For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if you will hear his voice,
Read Chapter 95
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
9. "For He is the Lord our God" (ver. 7). But that we may without fear fall down and kneel before Him, what are we? "We are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand." See how elegantly he hath transposed the order of the words, and as it were not given its own attribute to each word; that we may understand these very same to be the sheep, who are also the people. He said not, the sheep of His pasture, and the people of His hand; which might be thought more congruous, since the sheep belong to the pasture; but He said, "the people of His pasture." The people are therefore sheep, since he saith, "the people of His pasture:" the people themselves are sheep. ...He praiseth these sheep also in the Song of Solomon, speaking of some perfect ones as the teeth of His Spouse the Holy Church: "Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which come up from the washing; whereof every one beareth twins, and there is none barren." What meaneth, "Thy teeth"? These by whom thou...
The Lord is not in the Hebrew or Septuagint. (Berthier)
The people. Roman Psalter and Syriac, "his people, and the sheep of his pasture, taken from Psalm xcix. 3. (Calmet)
God is the only shepherd, who creates his sheep. (Berthier)
He feedeth us, and it is most just that we should adore him. (Worthington)
