Jehovah is like a loving shepherd who collects his lambs together and carries them in his “bosom.” The word “bosom” here evidently refers to the upper folds of the garment. This is where shepherds sometimes carry newborn lambs that cannot keep pace with the flock. (2 Samuel 12:3)

A modern-day observer who watched shepherds on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the Middle East reports: “Each shepherd watched his flock closely to see how they fared. When he found a new-born lamb he put it in the folds of his . . . great coat, since it would be too feeble to follow the mother. When his bosom was full, he put lambs on his shoulders, holding them by the feet, or in a bag or basket on the back of a donkey, until the little ones were able to follow the mothers.”