Description
The shepherd’s bag was a pouch hung from the shoulder by a strap or attached to the belt or sash around the waist. It could be made of leather or cloth.
Usage
The shepherd used the bag to carry food and small personal items.
Translation
1SA 17:40: This verse uses two words to describe the place where David put the five stones he selected for his upcoming battle with Goliath. Some translations understand the one item to be part of the other: “in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag” (NIV; similarly NRSV, ITCL). Others treat the two terms as referring to one object: “in a shepherd’s bag, which served as his pouch” (REB; similarly NASB). Most common-language translations that were consulted use only one word to translate the two Hebrew words; for example, GNT has “in his bag,” while several others have “in his shepherd’s bag” (PV). SPCL can serve as a good model: “in the bag which he carried with him.”
For the Hebrew word kli, see Containers, vessels.