Psalm 23 is a beautiful expression of trust, confidence, and intimacy. Some scholars will probe the authorship of the Psalm. I will not do so here.[1] Surely, this psalm is among the best known and most inexhaustible of all the Psalms. We might even think of it as a summary of the whole Psalter, explaining the clear songs of triumph with which the book closes in Psalm 145ff.[2] Even the most biblically impaired have heard somewhere, sometime, "The LORD is my shepherd." Coupled with its familiarity is its continuing ability to offer deep comfort, solace and strength to a great diversity of people in all sorts of situations. This is a psalm of trust and confidence, characterized by intimacy. If Psalm 23 suggests a simplicity of trust, it is a trust that lies on the other side of a life spent dealing with the complexities of conflict and fear. The presence of the Lord is something we can trust equally in "green pastures" and "still waters" or in "the valley of the death-shadow." Here is the tender soul enjoying perfect peace of mind, flowing from a confident trust in God, even when the trials of life threaten the person’s life.
The Psalm uses two images that illustrate the care of the Lord for the upright. Some scholars interpret the psalm as an exilic or post-exilic portrait of a new exodus, the exodus be a common exilic trope for the return. Such an interpretation helps to see the two parts of the psalm as a unity. The Lord guides the people through the difficult journey from Babylonia and then hosts them at the table of the Lord, in the rebuilt temple.
First, the image of shepherd is in verses 1-4. The Lord leads the people to nourishment and safety, keeping them alive and protecting them. The shepherd-sheep metaphor for the relationship between the Lord and Israel is common. The shepherd leads the sheep to pasture, to water, and through the difficult terrain. Royalty are often referred to this ancient culture as shepherds. This is the case with David and Moses. The Babylonian king Hammurabi is called the shepherd as well.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, an affirmation of who the Lord is. In Israel, the king was to be a shepherd of the people, but often, they failed in their responsibility. This psalm begins with the affirmation of faith that the Lord is a good shepherd of the people. It also suggests that the Lord does not promise a safe, painless existence. We will need shepherding. The Lord promises to be at our side. Theologically, the Lord is self-sufficient, able to provide for the sheep. Of course, the psalmist has personalized it. The Lord is my shepherd.
I want to keep our focus upon the Lord, for that is what this Psalm does. However, if the Lord is the shepherd, we are the sheep. Biblical writings often make a distinction between sheep and goats, with the goats not coming out so well. The goat must be crafty, for it does not like anyone to build a fence that keeps it inside. It is the free spirit, roaming the mountainside and exploring. The sheep are in the valley, where they find safety and security provided by human beings. Sometimes, goats seem like they are having more fun. Of course, sheep are notoriously stupid. They have a flock mentality. For example, if one puts a stick in front of the lead sheep that makes the lead sheep leap over the obstacle, the lead sheep will leap. Well, that is fine, of course, but if you remove the obstacle, the rest of the sheep who follow will also leap. Honestly, the comparison of the people of the Lord with the sheep is not one I like too much. Except for one thing. Sheep need each other. They have a keen sense of group identity. The goat is the loner. I admit that I could be that way as well. Yet, I also know that I need a group that helps me know who I am and reminds me of who I am. For another thing, a flock of sheep needs a leader on whom they can depend. Again, I do not really like that. Goats do not want anyone to lead them. I would much rather figure out things on my own. In my better moments, however, I know that I cannot. Without the attention of the shepherd, the sheep would soon find themselves in trouble. This brings us back to the theme of this psalm. The Lord is the shepherd.
