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Psalm 78:71

from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

69He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
72So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
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Notice

Ewes with young stand at the start of David’s call to shepherd Israel, making the care of vulnerable creatures part of this account of leadership.

Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.

What might David’s work among ewes with young suggest about the care involved in shepherding Israel?

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What difference might calling Israel God’s inheritance make to how you understand David’s authority?

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Connect

Where else Scripture says this

12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.

This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
1 Samuel 10:1Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?Both describe God appointing a leader over people called his inheritance.
Psalm 28:9Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.Both call Israel God’s people and inheritance, and use shepherding to describe the care they receive or seek.
2 Samuel 5:2In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and in. The LORD said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, and you will …Both describe God appointing David to shepherd Israel, a people God identifies as his own.
1 Chronicles 11:2In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. The LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people …Both name David’s task as shepherding Israel and trace that responsibility to God’s choice.
Deuteronomy 32:9For the LORD’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.Both name Jacob as God’s inheritance, grounding Israel’s identity in belonging to him.
1 Kings 3:8Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.Both identify Israel as God’s people, placing the human servant within a people who belong to God.
Ezekiel 34:23–24I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.Both name David as a shepherd appointed by God, though the psalm recounts the past and Ezekiel speaks of what God will do.
Isaiah 40:11He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.Both mention sheep with young: David tended them before shepherding Israel, and Isaiah describes God’s gentle care for them.
1 Peter 5:2shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly;Both describe human responsibility as shepherding a people who belong to God.
Genesis 33:13Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all …Both mention flocks with young; Genesis names the danger of overdriving them, while the psalm recalls David’s work among them.
1 Samuel 2:7–8The LORD makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up.Samuel’s song names God as the one who lifts up; the psalm recounts God bringing David from sheep to leadership.
Psalm 75:6–7For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.Both concern a rise in standing; Psalm 75 rules out earthly directions as its source, while Psalm 78 names God’s action.
One step

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Encouragement

God brought David from tending sheep to shepherding Israel. The people entrusted to David remained God’s people, his inheritance, even under a human shepherd.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).