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Hello, friends. This past week marked the beginning of Lent—the forty days (excluding Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday (April 5, 2026). How are you preparing your heart for the resurrected Savior? I’m glad you’re making time to be in God’s Word with me!

Last Week’s Work

COMPARISONS

The obvious comparison of LORD as Shepherd and David as sheep begins in verse 1 and flows through the whole psalm:

• The LORD is [=] my Shepherd (v1).
• [Shepherd] makes [sheep] lie down; leads [sheep] (v2).
• [Shepherd] leads [sheep] (v3).
• [Sheep] fear no evil, for [Shepherd is] with [sheep]; [Shepherd’s] rod and staff comfort [sheep] (v4).
  I’m again reminded of safety in the Shepherd’s presence.
• [Shepherd] prepare[s] a table before [sheep] (v5).
• [Sheep] shall dwell in the house of the [Shepherd] forever (v6).
  These last two verses remind me of a parable the prophet Nathan told David after he ordered the murder of Bathsheba’s husband. It featured a rich man with a large herd of sheep who stole and butchered a poor man’s only lamb. Nathan said the lamb shared [the poor man’s] food, drank from his cup, and even slept in his arms (2 Samuel 12:3)!

Other symbolic references:

• Valley of the shadow of death (v4): I think this says going into a confined area where evil and death lurk doesn’t frighten David. Instead, he’s comforted by the LORD’s presence.
• Rod and staff (v4): symbolic of supernatural protection and guidance?
• Anointing David’s head with oil (v5): this reminded me of the ceremony by which Samuel identified David as King Saul’s successor (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
• Overflowing cup (v5). I assume this signifies abundance.
• Goodness and mercy following David (v6): obviously, they can’t walk behind him. I think this might refer to David’s intended legacy?

CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS

I found just two instances of the connector “for” in this Psalm: in v3 and again in v4:

Verse 3

ACTION: [The LORD] leads me in paths of righteousness
CONNECTOR: for
EXPLANATION: [The LORD’s] name’s sake.

This is the second half of my focus verse. Literally, it says the LORD’s name is the reason the LORD leads David to righteousness. Now I really want to understand His name in this passage!!!

Verse 4

ACTION: [David] will fear no evil
CONNECTOR: for
EXPLANATION: [The LORD] is with [David]; [The LORD’s] rod and staff… comfort [David].

As noted above, the LORD’s presence emboldens David, even in frightening situations.

CONDITIONS/METHODS

Two actions for which conditions are specified in this Psalm are:

• Verse 1: If the LORD is David’s Shepherd, David doesn’t want for anything (divine provision).
• Verse 4: If the LORD (with rod and staff) is with David, he’s not afraid of evil, even in confined, shadowy, evil places.

Dig-In Challenges

This coming week, I’m planning to:

1. PRAY. Of course!
2. REFINE my understanding of this text by determining which of the following types of writing appear in Psalm 23: instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, or prophecy. I’ll note the types I find and from that determine whether the text should be interpreted literally.
3. REFINE: Next, I’ll research the book’s historical context by referencing an Introduction to the Book of Psalms, starting here. These references may also contain a summary of the book’s content. If you’re working along with me, note any relevant or interesting facts you uncover in your review of these materials. Based on the writing type (from step 2, above) and what you discover in the introduction, should Psalm 23 be interpreted literally?
4. REFINE: Last, I’ll be looking up the meaning of a few words and phrases from my focus verse using an interlinear Bible tool. I like Biblehub.com’s Hebrew tool for this research. To use it, follow the link above. You can scroll to the verse(s) you want to examine by clicking the blue arrow to the right of the verse citation (“Psalm 23:3”) for higher-numbered verses or the arrow to the left to view verses 1 and 2. Once you locate the verse, click the number in the Strong’s column that corresponds to the English word or phrase you’re researching. Note anything the Spirit highlights for you in the information provided.

I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!

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