Psalm 23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 23

Many of David's psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God's great goodness and dependence upon him. It is a psalm which has been sung by good Christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. I. The psalmist here claims relation to God, as his shepherd, Ps. 23:1. II. He recounts his experience of the kind things God had done for him as his shepherd, Ps. 23:2, 3, 5. III. Hence he infers that... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 23:1-6

From three very comfortable premises David, in this psalm, draws three very comfortable conclusions, and teaches us to do so too. We are saved by hope, and that hope will not make us ashamed, because it is well grounded. It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation. I. From God's being... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 23 A Psalm of David . Thus psalm was written by David, either when he was in distressed circumstances, being persecuted by Saul, and was in the forest of Hareth, 1 Samuel 22:5 ; as some think F18 Jarchi & Kimchi. ; wherefore he comforts himself with the Lord's being his shepherd, so that he should not want; nor would he fear, was he in worse circumstances than he at present was; or rather, when he was settled upon the throne of Israel, and in the most... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd ,.... This is to be understood not of Jehovah the Father, and of his feeding the people of Israel in the wilderness, as the Targum paraphrases it, though the character of a shepherd is sometimes given to him, Psalm 77:20 ; but of Jehovah the Son, to whom it is most frequently ascribed, Genesis 49:24 . This office he was called and appointed to by his Father, and which through his condescending grace he undertook to execute, and for which he is abundantly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ,.... Or "pastures of tender grass" F20 דשא "tenerae herbae", Piscator, Amama, Gejerus, Michaelis; "in folds of budding grass", Ainsworth. ; this is one part of the shepherd's work, and which is performed by Christ, Ezekiel 34:14 ; by these "green pastures" may be meant the covenant of grace, its blessings and promises, where there is delicious feeding; likewise the fulness of grace in Christ, from whence grace for grace is received; also... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:3

He restoreth my soul ,.... Either when backslidden, and brings it back again when led or driven away, and heals its backslidings; or rather, when fainting, swooning, and ready to die away, he fetches it back again, relieves, refreshes, and comforts with the discoveries of his love, with the promises of his word, and with the consolations of his Spirit, and such like reviving cordials; see Gill on Psalm 19:7 ; he leadeth, he in the paths of righteousness ; in the plain paths of truth... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ,.... Which designs not a state of spiritual darkness and ignorance, as sitting in the shadow of death sometimes does, since the psalmist cannot be supposed to be at this time or after in such a condition; see Isaiah 9:2 ; nor desertion or the hidings of God's face, which is sometimes the case of the people of God, and was the case of the psalmist at times; but now he expressly says the Lord was with him; but rather, since the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:5

Thou preparest a table before me ,.... In a providential way granting a sufficiency, and even an affluence of temporal good things; the providence of God lays and spreads a table for his people in the wilderness, and sets them down at it, and bids them welcome to it; see Psalm 78:19 ; and in a way of grace, the Lord making large provisions in his house for them, called the goodness and fatness of his house, and a feast of fat things; and under the Gospel dispensation, the table of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ,.... Either the free grace, love, favour, and mercy of God in Christ, which endures continually, and is always the same from everlasting to everlasting; or the effects of it; and these either temporal good things, which flow from the goodness and mercy of God, and not the merits of men; and which are in great mercy and loving kindness bestowed on his people, and which follow them: they do not anxiously seek after them; but seeking the kingdom of God... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 23

The Lord is the Pastor of his people; therefore it may be inferred that they shall not want, Psalm 23:1 . How he guides, feeds, and protects them, Psalm 23:2 , Psalm 23:3 . Even in the greatest dangers they may be confident of his support, Psalm 23:4 . His abundant provision for them, Psalm 23:5 . The confidence they may have of his continual mercy, and their eternal happiness, Psalm 23:6 . There is nothing particular in the title; it is simply attributed to David; but as it... read more

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