following the flock: In the ancient Near East, people often described kings as shepherds because they were expected to guide and protect their people (see 1 Kings 22:17; Isaiah 44:28; Ezekiel 34:2; 37:24; Nahum 3:18; Zechariah 10:3). David had once been a shepherd himself, and he later described the Lord as his shepherd (Psalm 23:1).