The Shepherd (Blake) of The Shepherd as Christ is initially found in another Song, The Little Black Boy. Psalm 23 depicts God as a shepherd of mankind, and the capitalization of the word 'Shepherd' in the first and last lines furthers the idea that the Shepherd is a symbol of God. In the bible, a shepherd's presence is representative of guidance. In this poem, the Shepherd can be viewed as the spiritual guide or a savior of the herd, rejoicing in their numbers. Jesus is also referred to in the bible as the Lamb of God. Since the poem depicts The Shepherd as
Psalm 124 the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 124 is currently recited at the Vespers of the Monday of the third week. It also is the source of the ubiquitous versicle "℣: Our help is in the name of the Lord ℟: who created Heaven and Earth", especially used for introductions of any sort, which is the psalm's verse 8. In 1694, Michel-Richard de Lalande composed a motet with regard to this psalm (S. 42), for the services of Louis XIV, in the royal chapel of the Chateau of Versailles. Psalm 124 Psalm 124 is the 124th psalm from the Book of