Psalm 23 is a beautiful song or prayer from the Bible that offers hope, peace, comfort, and protection. It was written by King David nearly 1000 years before Christ. You know how a song says exactly what you are feeling sometimes? That’s exactly what the 23rd Psalm does. It expresses our needs and acknowledges that the Lord provides and leads us down the right path.
Versions of 23rd Psalm
There are many translations of the Bible such as the King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV), English standard Version (ESV), the Message (MSG) and a whole bunch more. Everyone has their favorites so I have included a few of the translations below. I’ll use the King James Version for the commentary, but the meanings are the same. I like to think of it as different accents or dialects but the same message.
Psalms 23 KJV
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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.
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.
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.
Psalm 23 NKJV
23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs 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
Forever.
Psalm 23 NIV
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 ESV
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even 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.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 MSG
23 1-3 God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.
Psalms 23 Meaning
The meaning of the 23rd Psalms is a message of comfort, protection and hope. If you read it as written, it is a song of praise. The Lord is my shepherd is praising Him for all He does for us. If you want to “pray” the Psalms, you can personalize it: You Lord are my shepherd. Changing directions from talking about to talking to makes the Psalm a personal prayer. When you are fearful, talk to Him. Verbalizing that He is in control and that He takes care of you will give you peace and joy
Psalm 23 1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23 1
A shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep. He knows what they need to eat and drink; when they need rest; and all of their needs. He makes sure they have everything and are not left wanting more. He provides it all. The Lord is our shepherd and takes care of us: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Psalm 23 2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23 2
“Lie down in green pastures” is a picture of resting in a fresh comfortable setting knowing there’s plenty to fill our hunger all around us. The Lord gives His people rest. He controls it. How you ask? When He created the world he declared the 7th day a day of rest. He made daytime with light for working and nighttime dark for resting. He made seasons for growing and harvest and seasons for rest and restoring. Modern life has gotten away from the nature that is in place. Think about that: in all of history we have had day and night and seasons that continue year after year. When you get away from the hustle of daily life (like taking a walk in the park or going camping) you can feel the natural rhythm of work and rest.
How did the pastures get green? He provided the sunshine and rain and all that was needed to make that pasture green. So the next time you feel like you have to do it all remember God provides the necessary resources.
Psalm 23 3
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23 3
He recharges and refreshes you. He takes the stress off of you by providing for your needs and being sure you have rest and refreshment. It’s like taking a deep breath and exhaling “whew” because we are so glad it’s taken care of! He keeps us on the right path. He’s the shepherd and in charge being sure you don’t fall off a cliff or attacked by an enemy. His name or reputation as being a good shepherd is at stake so He’s going to take care of His sheep. We who trust in Jesus Christ are the sheep and He is the shepherd.
Psalm 23 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.
Psalm 23 4
Psalm 23 verse 4 is a promise of the Lord’s protection. Yes, we are going to go through scary times. There are lots of things looming over us and around us: bills, deadlines, “to do lists” that go on and on, people who have hurt us, unfair treatment, sickness, and all sorts of other stress in life. This Psalm reassures us that the Lord is clearing the way with His rod like a shepherd clears the obstacles out of the path of the sheep so they can get through safely. He uses His staff to hang on to us and bring us closer to Him when we are about to fall off the edge or are headed somewhere we don’t need to go. Don’t you feel safer when there’s a tour guide who knows the way and shows the way?
Psalm 23 5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm 23 5
Psalm 23 5 talks about the Lord preparing a table for you in front of your enemies. This shows the personal relationship that the Lord has with you. He has invited you to his table to enjoy what he has prepared just for you. He blesses you abundantly even though your enemies would like to do harm to you, or keep you from enjoying all that the Lord has given you.
Psalm 23 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.
Psalm 23 6
Be assured that God’s goodness and mercy never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We may make mistakes, but God’s grace is available every day of our life to bring us back close to Him. That mercy and goodness will continue far beyond this life. It will continue throughout eternity where we will forever be with the Lord that we trusted in this life to protect us, provide for us, and save us from all harm.
FAQs
Shepherd is a metaphor for someone who watches over, protects, and cares for all the needs of the flock he is responsible for. The Lord is our protector and provider so we have everything we need.
The host provides everything for their guests. The guest is totally dependent upon the host. In the culture and times Psalms 23 was written, it was understood that the host safeguarded their guests from enemies at all costs.
The term anointed my head with oil refers to God’s blessings. He gives His blessing of protection and provision – so much so that it is more than enough, as in a cup overflowing.
Both. God provides for us wherever we are at on our path of life. His mercy allows us to have a fresh start no matter what we have done if we trust him. His grace is blessings no matter what our circumstances. He provides fullness, completeness, satisfaction, joy, and peace. That relationship we have with Him and all of His blessings go with us as we enter into eternity where He welcomes us to his eternal home.
Psalm 23 Bible Study Questions
We learn many lessons from Psalm 23. It is a beautiful illustration of God as our provider and protector. He gives us peace and rest. Explore the questions below to meditate on God’s faithfulness and provision and to help start the conversation when teaching Psalm 23 to yourself, a small group, or a Sunday school or Bible study class.
- How has the Lord provided for you? Has he given you family and friends? Has he given you good health?
- Name a time the Lord cleared the way for you like a shepherd clears the way for his sheep with his rod.
- Have you been in a circumstance that seems like death was near – that everything was collapsing in your world? Health, finances, unrest, chaos? Did you go through that valley but not fall into it? Was the Lord near you and did He provide those “coincidences” that made things work out right?
- Has the Lord protected you from your enemies and provided just what you needed?
- What is your favorite translations? KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, the Message or some other translation? Why?
- What lessons on Psalm 23 help you the most when you are fearful, sad, alone, or angry?
Living Water
Need some more refreshment for your soul. Visit us at Food and Life Path Living Waters.
A great way to share comfort is through food. Try our recipes to find that perfect dish:
Corn Casserole to carry to a grieving family.
Chicken Ro-Tel Spaghetti for a friend who just had a baby.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies for or someone that just needs some shared sunshine and love.
May you have peace and happiness to share!
