Cattle

Cattle (the representative in various passages in the A.V. of the Hebrews words . בּהֵמָה, behemah´, a large quadruped in general, usually "beast", see BEHEMOTH; in Nu 20:4, and Ps 78:48, בּעַיר, beïr´, grazing animals, elsewhere "beast;" so the Gr. βοσκήματα, as beingfd, 2 Macc. 12:11, or θρέμματα, from being reared, Joh 4:12; most frequently and characteristically מַקנֶה, mikneh´, apossession, as sometimes rendered-from the fact that Oriental wealth ["substance," Job 1:3,10] largely consisted in this kind of property; like the Gr. κτήνη, as being possessed, 1 Macc. 12:23; also idiomatically, שֶׂה, seh, Ge 30:32; Isa 7:25; Isa 43:23; Eze 34:17,20,22, an individual sheep or limb, as elsewhere rendered; or צאֹן, tson, Ge 30:39-43; Ge 31:8,10,12,41,43; Ec 2:7, sheep collectively or a flock, as rendered elsewhere), in scriptural usage, embraces the tame quadrupeds employed by mankind for domestic purposes, as oxen, buffaloes, horses, sheep, goats, camels, and asses (Ge 1:25; Ge 13:2; Ge 32:13-17; Eze 12:28; Eze 34:19; Nu 20:19; Nu 32:16; Ps 50:10). See each of these in their alphabetical place.

The Holy Land was eminently distinguished for its abundance of cattle, to the management and rearing of which the inhabitants, from the earliest times, chiefly applied themselves, as indeed they have always constituted the principal and almost only possession of a nomade race. In this case, wealthy people were exposed to all the vicissitudes of the seasons (Ge 31:40). Moses was a shepherd during his exile, Shamgar was taken from the herd to be. a judge in Israel, and Gideon from his threshing- floor (Jg 6:11), as were Jair and Jephthah from the keeping of sheep; Saul and David might also be mentioned. Some of the prophets were called from that employment to the prophetic dignity, as Elisha was from the plough (1Ki 19:19), and Amos from being a herdsman. But the tending of flocks was not confined to the men. Rachel, the daughter of Laban, kept her father's sheep (Ge 29:9), and Zipporah and her six sisters had the care of their father Jethro's flocks, who was a prince or priest of Midian (Ex 2:16). The following is a general treatment of the subject under its two great sections. See HERD; see FLOCK.