ot512 - psalm 23

Jeffrey Price OT512 – Psalm 23 1

Grasp – Getting Oriented

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


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


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

salvation, as is evidenced by the structural, poetic movement from lament to praise.

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

these modern translations we are also interpreting an interpretation.

6 Futato 2007, 162

7 Ibid, 161

8 Ibid, 174

9 Ibid, 79


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

and future to come.

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


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


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

mercy” in the “house of the Lord forever.”11

Exegesis – Focusing on the Details

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


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.

Both gods and kings were spoken of as shepherds of their people.”16

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


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

looking for the shepherd‟s provision.

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


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


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

is a praise song of confidence!

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


eschatological abundance of the glorious feast to come on the other side of our walk through the

valley of the shadow of death.

Clarity – Shaping Your Presentation

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

organize the text topically and linguistically.

Exegetical - David's Confidence and Comfort in the Lord

I. David calls on God as Shepherd to provide (v1a)

A. David as a sheep needs the shepherd's provision (v1b)

B. David as a man needs God's provision (v2-3)

C. David needs God's protection (v4)

II. God gives to David abundantly (v5)

A. David receives God's provision & protection in abundance (v5)

B. David receives God's steadfast promises (v6)

As a psalm of confidence we expect to see the overarching point of David‟s poem to be

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


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

a shepherd, he is confident in both the Lord‟s provision and protection.

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.

Expositional - Take Comfort and Be Confident in the Lord


I. The Lord is your Shepherd, he will provide

A. You need the Shepherd's provision

1. All that you have is from him

2. All that you need is given by him

3. All that you desire is found in him

B. You need the Shepherd's protection

1. From the world

2. From yourself

3. From death

II. The Lord has and will give abundantly to you

A. You have already received great earthly provision & protection

B. You will receive an even greater heavenly provision & protection

C. Your comfort and confidence comes from the Lord

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


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.

Application – Reflecting on the Text & Life

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


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.


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.

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