I was always amazed that they were able to keep their flocks together and on track even though, as in David’s day, there were no fences to contain them. Each morning they traveled several miles as they sought out adequate pastures. While in Jordan on an archaeological survey, I was able to observe Bedouin shepherds and their flocks. During this daily routine, a good shepherd would need to be aware of the needs of the flock as a whole and the needs of each sheep individually. Each day, a shepherd would bring his flocks from the safety of the village and wander through the hills and valleys in order to provide enough grass for them to eat. To provide for his flocks, David needed to be a good guide, since the life of a shepherd involved a lot of walking. There would have been times of abundance, but as we think about David as a shepherd boy, we should not envision continuous green meadows. Shepherds roamed the hills and valleys in more remote and often rugged regions with marginal rainfall.

Also, the best lands, areas that received the most rainfall, were reserved for agriculture. The Bible describes Canaan as a good land, a land of blessing for God’s people, but it was not overly lush. We could summarize the life of a shepherd as one of constant care.ĭavid needed to provide food and water for his sheep-not an easy task for a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. To this day, caring for animals always presents unique difficulties, especially with needy sheep, besides the challenges of the environment. Shepherding in the ancient world was in many ways simpler than our busy lives, since it involved a lot of time watching animals eat. Trying to imagine David’s life as a shepherd is not easy for most of us, since we live in a modern, urban world. David’s experiences as a shepherd also found their way into his poetry, providing rich imagery for many of his most beloved psalms, including Psalm 23. Famously, he appealed to his exploits in guarding the flock, how he depended upon God, to illustrate his ability to fight Goliath (1 Sam. Much of what he learned leading sheep he applied as a leader of men. 40:11 Micah 7:14).ĭavid’s life as a shepherd continued to play a role after he left the pasture. 23:1 80:1), and elements from a shepherd’s life occur a number of times to describe God’s activity (e.g., Ps. In the Bible, civil and religious leaders are called shepherds, and the imagery is connected to kingship (e.g., 1 Kings 22:17), especially with David. Also, various gods of the nations were occasionally spoken of as shepherds. Thus, it is not surprising that the care of a shepherd and his relationship with his flock was a common metaphor in the ancient Near East for the leadership of people, especially kingship. Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations. God called him to shepherd a different flock, His people Israel (1 Sam. Nevertheless, he was the one God had chosen, the man after God’s own heart, and so he was summoned from the field where he was tending the flock to be anointed king. He was the youngest of his brothers and was not included in the special sacrifice arranged by Samuel. As we read the Bible, we first meet David as a shepherd.

David the shepherd boy