टीका वर्तमान में केवल अंग्रेज़ी में उपलब्ध है। हिन्दी अनुवाद प्रगति पर है।
Psalms 23 — The Lord is My Shepherd
David, who knew shepherding from his youth, paints the most beloved portrait of God's care in all of Scripture. Six verses, a lifetime of comfort.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
— Psalm 23:1
- v.1 The Shepherd named
- v.2-3 The Shepherd's provision
- v.4 The Shepherd in the dark valley
- v.5 The Shepherd as Host
- v.6 The Shepherd's eternal house
Sheep will not lie down unless they feel safe, free from friction with other sheep, free from pests, and free from hunger. The shepherd creates the conditions for rest.
Sheep are afraid of moving water. The shepherd leads them to still waters — water they can drink without fear. Our Shepherd knows what we need to feel safe.
Sometimes He has to "make" us lie down. Striving creatures need a Maker who insists on rest.
Restoreth — Hebrew shuv, "to bring back." The same word used of a lost sheep being recovered. When the soul wanders, the Shepherd brings it back.
"For his name's sake" — not because we have earned the leading, but because His reputation is invested in His sheep arriving home safe.
Through the valley — not around it, not over it. Through. The shepherd does not promise an alternate route, but His presence in the dark one.
"Shadow of death" — even the shadow, not death itself. A shadow cannot kill. A shadow proves there is light somewhere.
The rod (for defense against predators) and the staff (for guiding and rescuing sheep) — both bring comfort. The same hand that disciplines also rescues.
The metaphor shifts — from shepherd to host. God spreads a feast for His own while the enemies watch. The enemies do not stop the feast; they witness it.
Anointing with oil — both a refreshment for guests and a healing for sheep (shepherds anointed sheep's heads with oil to repel flies and heal wounds).
"My cup runneth over" — abundance, not just sufficiency. The Shepherd gives more than needed.
Follow — Hebrew radaph, often translated "pursue" or "chase." Goodness and mercy do not merely trail behind us; they pursue us like sheepdogs of the Shepherd.
"All the days of my life" — every day, without exception, without expiration.
"For ever" — the psalm ends in eternity. The Shepherd's care is not just for this life. The house of the Lord is the destination.
Whatever valley you are in today, the Shepherd is not somewhere outside it waiting for you to catch up. He is in it with you. Read this psalm slowly, aloud, with your own name inserted: "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." Let the possessive pronouns do their work.
Jesus said in John 10: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Every line of Psalm 23 was fulfilled in the One who laid down His life so the sheep could dwell in His house forever.
The Hebrew name used here is YHWH — the personal covenant name of God. The infinite Creator is my shepherd. Possessive. Personal.
Jesus identified Himself as this Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).
"I shall not want" — not because I have everything I desire, but because I have the One who knows what I need. The shepherd defines the need.