Know that the Lord himself is God. He made us, and we ourselves did not. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. (Ps 100:3)
דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים הֽוּא־עָ֭שָׂנוּ וְלֹ֣א אֲנַ֑חְנוּ עַ֝מֹּ֗ו וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֹֽו׃
Scitote quoniam Dominus ipse est Deus; ipse fecit nos, et ipsius sumus, populus eius et oves pascuae eius.
γνῶτε ὅτι κύριος, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεός, αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ οὐχ ἡμεῖς, λαὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρόβατα τῆς νομῆς αὐτοῦ.
Sheep (צֹאן ṣō’n), this expression indicates small livestock, such as goats and sheep, that are not used for work in the fields. The Greek term for a sheep is πρόβατα (probata).
Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 100) uses the term צֹאן as a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel. As the sheep in the pastures belong to the shepherd, so Israel also belongs to God. In this way, the Psalmist emphasizes the primacy of God, of his actions, and of his love, which will last forever.
Even the Gospel of John (10:27-30), of today’s liturgy, speaks metaphorically of our relationship with Jesus. The sheep (πρόβατα), if they belong to Him, listen to His voice and follow Him. When we turn away so as not to hear the voice of Jesus, we think we are gaining freedom, but in reality, we lose our orientation to the most precious good, our relationship with Him. The problem is that we often do not want to listen to the voice of Jesus, and we often feel lost. Jesus, on the other hand, not only assures us that he watches over us, but that we are in His hands, from which no one can tear us away.
The Hebrew word צֹאן [cō’n] means a flock of sheep or goats. In the biblical context, it refers to the relationship between the Lord God and humans, emphasizing His primacy. The word comes from an unused root meaning to migrate. The Greek equivalent of this word is πρόβατα [probata].