Definition:
πρόβατον, -ου, τό (προβαίνω), [in LXX chiefly for צֹאן, also for שֶׂה, more rarely for כֶּבֶשׂ (כֶּשֶׂב), רָחֵל;] 1) in Hom, Hdt, cattle, esp. of small cattle, sheep and goats. 2) In NT, as in Attic writers generally (cf. MM, xxi), a sheep: Mat.7:15, Mrk.6:34, al; πρόβατα σφαγῆς, Rom.8:36 (LXX). Metaphorical (in cl. of timidity, stupidity or idleness), of the followers of a leader or master, esp. of those who are subject to the care of the Good Shepherd: Mat.10:6 15:24 26:31 " (LXX) Mrk.14:27 (LXX), Jhn.10:7-8, 15-16 10:26-27 21:16-17 (WH txt, προβάτια), Heb.13:20; opposite to ἐρίφια, Mat.25:33. προβάτιον, -ου, τό, dimin. of πρόβατον (used as a term of endearment, see El, § 27, 4), a little sheep: Jhn.21:16-17 (πρόβατα, WH, mg.). (AS)
Definition:
πρόβᾰτον, τό, frequently in
plural πρόβατα (but also in
singular, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; irregular
dative πρόβασι[
Refs 5th c.AD+] — used (among the Ionians and Dorians) of all four-footed
cattle, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Europa's bull, [
Refs 8th c.BC+] generally of
cattle, flocks and
herds, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰ π. καὶ καρταίποδα [
Refs]; opposed to ἄνθρωποι, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰ λεπτὰ τῶν π. small
cattle, i.e. sheep and goats, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; so later, π. ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων λήψεσθε [
LXX] almost invariably of
sheep, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in later
Boeotian dialect, [
Refs]: generally,
animals for slaughter, whether for sacrifices, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; or for food, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
2) proverbial of stupid, lazy people, ἀριθμός, πρόβατ᾽ ἄλλως [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
more sheepish than
a sheep, uncertain conjecture in [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; χρυσοῦν π, = Latin
pecus aurea, as nickname, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]: in other proverbs, τοὺς γευομένους κύνας τῶν π. κατακόπτειν φασὶ δεῖν [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
II) name of a sea-fish, [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]. (Orig. of small cattle, sheep and goats, which in primitive mixed herds
walk in front (προβαίνει) of the larger animals.)