Psalm 23 was written by a man who had been a shepherd. That changes how the verses read

The most quoted psalm in the Bible is credited to a man who had spent his youth guarding sheep from lions and bears.

Psalm 23 carries the heading “A Psalm of David”. Before he was king of Israel, David was the youngest son of Jesse, sent out to keep his father’s flock near Bethlehem. When he told King Saul he could fight Goliath, he explained that he had killed a lion and a bear to protect the sheep (1 Samuel 17:34 to 36). When David wrote “The LORD is my shepherd”, he was describing a job he knew from the inside.

I shall not want

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” A good shepherd’s sheep lack nothing essential. The shepherd finds food, water and shelter, and the sheep depend on him completely. The first line is a statement of trust: because God is the shepherd, the sheep do not need to be anxious about provision. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” In the dry land of Judea, green pasture and calm water had to be searched for. Sheep will not easily drink from fast-moving streams. The shepherd leads them to places where they can rest and drink safely. Rest is something the shepherd provides, not something the sheep find on their own.

Paths of righteousness

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” A shepherd’s reputation depends on how his flock fares. God leads his people rightly for their sake, and also because his own name, his character, is at stake. Restoration here means bringing back and renewing: bringing a wandering sheep home.

The valley

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Shepherds moving flocks between pastures had to pass through narrow, dark valleys where predators and thieves could hide. The rod was a club for defence; the staff, with its hooked end, guided and rescued sheep. The psalm does not promise there will be no valley. It promises company in it.

The table and the house

The picture then changes from shepherd to host: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” In the ancient Near East, a host who received a guest was responsible for their safety. Enemies could watch, but not touch. The psalm ends with a promise that reaches beyond this life: “I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

For this week

Read the psalm slowly, one line a day. Ask which line describes where you are now: in green pastures, on a hard path, or in a dark valley. Then read the next line, because in this psalm the shepherd is always ahead. Lord, you are my shepherd. Lead me to rest where I am weary, restore me where I have wandered, and walk with me through every valley. Let goodness and mercy follow me, and bring me home. Amen.

David wrote as a shepherd who knew how much his sheep depended on him. He wrote the psalm as a sheep who knew how much he depended on God.