צֹאן

1. literally
\ \ a. small cattle, usually of sheep and goats in one flock (Rob^{BR i. 477}) 1 Mos 30,31; 1 Mos 30,32 +; sheep specified also 1 Mos 21,28 (׳כִּבְשׂת הַצּ), 1 Mos 31,28 (׳אֵילֵי צ) +; sheep only 1 Sam 25,2 (+עִוִּים); goats specified 1 Mos 27,9; Jer 50,8 ׳צ as yielding (1) animals for food Amos 6,4 (בָּרִים), 1 Sam 14,32; 2 Sam 12,4; Neh 5,18 +; מַאְַבָל ׳צ Sl 44,12 (in simile); (2) wool 1 Mos 31,19 + (see [ גָּזַז], גֵּז); (3) milk, ׳חֲלֵב צ 5 Mos 32,14 (? goats' milk, compare Ord 27,27); (4) sacrificial victims 1 Mos 4,4 (J), 3 Mos 1,2; 3 Mos 1,10; 3 Mos 3,6; 4 Mos 15,3 (all P), 4 Mos 22,40 (E), 5 Mos 12,6; 5 Mos 12,17; 5 Mos 12,21 + often; so צאֹן קָדָשִׁים Ezk 36,38 a, compare בְקָרֵינוּ וְצאֹנֵינוּ בְּכוֺרֵי Neh 10,37 in general as property (often + בָּקָר, etc.) 1 Mos 12,16; 1 Mos 13,5; 1 Mos 24,35; Job 1,3; Job 42,12 + often (see also II. [עַשְׁתָּרוֺת]); gift 1 Mos 20,14; 1 Mos 21,27; 1 Mos 38,17 (goat), 5 Mos 15,14; 2 Kron 17,11 booty 1 Sam 15,9; 1 Sam 15,15 + .
\ \ b. ׳צ sometimes of a definite number of animals (i.e. as plural of שֶׂה, etc.): two Es 7,21, four 2 Mos 21,37 (larger numbers see 1 Sam 25,2; 1 Sam 25,5; 1 Sam 25,18; 4 Mos 31,32; 4 Mos 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 Ezk 36,37; Ezk 36,38, compare Sl 107,41 of children Job 21,11 of dead, with death as shepherd Sl 49,15 of (shepherdless) Israel 4 Mos 27,17; 1 Kong 22,17 = 2 Kron 18,16; Zak 10,2; Zak 13,7, wandering in sin Es 53,6 of Israel led by ׳י Sl 77,21; Sl 78,52; Sl 80,2, compare Zak 9,16 (on text see We Now); Ezk 34,12 of Israel in distress, טִבְחָת ׳כְּצ Sl 44,23, compare (of wicked) לְטִבְתָה ׳צ Jer 12,3 of scattered Babylonian Es 13,14.

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