Psalm 23
The LORD Is My Shepherd
1 A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
for the sake of His name.
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.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
टिप्पणियाँ
- 1 See Revelation 7:17.
- 4 Or the valley of deep darkness
- 6 Literally for a length of days
About this passage
Psalm 23 is a six-verse poem in the Book of Psalms, introduced in the Hebrew text as a psalm of David. It pictures God as a shepherd who leads, restores and protects, and then as a host who prepares a table and welcomes a guest into his house.
It is among the best-known passages in the Bible. Jews include it in prayer and in some Sabbath customs, and Christians sing and recite it in worship, often in a metrical setting. It is frequently read at funerals and in hospital or hospice visits because of its line about walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
Its main ideas are trust, provision, guidance and companionship in danger. Readers differ on whether the shepherd image comes from David's own youth as a shepherd, as tradition says, or is a wider royal image in the ancient Near East.
- Shepherd imagery
- Trust in God
- Comfort in grief
- Provision
Questions
Who wrote Psalm 23?
The heading attributes it to David, and tradition follows that. Many scholars say the headings were added later and cannot be proved, so authorship and date are debated. Its shepherd imagery fits a king who had been a shepherd, which is why the attribution is widely accepted in religious use.
What does the valley of the shadow of death mean?
The Hebrew phrase can be read as a valley of deep darkness or of death's shadow. Most readers take it as any time of danger or grief, where the speaker says God is present. Some translations render it as a dark valley rather than naming death directly.
Is Psalm 23 used in Jewish prayer?
Yes. It is part of the Hebrew Psalter, and Jewish communities sing it, for example at the third Sabbath meal in some traditions. Practice varies by community, so local custom is the best guide.