Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
This psalm talks about death and is often read at funerals.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Who Wrote It
- David: The youngest of Jesse's eight sons, from Bethlehem. A shepherd God chose to be king. The heading of this song says it is "A Psalm of David" (23:1).
Setting
- The hills and fields of ancient Israel. Much of the land is dry and rocky. Grass and water can be hard to find.
What a Shepherd Did
- A shepherd led the sheep to grass and water. He guarded them from wild animals. He went looking for any sheep that got lost.
When
- About 3,000 years ago.
Before the Story
David was a shepherd first. Before he became king, he took care of his father's sheep (1 Samuel 16:11). He fought off lions and bears to save them (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
The Psalms are Israel's songs and prayers. There are 150 of them. Jewish people and Christians still pray them today.
The LORD is God's name. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
This psalm is often read at funerals. It talks honestly about death. If this psalm brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Shepherd | 23:1 | David calls God his shepherd |
| 2. Green Pastures | 23:2-3 | God gives rest, water, and new life |
| 3. The Dark Valley | 23:4 | David walks through a dark place, and God is with him |
| 4. A Table Set | 23:5 | God welcomes David like an honored guest |
| 5. Home | 23:6 | Goodness follows David all the way home |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 5The Shepherd
Sheep cannot look after themselves. They need someone to lead them to grass and water. They need someone to guard them at night.
David knew this well. As a young man, he kept his father's sheep. He fought off lions and bears to save them (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Years later, David wrote a song. It begins, "The LORD is my shepherd" (23:1).
This is a comparison. God is compared to a shepherd. David is compared to a sheep. David had been the shepherd. In this song, he calls himself the sheep.
Next David says, "I shall not want" (23:1). In older English, "want" means "lack" or "go without." David means this: with God as my shepherd, I will have what I need.
Scene 2 of 5Green Pastures
"He makes me lie down in green pastures" (23:2). A pasture is a field of grass where animals eat. In a dry land, green grass was a gift. A sheep lying in the grass is fed and at rest.
"He leads me beside quiet waters" (23:2). Quiet water is calm and safe to drink. The shepherd goes first. The sheep follow.
This is a comparison too. God gives rest, food, and peace. God leads, and David follows.
"He restores my soul" (23:3). To restore means to make new again. David is saying that God brings him back to life inside.
"He guides me in the paths of righteousness" (23:3). These are right paths. They stand for the good ways God wants people to live. God does it "for the sake of His name" (23:3). That means God guides because of who God is. The sheep did not earn it.
Scene 3 of 5The Dark Valley
Now the picture in the song becomes a dark one.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (23:4). A valley is a low place between hills. A deep valley can be full of shadows. It is hard to see what is coming.
Some other Bibles say "the darkest valley." Both are careful ways to translate the same Hebrew words. Either way, it is a very dark place, and it is real.
This is a comparison. The dark valley stands for the most frightening times in life. That can mean danger, deep sadness, or death itself.
The shepherd does not lead the sheep around the valley. The sheep walks through it.
Then David says, "I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (23:4). Something changes here. Until now, David talked about God. Now, in the dark valley, David talks to God.
"Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (23:4). A shepherd carried a rod, a short club, to drive off wild animals. He carried a staff, a long stick, to guide the sheep. Both meant the shepherd was close by.
Scene 4 of 5A Table Set
The picture changes again. Now God is a host, and David is a guest. This is a comparison. God is compared to someone who welcomes a guest to a meal.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (23:5). The enemies are still nearby. They have not gone away. God sets out the food anyway, and David is safe at the table.
"You anoint my head with oil" (23:5). To anoint means to pour oil on someone. Back then, a host sometimes put sweet-smelling oil on a guest's head. It was a way to honor the guest (Luke 7:46).
"My cup overflows" (23:5). The cup is so full that it spills over. This is a picture of more than enough.
Scene 5 of 5Home
"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life" (23:6). Mercy is kindness to someone who needs it. This is a comparison. God's goodness and mercy are pictured as following right behind David, every day, wherever he goes.
"And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (23:6). To dwell means to live. The house of the LORD was the place where Israel gathered to worship God.
