shēp´shēr - ing : The sheep-shearing is done in the springtime, either by the owners ( Genesis 31:19; Genesis 38:13; Deuteronomy 15:19; 1 Samuel 25:2 , 1 Samuel 25:4 ) or by regular "shearers" (גּזז , gāzaz ) (1 Samuel 25:7 , 1 Samuel 25:11; Isaiah 53:7 ). There were special houses for this work in Old Testament times (2 Kings 10:12 , 2 Kings 10:14 ). The shearing was carefully done so as to keep the fleece whole (Judges 6:37 ). The sheep of a flock are not branded but spotted. Lime or some dyestuff is painted in one or more spots on the wool of the back as a distinguishing mark. In 2 Kings 3:4 , Mesha, the chief or sheikh of Moab, was a sheep-master, literally, "a sheep spotter."
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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