Psalm 23
The lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want,
he causes me to lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul,
he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake,
even 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,
you set a table before me,
in the presence of my adversaries,
you anointed my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
May only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the lord for ever.
[Good shepherd. Russian icon, 19th c.]
The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. Psalm 23 is used in both Jewish and Christian liturgies and has often been set to music. It is considered as the best-known of the psalms for its universal theme of trust in God.
The theme of God as a shepherd was common in ancient Israel and Mesopotamia. For example, King Hammurabi, in the conclusion to his famous legal code, wrote: "I am the shepherd who brings well-being and abundant prosperity; my rule is just.... so that the strong might not oppress the weak, and that even the orphan and the widow might be treated with justice." This imagery and language was well known to the community that created the psalm.
The first verse of the psalm ascribes authorship to King David, said in
the Hebrew Scriptures to have been a field shepherd himself as a youth.
However, modern scholars do not agree with this attributed authorship, and
hypothesize various other possibilities, commonly dating it to (much later) the
post-exilic period.
Psalm 23 portrays God as a good shepherd, feeding and leading his flock. The "rod and staff" are also the implements of a shepherd. The "table" may refer to the old oriental shepherding practice of using little raised tables to feed sheep. Similarly, oil was poured on wounds of the sheep, and used to repel flies. "Goodness" and "kindness" are like two loyal sheepdogs following the flock.
On the other hand, the table (and mentioning of adversaries) may also refer to the dinner before major battles - in other words, King David acknowledges God's protection in expeditions and in battles.
In Judaism, Psalm 23 is traditionally sung during the third Shabbat meal. It is also commonly recited in the presence of a deceased person, such as by those keeping watch over the body before burial, and at the funeral service itself.
Psalm 23 in the Hebrew Bible. Psalm 23 in BibleGateway.
The above translation is a composite version based on various translations.