רוֹעֶה

“Shepherd” in Hebrew is Ro'eh (רוֹעֶה), pronounced “ro-EH.” Ro'eh comes from the root ר-ע-ה (resh-ayin-he), meaning 'to pasture, tend, graze, feed.' The shepherd is literally 'the one who feeds' — nourishment is the core function, with protection, guidance, and healing flowing from it.

Ro'eh (רוֹעֶה) means “Shepherd, one who tends and feeds” in Biblical Hebrew. Ro'eh and its root appear over 170 times in the Hebrew Bible. It describes literal shepherds (Genesis 46:34), God as shepherd (Psalm 23:1, Isaiah 40:11), kings as shepherds of their people (Ezekiel 34), and the messianic shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23, Micah 5:4).

Ro'eh is pronounced “ro-EH.” The word comes from the Hebrew root ר-ע-ה.

Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds. God seems to deliberately train leaders through shepherding because it teaches the exact qualities needed to lead His people: patience, vigilance, sacrifice, and intimate knowledge of each individual in the flock. Moses tended sheep for 40 years before leading Israel; David fought lions and bears before fighting Goliath.

When Psalm 23 says 'The LORD is my ro'eh,' it claims that God personally provides (green pastures, still waters), guides (paths of righteousness), protects (through the valley of death's shadow), comforts (rod and staff), and honors (table, anointed head, overflowing cup) each individual believer. A shepherd knows every sheep by name.

Ezekiel 34 condemns Israel's failed shepherd-leaders and promises: 'I myself will shepherd my sheep' (34:15). Then God says He will set up 'one shepherd, my servant David' (34:23). Jesus claims to be this shepherd in John 10:11 — the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He is both God shepherding directly and the Davidic king prophesied.