I. Introduction
Our purpose is to render a commentary on Psalm Twenty-Three, another of the blessed psalms by that great lover of Jehovah God David (Psa 18:1, at least!). Our psalm is one, blessed, continuous compliment (declarative praise) to Jehovah God the Shepherd (Gen 49:22-24, Psa 80:1, Mat 2:6, Hbr 13:20, 1Pe 5:4, et al.), prayerfully uttered by David the shepherd (Psa 78:70-71, Eze 34:23-24, et al.).
We will follow this format:
Verse of Scripture utilizing the YLT text followed by an NASB mouseover of that verse. Key words in the YLT text will be footnoted with a link to a word study based on the Hebrew text, and/or a general discussion relative to the given word. We are not biblical Greek or Hebrew scholars, please consider our grammatical constructions with a critical eye.
Commentary We shall be commenting on this passage keeping before us at all times the crucial fact that every jot and every tittle comprising these verses came forth under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit. We pray that He, by His grace, helps us along the way.
Each of the verses is titled by a relevant utterance from the Good Shepherd in the days of His Visitation.
II. Psalms Twenty-Three Commentary Verses
23:1-‘…It Is Your Father’s Good Pleasure to Give You the Kingdom Little Flock…’
YLT TEXT: A Psalm of David. Jehovah [1] is my shepherd [2], I do not lack [3] (Psa 23:1).
COMMENTARY-David acknowledges the great One, even Jehovah God, right up front, and claims Him; claims Him as his shepherd: “…Jehovah is my shepherd…” David knew a thing or two about shepherding, about being a good shepherd; he knew that such a one provides for every contingency befalling the flock, no matter what the cost (cf. Jesus Jhn 10:11-14; “Feed My Sheep”), and thus by showing himself comforted and satiated: “…I do not lack…” he identifies his God with a good shepherd: ‘…Because the Lord is my Shepherd, yea, precisely because it is He, the Good Shepherd, I am comforted and satiated; I lack not (Psa 37:4, 81:10, 145:15-16, Isa 55:1-2, Luk 12:27-28, Jhn 6:27, 7:37, 2Cr 9:8-11, 1Ti 6:17, Rev 7:17, 21:6, 22:17)…’ Beneath the surface lies a vibrant faith in Jehovah Jireh, and hardly much else pleases our God more than that, for He knows that if all else fails, as oftentimes it does in our fallen human condition, faith in God need never fail. Faith in God is one thing that may always persist—in good times, and in not so good times—and when it does, when one can say with David: ‘…O Lord, because thou art my shepherd, all is well…’, this truly testifies that one believes that God is who He says He is—the Almighty; Provider, Creator. redeeming Savior, Sustainer, Sovereign of the universe: “Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack…” Thus God is glorified. Yea, God satiates (blesses) His own. And who are His own? It is they who believe that He, Jehovah God, is who He says He is (Jhn 3:16, 10:27, “A Letter of Invitation”).
23:2-‘…Peace I Leave with You; My Peace I Give to You…’
YLT TEXT: In pastures of tender grass He causeth [4] me to lie down, By quiet waters He doth lead [5] me.(Psa 23:2).
COMMENTARY-In the spirit of the former verse, here is a picture of a sheep that lacks not: “Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack…” A picture of a well-contented sheep lying down, secure, at peace; indeed, a happy sheep. The Good Shepherd Jehovah is the cause of this; it is His good pleasure to do so (Luk 12:32): “…In pastures of tender grass He causeth me to lie down, By quiet waters He doth lead me…” The fodder is abundant, even entire pastures of it, and it is tender—the best possible for the sheep; so too the waters are quiet, easy to access and attain to. Thus is the Gospel the best possible fodder, tender, ever fresh, abundantly preached, easy to attain to; to drink deeply of (Isa 55:1-2, Jhn 7:37, “Isaiah Chapter Fifty-five Commentary”). Thus is the Gospel the Good Shepherd has caused the sheep to lie down in, and feed upon, to drink deeply of its quiet Waters sublime, easy. And so, yea, precisely so, they are well-contented, secure, at peace, happy, lacking nothing, He ever in their midst sourcing the same, providing (Isa 40:11, Mic 5:4, Mat 18:20, Jhn 10:14-16).
