Psalm 23: One Step At A Time

I decided to analyze one of the most commonly used passages in the Bible. Almost everyone, believer or not, has heard the 23rd Psalm. This is a psalm of David.

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.

v. 1

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

In Hebrew, the name used instead of LORD in this passage is Yhovah (Jehova) meaning the self-existent, eternal God. 

When Yhovah is our shepherd, He is our friend and companion. 

When we are walking with Him, we will not be in need. This does not mean that we will have everything that we have ever wanted, but it does mean that we will have our basic needs taken care of. 

v. 2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Yhovah makes us rest. For a sheep, a green pasture is an ideal home in which to lie down and rest. This is a parallel to what He is telling us to do. He wants us to rest in Him, a spiritual resting - and sometimes a physical one too. 

Still water, while pretty to look at, is almost never good to drink. It is in that stillness that the most toxic of organisms has the peace to grow. This is why we are led by it and not stopped to drink it. Moving water, on the other hand, is fresher, does not give time for things to grow, and is safer to drink.

v. 3

He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

When we allow Him to, Yhovah takes our soul and turns it away from evil and heals it. 

Yhovah has a path which is laid out for us,  and the purpose of this path is to glorify and honor Him. 

v. 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. 

While we are making our way through the valley of the destroyer (Satan), there is no reason to be afraid of adversity or harm, because God is with us.

Yhovah's rod is something that is used as a weapon, the source of our safety and defense. His staff is a representation of His sovereign protection.  

v.5

Thou preparest a table in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Yhovah is arranging a meal (could be taken to reference the Kiddish cup/ communion) in front of those who seek to bring me harm.

He pours fragrant oil over my head as a blessing. This isn't just any oil though, it is a fragrant oil, and it is likely to be very expensive. Even if it is just olive oil and not infused or blended with various other oils, it would have had a lot of value to those in that period. It seems that there is a lot of symbolism in this oil as it is portrayed to actually represent the holiness and favor of God (see Strong's 8081)

He satisfies me beyond my need. My "portion" is of great wealth and abundance. I am blessed beyond measure. This continues the thought that we are anointed with His favor, because we cannot store up for ourselves anything in the next life on our own merit. What we receive in heaven is something that is only given by God's grace. 

v. 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.

To me, it seems that David is confidently expecting that God will bless him in this life, and embrace him into eternity. 

David is anticipating graciousness and favor to always be hunting him. Most of the time, when we think of someone or something being hunted, it suggests that their death is imminent. In this case though, it appears as though David will be hunted by God to receive favor, whether David desires it or not. I think that David did want the favor from God, and even found it to be refreshing because of the tumultuous times in which he was living here on the earth. 

I find this last line intriguing. There are two ways that I believe it can be taken. 

One is that David intends to remain in the temple of Yhovah for the rest of his days here. This seems unlikely, as David wished to rebuild the temple, but had too much blood on his hands to do so. Therefore, it became Solomon who built the second temple, even though David laid the foundation. 

The other, which is more likely, is that David will inhabit the heavenly court of the Eternal Yhovah for as many days as there are in eternity. After all, David is a man after God's own heart.


This is the first Bible passage that I have ever attempted to "translate" or develop commentary like this on. Please let me know of any errors or mistakes that you notice. I'll be forever appreciative of any input that you have to offer, whether it is positive or negative. 

My primary sources for this task include:
1. The Interlinear Hebrew-Aramaic Old Testament, which is Volume II of The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, copyright 1985

2. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek Dictionaries

3. Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, copyright 2006

Inexplicable

Sometimes,
I just don't know what to say.
Sometimes,
I just get swept away.

I get caught up in You, God.
I felt that today.
I'm questing for You, God.
I hope You see it that way.

I feel the hunger
Need the desire
Crave the filling
I need you near.

I can't explain it.
I feel like a fool.
I'm starving for spiritual food, God.
Please let me be in You.

I feel so tossed, Lord.
So beaten by the waves.
Please pour your love, Lord,
Completely, today.

I'm overwhelmed, Daddy.
I know that I'll be okay.
You'll protect me, Daddy.
No matter what man may say.

A Covenant With God

For some time now, I have been longing for a stronger, deeper relationship with God. This isn't a new quest; rather, it is an ever expanding journey. In the last several weeks, God has been calling me to take a giant, flying leap forward in my growth. This leap is something that I have found myself resisting, as I cannot fathom where I will land - as that which goes up must at some point come down. I'm hesitant about the possibility of a bloody and miserable crash landing.

However, God has given me a choice. I can choose to sit and wallow in my present level of belief, or I can take this jump and receive the ability to fly. It is with this decision in mind that I am choosing to jump. With what God is asking of me, I know that I am going to struggle daily to persevere. I'm going forward anyway. He has placed it on my heart to enter into a covenant through the swearing of an oath. On that note, this is the covenant with which I enter (this may be added to as God leads; it will not be removed or modified to suit my personal whims.)

Under the blood of Christ and in the name of God, I speak that in all circumstances I will follow God's will above my own or that of others. In this cause, I believe that God has ordained that I take upon myself the following requirements.

Because I struggle with the need to feel pretty and to put on a mask to hide my true self and therefore hiding God in me, I am going to:
1. Not wear any jewelry or makeup, except for a wedding ring to show that I am married.
2. Not wear any other accessories except for: belts to hold my pants up; hats, gloves, and scarves for cold weather; and scarves and vests as expected by church groups.
3. Not dye my hair, cut, or style it in ways that will draw attention.

Because I find myself becoming easily distracted by the ways of this world, I will:
1. Finish reading the book "Celebration of Discipline" and practice the spiritual disciplines contained within the pages of this book. I have started this book twice as a part of my Lenten study and never finished it.
2. Fast from food weekly, growing from twelve hour to twenty four hour fasts. The times that would otherwise be spent eating will be spent in prayer and reading the Bible.
3. Observe a weekly Sabbath as commanded in the Ten Commandments.

As someone who has struggled with substance abuse and self-harm, especially during periods of spiritual growth, these expectations are to preserve the body that I have.
1. Neither alcohol nor tobacco shall be used.
2. There will be no deliberate damage to skin.
3. No medication of any kind will be taken except when absolutely necessary.

These statements constitute the covenant which I enter into today, September 3rd, 2014. This sworn oath will end on the first Sunday of Advent, which is November 30th, 2014. In the event that this is broken, may the punishment of God be swift and just.