Morning Prayer: We are the sheep of his flock (Psalm 51)
Hm...Aren't sheep wimps?
The short answer: no. The psalmist would not have heard “sheep” as weak, passive, or foolish. In the ancient Near Eastern world, “sheep” carried an entirely different emotional weight—one that is sturdy, earthy, and deeply relational.
🐑 What “sheep” meant to the psalmist
1. Sheep were valuable, not contemptible
A family’s wealth was measured in flocks. Sheep were food, clothing, sacrifice, and livelihood. To call someone “sheep” was to say: You are treasured. You are the livelihood of the Shepherd.
There is no insult in that.
2. Sheep were vulnerable, but not pathetic
In the biblical imagination, vulnerability is not shameful—it is simply true. Sheep need guidance because the world is dangerous: cliffs, predators, drought, thieves.
To be a sheep is to be a creature who cannot survive without the shepherd’s presence. That is not wimpy; it is honest.
3. Sheep were responsive, not mindless
Ancient shepherding was not cattle-driving. Sheep were led by voice, not forced by fear.
A sheep knows the shepherd’s voice, follows it, trusts it. That is the image the psalmist is invoking: relationship, recognition, belonging.
4. Sheep were communal, not conformist
Today “sheep” means “mindless follower.” But in Scripture, sheep are communal animals because life is safer together. The flock is not a mob; it is a family.
5. The metaphor is really about the Shepherd
In Hebrew poetry, the meaning of “sheep” is inseparable from the meaning of “shepherd.” The point is not our weakness but God’s character:
attentive
protective
guiding
providing
present
To say “we are the sheep of His pasture” is to say: We live because Someone watches over us.
🕊️ Why the modern meaning feels so different
Our culture prizes autonomy, self-sufficiency, and individualism. So “sheep” has become an insult—someone who doesn’t think for themselves.
But the psalmist’s world was agrarian, communal, and honest about dependence. To be a sheep was not to be stupid. It was to be held.
Read more Morning Prayer posts: MSI Press Blog
Note about Morning Prayer: Each morning prayer post reflects on one phrase from the Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. which can be found in the iBreviary (a downloadable app), Universalis (website) or Divine Office (publication and website).
post production may be assisted by AI in image generation and content (research and wording)
Read more Morning Prayer posts.
Morning Prayer posts inspired by Being Catholic in Troubled Times (Dennis Ortman)
Book Description:
These are times that try our souls. This book is addressed to all, not just Catholics, who search for deeper meaning in tough times. Our age is marked by division and alienation. We long for some message that will bring peace to our world and our hearts.
This book suggests that the Catholic faith can provide strength in these troubled times. The word "catholic" means "all-embracing, universal." Nothing is excluded in the catholic mind. The truth that sets us free can be found everywhere, especially in unexpected places. It is often hidden in plain sight. In our darkest moments, we find new light and life. When we are most despairing, a ray of hope shines through.
Dr. Dennis Ortman, former priest and current psychologist, is the author of Anger Anonymous, Anxiety Anonymous, Depression Anonymous, Being Catholic in Troubled Times, and Life, Liberty, and COVID-19.
For more posts by and about Dennis and his award-winning books, click HERE.
CONTACT editor@msipress.com FOR A REVIEW COPY
has gained mass recognition for releasing highly acclaimed books of varying genres
that are distributed internationally. Check us out on Wikitia.
To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount,
use code FF25 at MSI Press webstore;
for free shipping, use code ship4free.
(Codes cannot be used together; they are meant to provide a choice of discount.)
Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to pay for it?
(1) Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it.
(2) Ask us for a review copy; we love to have our books reviewed.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES.
Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter: get inside information before others see it and access to additional book content(recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, links to precerpts/excerpts, author advice, and more)Check out recent issues.
Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help. Ask us. Check out more information at www.msipress.com.
Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our author au pair services will mentor you through the process. See what we can do for your at www.msipress.com.
Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.
Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.
Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.
Comments
Post a Comment