Original Word: νομή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: nomé
Pronunciation: no-MAY
Phonetic Spelling: (nom-ay')
KJV: X eat, pasture
NASB: pasture, spread
Word Origin: [feminine from a primary nemo "to parcel out" (especially food or grazing to animals)]

1. pasture
2. (the act) feeding
3. (figuratively) spreading of a gangrene
4. (the food) pasturage

feeding, pasture.

Feminine from the same as nomos; pasture, i.e. (the act) feeding (figuratively, spreading of a gangrene), or (the food) pasturage -- X eat, pasture.

see GREEK nomos

Word Origin
from the same as nomos
Definition
a pasture, a grazing
NASB Translation
pasture (1), spread (1).

STRONGS NT 3542: νομή

νομή, νομῆς, ἡ (νέμω to pasture), from Homer (i. e. batrach.) down;

1. pasturage, fodder, food: in figurative discourse εὑρήσει νομήν, i. e. he shall not want the needful supplies for the true life, John 10:9; (the Sept. for מִרְעֶה, מַרְעִית, נָוֶה).

2. tropically, growth, increase (German Umsicbfressen, Umsichgreifen): of evils spreading like a gangrene, 2 Timothy 2:17 (of ulcers, νομήν ποιεῖται ἕλκος, Polybius 1, 81, 6; of a conflagration, τό πῦρ λαμβάνει νομήν, 11, 4 (5), 4 cf. 1, 48, 5; Josephus, b. j. 6, 2, 9).

Definition and Conceptual Scope

νομή (Strong’s 3542) evokes the image of grazing land where sheep feed freely and safely. In biblical usage it is less about the grass itself and more about the state of secure nourishment that pasture represents: a condition of provision, growth, and spread—whether wholesome or destructive.

Old Testament Background

Pasture language saturates the Hebrew Scriptures, shaping expectations for Messiah and covenant life. Psalm 23:2 celebrates that the LORD “makes me lie down in green pastures,” while Ezekiel 34:14 anticipates that God will place His flock “in good pasture.” The Septuagint often renders these verses with νομή or related forms, cementing a shepherd-sheep vocabulary that the New Testament later inherits.

New Testament Usage

1. John 10:9—Jesus declares, “I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture”. Here νομή embodies salvation’s outcome: continual access to life-giving nourishment under the Shepherd’s care.
2. 2 Timothy 2:17—Paul warns that the words of false teachers “will spread like gangrene”. The verb ἕξει (“will have”) links με νομήν in the sense of finding “feeding ground” for corruption; their doctrines devour and multiply just as an unchecked disease consumes flesh.

Theological Significance in John 10

• Christ as Exclusive Entry: νομή hinges on “entering through” the true Gate. Salvation is not merely rescue from danger but entrance into ongoing sustenance.
• Freedom Within Safety: “He will come in and go out.” The shepherd grants liberty without forfeiting protection, reflecting the balance of Christian assurance and active service.
• Abundant Life: The pasture motif undergirds the promise of John 10:10—life “in all its fullness.” Spiritual nutrition, guidance, and security converge in the Shepherd’s provision.

Theological Significance in 2 Timothy 2

• Contagion of Error: Paul flips the comforting image of pasture into a warning. False words locate a “pasture” in the body of Christ, feeding on believers instead of feeding them.
• Urgency of Sound Doctrine: The contrast presses Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Sound teaching nourishes; unsound teaching consumes.
• Corporate Implications: Gangrene imagery reminds leaders that doctrinal laxity damages the whole body, not merely individuals.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Provide True Pasture: Elders are charged to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), ensuring that gatherings, curricula, and counsel lead believers to the nourishment Christ supplies.
• Guard Against Corrupt Pasture: Discernment ministries, church discipline, and theological training function to fence off fields where gangrenous teaching might spread.
• Foster Movement and Mission: The “in and out” rhythm calls churches to equip saints for service in the world while continually drawing them back to Christ-centered refreshment.

Historical Exegesis

• Early Fathers (e.g., Chrysostom) stressed the exclusivity of Christ’s gate, seeing in νομή the sacramental and doctrinal riches of the church.
• Reformers highlighted the sufficiency of Scripture for green pastures, setting it against the “canker” of human tradition when divorced from biblical warrant.
• Contemporary expositors appeal to John 10 in discussions of spiritual formation, while 2 Timothy 2 shapes conversations on heresy and ecclesial health.

Lexical Nuances in Greco-Roman Culture

Agrarian societies grasped the double edge of pasture imagery: thriving flocks meant prosperity, but overgrazing or diseased animals threatened collapse. The New Testament writers leverage that cultural familiarity—inviting believers to flourishing in Christ and warning them of ruinous ideas.

Summary

Strong’s 3542 threads together nourishment and proliferation. In Christ, νομή depicts safe, abundant provision; in falsehood, it pictures destructive spread. The term thus urges believers to enter by the Gate, remain under sound teaching, and vigilantly protect the flock from doctrines that devour rather than feed.

νομαί νομάς νομή νομην νομήν νομὴν νομής nomen nomēn nomḕnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts