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Psalm 23:3-5
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 23:3-5
New Catholic Bible
3 He restores my soul,[a]
guiding me in paths of righteousness
so that his name may be glorified.
4 Even though I wander
through the valley of the shadow of death,[b]
I will fear no evil,
for you are at my side,
with your rod and your staff
that comfort me.
5 [c]You spread a table for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;[d]
my cup overflows.
Footnotes
- Psalm 23:3 Restores my soul: the Lord revitalizes the psalmist’s spirit (see Ps 19:8; Ru 4:15; Prov 25:13; Lam 1:16). Paths of righteousness: paths that conform to the will of the Lord, the “right way.”
- Psalm 23:4 Valley of the shadow of death: another possible translation is: “through the darkest valley.” It refers to any situation that is death-threatening.
- Psalm 23:5 What was only a comparison used by the psalmist to indicate the happiness of those who dwell in the house of the Lord has become a wonderful reality in the New Covenant. God sets the table for all who as members of his Church seek rest and protection in the house of God during their pilgrimage. He gives them the Bread of Heaven and the cup of his love and the riches of his grace—Christ’s Precious Blood and the anointing of the Spirit with his sevenfold gifts.
- Psalm 23:5 In the ancient Near East, covenants were frequently made at a meal (see Ps 41:10; Gen 31:54; Ob 7). Anoint my head with oil: reception customarily accorded to an honored guest at a banquet (see Lk 7:46; see also 2 Sam 12:20; Eccl 9:8; Dan 10:3). Cup: the same image is found in Pss 16:5; 75:9; 116:13. This verse indicates that the Messianic Banquet (see Ps 22:27) is reserved for the righteous; the wicked are excluded from it (see Isa 65:13f).
