Psalms
Chapter 23
1
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2
He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside the still waters,
3
he restores my soul.He guides me through the right paths for his name’s sake.
4
Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I fear no evil, for you are beside me:your rod and your staff comfort me.
5
You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes.You anoint my head with oil;my cup is overflowing.
6
Goodness and kindness will follow meall the days of my life,I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Commentaries
23
Over the years, the Shepherd-Lord took flesh and died for his sheep—thus, he led the way through a dark valley to pastures beyond. We follow without fear. And if we should falter, he takes us home in his arms (Lk 15:5-6). To such a shepherd, we sing our hymn. But if, with the psalmist, we may change our picture, he is also our generous host. The overflowing cup he offers was dearly bought: ‘Drink! This is my blood that shall be shed.’
We will keep going until we reach the Promised Land. As we travel, this psalm will give us light and comfort. We do not look forward to the sleep of death but to the resurrection that brings us to the Father. Do we need any more reassurance than that to become true Christians, meaning Christ-like?
The original manuscript uses the phrase ‘Yahweh is my shepherd.’ Since this psalm is a familiar, everyday prayer for pastoral purposes, we use the well-known expression ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’