πρόβατον

πρόβατον, ου, τό (Hom.+; on the dat. pl. πρόβασι Hs 6, 1, 6 s. Herodian, Gramm. 1414, 10. πρόβασι βοσνήμασι Hesych p. 275 MSchmidt, as Schwyzer I 499)

① sheep (on this mng. s. O. Wilck I 286; B-D-F §126, 1aα; L-S-J-M s.v. I. The more general senses ‘cattle’ or ‘small cattle’ scarcely merit serious attention for our lit., though they are barely poss. in certain passages.) Mt 12:11f; 18:12; Lk 15:4, 6 (on this parable: GNordberg, SEÅ 1, ’37, 55–63); Rv 18:13; B 16:5 (En 89:54ff); GJs 18:3 (codd.). As a sacrificial animal 1 Cl 4:1 (Gen 4:4); J 2:14f. πρόβατα σφαγῆς sheep to be slaughtered Ro 8:36 (Ps 43:23). Defenseless in the midst of wolves Mt 10:16. In danger without a shepherd Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34 (both Num 27:17; cp. Ezk 34:5 and Jdth 11:19); Mt 26:31; Mk 14:27; B 5:12 (the three last Zech 13:7); 1 Cl 16:6f (Is 53:6f). ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων (cp. ἔνδυμα 2; Proverbia Aesopi 123 P. κρύπτειν τὸν λύκον προβάτου δορᾷ) Mt 7:15. The first fruits of the sheep belong to the prophets D 13:3. Jesus ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη … ἄφωνος (after Is 53:7) Ac 8:32 (cp. Vi. Aesopi G 48 P. a dispute over the question: διὰ τί τὸ πρόβατον ἐπὶ θυσίαν ἀγόμενον οὐ κέκραγεν;); B 5:2 (Is 53:7); 1 Cl 16:7.

② people of God, sheep. The lit. usage passes over to the nonliteral, or the sheep appear for the most part as symbols of certain people (En 89:42ff; Did., Gen 215:24): in the extended allegory of the Good Shepherd and the sheep J 10:1–16, 26f (in vs. 3 P⁶⁶ reads προβάτια). Jesus is ὁ ποιμὴν τῶν προβάτων ὁ μέγας Hb 13:20. Cp. 1 Pt 2:25. The bishop is the shepherd, the church members the sheep IPhld 2:1. Cp. J 21:16, 17 (Porphyr., Adv. Chr. Fgm. 26: the ἀρνία are the catechumens, but the προβάτα are οἱ πιστοὶ εἰς τὸ τῆς τελετώσεως προβάντες μυστήριον). The Christians are called πρόβατα τῆς νομῆς σου (=God’s) 1 Cl 59:4 (cp. Ps 78:13; 94:7; 99:3). In the last times under the influence of lying prophets τὰ πρόβατα will be turned εἰς λύκους D 16:3. At the last judgment people will be divided as the shepherd separates τὰ πρόβατα from οἱ ἔριφοι Mt 25:32f (s. ἔριφος; PAmh 73, 6 [129/30 A.D.] differentiates πρόβ. and αἶγες), and the πρόβατα, representing those blessed by the Father, will stand at the right hand of the Human One (Son of Man) vs. 33 (HGraffmann, D. Gericht nach d. Werken im Mt: KBarth Festschr. ’36, 124–36). Jesus knows that he is (divinely) sent 15:24, and sends his disciples 10:6 πρὸς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ.—In Hermas sheep appear (w. shepherds) as symbolic of all kinds of persons Hs 6, 1, 5f; 6, 2, 3f; 6f; 6, 3, 2; 9, 1, 9; 9, 27, 1.—B. 144. DELG s.v. πρόβατα. M-M. EDNT. TW.