"The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men," Hegseth prayed.

"Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.

"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee, and amen."

While Hegseth mentioned Ezekiel 25:17 as an inspiration for the prayer, he did not point out the more direct link to a movie. In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s character claims to quote that Bible verse but takes poetic license with the text. What he says in the movie during a speech is close to what Hegseth read as a prayer, with a few words changed to make it align more with a search and rescue mission.

“There’s this passage I’ve got memorized, sort of fits this occasion: Ezekiel 25:17,” Jackson’s character says as he prepares to unload his gun at an unarmed man. “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!”