It is the best known of all the psalms, memorized by many (in the King James Version, of course). It is read at many a funeral, and often quoted by people who might not know where the quote is coming from: “I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4) and “My cup runneth over” (23:5) are perhaps the two most famous lines.

The psalm begins with shepherd-and-sheep imagery that has led many to suppose that it indeed comes from David the shepherd boy, as the inscription indicates. This may well be true; yet caring for sheep was so standard in the life of Israel that it really is difficult to argue that if it is about shepherding than it can only have come from David. The psalm envisions “me” as a sheep, cared for by a shepherd, God, who meets my needs (23:1), who brings me to good pasture and water (23:2), who keeps me on the right path (23:3).

Then comes what is known as “the turn,” a common literary process within the psalms. It’s helpful to visualize this as the psalmist looking at us and telling us about his experience of God, and then he turns away from us and turns his face to heaven and directly addresses God in prayer. In the first half of the psalm we read “He makes me lie down,” “he leads me,” and so on. But in the second half we read “you are with me,” and “you prepare a table for me,” and “you anoint my head with oil.” The psalmist has turned from ‘talking about God’ and begun ‘talking to God;’ he has from theology to religion, from teaching to prayer.

The import of this is significant. It is always worthwhile to advance in knowledge about God: but at the end of the day, or at the end of the psalm, we especially need to know God personally well enough to have a conversation. In particular, we need to be able to talk to God about critical life issues, such as the valley of the shadow of death (23:4) and other fearful experiences, including the specific evil of enemies out to get me (23:5).

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Shepherd and Lord, you are the one who cares for us in the midst of every circumstance: we pray that you would protect us and guide us, leading us in the way we should go. We trust in you, all the days of our lives, in the confidence that we will dwell in your house forever.

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