Therefore, I shall not want. For if we really understand what it means for the Lord to be our shepherd, any lack we feel is the result of a failure of trust. The psalmist does not refer to the extermination of desire, as the Buddhist suggest, but affirms that we lack nothing we really need and should focus gratefully on what we have. If we perceive and hear the truth of who the Lord is, the only possible answer is that we shall lack nothing. Any lack can consist only in the fact that we have closed our eyes to the glory of the Lord and that we therefore resist the divine rule over us as our Shepherd. The divine glory is always a way of light. The glory of the Lord is the love of the Lord for us. Since I lack nothing because the Lord is my shepherd, I do not have to be obtuse and rebellious. Yet, the fact that it remains so much in our lives makes sin even more frightful. Sin seems incomprehensible from the standpoint of the affirmation of the shepherd rule of the Lord.[3]
2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures; a reminder that nature provides restful escape from the over-stimulation of a human life, as busy as it is with work, family, and community involvements. The Lord leads me beside still waters. Such waters are not turbulent and therefore to drink from them is easy. The water often signified chaos as well as quenching of thirst. The psalmist thanks the Lord that the waters of his own emotion, are under control. The green pastures and still waters lead to an internal result, the Lord 3 restores my soul. We should not allow the external demands of life, which are many, to consume us. Rest on the Sabbath day. Ask the Lord to replenish our humanness when we tire of doing good.
The Lord leads me in right paths for the sake of the name of the Lord. I have seen this verse re-translated to “roundabout ways that end up in the right direction.” Hopefulness expands when we see the hand of the Lord in the good things that happen.
We now encounter the humble and simple recognition that a shadow hovers over every human life. We come to the structural and theological center of the psalm. The psalm reminds us even in the most life-threatening situation, the provision of the Lord is sufficient. If we think of our lives as a circle, the Shepherd is at the center. Everything, even the darkness, revolves around it. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, or the valley of the shadow of death, for upon each of us death casts a shadow, a recognition that should help us to make the most of our days. We honor the deceased by remembering them without surrendering to despair. I fear no evil; for you are with me; for the Lord will not remove the dark, shadowy moments of a human life, but the Lord is with us. We do not need to explain why the dark times are there. We do not need to explain the Lord. It also suggests that when our friends or acquaintances go through their dark times, our role is to be with them. Our presence is the comfort they need. Awareness of the presence of the Lord is the comfort we need. In fact, your rod and your staff, implements that prod and guide the sheep—they comfort me. The staff of the shepherd helps straying or fallen sheep. The rod guides and punishes. True comfort from the Lord means we will need both.
Let us reflect upon the valley for a moment. The valley is a metaphor for the tough places in life. We all have them. Walking through the tough places in life will require perseverance. In one sense, life is not so much one long race as many short races, one after the other.[4] Winston Churchill put it in a colorful way: If you are going through hell, keep going. Most of us know the challenges that Helen Keller faced in her life, which is one of the reasons many of us value statements like this: Defeat is simply a signal to press onward. The question we will answer by the way we live our lives and the choices we make relates to our values and character. The valleys of our lives, the tough places of struggle and suffering, become the fertilizer for the roots of character. The valley represents the extreme conditions of our lives. They will be an important part of shaping our character. They will disclose our values.[5] Psalm 23 teaches us to have confidence and trust in the Lord even through the darkest valleys of our lives. Tough times can lead to people to abandon faith and hope, and most disastrously, love. Yet, tough times can also lead to people deepening their faith, expanding hope, and restoring their love. Our divine shepherd knows that on the other side of the valley are things the sheep need. The shepherd knows the threats in the journey of a human life. The shepherd also knows what the sheep need for them to handle the tough moments of the journey. This psalm is for the times when the path of our lives takes a sharp turn and leads through the darkness. We cannot avoid the darkest valleys of our lives. We cannot take a detour around them. We will have to travel this way. The psalm promises, however, that we never have to go through the darkest valley alone. Like a good shepherd who cares for the sheep, like a loving parent who holds the hand of a child, the Lord promises to be with us on the way through our moment of darkness.[6]
If the Lord is truly our shepherd, then the Lord is the one who speaks, and we are to listen. We have the option of following or not following. Yes, this shepherd cares enough for us that if we go astray, the shepherd will seek us out. Further, who among us has not strayed? Yes, we may look for the Lord on occasion. Sometimes, our looking is a seeking and we do so intensely and passionately. However, we also must admit that often we are not looking for the Lord. We are in full flight from the Lord. We are in rebellion. The beauty is that the Lord knows this and follows us into our darkness. We thought we might escape in the shadows and darkness, but instead, we find arms of the Lord ready to embrace us there. At that point, we know the Lord is the one seeking us. Our hope is in the determination of the Lord to find us. The Lord does not give up. Thus, we do not have to erect false piety that places upon our shoulders the burden of our salvation. The initiative is with the determination of the Lord to be our shepherd.[7]
One of the challenges of this psalm is to stay focused on the changeless God while we go through the many changes of life. Caught up in the moment, we tend to respond to urgent demands instead of the gentle leading of our shepherd. Our challenge is to keep the shepherd at the center of the circle, find some inner stillness and listen for where God is leading us. The Lord loves symmetry and wants us to keep from spiraling out of control.
