The Shepherd and His Flock

ו) בֹּאוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנִכְרָעָה נִבְרְכָה לִפְנֵי ה’ עֹשֵׂנוּ:

Come! Let us prostrate ourselves and bow, let us kneel before G-d our Maker.

The Malbim interprets this pasuk in light of his approach to the whole chapter.

We, the Jewish people do not have an awareness and recognition of Hashem just because He is the Creator of the universe. Rather we are to prostrate ourselves and bow to Him because He is our Maker, who formed us into a nation who could recognise Him through all that He has done for us specifically.

This leads us on to his interpretation the next verse

ז) כִּי הוּא אֱלֹקֵינוּ וַאֲנַחְנוּ עַם מַרְעִיתוֹ וְצֹאן יָדוֹ הַיּוֹם אִם בְּקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ:

For He is our G-d and we can be the flock He pastures and the sheep in His charge – even today if we but heed His call.

He is our G-d Who we know personally through our relationship with Him, through his providential supervision over the Jewish people. This is a two way relationship as expressed through this pasuk  which says that He is our G-d and we are His flock.


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