23:3-‘…Those Whom I Love I Reprove and Discipline…’
YLT TEXT:My soul [6] He refresheth [7], He leadeth me in paths [8] of righteousness [9], For His name’s [10] sake. (Psa 23:3).
COMMENTARY-O the brackishness of soul, of broken fellowship with God, upon those headstrong paths of unrighteous, with their sin-puddles stale, flea-riddled, diseased and rank. Thereupon, brackish of soul, are sheep prone to wander, and drink to their death, but for the Shepherd (Eph 2:4-8); the Seeking Shepherd (Psa 119:176, Luk 19:10, “A Letter of Invitation”). Precisely He, leading in paths of righteousness (Pro 3:5-6, 8:20), restoring fellowship (Hbr 7:25, 1Jo 1:9), yea, refreshing the soul: “…My soul He refresheth, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness…” (Rev 3:19, cf. 2Sa 7:14, Job 5:17, Pro 3:11, Hbr 12:7-11, et al.). It is for God a Name; it is necessarily so in keeping with God our Shepherd’s surpassing Name (Jhn 12:28, “O, That Name!”): “…For His name’s sake…”
23:4-‘…I Am with You Always, Even to the End of the Age…’
YLT TEXT:Also — when I walk in a valley of death-shade, I fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod [11] and Thy staff [12] — they comfort [13] me. (Psa 23:4).
COMMENTARY–The shepherd’s rod and staff, these are with him always, his rod serving as both a weapon (offensive, defensive) and as an instrument of discipline, and his staff serving largely the same purposes if necessary, but also providing a means of “hooking and pulling” the sheep hither and yonder, particularly to himself. In a sense his staff at times served to tether the sheep to himself, indeed, it was the very tether at those times. Given a New Testament vantage point, there is here an easy connection to the Word of God (the shepherd’s rod [cf. Psa 110:2, Eph 6:13-18, Hbr 4:12, Rev 1:16, 2:16]) and to the Holy Spirit (the shepherd’s staff [cf. Jhn 14:16-18]). It is God’s presence with the Christian sojourner through His Word and by His Spirit that stymies fear and brings comfort as the sojourner engages their darkest valleys (Psa 16:8-11, 46:1-3, 138:7, Phl 4:13): “…Also – when I walk in a valley of death-shade, I fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me…” But more specifically, how so? All the blessed promises of God that are found in His Word (including especially those concerning His divine presence with His own) have been borne out in the life of the sojourning Christian to the end that God proves along the way His stalwart presence and “personally fitted” comfort—one “valley” at a time. There is therefore no cause for doubting that God will prove Himself faithful to His blessed promises in the darkest valley, even a valley of death-shade (“Children of the Resurrection,” “Psalm Sixteen Commentary”). God blesses faith in Himself in this way (Nah 1:7) and steels it by His grace (it is His doing/work, to His praise). And what a comfort a steeled faith in God’s sure presence and fulfilled promises is; hardly any room for fear here. Consider the titles to the various sections of this commentary for example as a very small sampling of some of the blessed promises here in view (also “The Bible Promises Book” is a good source). Of course one must get familiar with His Word (with Him), with His help (as in allowing the Holy Spirit to pull one close to Himself) to benefit here (“A Letter of Invitation”).
23:5-‘…I Am the Bread of Life, He Who Comes to Me Will Not Hunger, and He Who Believes in Me Will Never Thirst…’ <> ‘…If You Then, Being Evil, Know How to Give Good Gifts to Your Children, How Much More Will Your Heavenly Father Give the Holy Spirit to Those Who Ask Him?…’
YLT TEXT:Thou arrangest [14] before me a table [15], Over-against my adversaries [16], Thou hast anointed [17] with oil my head, My cup is full! (Psa 23:5).
