Psalm 23:1-5

The Lord Is My Shepherd

1 The Lord is my ¹shepherd; I shall not ²want.

2 He makes me lie down in green ³pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ^[a]

3 He ⁴restores my soul. He ⁵leads me in ⁶paths of righteousness^[b] for his ⁷name’s sake.

4 Even though I ⁸walk through the valley of ⁹the shadow of death, ^[c] I will ¹⁰fear no evil, for ¹¹you are with me; your ¹²rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You ¹³prepare a table before me in ¹⁴the presence of my enemies; you ¹⁵anoint my head with oil; my ¹⁶cup overflows.

Psalm 23:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 23

\\<>\\. Thus psalm was written by David, either when he was in distressed circumstances, being persecuted by Saul, and was in the forest of Hareth, 1Sa 22:5; as some think {r}; wherefore he comforts himself with the Lord's being his shepherd, so that he should not want; nor would he fear, was he in worse circumstances than he at present was; or rather, when he was settled upon the throne of Israel, and in the most prosperous and flourishing state of his reign, as the latter part of the psalm shows; he speaks not in his own person only, but in the name of all believers; for Christ, who is the shepherd spoken of, is a common shepherd to all the saints, who are all the sheep of his pasture, as well as David; and the prophet here makes use of similes very familiar with him; he having been a shepherd himself, and knew what it was to do all the parts of that office, which are herein expressed; and very pertinently does this psalm follow the former; for as there Christ is prophesied of as laying down his life for the sheep, as the good shepherd does; and of his being brought again from the dead, as the great shepherd of the sheep, as Christ has been; so here of his performing his office as such, in all its parts, to the great comfort, refreshment, and safety of his people. {r} Jarchi & Kimchi.

Cross References

• 1. 23:1 Ps. 78:52; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11, 12, 23; John 10:11; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4
• 2. 23:1 Ps. 34:9, 10; [Matt. 6:33]
• 3. 23:2 Ezek. 34:14; John 10:9
• 4. 23:3 Ps. 19:7
• 5. 23:3 Ps. 5:8; 31:3; 139:10, 24; 143:10; Isa. 40:11; 49:10
• 6. 23:3 Prov. 4:11; 8:20
• 7. 23:3 Ps. 25:11; 31:3; 79:9; 109:21; Ezek. 20:9, 14
• 8. 23:4 Ps. 138:7
• 9. 23:4 See Job 3:5
• 10. 23:4 Ps. 3:6; 27:1, 3; 118:6
• 11. 23:4 Ex. 3:12; Isa. 43:2
• 12. 23:4 Mic. 7:14
• 13. 23:5 Ps. 78:19; [Prov. 9:2; John 6:51]; See 2 Sam. 17:27-29
• 14. 23:5 [Ps. 31:19]
• 15. 23:5 Ps. 45:7; 133:2; Luke 7:46; [Ps. 92:10]
• 16. 23:5 Ps. 16:5

Footnotes

• [a] 23:2 Hebrew 'beside waters of rest'
• [b] 23:3 Or 'in right paths'
• [c] 23:4 Or 'the valley of deep darkness'