Psalm 23:4-6

4 Even though I ¹walk through the valley of ²the shadow of death, ^[a] I will ³fear no evil, for ⁴you are with me; your ⁵rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You ⁶prepare a table before me in ⁷the presence of my enemies; you ⁸anoint my head with oil; my ⁹cup overflows.

6 Surely^[b] goodness and mercy^[c] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall ¹⁰dwell^[d] in the house of the Lord ¹¹forever. ^[e]

Psalm 23:4-6 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. 23:4 Ps. 138:7
• 2. 23:4 See Job 3:5
• 3. 23:4 Ps. 3:6; 27:1, 3; 118:6
• 4. 23:4 Ex. 3:12; Isa. 43:2
• 5. 23:4 Mic. 7:14
• 6. 23:5 Ps. 78:19; [Prov. 9:2; John 6:51]; See 2 Sam. 17:27-29
• 7. 23:5 [Ps. 31:19]
• 8. 23:5 Ps. 45:7; 133:2; Luke 7:46; [Ps. 92:10]
• 9. 23:5 Ps. 16:5
• 10. 23:6 Ps. 27:4
• 11. 23:6 Ps. 21:4

Footnotes

• [a] 23:4 Or 'the valley of deep darkness'
• [b] 23:6 Or 'Only'
• [c] 23:6 Or 'steadfast love'
• [d] 23:6 Or 'shall return to dwell'
• [e] 23:6 Hebrew 'for length of days'