Introduction
The Twenty-Third Psalm is one of the best-known of all Psalms, and one of the best-loved passages of Scripture. The tradition is that David, a shepherd boy who was chosen as King of all Israel late in the eleventh century BC, composed many of the Psalms, and nowhere is this tradition more plausible than in these few verses.
A Psalm of David
THE Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.*
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness* for his name’s sake.*
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,* I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.*
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;* my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.*
* ‘Want’ here means ‘need anything, lack anything’, as in the phrase ‘to be in want’. Myles Coversale’s translation (1535) has “therefore can I lack nothing”. See Coverdale Psalms 23.
* Keeping to the paths of righteousness means obedience to Israel’s law, given to her by Moses on Mount Sinai many generations earlier. See Stone Tablets and a Golden Calf. Cutting this path through the overgrown tangle of the world is referred to in the ancient Greek translation of the Proverbs as tracing out (literally, ‘rightly dividing’) a path: see Proverbs 3:6 and Proverbs 11:5. This ‘tracing of paths’ is a key duty of Christian clergy as shepherds of God’s flock, according to 2 Timothy 2:15, and at every communion service we are reminded of it: “Furthermore we beseech thee, O Lord, that thou wilt call to remembrance all bishoprics of Orthodox Christians, which rightly divide the word of thy truth.”
* The Prophecy of Ezekiel makes a great deal of this idea, that his chosen people’s misdeeds and humiliation at the hands of her enemies have brought God’s name into dishonour among the other nations of the world, and come what may he will mend Israel’s ways and restore her to glory ‘for his name’s sake’. See Ezekiel 36:21-27.
* Some have identified the valley of the shadow of death with a deep gorge on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, where the Good Samaritan found an injured Jewish man in Jesus’s parable. See The Parable of the Good Samaritan, and especially the picture accompanying Part Two of that story.
* According to Irish missionary St Fursey (?597-650), God makes sure that after death the soul is closely accompanied by angels to see it safe from harm. See The Vision of St Fursey.
* Anointing with oil was a coronation ceremony of the Kings of Israel, as indeed it is of the monarchs of the United Kingdom to this day. It is also a key element in the sacrament of Baptism. The reference to a table and a cup has prompted the Church to suggest this Psalm for those receiving Holy Communion.
* The house of the Lord is the Temple at Jerusalem: the quest to find a place for the Temple was David’s greatest, though he himself never lived to see it, and it fell to his son Solomon to oversee its construction. See Psalm 132:1-5, and also our story The Jerusalem Temple. It was believed to be a divinely-revealed copy of the heavenly sanctuary itself, glimpsed by Moses on Mount Sinai. See Stone Tablets and a Golden Calf, especially Note 1.
Précis
The Twenty-Third Psalm, attributed to David, King of Israel, speaks of his trust in God as his shepherd, who keeps him upright and refreshed, and protects him in danger. God has showered blessings on him in open defiance of his foes, and David has quiet certainty that blessings will always attend him until he finds lasting peace in God’s Temple. (60 / 60 words)
The Twenty-Third Psalm, attributed to David, King of Israel, speaks of his trust in God as his shepherd, who keeps him upright and refreshed, and protects him in danger. God has showered blessings on him in open defiance of his foes, and David has quiet certainty that blessings will always attend him until he finds lasting peace in God’s Temple.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, just, not, otherwise, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Beside. Head. Not.
2 Death. Enemy. Good.
3 Before. Day. House.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Merciful. 2 Good. 3 Green. 4 Willing. 5 Better. 6 Best. 7 Still. 8 Lifeless. 9 Sure.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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