O, David was a shepherd lad

O David was a shepherd lad. Charles Erskine Clarke* (1871-1926). Written in 1925 for a competition organized by the compilers of the Church and School Hymnal (1926). This was the winning entry. Its three 8-line stanzas may be compared with ‘With a shout of bold derision’* by Clarke’s older contemporary, George Bett Blanchard*. Blanchard’s hymn is a vivid account of the fight between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), whereas Clarke's hymn has another purpose: in all three stanzas Clarke compares David with Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Good Shepherd. The encounter with Goliath is featured in stanza 2, but only in order to contrast it with the non-violence of Christ: O, David was a...

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