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OT512 - Psalm 23
OT512 - Psalm 23
OT512 - Psalm 23
Asking a seminary student to get oriented to Psalm 23 is like asking a fish to get oriented
to water. It is a Psalm that even Hollywood does not ignore, and so it has become a familiar text
to both the biblically and non-biblically minded alike. However, if you take the fish out of the
polluted, murky waters, and place him into a well preserved aquarium meant just for him, then
he will indeed get acquainted with this new environment in fresh, deep and meaningful ways like
he has never before experienced. That is the task at hand for us as we get re-oriented to the text
of Psalm 23 in the clean fresh waters of biblical study that now surrounds us. As we study this
famous text, we will begin to grasp the details like never before and be grasped by the text and
the Holy Spirit to transform our polluted hearts and minds – restoring our souls1.
To get oriented to the text we will begin by reading the text both in detail and in the
broader context that we find Psalm 23. Next, we will unpack the structure and grammatical
moods of this famous Hebrew poem, and finally we will look at its meaning. However, this is
only the first step in our journey of understanding for after we have begun to unpack the text, our
next step will be to focus on the details of our exegetical analysis, delving deeper and deeper into
Psalm 23. Then as the poem is re-imagined for the first time, we will look at it both from an
exegetical and an expositional perspective that will bring clarity not only to our understanding of
the text, but also in our ability to communicate it to others. Our final stop on this journey will be
to apply what we have learned from Psalm 23 reflecting and applying the text to life – both in
our everyday living and in the pealing back of the veil to look ahead at the life to come. In the
end, we will be struck by the great contentment, comfort and confidence that Psalm 23 breathes
1
Psalm 23:3
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 2
anew into the stale air of our everyday lives, filling us with the fresh breath of God‟s
eschatological abundance.
The immediate context of Psalm 23, at first glance, may seem a bit peculiar or even out
of place because it comes on the heels of Psalm 22, often called the “Psalm of the Cross.”2 The
Psalm of the Cross is not only a lament of David when he felt abandoned, stricken, afflicted and
forsaken, but in an even deeper and more profound way this is the lament of Jesus Christ when
he experienced a true abandonment like David could not have imagined. “Jesus cried out with a
loud voice, saying, „Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?‟ that is, „My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?‟”3 In these words, Jesus echoed David in Psalm 22 with a great lament before
yielding his spirit and experiencing that immense separation and abandonment from God. “We
do not always experience life as well ordered or well oriented. „Disorientation‟ better describes
life at times. The laments, or songs of disorientation, were written for such times.”4 David
experienced this disorientation in a fraction of the way Christ experienced it, and yet laments are
windows into the soul of pain and despair. Would we expect there to be a praise poem of
confidence to follow Psalm 22 or would we expect more sadness to come? “We must by
experience know the value of blood-shedding, and see the sword awakened against the Shepherd,
before we shall be able truly to know the sweetness of the good Shepherd‟s care.”5 In that light,
Psalm 23 fits perfectly with Psalm 22 and redemptive history, so that it could not have been
placed anywhere else to cause such a heart stirring impact for the reader.
2
Spurgeon 1988, 353
3
Matthew 27:46 ESV
4
Futato 2007, 150
5
Spurgeon 1988, 353
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 3
This Hebrew praise poem, Psalm 23, is a poem of confidence, “rooted in the character of
God,”6 and “[l]ike laments, the songs of confidence often have some kind of personal trouble in
view,” but, “[l]ike the songs of thanksgiving, on the other hand, the songs of confidence express
undoubted assurance in God‟s power to save.”7 And God does save us through the atoning blood
of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. It his Christ who knows and experiences the laments for
and with us, and it is Christ who we find our confidence in to praise him in the storms of life.
