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Greetings! This week I started refining my understanding of Psalm 23:3 by (1) making sure I’m considering David’s whole message, (2) trying to determine how he and his audience interpreted that message, and (3) looking to Hebrew translators for help understanding key words from verse 3.

Last Week’s Work

LITERAL CONTEXT

Here, I discovered Psalms 11-22 are also attributed to David, as are Psalms 24-32. After reviewing them all, I find many share similar structural components and identical themes with Psalm 23, but I believe David intended verses 1-6 to be a single, self-contained message, and I plan to interpret it that way.

WRITING TYPES

No doubt this is one of the most beautiful poems/hymns David penned. The association of the LORD as a shepherd is less powerful for our generation, I think, but even if we know little about sheep and their keepers, we can still appreciate the peaceful, natural beauty of green pastures and still waters. Growing up in a small town with pastures to the north and east of my home, I have no problem visualizing a similar scene. To me, this Shepherd symbolizes an easily approachable Guide (the LORD) who knows and takes us on paths to provide physical (food, water, rest) and spiritual sustenance. In addition, His presence represents safety because He protects us from natural and supernatural predators. All we have to do is follow Him!

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

According to the ESV Global Study Bible, David was King of Israel from 1010 BC to 971 BC. I couldn’t find specific information about when he wrote Psalm 23 but did discover he was more than just a monarch/ruler; he also represented and embodied his subjects: their well-being was tied to his faithfulness [to God]. John MacArthur’s introduction indicates the psalm’s original purpose was to engender proper praise and worship of God. I think it does that beautifully.

INTERLINEAR RESEARCH

Because this series focuses on the names of God, I started my interlinear research looking at the Hebrew words David used to name Him in this passage. First, he called Him LORD. This word (literally, initials YHWH or JHVH, Strong’s H3068) appears more than 6200 times in the Old Testament! It’s the name associated with creation, self-existence, covenant, exodus, and mercy. It’s used in at least six compound structures (including YHWH Ra’ah in Psalm 23) to denote different aspects of God’s character. Contrasted with the term Lord (Adonay, Strong’s 136, meaning Lord, Master), YHWH is the personal, faithful, sovereign God who creates, redeems, judges, and dwells with His people. Therefore, YHWH Ra’ah (Strong’s H7462) is a picture of God as One who figuratively leads and teaches a group of people.

In v3, I checked four more words: first in the phrase He restores (H7725, shub) my soul (H5315 nephesh). Shub implies a turning back, literally or figuratively, though not necessarily to the same place. Nephesh’s meaning seems to indicate life or living, vitality, and it’s sometimes translated as person or breathing creature. That reminded me of Genesis 2:7, where God (YHWH H430 Elohim) animated Adam by breathing into his nostrils. The original word for the verb there (H5301, naphach) seems to me quite similar to the soul in Psalm 23:3. Something for me to meditate on for sure! Finally, I wanted to understand the stated reason the Lord led David in righteous paths. The text reads it’s for [the LORD’s] name’s (H8034 shem) sake (H4616 maan). The Topical Lexicon section on H8034 at BibleHub.com describes this use thus: God acts ‘for His name’s sake,’ displaying covenant faithfulness even when Israel is unworthy.

Dig-In Challenges

I’ve learned a lot, but I still want to learn more about verse 3! If you want to dig deeper, too, here’s a plan:

1. PRAY, of course.
2. REFINE: Consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool [I’ll be starting here] to find and read through the available cross-references for your focus verse(s) and log what the Spirit shows you.
   NOTE: for your study, follow the above link, then use the Prev or Next buttons below the verse text to go to your focus verse(s).
3. REFINE: Next, compare at least a few other translations of your focus verse(s) and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, NLT, and GNT, starting with this biblehub.com page. After following this link, you can navigate to your verse(s) by entering the reference in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
4. REFINE: Last, I plan to check a few commentaries on Psalm 23:3. If you already have a favorite study Bible or commentary, feel free to review it, too. If you don’t, I recommend bibleref.com if you’re new to the Bible or Bible study: it’s easy to follow and you can find information about the whole book and this passage.
   If you’re looking for something with more detail, try checking the commentary section of StudyLight.org. There, you can access verse-by-verse commentaries on Psalm 23 by clicking the box for your focus verse, then clicking the name of the commentary listed immediately under the text of the verse you chose. I recommend you review more than one commentary and listen to the Spirit’s guidance on them.

I encourage you to do what you can this week to dig deeper into God’s Word. I know you’ll find immense treasure there. And I hope you’ll check in with me again next week!