Kalinak, Kathryn. How the West Was Sung Music in the Westerns of John Ford. Berkley, University of California Press, 2007. De Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel Its Life and Institutions. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1958. Jean, Al. (2003). Easter Egg commentary for "Bart the Lover", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.

There are several verses in the Bible which refer to the harvesting of grain. Some of them are literal, some use the metaphor, and the symbolism is not always the same. The metaphor of bringing in the sheaves has its roots in agricultural cycles and culture. Specifically, it comes from the process of the growing and harvesting of wheat, a staple of many cultures across the world. The hymn's refrain was sung at church in the 2014 episode of the TV show Two and a Half Men titled "Miss Pasternak"

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The verse from which Shaw extracted his concept was Psalm 126. The specific verses said, “He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” ( Psalm 126:6). Bringing in the Sheaves” is an American Gospel song by Knowles Shaw. Taking inspiration from Psalm 126, Shaw wrote the lyrics in 1874; he wrote music as well, though today a separate tune composed by George Minor in 1880 is the more commonly used tune. He was born in Ohio in 1834 and was a writer and evangelist as well as a composer. The Psalmist wishes to see the enemies of God not have a fruitful harvest: “Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms” ( Psalm 129:6-7).

In the prophecies of Jeremiah: “Speak: ‘Thus declares the Lord, ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them’” ( Jeremiah 9:22).A popular hymn from the 19th century called “Bringing in the Sheaves” made use of this imagery to encourage believers to share the Gospel. To bring in the sheaves refers to the idea that one day believers will come before the Lord, bringing others with them with whom they shared the Gospel. What Does “Bringing in the Sheaves” Mean? Pisani, Michael (May 2009). "Reviewed Work: How the West Was Sung: Music in the Westerns of John Ford by Kathryn Kalinak". Pacific Historical Review. 78 (2): 312.