“As the Lord of the covenant, Christ is the one to whom the psalms are addressed by us; and as
the Servant of the Covenant, Christ is the one by whom the psalms are voiced for us.”8 That is
the story and history of redemption that we find in both scripture as a whole, and in the five
books of the Psalms. There is a movement from “the predominately negative note at the
beginning of the book of Psalms and the high note of praise that closes the book.”9 Through it
all, our confidence, while emotionally shaken at times, remains steadfast upon the rock of our
After exploring the broader picture of Psalm 23, we now turn to the overall structure and
grammatical moods that will aide us in analyzing the details later on in our journey. Without the
aid of Hebrew language study, we will focus on the structure provided in several different
English translations: English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version (NIV), New
Living Translation (NLT), and the New King James Version (NKJV). It is good to remember
that all translation is interpretation, so when we dissect the text based on the structure shown in
6
Futato 2007, 162
7
Ibid, 161
8
Ibid, 174
9
Ibid, 79
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 4
The NIV translators see a two strophic structure in Psalm 23 with the first strophe in
verses 1-4 and the second in verses 5-6. Bruce Waltke refers to the strophic structure as
vignettes, when he states in the “first vignette (1-4), using the metaphor of a shepherd tending his
sheep, David celebrates serially God‟s provision, his renewal and his protection. In the second
vignette (v5) David escalates God‟s provision, renewal and protection by the metaphor of a host
with a guest. In the third vignette (v6), he leaves the realm of imagery to return to the reality of
the temple, where he summarizes God‟s benevolent attributes that are in view: his eternal
„goodness and love‟.”10 While he separates verse 6 from verse 5, the basic strophic structure is
preserved in line with the NIV translators. This differs from the NLT which only sees Psalm 23
as one continuous strophe, but unfortunately that does nothing for the modern reader to show
them the scene change or vignette change from one of the past and present to one of the present
The ESV and the NKJV are both in agreement on a three strophic structure with the first
strophe in verses 1-3, the second as verse 4, and the third as verses 5-6. As we will see shortly,
strophe one and two are very closely related, and therefore the two strophic structure is an
acceptable way to view the passage, but for more clarity and for what is shown through the
grammatical structure of verse 4 it really is set apart from the first and third strophes.
There are three distinct grammatical characteristics of each strophe which sets them apart
from one another and weaves the poem together as David intended. In the first strophe, after
David tells us who the main character is through the personal name of the Lord ( ) he begins
each line in the third person referring back to the Lord (YHWH). It is YHWH, as the Shepherd,
who is active in performing the actions of making, leading and restoring, while it is David, as the
10
Waltke 2007, 878
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 5
sheep, who is passive and being acted upon. Even though David is passive and being acted
upon, there is a responsive action performed by the sheep to lie down, to drink, and to be led by
the Shepherd. And so we see a threefold repetition of the Shepherd acting on and for the sheep
to bring him to where he needs to be so that he will not want for anything. The second strophe,
verse 4, does not leave the imagery of the first behind but it does make a dramatic shift in person
and grammatical mood. The sheep, who was once passive, is now the one active subject with the
focus on the first person rather than the third person of the previous lines. It is the sheep that is
walking and the sheep that will not fear, and the focus rather than being on the actions of the
Shepherd is now on the emotions of the sheep. The two are still strongly connected because it is
the Shepherd who causes the sheep to be confident, in both his continual presence and in his
leading.
The third and final strophe (verses 5-6), echoes the second person language of the ending
lines of verse 4, referring to the Shepherd as “you” instead of “he”, but with some distinctions of
its own. While there is similarity with use of the second and first person with the second
strophe, there is also similarity with the primary actor being the Shepherd in the second strophe
as in the first strophe. However, now instead of the emphasis being on the one who acts, or
emotion of the one being acted upon, the emphasis is on the result of the actions. We look more
closely at the shift in imagery later, but for now we can clearly see that the grammatical shifts
point to a culminating result in the final strophe and ending lines of Psalm 23.
We will now begin to unpack the meaning of Psalm 23 in the final stage of getting
oriented with the text. The basic message of David here is one of contentment, comfort and
confidence in the Lord, as it is the Lord who causes his people to survive and thrive in the world
both in the present and in the age to come. This praise song of confidence in the Lord comes
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 6
from David as he sees the Lord as his Shepherd and he as one of the Lord‟s sheep. There is great
provision offered to the sheep of the shepherd (v1-3) in the rest and nourishment of green
pastures and still waters. There is also great protection offered to the sheep of the shepherd (v4)
during times of immense trial and fear of what‟s to come. Finally, the people of the Lord are
invited into the eschatological feast to come in the consummation of the Kingdom that we are
offered a taste of in the present, but will experience in mighty abundance in the future. The Lord
offers David, and all those children of the covenant, an abundant promise of “goodness and
Thanks to the work we have done to unpack the text, we can now look more closely at
the puzzle pieces that have emerged from our analysis. There are two related and important
elements that will be the focus of our further exegetical analysis of Psalm 23. Parallelism and
imagery offer us a look into the mind of David, “Israel‟s poet laureate.”12 We have already seen
parallelism and imagery in action to some degree, but we will now unpack them further to
understand how individual lines and words correspond to one another, while simultaneously
illuminating truth through the grandly depicted imagery David used in Psalm 23.