The second image is that of the host of the Messianic banquet is in verses 5-6. The Lord is host and hopes to remain in the presence of the Lord all his life. The image of the Lord as host in the heavenly household suggests an experience that brought home the happiness and blessing of communion with the Lord. One who has known trouble or experience life-threatening situations has also experienced divine protection. The Lord is hose with luxury, setting or spreading the table and oil on the head being the signs of luxury. Oil was placed on the heads of guests at banquets.
Therefore, 5 you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, for the Lord will nurture when friends or enemies fail us. Thus, even more remarkable: This happens in adversity. Further, you anoint my head with oil; since anointing is for kings and messiahs, the Lord signifies that each of us is a special person, with accompanying responsibilities. In fact, my cup overflows. This is as pure a description of joy that one can find. The image is of spillage. Someone is pouring a libation into your cup and is not paying attention. Soon, the cup has reached capacity. Yet the pouring continues. The cup overflows. Now you have a mess. And yet, the pouring does not stop. The flow continues. Our instinct when something like this happens (at a table at home or a restaurant) is to immediately jump to our feet, grab some paper towels and clean up. But the metaphor here is quite the opposite. We are the vessel. The Lord has set the table and is serving. And the blessings that the Lord pours into and over us just do not stop. We need gratitude for what we have, rather than feelings of entitlement for something we do not now have, will make life more enjoyable.
Finally, 6 surely goodness and mercy (hesed, faith love or love that never quits, a love that pursues us, referring to covenant blessings), shall follow me all the days of my life, for we have received things in life that we have not earned and do not deserve. We then have the promise that I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. The poet hopes to be in the presence of the Lord at the temple and thereby have access to the Lord throughout his long life. He refers to his ntural life, for to have a long life was a blessing. We live every moment under the watchful eye of the Lord. Such awareness provides for us reassurance and challenge. Yes, the house of the Lord was in Jerusalem. However, the phrase could refer to the heavenly dwelling of the Lord. In either case, the writer anticipates dwelling with the Lord throughout his life at least and possibly in eternity.[8] In fact, in a sense, every sentence we have read is eschatological, looking into the furthest and final future, and from their back again into the present. Every sentence is the word of thanksgiving and praise of a person who today can rejoice in the coming morning. [9]
Through all the difficult and disturbing changes of life, the changeless Lord cares for us. Although we face threats to our physical, emotional, and spiritual health, the shepherd at the center of our lives gives us the assurance that goodness and mercy shall follow us. Stumbling through dark valleys, goodness and mercy pursue us. Worrying about our daily needs, the Lord sets a table of food and pours an overflowing cup. Unsure about our futures, God invites us to dwell in the Lord's house for as long as we live.
I offer a prayer. Lord, I know you are my shepherd. I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. I do not know myself very well. I may think I am following your will, but that does not mean I am doing so. Yet, I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. I want to think that the desire to please you is present in all my actions. I want to think that I will never do anything apart from that desire. I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road even though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.[10]
[1] Some scholars will probe deeply into the authorship of the psalm.
