The Hebrew noun eder (עֵדֶר) means a flock, drove, or herd — a company of animals moving together under a shepherd's care. It refers primarily to flocks of sheep and goats but can also describe cattle. The word appears about 37 times in the Old Testament and carries rich pastoral and theological associations.
The eder is more than livestock — it is the primary image through which Scripture describes God's relationship with his people. Israel is repeatedly called the eder of God, the flock of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). The shepherd-flock relationship embedded in eder conveys dependence, provision, guidance, and vulnerability. When the prophets pronounce judgment, the eder scatters; when God restores, he gathers the eder with his own hands. Jesus fulfills this as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the eder, and the New Testament church is explicitly called God's flock — with the same pastoral theology carried forward.