Psalm 23
YHWH is my Shepherd, I shall not diminish. 23:2 He makes me repose in lush pastures; he leads me beside refreshing waters. 23:3 He restores my whole being; He guides me along right paths for His name’s sake. 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of death’s shadow, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they bring me comfort. 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the full view of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. 23:6 Surely goodness and covenant-love will pursue me all the days of my life, and forever I will dwell in the house of YHWH.
The above passage has been such a comfort to me in the past year. I read it again and again so that I will not lose hope. I wanted to share with you a couple of the key insights that have guarded my heart in troubled times.
v. 1: YHWH is my Shepherd – The covenant nature of our relationship with God is the focus of this Psalm. Verse one opens up with the personal name of God who is described as the personal Shepherd of “my” life and v. 6 closes by emphasizing the covenant-love (chesed) of God which binds each of us to Him in promise. YHWH is not just the God of a people, but of the individual and His covenant-love (hesed) is the essence of His personal relationship with each of us.
The name of my Father YHWH is the bookend for this passage and a constant reminder that in shadowy days, He is my bookend; guarding me on all sides.
I shall not diminish– Most translations interpret the imperfect verb form of the Hebrew term “cheser” as “want” or “lack”. There are two reasons why I think this traditional translation misses the mark.
First, in modern usage the terminology of “lack” or “want” has a materialistic implication that is not intended in this Psalm. Translating “cheser” as want or lack is not incorrect, but culturally misleading. In its colloquial usage, “want” is sometimes misconstrued as God promising that we will never suffer any material deficiency.
Second, by translating v. 1 as “I shall not diminish”, prepares the reader for the rest of the Psalm which emphasizes the rest and strength we find in God even in the midst of trial. This psalm of comfort is not about material provision, but rather how our life can not be diminished or torn down under the pressures of life. Our enemies want us to be destroyed, but with YHWH as our shepherd we will not go down to the forces of darkness that seek to destroy the soul and blacken the heart will not prevail upon us.
Finally, it is interesting to note the play on words between “cheser” in v. 1 and “chesed” in v. 6. The psalm creates poetic bookends that emphasize YHWH’s personal and intimate relationship of covenant-love that will always sustain and guide us through the dark times of life.
v. 3: “He restores my whole being” – The Hebrew word “nephesh” is often translated as soul. However, this can mislead us into spiritualizing this passage and missing its emphasis upon the whole of our life including all that we define as self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion. No matter what loss comes to me; my Shepherd will bring total restoration of life!
v. 4-5: It is interesting to note the change that takes place in the middle of this psalm. The prophet switches from a third person “He” to a direct address of YHWH as “You”. Here the paalmist speaks directly to the Shepherd as if he is speaking back to Him the promises he has heard spoken so many times before: ‘I, YHWH, am with you’, ‘I will bring you comfort’, ‘I prepare a table for you and I will anoint your head’.
v. 6: Goodness and Covenant-Love are the personification of the Shepherd-God who chases after us and holds us safe at all times. This psalm ends as it began, with the personal name of YHWH held forth as a badge of our hope and trust in a God that can not fail us.
There are days, weeks, and even months that I have walked through the valley of shadow and death. I have felt the suffering of the psalmist and experienced the attacks of the enemy… Yet through it all, my Father YHWH has been faithful to guide me. The Shepherd’s covenant-love has not and will not let me down. I shall not diminish.
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
