The Book of Psalms

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

The Lord is my shepherd

(Ezekiel 34:11-24; John 10:1-21)

A Psalm of David. The Lord directs me,(a) and nothing will be lacking to me.(b)

He has settled me here, in a place of pasture. He has led me out to the water of refreshment.(c)

He has converted my soul. He has led me away on the paths of justice, for the sake of his name.(d)

For, even if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they have given me consolation.(e)

You have prepared a table in my sight, opposite those who trouble me. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup, which inebriates me, how brilliant it is!

And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and so may I dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

Footnotes

(a)22:1 Directs me:In Hebrew, Is my shepherd, viz., to feed, guide, and govern me.(Challoner)

(b)22:1 The often quoted phrasing: “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” cannot be arrived at from the Latin. There is no mention of shepherd, but of the Lord guiding or directing. And the term ‘want’ is in the sense of ‘I shall not lack,’ not in the sense of ‘I shall not desire anything.’(Conte)

(c)22:2 The word ‘ibi’ generally means ‘there,’ but in this context, ‘here’ is a better fit. So, we start in a place of pasture, here. Then we go out to water of refreshment.(Conte)

(d)22:3 Next, we are led away on the path of righteousness, for the holy must go forth, out of safe pastures, to do the work of the Lord.(Conte)

(e)22:4 On this journey of righteousness, we encounter danger and even the shadow of death. The rod and the staff, which give consolation, are the Sacraments of Confession (a rod of correction) and Communion (the bread of life is our staff for the journey of life). Notice that a word meaning ‘valley’ is not found in the Latin text.(Conte)