Verses 1-3
Our analysis of this confident praise song will follow the same strophic structure above as
we delve more deeply into the thoughts and pictures of Psalm 23. “It speaks of Yahweh by the
use of two metaphors, those of the caring shepherd (1-4) and the gracious host (5-6).”13 No
study of Psalm 23 would be complete without a look at the caring shepherd metaphor, although it
11
Psalm 23: 6
12
Ibid, 873
13
Lucas 2003, 39
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 7
is clear that the psalm does possess a mixed metaphor that helps both David and the modern
reader enjoy the full richness of God‟s word. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”14 The
metaphor is clear that YHWH is the Shepherd, and there is a clear correspondence between the
Shepherd in verse 1 and the “He” who is acting in verses 2 and 3. To understand the images
encapsulated in the Shepherd metaphor is to understand that it is the Lord acting in verses 2 and
3. “Under the similitude of a shepherd, [David] commends the care which God, in his
providence, had exercised towards him. His language implies that God had no less care of him
than a shepherd has of the sheep who are committed to his charge.”15 These few words and tiny
metaphors are packed with a complex and singular stream of thought leading from God as the
Shepherd of David, to David the shepherd of Israel and finally to the covenant renewal of the
Church as the sheep of Christ, our Good Shepherd. The timelessness and wisdom contained in
this praise song of confidence reveal why it has been so treasured all these years. David uses the
personal name of God, YHWH, and invites the reader into a personal prayer where the great
King responds in his promises to provide for his people. “[S]hepherding was about provision
and protection for the flock. In the ancient Near East, „shepherd‟ was a title applied to leaders.
While David begins with a “noble tone of confidence,” we go on with a “spirit of assured
dependence upon”17 the Shepherd because we see what he is doing for us. Verse 1 ends with a
resounding, “I shall not want,” and the rest of the first strophe reveals exactly what David, the
sheep, wants from his Shepherd. “The heavenly Shepherd had omitted nothing which might
14
Psalm 23:1
15
Calvin 2005, 391
16
Lucas 2003, 40
17
Spurgeon 1988, 354
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 8
contribute to make him live happily under his care.”18 What more would a lowly sheep want than
green pastures to find rest and nourishment, and still waters that refresh the soul? The rich
language and imagery create a tightly woven poem flowing from line to line with unmistakable
ease to nourish the reader by the still waters of Scripture. “Sweet and full are the doctrines of the
gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. When by faith we are
enabled to find rest in the promises, we are like the sheep that lie down in the midst of the
pasture.”19 The Lord, as our Shepherd, provides for our every need.
Nothing is needed more than the crescendo of verse 3 to help us see the importance of a
restored soul lying faithfully in the green pastures and following the gentle path of the still
waters leading to the paths of righteousness. When David rests in the provision of the Lord, then
his soul is renewed and restored to righteous obedience both cultivated by the still waters and
slowly moving towards our wellspring of righteousness in Christ. There is no doubt why this is a
song of profound confidence because of where the righteous path leads – to the restorer of our
souls, Jesus Christ. “The Christian delights to be obedient, but it is the obedience of love, to
which he is constrained by the example of his Master.”20 It is our Master who begins and
accomplishes this great work of salvation actively for us as we come to him as humbly as a sheep
Verse 4
The next verse continues the correspondence and imagery from verses 1-3, with the sheep
walking in step with the Shepherd‟s leading. The focus shifts onto a depiction of the emotion of
this journey with the recognition of the danger, evil and darkness that lies ahead. Now instead of
18
Calvin 2005, 393
19
Spurgeon 1988, 354
20
Ibid, 355
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 9
a path, the journey has taken sheep through the valley, and not just any valley but “the valley of
the shadow of death.”21 For many, death is not comforting, nor is it generally seen as a
provision; rather, it is the inevitable end of the journey. “David here makes an allusion to the
dark recesses or dens of wild beasts, to which when an individual approaches he is suddenly
seized at his first entrance with an apprehension and fear of death.”22 However, David need not
fear because he is not taking this journey alone. “David now declares that as often as he shall be
exposed to any danger, he will have sufficient defense and protection in being under the pastoral
care of God.”23 David is still being led by the shepherd with his rod and staff, which both keeps
David on the righteous path and protects him from the snares of evil men. David‟s walk
“indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow
the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed.”24 He is comforted by
the presence of the shepherd who will take him “through the dark tunnel of death and emerge
into the light of immortality. We do not die, but we do but sleep to wake in glory.”25 This
eschatological imagery will become clearer in the final strophe where God‟s abundance and
lavish glory is revealed, as an allusion to Heaven, which greets the traveler after death.
