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Psalm 23[a]

The Lord, Shepherd and Host

A psalm of David.

I

The Lord is my shepherd;[b]
    there is nothing I lack.(A)
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
    to still waters he leads me;
    (B)he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths[c]
    for the sake of his name.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 23 God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10).
  2. 23:1 My shepherd: God as good shepherd is common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Ez 34:11–16; Jn 10:11–18).
  3. 23:3 Right paths: connotes “right way” and “way of righteousness.”

For he is our God,
    we are the people he shepherds,
    the sheep in his hands.(A)

III

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:(B)

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[a]Know that the Lord is God,
    he made us, we belong to him,
    we are his people, the flock he shepherds.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 100:3 Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God.

15 Then he blessed them with these words:

“May the God in whose presence
    my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd
    from my birth to this day,(A)

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22 There I will meet you and there, from above the cover, between the two cherubim on the ark of the covenant, I will tell you all that I command you regarding the Israelites.

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Loss of the Ark. So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.[a] The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the ark of God.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:4 Enthroned upon the cherubim: this divine title first occurs in the Old Testament at the sanctuary at Shiloh (cf. 2 Sm 6:2); God is represented seated upon a throne borne through the heavens by cherubim, creatures partly human being, partly beast (cf. Ez 1 and 10).

Then David and all the people who were with him set out for Baala of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the name “the Lord of hosts enthroned above the cherubim.”(A)

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14 [a]Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock of your heritage,
That lives apart(A) in a woodland,
    in the midst of an orchard.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
    as in the days of old;

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Footnotes

  1. 7:14–17 A prayer that God will care for the people as in ancient days (v. 14) is answered (vv. 15–17) when the Lord promises to do marvelous things. The nations shall be afraid and turn to the Lord.