 beasts of carriage, as horses, asses and camels). Sheep-sheering is alluded to . Sheepdogs were employed in biblical times. . Shepherds in Palestine and the East generally go before their flocks, which they induce to follow by calling to them, compare ; ; , though they also drive them. .

The following quotation from Hartley's *Researches in Greece and the Levant,* p. 321, is strikingly illustrative of the allusions in -16, *Having had my attention directed last night to the words in , I asked my man if it was usual in Greece to give names to the sheep. He informed me that it was, and that the sheep obeyed the shepherd when he called them by their names. This morning I had an opportunity of verifying the truth of this remark.

Passing by a flock of sheep, I asked the shepherd the same question which I had put to the servant, and he gave me the same answer. I then had him call one of his sheep. He did so, and it instantly left its pasturage and its companions, and ran up to the hands of the shepherd, with signs of pleasure and with a prompt obedience which I had never before observed in any other animal. It is also true in this country that a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him. The shepherd told me that many of his sheep were still wild, that they had not yet learned their names, but that by teaching them they would all learn them.*

The common sheep, of Syria and Palestine are the broad-tailed. As the sheep is an emblem of meekness, patience and submission, it is expressly mentioned as typifying these qualities in the person of our blessed Lord. ; ; etc. The relation that exists between Christ, *the chief Shepherd,* and his members is beautifully compared to that which in the East is so strikingly exhibited by the shepherds to their flocks. See Shepherd.

Sheep - The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

See Lamb

Sheep - The Probert E-Text Encyclopaedia.

Sheep are a ruminant hoofed mammal of the bovidae family.

Sheep - Watson, Richard - Biblical and Theological Dictionary

שה , occurs frequently, and צאן , a general name for both sheep and goats, considered collectively in a flock, Arabic zain. The sheep is a well known animal. The benefits which mankind owe to it are numerous. Its fleece, its skin, its flesh, its tallow, and even its horns and bowels are articles of great utility to human life and happiness. Its mildness and inoffensiveness of temper strongly recommend it to human affection and regard; and have designated it the pattern and emblem of meekness, innocence, patience, and submission. It is a social animal. The flock follow the ram as their leader; who frequently displays the most impetuous courage in their defence: dogs, and even men, when attempting to molest them, have often suffered from his sagacious and generous valour. There are two varieties of sheep found in Syria. The first, called the “Bidoween sheep,” differs little from the large breed among us, except that the tail is somewhat longer and thicker. The second is much more common, and is more valued on account of the extraordinary bulk of its tail, which has been remarked by all the eastern travellers. The carcass of one of these sheep, without including the head, feet, entrails, and skin, weighs from fifty to sixty pounds, of which the tail makes up fifteen pounds. Some of a larger size, fattened with care, will sometimes weigh one hundred and fifty pounds, the tail alone composing one third of the whole weight. It is of a substance between fat and marrow, and is not eaten separately, but mixed with the lean meat in many of their dishes, and often also used instead of butter. A reference to this part is made in Exo 29:22; Lev 3:9; where the fat and the tail were to be burnt on the altar of sacrifice. Mr. Street considers this precept to have had respect to the health of the Israelites; observing that “bilious disorders are very frequent in hot countries; the eating of fat meat is a great encouragement and excitement to them; and though the fat of the tail is now considered as a delicacy, it is really unwholesome.” The conclusion of the seventeenth verse, which is, “Ye shall eat neither fat nor blood,” justifies this opinion. The prohibition of eating fat, that is of fat unmixed with the flesh, the omentum or caul, is given also, Lev 7:23.

Sheep - Webster-1913

(1):

(n. sing. & pl.) Any one of several species of ruminants of the genus Ovis, native of the higher mountains of both hemispheres, but most numerous in Asia.

(2):

(n. sing. & pl.) A weak, bashful, silly fellow.

(3):

(n. sing. & pl.) Fig.: The people of God, as being under the government and protection of Christ, the great Shepherd.