◄ 4166. poimén ►
Strong's Lexicon poimén: Shepherd Original Word: ποιμήν Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: poimén Pronunciation: poy-MANE Phonetic Spelling: (poy-mane') Definition: a shepherd; hence met: of the feeder, protector, and ruler of a flock of men. Meaning: A shepherd; one who tends, leads, and cares for a flock of sheep. By extension, a leader or guide, particularly in a spiritual or pastoral context. Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb ποιμαίνω (poimainō), meaning "to shepherd" or "to tend." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H7462 רָעָה (ra'ah): A Hebrew verb meaning "to pasture, tend, graze, feed," often used to describe the act of shepherding. • H7469 רֹעֶה (ro'eh): A Hebrew noun meaning "shepherd," used to denote one who tends and cares for a flock. Usage: The term ποιμήν is used in the New Testament to describe both literal shepherds who care for sheep and metaphorically to describe leaders, particularly spiritual leaders such as pastors or Christ Himself as the "Good Shepherd." Context: • The term ποιμήν appears in several key passages in the New Testament, illustrating both its literal and metaphorical uses. In the Gospel of Luke, ποιμήν is used to describe the shepherds who were tending their flocks at night when the angel announced the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8). This highlights the traditional role of shepherds in the ancient Near East as caretakers and protectors of sheep. • In a metaphorical sense, ποιμήν is used to describe Jesus Christ as the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11, where He declares, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." This passage emphasizes the sacrificial and protective nature of Christ's leadership and care for His followers. • The term is also applied to church leaders in Ephesians 4:11, where Paul writes, "And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers." Here, ποιμήν is translated as "pastors," indicating those who are entrusted with the spiritual guidance and care of the Christian community. • The role of a ποιμήν, whether literal or metaphorical, involves guidance, protection, provision, and nurturing. This is further illustrated in 1 Peter 5:2, where church elders are exhorted to "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them—not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness." • The imagery of a shepherd is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious context of the Bible, drawing on Old Testament references such as Psalm 23, where the Lord is depicted as a shepherd who provides and cares for His people. HELPS Word-studies 4166 poimḗn – properly, a shepherd ("pastor" in Latin); (figuratively) someone who the Lord raises up to care for the total well-being of His flock (the people of the Lord). [4166 (poimḗn) is closely associated with 1066 /Gedeṓn ("to feed the flock"), see Jn 21:15-17.] . NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition a shepherd NASB Translation pastors (1), shepherd (13), shepherds (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4166: ποιμήν ποιμήν, ποιμένος, ὁ (akin to the noun ποίᾳ, which see: (or from the root meaning 'to protect'; cf. Curtius, § 372; Fick 1:132)), from Homer down; the Sept. for רֹעֶה, a herdsman, especially a shepherd; a. properly: Matthew 9:36; Matthew 25:32; Matthew 26:31; Mark 6:34; Mark 14:27; Luke 2:8, 15, 18, 20; John 10:2, 12; in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow, John 10:11, 14. b. metaphorically, the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church, John 10:16; 1 Peter 2:25; Hebrews 13:20 (of the Jewish Messiah, Ezekiel 34:23); of the overseers of the Christian assemblies (A. V. pastors), Ephesians 4:11; cf. Ritschl, Entstehung der altkathol. Kirche, edition 2, p. 350f; (Hatch, Barnpron Lects. for 1880, p. 123f). (Of kings and princes we find ποιμένες λαῶν in Homer and Hesiod.) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shepherd, pastor. Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively) -- shepherd, pastor. Forms and Transliterations ποιμενα ποιμένα ποιμενας ποιμένας ποιμενες ποιμένες ποιμένι ποιμένος ποιμενων ποιμένων ποιμέσι ποιμην ποιμήν ποιμὴν poimen poimēn poimḗn poimḕn poimena poiména poimenas poiménas poimenes poiménes poimenon poimenōn poiménon poiménōn Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts Englishman's Concordance Matthew 9:36 N-AMS GRK: μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα NAS: sheep without a shepherd. KJV: having no shepherd. INT: not having a shepherd Matthew 25:32 N-NMS GRK: ὥσπερ ὁ ποιμὴν ἀφορίζει τὰ NAS: them from one another, as the shepherd separates KJV: as a shepherd divideth INT: as the shepherd separates the Matthew 26:31 N-AMS GRK: Πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα καὶ διασκορπισθήσονται NAS: I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP KJV: I will smite the shepherd, and INT: I will strike the shepherd and will be scattered Mark 6:34 N-AMS GRK: μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα καὶ ἤρξατο NAS: without a shepherd; and He began KJV: not having a shepherd: and he began INT: not having a shepherd And he began Mark 14:27 N-AMS GRK: Πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα καὶ τὰ NAS: I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP KJV: I will smite the shepherd, and INT: I will strike the shepherd and the Luke 2:8 N-NMP GRK: Καὶ ποιμένες ἦσαν ἐν NAS: region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields KJV: country shepherds abiding in the field, INT: And shepherds were in Luke 2:15 N-NMP GRK: ἄγγελοι οἱ ποιμένες ἐλάλουν πρὸς NAS: from them into heaven, the shepherds [began] saying INT: angels the shepherds said to Luke 2:18 N-GMP GRK: ὑπὸ τῶν ποιμένων πρὸς αὐτούς NAS: at the things which were told them by the shepherds. KJV: them by the shepherds. INT: by the shepherds to them Luke 2:20 N-NMP GRK: ὑπέστρεψαν οἱ ποιμένες δοξάζοντες καὶ NAS: The shepherds went back, glorifying KJV: And the shepherds returned, glorifying INT: returned the shepherds glorifying and John 10:2 N-NMS GRK: τῆς θύρας ποιμήν ἐστιν τῶν NAS: by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. KJV: the door is the shepherd of the sheep. INT: the door shepherd is of the John 10:11 N-NMS GRK: εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός NAS: the good shepherd; the good KJV: the good shepherd: the good INT: am the shepherd good John 10:11 N-NMS GRK: καλός ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς NAS: the good shepherd lays down KJV: shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his INT: good The shepherd good John 10:12 N-NMS GRK: οὐκ ὢν ποιμήν οὗ οὐκ NAS: He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who KJV: and not the shepherd, whose own INT: not who is [the] shepherd whose not John 10:14 N-NMS GRK: εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός NAS: the good shepherd, and I know KJV: am the good shepherd, and know INT: am the shepherd good John 10:16 N-NMS GRK: ποίμνη εἷς ποιμήν NAS: flock [with] one shepherd. KJV: fold, [and] one shepherd. INT: flock one shepherd Ephesians 4:11 N-AMP GRK: τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους NAS: and some [as] pastors and teachers, KJV: and some, pastors and INT: some moreover shepherds and teachers Hebrews 13:20 N-AMS GRK: νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων NAS: the great Shepherd of the sheep KJV: that great shepherd of the sheep, INT: [the] dead the Shepherd of the sheep 1 Peter 2:25 N-AMS GRK: ἐπὶ τὸν ποιμένα καὶ ἐπίσκοπον NAS: you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian KJV: returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop INT: to the shepherd and overseer Strong's Greek 4166 18 Occurrences ποιμὴν — 7 Occ. ποιμένα — 6 Occ. ποιμένας — 1 Occ. ποιμένες — 3 Occ. ποιμένων — 1 Occ.