Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 23 (MT) / Psalm 22 (LXX) is the Shepherd Psalm — arguably the most beloved chapter in the Hebrew Bible. Its six verses have been committed to memory by countless generations. The 'LORD as shepherd' image supplies Ezekiel 34, John 10 (Jesus the good shepherd), 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4, Hebrews 13:20, and Revelation 7:17 — one of the Hebrew Bible's most continuously-developed metaphors.
Notable Variants
23:1 'the LORD is my shepherd' (kyrios poimainei me) as template for NT Christ-the-Shepherd theology; 23:4 'valley of the shadow of death' (gē skias thanatou) Christologically appropriated; 23:6 'dwell in the house of the LORD forever' as Christian-eternal-life promise.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 23 = LXX Ps 22. 6 verses.
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd — I lack nothing.
Masoretic (WLC)
יְהוָה רֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר
The LORD is my shepherd — I lack nothing
Septuagint (LXX)
κύριος ποιμαίνει με καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει
The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing
THE SHEPHERD PSALM. The LXX's poimainei me ('shepherds me') — a verbal rather than nominal construction — supplies the NT's poimainō vocabulary. John 21:16 ('feed / shepherd my sheep,' poimaine ta probata mou) and 1 Peter 5:2 ('shepherd the flock of God,' poimanate to en hymin poimnion) draw on this LXX-Psalm-23 shepherd-verb.
Jesus' John-10 'good shepherd' discourse (ho poimēn ho kalos) is the Christological-messianic appropriation of the Psalm-23 divine-shepherd role.
'I lack nothing' (ouden me hysterēsei) — the contentment-formula echoed at Philippians 4:11 ('I have learned to be content,' autarkēs einai) and Hebrews 13:5 ('be content with what you have').
In green pastures he makes me lie down; beside still waters he leads me.
'Green pastures' and 'still waters' track MT. Revelation 7:17 ('the Lamb … will guide them to springs of living water') is the eschatological-shepherd-waters image.
He restores my life; he leads me in right paths for the sake of his name.
'Restores my life' (psychēn mou epistrepsen) tracks MT. 'Leads me in right paths' (en tribois dikaiosynēs) — the righteous-paths vocabulary.
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.
Masoretic (WLC)
גַּם כִּי־אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לֹא־אִירָא רָע
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανάτου οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακά
For even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I shall not fear evils
'VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH' — tsalmavet in Hebrew, skia thanatou in LXX. The Hebrew tsalmavet can mean 'deep darkness' or etymologically 'shadow of death.' The LXX reads explicitly 'shadow of death.'
Matthew 4:16 cites Isaiah 9:1–2 with the 'people sitting in darkness … in the land of the shadow of death' (en chōra kai skia thanatou) — the same LXX skia thanatou phrase. Luke 1:79 (Zechariah's Benedictus: 'to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death') uses the identical vocabulary.
The 'rod and staff' shepherd-equipment — both protection (rod against predators) and guidance (staff for direction) — consoles.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
'Table prepared in the presence of enemies' tracks MT. The eschatological-banquet-in-view-of-enemies image. 'You anoint my head with oil' — royal-anointing vocabulary (chrisma) that NT applies to Christ and Christians.
Surely goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for length of days.
Masoretic (WLC)
אַךְ טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּי וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים
Surely goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for length of days
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου καταδιώξεταί με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου καὶ τὸ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν
And your mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life, and that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days
'GOODNESS AND MERCY' (MT ṭōv va-ḥesed; LXX renders only ḥesed as 'mercy' — the LXX simplifies to single-attribute). The pursuing-goodness image is distinctive: mercy actively hunts down the faithful.
'Dwell in the house of the LORD' — eschatological-permanence. John 14:2 ('in my Father's house are many mansions') extends the Psalm-23 house-dwelling to Christological-eternal-abiding.
The 'length of days' (eis makrotēta hēmerōn) carries either 'long life' or 'forever' — the Hebrew ambiguity preserved in LXX. Christian reading favors the latter.