4b. ...thy rod and thy staff,/ they comfort me The shepherd brandishes a club-like rod at a wolf as the sheep scatter in confusion. Flanking angels in the borders hold a staff and a rod. The shepherd-king as savior theme continues. The rod and staff recall the flail and crook of Egyptian pharaohs. Like the king's flail or sceptre, representing his authority and power, and his defense of his people, the shepherd's rod is a weapon. It is used as a club, often iron-tipped, to fend off robbers or wolves. The shepherd's crook or staff represents his saving compassion and guidance, and with its hooked end the shepherd can rescue trapped or drowning sheep, or prod lazy or wayward sheep. It is the origin of the bishop's crozier, symbolic of the episcopal role of guide and pastor. The Syrian shepherd notes that the two tools are a double expression representing the whole round of protective care. He notes that the shepherd's gathering call is a comfort to the sheep even as God's call is to those who hear it.