Verses 5-6
The transition is now complete from the metaphor of the caring shepherd to that of the
gracious host with seamless continuity in the transition. YHWH is still the main character, as the
host who not only provides and protects, but now offers abundance beyond measure. The
prepared table, like the green pastures and still waters, is laid out before the guest as his
21
Psalm 23:4
22
Calvin 2005, 395
23
Ibid, 395
24
Spurgeon 1988, 355
25
Ibid, 356
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 10
provision, but being before his enemies requires the host‟s protection. Would you feel
comfortable eating before your enemies? You would if you had great confidence and trust in
the host, who has already shown himself true in the valley of the shadow of death. There is no
harm that can befall you, when you are in his presence and therefore no reason to fear at the great
feast. More than provision and protection is being laid upon the prepared table for the host‟s
guest – it is lavish abundance that is given as well in the anointed head and overflowing cup.
“Now this exuberant store of oil, and also this overflowing cup, ought to be explained as
denoting the abundance which goes beyond the mere supply of the common necessaries of life;
for it is spoken in commendation of the royal wealth.”26 The guest is not at just any feast; he is
at the feast of the great King who has invited, led, paved the way, and accepted him at the table
and is now lavishing his great wealth upon his guest. This is truly cause for comfort and
contentment in the Lord‟s protection and provision in both David‟s life and the reader‟s. But this
Confidence comes from YHWH‟s lavishing his goodness like the tender perfumed oil
over the head of his guest. Confidence comes from the Lord‟s mercy which brims over the cup
and spills out onto the table of life. We come to the Lord‟s Table, like beggars looking for bread,
and he gives us robes of glory flowing from his goodness and mercy. David‟s confidence came
from knowing that he was at the Lord‟s Table, in the house of the Lord, and though he was
completely dependent on God, he knew that God would not fail him. “He manifestly shows that
he does not confine his thoughts to earthly pleasures or comforts; but that the mark at which he
aims is fixed in heaven, and to reach this was his great object in all things.”27 Confidence does
not come necessarily from our present realities of comfort or contentment, but it comes from the
26
Calvin 2005, 397
27
Ibid, 399
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 11
eschatological abundance of the glorious feast to come on the other side of our walk through the
We have just completed the exegetical work of unpacking the text, examining the puzzle
pieces separately and seeing how they all fit together. Now we will examine the message as a
whole and organize our ideas to bring clarity and understanding. The hope is that once we have
pieced the puzzle back together and created a full picture of the text, we will not be missing any
key parts! There are two methods for shaping our presentation that will be employed here: 1)
Exegetical which will organize the text logically and analytically, and 2) Expositional which will
confidence found in the Lord. Along with confidence comes the comfort of the Lord which is a
repeated theme throughout this praise song, so confidence and comfort in the Lord is our theme.
God‟s provision is implied in the opening verse of Psalm 23, “I shall not want”, and David being
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 12
a man after God‟s own heart is not afraid to share his heart with the Lord. David is both
recognizing that God provides and simultaneously requesting that God continue to provide what
he needs. Verses 2-3 are coupled together to show the two-fold nature of both a sheep relying on
the Shepherd and David, as a man, relying on the Lord for his daily provisions. Finally, in
keeping with the caring shepherd theme, David recognizes that he needs more than just the
provision of God – he needs his protection. David is confident in the fact that he is made to
desire godliness and God himself, so to come before the Lord in humble reliance like a sheep to
The Psalm concludes with God answering David‟s prayers with a greater abundance than
could have originally been imagined. Verse 5 focuses the reader‟s attention on seeing that God
does not withhold any perfect and good gift from his children, and that as the metaphor shifts to
the picture of a kingly feast that provision and protection are given in amounts beyond David‟s
expectations. Finally, verse 6 reveals the ongoing, continual and unending nature of God‟s
abundant gifts which are found in his steadfast promises of the marriage feast to come. They are
not only future promises, but are available for us to taste and eat now when we put our
confidence in the one who has secured for us a seat at the table – Jesus Christ.
