The song of our Syrian guest

by William Allen Knight

Hardcover with dust jacket. This is the original 1904 printing by the Arakelyan Press.Very good. Small 8vo, beige cloth with pictorial front cover, illustrations by Charles Copeland. Light foxing, small stains on title page.

59 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1904

Reviews

[Vahae Ohanian]

Beautiful short story that provides an explaination of the 23rd Psalm.

[John Tobin]

A short book with an appealing cover. It's a bit more religious than I expected. It follows the story of an unnamed Syrian shepherd visiting an American household. He explains the meaning of the 23rd Psalm in the Bible from the perspective of a Syrian shepherd. The book is quick to read, has beautiful illustrations, a gold foil-stamped cover and is lyrically written. It's a delicate and gentle read, that feels like a song.

[Jeanne]

Very sweet and true interpretation of the 23rd Psalm.

[Susan Molloy]

🖋️ Lovely short story wrapped around the Twenty-Third Psalm.
📙Published in 1904.
🟢The e-book version can be found at Project Gutenberg.
🟣 Kindle.
🔲 Excerpts of note:

🔹I give my word that this story's message about the Psalm's meaning is straight from David's land. We had such a guest and he told us these things out of the life of his people, as we sat together one night over fragrant cups of tea. W[illiam] A[llen] K[night] Boston, January, 1904.

🔸Can there be anything more poetic than this life of the Syrian shepherd? It ought to be religious, too. Far, far away, out on the lone mountain, with the everlasting hills around, and heaven above, pure, blue, and high, and still. There go and worship in solemn silence and soul-subduing solitude, worship the Most High God in his temple not made with hands.

🔹'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,' as they have through all the wanderings of the day now ended. "The song dies away as the heart that God has watched and tended breathes this grateful vow before the roaming of the day is forgotten in sleep: 'I will—not shall, but will; for it is a decision, a settled purpose, a holy vow—'I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever_.' And the song ends, and the sheep are at rest, safe in the good shepherd's fold." Do you wonder that ever since that night we have called this psalm The Song of Our Syrian Guest?

🕊️●▬●✿🕊️✿●▬●🕊️

[David Campton]

This edition was published as a small, hardbacked book by the Stirling Tract Enterprise, but has been published in many forms, often unattributed to the author. It tells the story of a Syrian visitor, Faduel Moghabghab to the author for dinner, with him explaining the physical context of the 23rd Psalm. Whether it actually happened is unknown but in it Knight is effectively doing what Ken Bailey would later do with Jesus' parables, explaining the agrarian context of this overly familiar text to those from a modern western background. Commentators are not agreed on this context, which Knight's "visitor" sees purely in terms of the life and practice of a Palestinian shepherd, rather than, as seems at first reading (and in some other interpretations) as being divide between the image of shepherd and banquet. I'm not sure I am convinced by Knight/Moghaghab's rationale, but it is an engaging short story that I have returned to from time since first coming across it in my Uncle's books.

[Rosemary Sandbach]

This book dates back to 1904 so the style of writing is different to what we're used to - may seem a bit twee in places but the underlying ideas and interpretation of psalm 23 are really helpful. The insights come not from the author but his syrian guest stated in the book to be "faduel moghabghab". This is the same syrian wo went on to write "The Shepherd Song on the Hills of Lebanon" in 1907. The author's name spelt slightly differently "Rev. Faddoul Moghabghab". A syrian who was a shepherd in Lebanon in early life and later settled in the US, so giving us insights that relate back to the experiences of a middle eastern shepherd.

[Joel S.]

Deeper understanding of The LORD’s Love in Psalm 23

Unlikely in our ‘modern’ era of self absorption that we can understand the Psalm 23 in its original context. This beautiful story brings your imagination to a place of ancient reality (still in practice in Middle East country life). Breaking us free from limited self only conclusions. Yet, provides new gratitude in our Shepherd to supply everything we truly need. Anyone thirsty for refreshing love will find it here.

[Dorothy Caimano]

Brilliant! Psalm 23 from the perspective of an actual shepherd, is illuminating. I'm a city girl, so understanding just a bit about the actual activities of a shepherd lends a whole new point of view on this well-loved psalm.

[Joan Pelich]

Much more than a song!

This is a beautiful, practical application of the psalm to one's real life, moment-by-moment experience. I love and recommend it for all ages!

[Greg]

Short, beautiful description of Psalm 23. Really deepens my understanding of it and increased my appreciation for it.

[Shelli]

This very short book unites the totality of the 23rd Psalm via storytelling about shepherding in the guest's homeland.

[Cynthia Newton]

Wonderful explanation of the 23rd psalm.

I read this first when I was about ten years old. My mother had a paper back copy in her library never forgot this book and found only the cover after my mother passed away at 102 years of age. Now after 60 years I found it on my Kindle and got to re-read a book that made such a huge impression on me as a child. Thank you Amazon, I was thrilled to find it and to be able to re-read it, a book I had never forgotten.

[Jonathon]

This book was pretty good. A very good friend of mine lent me a copy of this book from October 10th, 1906, which appeared to be its 3rd printing, the first two occurring in 1904 and 1905. The antiquity of the copy added a great deal to the experience of reading it. It is a very short read, but has some interesting perspective on an age-old Psalm. It was worth the time.

[Eli]

An uplifting explanation of Psalm 23, showing us that the whole Psalm is pastoral, and not merely the first half.

May we trust in the Lord our God, even in difficult circumstances!