We are His sheep!

There are some words which we seek during pain and suffering as well as during good times. One such portion I have come across in my life is from the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "The Lord is my Shepherd". Like all psalms, Psalm 23 was used in worship by the ancient Hebrews. The writer describes God as his shepherd, in the role of protector and provider.Like all psalms, Psalm 23 was used in worship by the ancient Hebrews. The writer describes God as his shepherd, in the role of protector and provider. Here is an overview of the Psalm, following which we have a verse by verse analysis of this poem:

Psalm 23

¹A song of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

²He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. 

³He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  

⁴Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me. 

⁵You set a table before me in the presence of my adversaries; You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

Psalm 23 : 1-2

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

• The speaker says that the Lord (God) is like a shepherd to him. This sets up an explicit metaphor in which humanity, or at least the community of believers, is a flock of sheep tended by God.
• The role of a shepherd is to lead his sheep to green pastures, to protect them from predators, to make sure that none get lost or go astray. You could take shepherd as synonymous for "protector."
• Be careful with the phrase, "I shall not want." The speaker's not saying "The Lord is my shepherd, but I don't want him."
• Instead, he means that with God as his protector, he won't lack anything he needs. The word "want" means "lack."
• The speaker's complete confidence in God is apparent early on. This is no crisis of faith or doubt.
• It is common in the English translations of the Bible for God or Yahweh to be translated as "Lord."
• Christians also call Jesus "Lord." Some Christians interpret the Lord mentioned here as Jesus, though according to Christian doctrine, God and Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) are one and the same, part of the Holy Trinity.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

• Here the metaphor of sheep and shepherd is still goin' strong. The speaker is declaring himself a sheep here, so don't be surprised if he acts like one.
• The Lord takes the speaker to fertile green pastures where he can eat his fill and then lie down to rest. This is a good image because green pastures are alluring to both sheep and humans, though for different reasons.
• We may think that a green pasture is just a beautiful, peaceful spot, but for a sheep it's a vital necessity in order to find enough food. This line, then, gives a specific example to back up the point that the shepherd won't let his sheep lack any essentials.
• The Lord also takes the speaker-as-sheep to calm waters to drink and refresh himself. His thirst is quenched: another example of a necessity met.
• The availability of food and drink also serves as a nice implied metaphor for the way that God satisfies the speaker's spiritual (as opposed to literal) hunger and thirst.
• The stillness of the waters indicates that there are no storms or winds to disturb this peaceful scene. Also, a still pool of water is probably more pleasant to drink from than some rushing stream. We can vouch for that one.
• The word "maketh" does not mean "forced" here – don't picture some shepherd shoving a poor sheep down into the grass! It means "creates the opportunity for."
• Don't be put off by all the old-fashioned diction. That's just the King James Version for you. 

Psalm 23:3

He restores my soul: he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

• Now the psalm transitions away from the metaphor of shepherd into an explanation of the spiritual meaning of "shepherd."
• God cares for the speaker's soul as well as his ability to know right from wrong and pick the right path.
• The translation of "restores" is tricky. Is he saying that his soul was lost before God restored it? We would guess that "restore" means something more like, "bring back to full vitality." Or, put more simply, "refresh."
• What does it mean that God leads the speaker to righteousness for his name's sake?
• What the phrase "for his name's sake" most likely means is the old idea that good actions are performed for the sake of goodness only. And God is ultimate goodness.
• The opposite of "for his name's sake" would be "for my sake." 

Psalm 23:4

Even, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

• Now the psalm turns to a darker note – this part of the psalm is why it's so often read at funerals (and yet not at Thanksgiving, perhaps?).
• Even though the speaker walks in the shadow of death, he doesn't have any fear because God is there.
• God's shepherd's rod and staff comfort the speaker. These two things are actually the same thing – a big stick that a shepherd uses to guide the flock.
• Images of staffs are common in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. You might remember that Moses had a staff that he used to part the waters of the Red Sea. Also, one of the symbols for the Catholic pope is a staff.
• What is this valley anyway? Is its name "Shadow of Death Valley"? Isn't that somewhere in California? Where do I find it on a map?
• All kidding aside, a valley is a place surrounded by hills or mountains, which often cast a shadow below. So this is not some pleasant little valley, and those imposing mountains that surround it are symbolic of death. It's a place of danger where many bad things or "evils" could occur.
• Some people think that the valley is also a symbol of general despair or dark times, as opposed to a specific fear of death.
• But the speaker has absolute trust that even in a dangerous environment the shepherd will guide him in the right way.
• You might interpret that the path through the valley is the "path of righteousness."

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

• Some readers consider lines 5 and 6 to be the second part of the psalm because it's thematically different.
• The metaphor of the shepherd completely disappears now.
• The line describes how God lays out a banquet for the speaker, even when his enemies are nearby.
• What is the role of the enemies, do you think? Has God made peace between the speaker and his enemies, and now they're sitting down for a meal together? Or do the enemies merely symbolize danger, in the presence of which the speaker is still safe and able to enjoy a luxurious banquet?
• The whole of the poem is highly symbolic and you should not take the individual images too literally. They're open to a wide variety of interpretations.
• That said, the passage doesn't say anything specific about bringing peace, so the main point seems to be that the speaker feels enough at ease to enjoy himself and have a good time. Also, he doesn't even have to do any of the cooking!
• "Anointment" is a sacred act of setting a person apart and and making him holy. It is symbolized by rubbing oil on the person.
• There's so much wine (or insert preferred delicious beverage here) in his cup that the liquid is literally overflowing the cup. God doesn't just provide enough, He provides more than enough.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

• There is just no doubt in the speaker's mind that with God on his side; he's totally set for life. The amount of trust and confidence expressed in these words is remarkable.
• God will continue to lead him on the path to "goodness." Not only that, God will also show mercy if, for some reason owing to his clumsy sheep-like nature, he wanders off the right path.
• He plans to live in God's house forever. Why would he ever leave? It's like living a luxurious life, like in Hotel Taj. And God doesn't seem to care how often the speaker raids the fridge.
• There are two sides to the idea that he plans to dwell in the Lord's house. First, that the speaker has no wish or desire to be anywhere else. Second, that God will never kick him out.
• "For ever" may point beyond the speaker's life and into eternity.
• Notice how in the first part of the poem the Lord is a shepherd, and in the last two lines God is more like a great host.

Since, we are done with micro-analysis of a poem that has instilled vigor and pumped enthusiasm into life of many people. I would like to end this post with a beautiful song.

Also, if you wish a song on Psalm 23, you can find it here.

Thank You!