Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23 may be the most famous chapter in the whole Bible, and for many has been a rock of encouragement and support, especially when family members and friends approach the end of their life.

There's a good chance that at some point in your life you've heard parts of this Psalm, or even know parts without knowing where it comes from! Kanye West sang about "the valley of the shadow of death" in his song Jesus Walks, Pink Floyd in their song Sheep, Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, and the Vicar of Dibley theme tune! It's pretty famous

But what does the Psalm actually mean?

Psalms in the Bible are poems, and much like our contemporary poetry, they communicate a message using various literary forms like simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and parallelism (Parallelism is using different words to convey the same meaning, e.g. I'm really hungry, I could eat a horse). Lots of the language is non-literal, and this can lead to a huge variety of interpretations, many quite farfetched and unusual.

In my studies, I've been looking at the interpretation of the Bible, a discipline called hermeneutics, which seeks to discover the original meaning of the author when writing in their context. The original meaning is then applied to our contemporary context and culture. A couple of weeks ago I was asked to interpret Psalm 23, and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you all here. I've adapted some parts for clarity, and all the following material is used with the permission of the author. (Me)

Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley, a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Psalm 23 is written by a king of Israel, David, who features in the story David & Goliath. It starts with a metaphor for God as a shepherd. The opening verse, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (23:1), begs the question, why do I lack nothing because God is my shepherd? In another part of the Bible, 1 Samuel 16:11 and 17:34–36, we are told that David was a good shepherd, having faced dangerous animals and protecting his sheep that had been threatened or taken off. David, identifying as the sheep whose sole want in life is to be safe and cared for, uses this imagery to represent God as the protector of the flock of his people.

He addresses safety and security in the first verse (stanza) with parallelism of green pastures and still waters, portraying the same reality of serenity, peace, calmness, and safety. In this safety of God’s presence, his soul is refreshed (or restored), another metaphor for his spirit being mended from the hurt and brokenness he has experienced.

David’s experience shows that when he puts his faith in God, he leads him in the “right paths” (23:3; cf. 139:24). David understands that this is not because of anything that he had done to merit this favour, but that God wishes to show kindness and love “for his name’s sake.”

The second stanza moves to another image of the “valley of the shadow of death.” The contrast between this and the still waters and green pastures is striking. It refers to the emotional sense of darkness, death, desperation, and the physical danger David knew very well while being chased and oppressed by his enemies.

Even in this dark place, David does not despair; his trust in God leads him not to fear but the opposite. Despite his circumstances, David is comforted! He once again employs the image of a shepherd, this time with a rod and staff, tools that the shepherd would use to guide the sheep and use as a weapon against attackers.

The last stanza takes us to another metaphor of a table with overtones of an eschatological nature (this is just a technical word for what happens at the end of the world). God, YHWH (YHWH is the original transliteration of the Hebrew word for God) prepares a table for us, though our enemies surround and threaten us.

The table of the Lord in the Old Testament (first section in the Bible of two) context was both a holy place to offer gifts to YHWH and a place for family and community to come together and share community.

Jesus spent a lot of time around the table with his followers! The picture conjures family and community in our minds. The New Testament (you guessed it, the second part) speaks of the Lord’s table at which we share in communion in remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus, and again in Luke 22:30, where Jesus tells his disciples they will eat and drink at the Lord’s table in the kingdom (heaven) as kings and judges.

This is echoed by the second part of Psalm 23:5, where God anoints David’s head with oil, the symbol of a king (1 Sam 10:1; 16:13).

A cup, also synonymous with the communion table, is filled to overflow; this cup has been given to us as a promise of Jesus’ faithfulness, a replacement for the cup of wrath that Jesus drank on our behalf (Luke 22:42), is now overflowing with the abundant blessings of God. This third stanza does more than comfort; it speaks of the richness and abundance of God’s favor and mercy upon his people.

David is assured and certain that God’s mercy and blessings will be constant and abundant throughout his earthly life, and looking to life beyond this one, that he will eventually find eternal rest in heaven because he remains faithful to the God who provides safety and security in our earthly life.

Though I have already touched on some of the imagery that Jesus uses, it remains to observe that the shepherd that David speaks of regarding YHWH is fulfilled in Jesus, the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14; cf. 10:15). In the stories that Jesus used to communicate his points (parables), he speaks of the shepherd who searches for the one lost sheep and rejoices when it is found (Luke 15:6). As David looked to YHWH as his shepherd, we, as Christians, now look to Jesus as the ultimate shepherd who will protect us in times of trouble, rescue us when we go astray and will ultimately lay down his life for us that we might be able to be reunited with our creator and go to heaven when we die.

There is good reason, then, why we read Psalm 23 to people who are approaching the end of their life, we are comforted by the words and if we have belief in the one who provides for us in this life, we look forward to eating at his table in heaven.