Psalm 23

Introduction.—Probably the best known and best loved of all the psalms is Ps. 23, universally known as The Shepherd Psalm. It is at once the delight of childhood and the consolation of old age. It has been variously called The Pearl of Psalms, The Nightingale Psalm, The Shepherd’s Song About His Shepherd, etc. Augustine noted that this psalm was the hymn of the martyrs. Undoubtedly more books and articles have been written on this psalm and more poems and hymns composed on its theme than on any other of the psalms. It has a message for men of every age.

But it is more than The Shepherd Psalm. It paints not only the picture of the tender Shepherd, leading His flock to rest and feed “in green pastures” “beside the still waters” and protecting them from the perils of the wilderness, but also the picture of the gracious Host, providing superabundance of food and solicitous care for His guest. The psalm closes with a profession of absolute confidence in Jehovah to lead His child lovingly through this life and to entertain him as His guest to the end of his days.

The poem falls into three stanzas. The first two (vs. 1–3 and v. 4) present the ideas of loving guidance and protection; the third (vs. 5, 6) presents the idea of hospitality provided by a host.

Ps. 23 has no touch of nationalism. It is universal in its appeal. The experiences of David as a shepherd in the ruggedness of the Judean hills, and later as a royal host in the opulence of the Oriental court in the capital city, surely fitted him for writing this sweetest of sacred lyrics.

On the superscription see Ed 164; DA 476, 477; PP 413.

1. My shepherd. The figure representing Jehovah as a shepherd and His people as sheep, is common in the Scriptures. The earliest occurrence of the image is Gen. 48:15, where “the God which fed me” is, literally, “the shepherd of me” (see Gen. 49:24). Elsewhere the figure is found in Psalms (78:52; 80:1; 119:176), in the prophets (Isa. 40:11; Eze. 34; Micah 7:14), and in the NT (Luke 15:3–7; John 10:1–18; 21:15–17; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4). To understand and to appreciate the beauty and meaning of the imagery, one must know the hazardous nature of the Judean wilderness, and the intimate life of the shepherd and his sheep, especially the devotion that springs up between them during the many hours of solitude that they spend together.

I shall not want. A statement of absolute trust in God. This clause is the keynote of the psalm.

2. Green pastures. Literally, “pastures of fresh, new grass.”

Still waters. Literally, “waters of resting places,” that is, resting places with water, as by a river, brook, well, or lake. What a picture of the grace of God is given here (see PP 413)! The Good Shepherd leads His sheep “beside the still waters” only the better to prepare them for the strenuous activities of the open road. God grants hours of refreshment to enable men the better to meet the hard battles of the daily round of affairs.

3. Restoreth. Heb. shub (see on Ps. 19:7).

Soul. Heb.nephesh (see on Ps. 3:2; 16:10).

Paths of righteousness. Those familiar with the rough terrain of Judea know how easy it is to waste time and suffer serious mishap when traversing the highlands, cut with deep wadis, if they do not find the right path. If we permit, God always leads us in the right way, although at the time that way may not seem easy.

For his name’s sake. God’s guidance is a revelation to men of His character (see Ex. 33:19; see on Ps. 31:3).

4. The shadow of death. Heb. s\almaweth, by popular etymology from s\el, “shadow,” and maweth, “death.” Both words are very common in the OT, s\el being found 49 times, 45 times translated “shadow,” and maweth occurring 157 times, 128 times translated “death.” Some modern scholars derive s\almaweth from an Akkadian root s\alamu, meaning “to grow black,” and hence translate s\almaweth “darkness.” The traditional derivation has the support of the LXX. The Ugaritic (see pp. 618, 619) sheds no light on s\almaweth. In the extant literature of that language the word occurs only once in an obscure passage. Bunyan has made the phrase “the shadow of death” especially precious to readers of his great allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress.

Thou art with me. This is enough. The Christian needs nothing more than the consciousness of God’s presence. “Only Thee, only Thee, none on earth but Thee.”

Rod. Heb. shebet\, used of a shepherd’s rod or staff (Lev. 27:32); of a teacher’s staff (2 Sam. 7:14; Prov. 13:24); and of a ruler’s scepter (Gen. 49:10; Isa. 14:5). It was sometimes used as a weapon (2 Sam. 23:21), and such a function is probably the thought in Ps. 23:4, the rod being used as a weapon to ward off ravenous beasts that infested the pasturelands.

Staff. Heb. mishФeneth, “a staff,” “a support,” for example for the sick and aged to lean upon (Ex. 21:19; Zech. 8:4).

They comfort. “They” is emphatic, as if to say, “It is they that comfort me.” The rod and staff are tokens of the Shepherd’s presence, and show the Shepherd to be ready to succor at any instant.

The Shepherd provides rest, refreshment, nourishment, restoration, fellowship, guidance, deliverance from fear, comfort, security, victory over enemies. What more can the Christian ask? Nevertheless, the psalmist proceeds to emphasize these evidences of Jehovah’s goodness and adds to them by employing a different figure, that of the gracious Host.

5. Preparest a table. David now represents himself as a guest in God’s banquet hall. Jehovah is even more than a shepherd—He is a king, lavishing upon His guests the bounties of His table. Compare the parable of the marriage of the king’s son (Matt. 22:1–14). The phrase “preparest a table” is idiomatic for preparing a meal (see Prov. 9:2).

Of mine enemies. Since God is the host, the plots of the enemies to injure must come to nought.

My cup runneth over. Compare Eph. 3:20. David is here thinking primarily, if not altogether, of the cup of joy of the Lord. God gives unstintingly of His mercies, pressed down and running over. In a secondary sense the figure may describe the blessings of material prosperity. David had enjoyed such blessings. He also learned through hard experience that prosperity is dangerous to spiritual life. “The cup most difficult to carry is … the cup that is full to the brim” (MH 212). Even harder, if possible, is it to carry the cup that “runneth over.”

6. Mercy. Material and spiritual blessings are personified as following David all through life. His language shows complete trust in God’s guidance through life’s present vicissitudes, and gladly anticipates that guidance in the future.

House of the Lord. The psalmist’s continuance as a guest in God’s house is assured (see Ps. 15:1; cf. Ps. 27:4; 65:4; Ps. 84:4).

For ever. Literally, “to length of days,” implying as long as he lives. But the believing child of God looks beyond his fellowship with God in this life to eternal communion in the world to come. The psalm closes in a mood of unending gladness.

Ellen G. White comments

1 DA 476; LS 39; 1T 31; 8T 10, 39

1–4Ed 164

2 PP 413

2, 3 ML 206

4 MH 268; 7T 87

5 LS 171

6 CS 18; 4T 328; 6T 367

Sacredness of God’s Calling