As a part of the book of Psalms, these six verses are traditionally considered to be one of the great works composed by David, or at least composed for King David's court. Actual authorship is virtually impossible to establish. Some references within this psalm seem to suggest a composition date considerably later than David's reign. Other images seem to speak of events that are specifically Davidic in nature. The first and most famous image this psalm offers, that of the shepherd, is easily interpreted as "Davidic." It is interesting to reflect on how many prophets boasted of some shepherding background: Moses, Elijah, Amos, and David. The boy who was charged with the responsibility of watching over his father's flocks grew up to watch over all Israel - a shepherd-king guiding Yahweh's chosen flocks. The image of God as the ultimate shepherd watching over even the earthly shepherd-king, seems too Davidic to ignore. Yet another possible link to David's own personal life experiences lies in the straightforward reference to the presence of the "darkest valley" or "the valley of the shadow of death." As a shepherd boy tending the precious flocks of his father, David was charged with safely leading them through the deep, treacherous ravines that crisscrossed the Judean wilderness. In many places, passage through these narrow chasms was reduced to a single-file stretch, winding its way along cliffs and rocks rife with hiding places for all manner of creatures (wild hyenas, wolves, robbers), not to mention the danger of rock slides. Such a treacherous path was dubbed a "glen of gloom" or a "valley of the death-shadow." Some scholars who argue that Psalm 23 is directly linked to David's life and reign suggest that the shepherding God praised here may refer to another Davidic experience of watchful care, as outlined in Psalm 3. A cry to God as David flees into exile, Psalm 3 describes the state of mind engulfing David and his followers as they fled from Jerusalem to escape the traitorous attack of King David's rebellious son Absalom. After successfully weathering this attempted coup, and experiencing God's protection and guidance during his own personal "wilderness experience," David may have composed Psalm 23 as a song of thanksgiving after he and his court were returned to and re-established in Jerusalem.
Other scholars refuse to tie Psalm 23 to specific Davidic experiences, describing the psalm as a "pilgrimage song" steeped in the communal history of exodus and wilderness wandering that all Israel shared. They cite the mention in verse 6 of "the house of the LORD" as a clear reference to the temple in Jerusalem. If this is in fact intended to be a reference to the temple proper - and not, as others insist, a heavenly dwelling place with God - this gives Psalm 23 a historical background probably set during the second exodus and the experiences of exile and restoration. In this interpretation, a ritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem (see Psalms 42-43 and 84) may be behind some of the language of Psalm 23 - especially as reflected in verses 5-6, where the image of the Lord suddenly changes from that of a "shepherd" to that of a "host."
[2]
[3]
[4] Walter Elliott in The Spiritual Life.
[5] Austin Phelps put it this way:
Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer for the roots of character. The great objective of this life is character, for it is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity. And gaining as much of the highest character possible is the purpose of our trials.
[6] James Limburg, Psalms for Sojourners: Strength and Hope for Today From the Treasury of Old Testament Prayer.
[7] Simon Tugwell, in a book called Prayer, penned these words:
Another picture that our Lord loves to use is that of the shepherd who goes out to look for the sheep that is lost. So long as we imagine that it is we who have to look for God, then we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about: God is looking for us. And so we can afford to recognize that very often we are not looking for God; far from it, we are in full flight from God, in high rebellion against God. And God knows that and has taken it into account. God has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought to escape, we run straight into God's arms.
So we do not have to erect a false piety for ourselves, to give us hope of salvation. Our hope is in God's determination to save us. And God will not give in!
This should free us from that crippling anxiety which prevents any real growth, giving us room to do whatever we can do, to accept the small but genuine responsibilities that we do have. Our part is not to shoulder the whole burden of our salvation, the initiative and the programme are not in our hands: our part is to consent, to learn how to love God in return whose love came to us so freely while we were quite uninterested.
[8] The possibility of a future-oriented slant in Psalm 23 allows some scholars to interpret the author's reference to "the house of the LORD" in far less literal terms than would others. In that reading, this "house" is the heavenly dwelling of Yahweh - not any earthly temple or worship site.
[9]
[10] Inspired by Thomas Merton, “The Road Ahead,” a reflection on Psalm 23, from Thoughts in Solitude, cited by Trent T. Gilliss, OnBeing.org.
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