Psalm 23

The shepherd's psalm
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Text
Explanation
The Pearl of Psalms
.1 ¶ <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  1 - My shepherd This term appears often in the Bible. See the earliest statement in ge4815.
.2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
.3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 
.1 - Lord is my shepherd This relates to John 10 jn10.
  1 - Not want Here is the theme of the psalm. We lack nothing we really need for our eternal good when we make the Lord our shepherd.
  2 - Green pastures Literally, "pastures of fresh, new grass."
  2 - Still waters Or "waters of resting places." The sheep rested where water was nearby. Our heavenly Shepherd looks ahead and provides for our needs.
  3 - Paths of righteousness We may walk in the right path because we are following the shepherd and He knows the way. That righteousness seen in us is His.
.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.     4 - Thy rod and thy staff The rod was probably a weapon against predators and the staff to guide and restrain the sheep. "Rod" here is from shebet and is seen in various forms: le2732, 2sa0714, pr1324, ge4910, is1405, 2sa2321.
  4 - They comfort The "they" is in the Hebrew emphatic form.
.5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
.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.
  5 - Preparest a table An idiom for preparing a meal pr0902. It's possible to assume that the "enemies" are also guests at the table, a sign of reconciliation.
   6 - Dwell ... house of the Lord The Lord's house is the temple, but we can see that this represented heaven to David. The tabernacle or temple in the sanctuary system represents heaven while the courtyard represents the earth.
  6 - For ever Literally "to length of days." This would be for the days that he lived. The term is used for permanent situations. David was probably thinking of a permanent relationship with the Lord and so may we. It is the eternal life we have by God's promise 1jo0511. This does not mean we will never die and be unconscious is3818 waiting for resurrection jn0528. Also see ps11989. For more on death see links page.
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