The song began in a field, with a shepherd and his sheep. It ends at home, with God. The shepherd was with the sheep the whole way, even in the dark valley.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "A Psalm of David" (23:1) | This heading is part of the Hebrew text. The Hebrew words can mean "by David" or "for David." Jewish and Christian readers have long prayed it as David's song. |
| "The LORD is my shepherd" (23:1) | God leads, feeds, and protects. The prophets used this picture too. God says, "I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11). |
| "I shall not want" (23:1) | I will not lack what I really need. It does not mean I will get everything I wish for. |
| "He restores my soul" (23:3) | God brings me back to life inside when I am worn out, sad, or far from him. |
| "For the sake of His name" (23:3) | God cares for us because of who God is. It is a gift. We do not earn it. |
| "The valley of the shadow of death" (23:4) | The hardest, darkest times, including death. The Hebrew words can mean "deep darkness" or "shadow of death." That is why some Bibles say "the darkest valley." The Bible in Basic English says "the valley of deep shade." |
| "For You are with me" (23:4) | This is the center of the psalm. God does not always take the valley away. God goes through it with us. |
| "Your rod and Your staff" (23:4) | The shepherd's tools. They mean protection and guidance. The shepherd is near and ready to help. |
| "You prepare a table before me" (23:5) | God welcomes and feeds us, even while trouble is close. Many Christians also think of the Lord's Supper, where Jesus feeds his people. |
| "My cup overflows" (23:5) | God gives more than enough. |
| "Goodness and mercy will follow me" (23:6) | The Hebrew word for "follow" often means "chase" or "run after." God's kindness does not lag behind. It goes after us. |
| "I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (23:6) | To live close to God always. The Hebrew says something like "for length of days." Christians also hear a promise of life with God that death cannot end. |
Back Then
A shepherd's work was hard and sometimes dangerous. He found grass and water, guarded the flock from wild animals, and searched for lost sheep (Smith's Bible Dictionary). David says he fought lions and bears for his father's sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Shepherds carried a rod and a staff. Many scholars explain the rod as a short club for defense. They explain the staff as a long stick for guiding the sheep. The staff had two uses. It was a weapon against enemies, and it was a crook, a hooked stick, for guiding the flock (Smith's Bible Dictionary).
Hosts sometimes anointed their guests. Pouring sweet-smelling oil on a guest's head was a sign of honor (Easton's Bible Dictionary). Jesus mentions this custom in Luke 7:46.
In David's time, the house of God was a tent. David lived in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stayed in a tent (2 Samuel 7:2). Later his son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem.
Literal Reader Alert
Is David talking about real sheep? No. The whole psalm is a comparison. David is talking about himself and God. Real sheep help us picture it.
Does "I shall not want" mean God will give me whatever I want? No. In older English, "want" means "lack." David is saying God gives what he truly needs. Many people who pray this psalm are poor, sick, or grieving.
Does "I will fear no evil" mean it is wrong to feel afraid? No. Fear is a feeling, not a sin. David was in a dark valley when he said this. His trust was not that the danger was gone. It was that God was with him. Jesus himself was "deeply troubled and distressed" the night before he died (Mark 14:33).
What if I am in a dark valley right now? You are not alone, and it is okay to say so. You can pray this psalm, even one line of it. Please talk to someone you trust too. A doctor or counselor can help if sadness or worry is making daily life hard. Getting help is not a lack of faith. God often cares for us through other people. If you are in danger right now, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the United States, you can also call or text 988 any time, day or night. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| David | Safe and content | God is his shepherd and gives what he needs (23:1-2) |
| David | Worn out, then renewed | His soul needed restoring, and God restored it (23:3) |
| David | Comforted in the dark valley | God was with him in the valley (23:4) |
| David | Honored | God welcomed him like a guest (23:5) |
| David | Hopeful | Goodness and mercy would follow him home (23:6) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you in this psalm right now? Tap one.
Resting in green pastures
Good. Rest is a gift from your Shepherd. Enjoy it, and thank him.
Tired inside
"He restores my soul" (23:3). You do not have to fix yourself first. God is the one who restores.
Walking a dark valley
The psalm does not pretend the valley is easy. It says God walks through it with you. You are not walking alone.
Missing someone who died
That is why this psalm is read at funerals. It is okay to be sad. Please talk with someone you trust about the person you miss.
It's really bad right now
David told God the truth about the dark valley. You can too. Please also tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., visit findahelpline.com.
You Might Have Heard
"If God is your shepherd, nothing bad will happen to you."
What's true: God cares for every need of his sheep. God leads, feeds, and protects.
What the psalm is mainly about: The shepherd is with the sheep. That includes the dark valley. The psalm does not say the sheep will never go there. It says, "I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (23:4).
Where Jesus is: Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Jesus walked through the valley of death himself, on the cross. Then God raised him to life. Christians believe he is with them in every dark valley, even death.
Good News
Psalm 23 does not pretend. It names the dark valley, the enemies, and death. Sadness and fear are real, and the psalm leaves room for them.
The good news is not that the pain disappears right away. The good news is that the Shepherd stays. These words were first Israel's prayer, and Jewish people pray them still. Christians pray them too.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. Many Christians hear "You prepare a table before me" (23:5) and think of the Lord's Supper. There, Jesus says, "This is My body, given for you" (Luke 22:19). The psalm first spoke of God's care for David. Christians believe the same Shepherd feeds them today.
The Bible's last book shows where the Shepherd leads his people in the end. "For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd... God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17).
You do not walk through the dark valley alone. Your Shepherd walks with you, all the way home.
Big Idea
God is our Shepherd. He leads us, stays with us in the darkest valley, and brings us home.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In 1536, Martin Luther explained Psalm 23 at his own table one evening after supper. It was printed that same year (Luther's Works, volume 12). He taught that the grass in the green pasture is God's Word. Through it, the Shepherd feeds his sheep. He strengthens and refreshes troubled consciences. Your conscience is your inner sense of right and wrong.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Psalm 23 on the Fourth Sunday of Easter every year. This day is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. The psalm is also read on the Fourth Sunday in Lent in Year A, and at many funerals.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
How did that feel?