COMMENTARY-Here is the plump, dripping fruit of a tight tether to Jehovah God, served up by the Good Shepherd (Luk 12:37-imagine that): “…Thou arrangest before me a table…” And notice—He does it “in the face of” the enemy no less (our primary adversary is His primary adversary “Revelation Chapter Thirteen Commentary: Perched for a Kill”): “Over-against my adversaries…” This adversary (enemy), who presumed to exalt himself over-against God, yea over-and-above God (Isa 14:12-14), is here brought way low (Isa 14:15), and accordingly made a spectacle of (Isa 14:16-17): “Thou arrangest before me a table, Over-against my adversaries…” God our Shepherd reckons and engages all eventualities befalling His Flock; by default nothing comes as a “shock or surprise” if you will to Him in this regard (Isa 14:24-here is a hands down statement of sovereignty, in the extreme, also Isa 55:10-11; consider Gen 3:15, “Holy Week”).
Well, up to this point in the passage the table is but set. Though there is certainly bounty at the Lord’s table here, the “cup” is not yet full. But when the Good Shepherd lavishes His anointing oil, His blessed Spirit, upon the heads of His own: “…Thou hast anointed with oil my head…”, even there where cognizance of Him is birthed, then—yea then only is the cup full; indeed, it is full when it is full of Him. And when the cup thus understood is full of Him, it is as David, filled with the Holy Spirit says redundantly (that we not miss it): “…Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack…”—compare here:“… my cup is full!…” (Psa 23:1, Fig. 1). Praised be God our Good Shepherd; how good it is to have Him shepherding us. We praise you and exceedingly love you great Jehovah God.
23:6-‘…In My Father’s House Are Many Dwelling Places, If It Were Not So, I Would Have Told You, For I Go to Prepare a Place for You…’
YLT TEXT:Only – goodness [18] and kindness [19] pursue [20] me, All the days of my life, And my dwelling [21] is in the house [22] of Jehovah, For a length of days! (Psa 23:6).
COMMENTARY-”…Goodness and kindness pursue me…”—here is the Light of our God’s Face shining upon His own, as David confesses in another place (Psa 4:6, cf. 2Cr 4:6; “Psalm Four Commentary”). Thus shining it suffuses, and thus suffusing it pursues; it shines and it shines, lighting, warming, suffusing. Please notice that it is God’s glory thus shining; His goodness is His glory (Exd 33:18-19, Jhn 1:14, cf. 2Cr 4:6). And notice that His Goodness is directed usward, even pursuing us (imagine that). Thus continually it pursues. Continually it pursues whether the vicissitudes of life have one down in the dark valley or up on the bright mountaintop: “…all the days of my life…” Praised be our exceedingly good Shepherd Jehovah.
Let us gratefully embrace and engage our Shepherd’s goodness, even His pursuits (“A Letter of Invitation”); let us pursue Him, seek to be near Him; let us seek His shining Face if you will, like David (Psa 27:8, 42:1). Thus are we, like that great lover of Jehovah God David, blessed with Salvation (life eternal in the presence of Jehovah God): “…And my dwelling is in the house of Jehovah, For a length of days!…” Is this not Good? This is Good! Amen.
Thou art our Good Shepherd great Jehovah God, how good it is to be tended by thee; praised be thy blessed Name.
Contents
I. Introduction
II. Psalms Twenty-three Commentary Verses
23:1…It Is Your Father’s Good Pleasure to Give You the Kingdom Little Flock…’
23:2…Peace I Leave with You; My Peace I Give to You…’
23:3…Those Whom I Love I Reprove and Discipline…’
23:4...I Am with You Always, Even to the End of the Age…’
Figure 1 Jehovah Is My Shepherd. I Do Not Lack, My Cup Is Full