Psalm 23:1
1 A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
Notlar
- 1 See Revelation 7:17.
About this passage
Psalm 23:1 is the opening line of one of the best-known poems in the Book of Psalms. The heading attributes the psalm to David, and tradition follows that. The line calls the LORD a shepherd and says the speaker lacks nothing.
Shepherd was a common image for kings and for God in the ancient Near East, and other biblical books use it, including Genesis and Ezekiel. In Christian reading, it is often linked with Jesus calling himself the good shepherd in the Gospel of John.
The LORD in capital letters is the way many English Bibles write the divine name. The verse has been used in Jewish and Christian worship and is often read at funerals and in sickness, for its picture of care and provision.
Questions
What does The LORD is my shepherd mean?
It uses the image of a shepherd who leads, feeds and protects a flock to describe God's care for the speaker. The image was common for kings and gods in the ancient Near East, and the line says the speaker lacks nothing.
Why is LORD written in capitals?
Many English Bibles use capitals for the divine name, which the Hebrew text writes with four letters (YHWH). Jewish tradition avoids pronouncing it, and translators substitute LORD.