Herdsman

A herdsman was one who tended cattle or large livestock, distinguished from a shepherd who kept flocks of sheep and goats. The occupation is ancient and honored in the biblical world: the patriarchs and their sons were herdsmen (Gen. 13:7–8), and David was called from tending his father's flock to be king (1 Sam. 16:11). The prophet Amos identified himself as "a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit" (Amos 7:14) — a man of no prophetic lineage or school, called directly by God. The Egyptians famously viewed shepherds as an abomination (Gen. 46:34), yet the Israelites were settled in Goshen specifically because of their skill with livestock. Herdsmen often represented a simpler, rural way of life in contrast to city dwellers.