The Lord is My Shepherd

The Twenty-Third Psalm


Psalm 23 has been my favorite passage of scripture since I was a child. It was the first passage of scripture that I remember memorizing as a child. It is packed full of wounderful truths about our Shepherd. I have read this passage over and over again and now I see it in a different light. As I started meditating on each verse and their meanings I began to see how God has revealed to us Himself and Christ in this passage.

This is a poetic passage of scripture written by David the shepherd-king. In this Psalm David is singing praises to His Shepherd. I am not sure when he wrote this psalm, some believe he wrote it when he was an older middle aged man because David was old enough to have enemies, he was facing the danger of death, and he experienced prosperity which point him to being an older mature man not just a shepherd boy. Some commentators think he wrote it during the time of Absalom’s rebellion, when King David’s son rebelled against him and tried to take over the kingdom forcing David to flee from his own home. Reguardless of when he wrote it David had been through a great deal in His life. He experienced hardships, pains, and blessings.
Through his praises he is testifying of the Lord's faithfulness throughout his life. David's testimony reveals his intimate relationship with the Lord. As an older man I believe that he reflected back on all he had been through, all that God had done for him, and all that God was to Him and began to picture the relationship that he once had with his sheep when he was a shepherd boy. By remembering how he watched over, defended, pastured, and watered his own sheep he was able to see how much he needed to look to his shepherd to guide, love, protect, and provide for him.

Psalm 23:[1-6]--"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."

The key verse in Psalm 23 is verse one. Psalm 23:1--"The LORD is my SHEPHERD; I shall not want."

The key words are:

"IS"--"means to have the quality of being used with an adjective or a predicate noun."--word web. There are few verbs that do not show action; they simply say something about the subject. The word "Is", is a state of being verb that is in present tense.

''My"--"is a pronoun that means of me or myself."--word web

"Shepherd"--in the greek is raah, which is a primitive root which means, "to tend a flock, that is pasture it; in transitively to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extention to associate with (as a friend):- companion, keep company with, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep), pastor, shepherd."--Strongs Concordance

"For He hears the lambs innocent call. And hears the ewes tender reply. He is watchful while they are in peace. For they know when their shepherd is nigh."--William Blake


John 10:11--"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."


David uses the word "shepherd" which is a metaphor that describes who the Lord is to us. By using this metaphor we are able to understand the relationship we have with the Lord. It's not just any kind of relationship; it is a personal one. David begins this psalm by speaking in the third person using the words He and His then changes to the second person using the words You and Your. He switches from using the word "he" to using the word "you" denoting a personal relationship with the Lord. I see this in verses [1-3]. First He says in verse one, "The Lord is my shepherd." Then he says in verses [2-3], "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake."

Then David says in verses [4-5]--Yea, 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. prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

David goes from talking and singing about God to talking and singing to God. David switches to a more intimate relationship with the Lord--his shepherd--as he begins to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. David is walking in the valley because God is the one that has led him there. I see this connection in verses [3-4]--...He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; "

David knew that the path through the valley of the shadow of death was also the path of righteousness that the Lord was leading him to. When we go through dark times in our lives we don't think God is the one that has led us there or that it is a path of righteousness, but that is exactly what David is saying in this psalm. When we are going through some type of crisis in our life that is when we go from talking about God to talking to God. We should be talking to God all the time not just when we think we need Him. In all reality we as sheep need our shepherd all the time. David also knew that as one of the Lord's sheep he would not lack anything that the Lord thought was good for Him. We are told in Ezekiel 34 that a shepherd lives with His flock and is everything to them. He leads, guides, feeds, protects, and provides for his flock just as God does for us. Because the Lord is our shepherd it should cause us to follow, obey, love, and trust Him just as David did.

Psalm 84:11--"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."


Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison