Psalms 23:3

3 He 1restores my soul. He 2leads me in 3paths of righteousness[a] for his 4name's sake.

Psalms 23:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 23:3

He restoreth my soul
Either when backslidden, and brings it back again when led or driven away, and heals its backslidings; or rather, when fainting, swooning, and ready to die away, he fetches it back again, relieves, refreshes, and comforts with the discoveries of his love, with the promises of his word, and with the consolations of his Spirit, and such like reviving cordials, (See Gill on Psalms 19:7);

he leadeth, he in the paths of righteousness;
in the plain paths of truth and holiness, in which men, though fools, shall not err; in right ones, though they sometimes seem rough and rugged to Christ's sheep, yet are not crooked; there is no turning to the right hand or the left; they lead straight on to the city of habitation; and they are righteous ones, as paths of duty are, and all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord be; moreover, Christ leads his by faith, to walk on in him and in his righteousness, looking through it, and on account of it, for eternal life; see ( Proverbs 8:20 ) ; and all this he does

for his name's sake;
for his own glory and the praise of his grace, and not for any merits or deserts in men.

Psalms 23:3 In-Context

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

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Cross References 4

  • 1. Psalms 19:7
  • 2. Psalms 5:8; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 139:10, 24; Psalms 143:10; Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 49:10
  • 3. Proverbs 4:11; Proverbs 8:20
  • 4. Psalms 25:11; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 79:9; Psalms 109:21; Ezekiel 20:9, 14

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.