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 116 Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 4: 13. The Syriac church apply it to converts coming into the church. The Psalm has been used as public Prayer by Pope John Paul II, who called it a "Prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord" The Psalm is used in the Rule of St. Benedict, of Benedict of Nursia. However, Psalm 117 is now read in the Liturgy of the Hours. Henry calls it a "thanksgiving psalm", while Spurgeon saw it as A Psalm of Thanksgiving in the Person of Christ. " David Dickson, wrote "This Psalm is a threefold engagement of the Psalmist