The key difference between the exegetical and the expositional outline is that it shifts our
attention from what once happened to David, to what the text now has to say for us. It connects
the timeless truths of Psalm 23, to the here and now of our everyday lives. The Lord is not only
David‟s shepherd, but he is yours and as he provided for David he will also provide for you.
Psalm 23 calls us to recognize our need for the provision of the Shepherd in all that we have and
all that we need comes from him. The Lord will also provide all that we desire, as it is He is the
one to nourish, refresh and restore us to the fullness of life. Unfortunately, Psalm 23 also reveals
the fallen nature of the world, which is why we need the Lord‟s protection. His protection is
vitally crucial in protecting us from the consequences of sin in our own death, for it is God‟s
provision that throws open the doors to the kingly feast and lavishes his grace upon us in
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 14
eternity. In finding our comfort and confidence in the Lord, we are shown a reality that will be
even greater to come in the eschatological hope of God‟s magnificent marriage feast.
We are at long last now ready to apply Psalm 23 to our daily life. The steps of our
journey have pulled the puzzle pieces apart and put them back together to increase our
understanding, but what value is understanding if it does not impact the way we live? Again and
again we looked at Psalm 23 and continuously came back to three main ideas – contentment,
comfort and confidence. What would your life be like without contentment, comfort and
confidence? We only have to look as far as Psalm 23 to see – we would be without rest, hungry,
wandering, lost, afraid, and finally surround by our enemies with no hope of victory. That is not
the life that God wants for his children, that is not the life that the Shepherd wants for his sheep.
The hopeless life is exemplified within the previous lament, which portrays chaos and
disorientation. Psalm 23 tells you to be content in God‟s provision in plenty and in want,
because like the well known marriage vows say, “for better or for worse, in sickness or in
health,” you are married to the Bridegroom and he will provide for you. Psalm 23 tells you to
take comfort in God‟s protection in times of peace and despair, but especially in times of
immense sorrow as in the valley of the shadow of death. Finally, Psalm 23 tells you to be
confident in the abundance of God‟s gifts for he does not withhold his promises but lavishly and
freely gives them to those he loves. Nothing will change your life – here, now, and tomorrow
more profoundly than the gifts of contentment, comfort and confidence in the Lord.
There are just three covenantal questions left to ask yourself today – what does Psalm 23
teach me to believe, to do, and to feel? They are covenantal questions because in order to
respond to the call of God‟s word, you must be made anew and alive in the faithful covenantal
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 15
promises offered in Psalm 23. The covenant calls us to believe, to act and to respond in humble
obedience to our Lord, our Shepherd; otherwise, he is only our judge. God wants you to believe
that he is leading you to green pastures, that he is providing still waters for you, and that he will
give abundantly to you at his kingly feast. Psalm 23 is teaching you to let go of control and be
led along the path of righteousness, to trust in God‟s provision and protection, and finally to have
hope in the eschatological abundance you are promised in the life to come. Finally, the message
of Psalm 23 has been communicated by David, confirmed in God‟s word, and by the Holy Spirit
sealed the truth in the hearts and minds of his covenant family. Psalm 23 is teaching you to feel
an overwhelming sense of contentment, comfort and confidence in the Lord – today, tomorrow
and forevermore.
Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 16
Works Cited
Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1999.
Calvin, John. Calvin's Commentaries Volume IV. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.
Futato, Mark D. Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook. Grand Rapids: Kregal Publications,
2007.
Lucas, Ernest C. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Psalms & Wisdom Literature Volume 3.
Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003.
Spurgeon, C.H. The Treasury of David: Volume One. Mclean: Macdonald Publishing Company, 1988.
Waltke, Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology: An exegetical, canonical, and thematic approach. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.