Lexical Definition

‎צֹאן‎ tsôʼn (tsone) flock ^H:N
or צאוֹן tsʼôwn (tsehone'); (Psalm 144:13), from an unused root meaning to migrate

(small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).

• a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats)
• also figuratively (of men)

1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats)
1b) of multitude (simile)
1c) of multitude (metaphor)

See Greek: ἀμνός · κτῆνος · λαός · ποίμνιον · προβατικός · πρόβατον

Extended Information

• This name means sheep and goats
• Also named: probatikos (προβατικός "Sheep Gate" προβατικός)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎צאֹן‎₂₇₃ collective noun feminine^{Gen 30:36} (possibly masculine vGen 30:39 a +, Kö^{Synt. § 247 g}, but dubious, vGen 30:39b with verb feminine plural, as usually; in 1Sam 15:14 join ‎הַוֶּה‎ with ‎קוֺל‎; see further Albr^{ZAW xv (1895), 316 ff.}) small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks; — ‎׳‎‎צ‎ absolute Gen 4:2 +; construct Gen 29:9 +; suffix ‎צאֹנוֺ‎ Gen 4:4 +; ‎צאֹנֵנוּ‎ Exod 10:9, ‎צאֹונֵוּ‎ Ps 144:13 as plural ‎צאֹנֵינוֺ‎ Neh 10:37* van d. H. Gi (not Baer; very late, si vera lectio), etc.; —

1. literally
a. small cattle, usually of sheep and goats in one flock (Rob^{BR i. 477}) Gen 30:31; Gen 30:32 +; sheep specified also Gen 21:28 (‎׳‎‎כִּבְשׂת הַצּ‎), Gen 31:28 (‎׳‎‎אֵילֵי צ‎) +; sheep only 1Sam 25:2 (+‎עִוִּים‎); goats specified Gen 27:9; Jer 50:8 ‎׳‎‎צ‎ as yielding (1) animals for food Amos 6:4 (‎בָּרִים‎), 1Sam 14:32; 2Sam 12:4; Neh 5:18 +; ‎מַאְַבָל‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Ps 44:12* (in simile); (2) wool Gen 31:19 + (see [ ‎גָּזַז‎], ‎גֵּז‎); (3) milk, ‎׳‎‎חֲלֵב צ‎ Deut 32:14 (? goats' milk, compare Prov 27:27); (4) sacrificial victims Gen 4:4 (J), Lev 1:2; Lev 1:10; Lev 3:6; Num 15:3 (all P), Num 22:40 (E), Deut 12:6; Deut 12:17; Deut 12:21 + often; so ‎צאֹן קָדָשִׁים‎ Ezek 36:38 a, compare ‎בְקָרֵינוּ וְצאֹנֵינוּ בְּכוֺרֵי‎ Neh 10:37* in general as property (often + ‎בָּקָר‎, etc.) Gen 12:16; Gen 13:5; Gen 24:35; Job 1:3; Job 42:12 + often (see also II. [‎עַשְׁתָּרוֺת‎]); gift Gen 20:14; Gen 21:27; Gen 38:17 (goat), Deut 15:14; 2Chr 17:11 booty 1Sam 15:9; 1Sam 15:15 + .
b. ‎׳‎‎צ‎ sometimes of a definite number of animals (i.e. as plural of ‎שֶׂה‎, etc.): two Isa 7:21, four Exod 21:37* (larger numbers see 1Sam 25:2; 1Sam 25:5; 1Sam 25:18; Num 31:32; Num 31:36; Neh 5:18; Job 1:3; Job 42:12 above). — See also ‎בֵּן‎ 7 b; ‎גְּדֵרָה‎, ‎מִכְלָה‎, ‎מַרְבֵּץ‎, ‎נָוֶה‎, ‎עֵדֶר‎; ‎כֶלֶב‎, ‎רֹצֶה‎, ‎שַׁצֵר‎.

2. simile of multitude Ezek 36:37; Ezek 36:38, compare Ps 107:41 of children Job 21:11 of dead, with death as shepherd Ps 49:15* of (shepherdless) Israel Num 27:17; 1Kgs 22:17 = 2Chr 18:16; Zech 10:2; Zech 13:7, wandering in sin Isa 53:6 of Israel led by ‎׳‎‎י‎ Ps 77:21*; Ps 78:52; Ps 80:2*, compare Zech 9:16 (on text see We Now); Ezek 34:12 of Israel in distress, ‎טִבְחָת‎ ‎׳‎‎כְּצ‎ Ps 44:23*, compare (of wicked) ‎לְטִבְתָה‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Jer 12:3 of scattered Babylonian Isa 13:14.

3. metaphor of multitude, ‎אָרָם‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Ezek 36:38 of Israel 2Sam 24:17 = 1Chr 21:17; Jer 23:1; Jer 23:2; Jer 23:3; Ezek 24:5, and especially sustained figurative Ezek 34:2; Ezek 34:3 + 17 t. 34, also Zech 11:7; Zech 11:17 ‎אֹבְדוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Jer 50:6, ‎תִּפְאַרְתֵךְ‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Jer 13:20 of Israel under ‎׳‎‎י‎'s care, (‎וֺ‎-, ‎יִ֯‎) ‎מַרְעִיתֶ֑ךָד‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Ps 74:1; Ps 79:13; Ps 100:3; Ezek 34:31, also ‎יָדוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Ps 95:7(|| ‎מַרְעִיתוֺעַםֿ‎; read perhaps ‎מַרְעִיתוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎, ‎צַם יָדוֺ‎, so Che and others); ‎נַחֲלָתֶךָ‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Mic 7:14 also in combinations: ‎׳‎‎אַדִּירֵי הַצֵּ‎ Jer 25:34; Jer 25:35; Jer 25:36, ‎חַהֲרֵגָה‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Zech 11:4; Zech 11:7 (compare Ps 44:23*), ‎׳‎‎עֲנִיֵּי הַצּ‎ vPs 44:7* vPs 44:11* (all of Israel); of Edom ‎׳‎‎צְעִירֵי הַ צּ‎ Jer 49:20; Jer 50:45.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Sheep Gate • Gate in Jerusalem near the sheep market

The Sheep Gate was a gate in Jerusalem's wall, likely near the sheep market, that was rebuilt during Nehemiah's time (Neh. 3:1, 32; 12:39; John 5:2).

• A location in Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם first mentioned at Neh.3.1;
• referred to as Sheep_Gate צֹאן, or Sheep Gate προβατικός.
  

The Sheep Gate was an important entrance in Jerusalem's walls, first mentioned in Nehemiah's account of the city's reconstruction. The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests took responsibility for rebuilding this gate (Nehemiah 3:1), making it the first structure mentioned in Nehemiah's systematic description of the wall's reconstruction.

The gate marked a significant point in Jerusalem's defensive walls. It appears at both the beginning and end of Nehemiah's description of the wall repairs (Nehemiah 3:1, 32), suggesting it may have been a starting and ending point for the reconstruction project. During the dedication of the rebuilt walls, one of the thanksgiving processions passed through the Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 12:39).

In the New Testament, the gate is mentioned indirectly in connection with the Pool of Bethesda, which was located near the Sheep Gate (John 5:2). This reference helps establish its location in the northeastern section of Jerusalem.

The gate probably derived its name from its use as an entrance point for sheep being brought to the nearby Temple for sacrifice, though this is not explicitly stated in Scripture.

Probably corresponds to the modern location near the Lion's Gate (also called St. Stephen's Gate) in Jerusalem's Old City walls.

All entries for Sheep Gate: צֹאן ☩ προβατικός