1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
[The shepherd lives with his flock and is everything to it: guide, physician and protector.” (Kidner)]
[I shall not want has two meanings.
All my needs are supplied by the Lord, my shepherd and
I decide not to desire more than the Lord, my shepherd, gives]
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
[Sheep will not rest until four conditions are taken care of. Rest comes because the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies, and famine.]
[Green pastures and still waters: the images are rich with the sense of comfort, care, and rest.]
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
[In Hebrew the words ‘restores my soul’ can mean ‘brings me to repentance’ (or conversion).(Boice)]
[The Lord will guide us to what we need]
[They are thenceforth led in ‘the path of righteousness’; in the way of holy obedience. Obstructions are removed; they are strengthened, to walk and run in the paths of God’s commandments. (Horne)]
[To display the glory of his grace, and not on account of any merit in me. God’s motives of conduct towards the children of men are derived from the perfections and goodness of his own nature.” (Clarke)]
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
[David used this powerful phrase to speak of some kind of dark, fearful experience. It is an imprecise phrase, yet its poetry makes perfect sense]
[It is a valley, not a mountaintop. It is the shadow of death - not the substance of death itself.]
[Death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains…. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. (Spurgeon)]
[It has an inexpressibly delightful application to the dying; but it is for the living, too…. The words are not in the future tense, and therefore are not reserved for a distant moment. (Spurgeon)]
[Kidner notes: The rod (a cudgel worn at the belt) and staff (to walk with, and to round up the flock) were the shepherd’s weapon and implement: the former for defence (cf. 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control – since discipline is security.]
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
[Here the second allegory begins. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host; who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security. (Clarke)]
[David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection.]
[When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: ‘Thou preparest a table,’ just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace (Spurgeon)]
[Beloved, I will ask you now a question. How would it be with you if God had filled your cup in proportion to your faith? How much would you have had in your cup? (Spurgeon)]
[Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethren’s emptier vessels. (Trapp)]
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
[Mercy is the covenant-word rendered ‘steadfast love’ elsewhere…. Together with goodness it suggests the steady kindness and support that one can count on in the family or between firm friends.” (Kidner)]
[These twin guardian angels (goodness and mercy) will always be with me at my back and my beck. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. (Spurgeon)]
[In the Old Testament world, to eat and drink at someone’s table created a bond of mutual loyalty, and could be the culminated token of a covenant…. So to be God’s guest is to be more than an acquaintance, invited for a day. It is to live with Him. (Kidner)]
[While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord for ever. (Spurgeon)]
The 23rd Psalm, having been well used at funerals for my entire life, is so much MORE than that! Study it to see how rich it is for the LIVING!
Maranatha,
Anna